Resists nail trimming

It is going to take time is all. It took Mazy cat three years to allow me to trim her nails at home, she HATES her paws touched.

I did it with Paw Work. Every day I held her in the position I would use, eventually, to trim her nails, and touch her (front only) paws. After I touched each paw I gave her a treat (for Mazy this is mayonaise)

In the mean time I had to to take her to the groomer every six weeks for trimming, and there was only one person there she would allow to do it. I held her, at the groomer, while the groomer snipped.

Mazy prefers being draped over my arm, standing on a counter or table, to have her nails done.

Gradually I went from touching the paws to being able to take them between my fingers and express the claws.

From there, after almost 3 years, I was able to snip a claw, but only one at a time. After a while I could get two claws at a time, then a whole paw and eventually, I can now do both paws on one session.

I keep the mayo handy, and smear some on her mouth as I snip. She can't bite me while she's licking mayonnaise off her mouth.

You should hear her try to growl at me, while she's making yummy noises over the mayo. Hilarious.

So...Paw work, with treat, every single day, then..one claw one day, another the next day and so on.

It takes a lot of patience, but in the end, it'll happen.

( Oh and, it is quite common for cats to follow their humans around, it has nothing to do with puppies. )

PS Welcome to TCS!

Out of our three, one will not allow her feet to be touched. Two we can clip or use Pedi-Paws, but not the Siamese. She will take your arm off faster than you can say Ticonderoga. So, she goes to the Vet.

I've had only one really uncoooperative cat that gave me h*ll when I wanted to trim nails. Normally I can do just about any cat in 5 or 10 mins at the most - even the "complainers'. But this boy took me 2 days to do his nails - front one day, back the next. And his nails were thick too which didn't help.

I usually just wrapped him up tight in a towel and tucked him against my body and did a few nails at a time; stopped for a min and talked and petted him; then did the rest on that foot.

I don't suggest you keep calling the vet to do it as the nails should be cut weekly or every other week. Waiting longer will make it that more difficult. When you don't have clippers in hand, try playing and handling his feet as much as you can so he's more used to being touched there. I think that's the major problem with cats not wanting nails done - because their feet are sensitive and maybe it kinda tickles at times - so you have to condition them.

Start out with a goal of trimming nails on one foot at a time - maybe one a day or two a day till all 4 feet are done.

That's nuts. It cost me $8 a trim for Mazy cat. Call and see if you can get a tech appointment, for just a nail trim, or call around to grooming places.

Three years may seem like a long time, but the kitty will be with you much longer than three years, so you don't have anything to lose by working on it daily.

Look at it this way. Mazy has been with me over 5 years now, I haven't had to take her in to have a nail trim in two years, and will not have to do it ever again, so those first three years were worth the patience and work.

With cats, any animal really, you need to practice some patience. You have to build a bond of trust with your boy. And don't forget the treats (I use mayonnaise for nail trim treats, you can just put a blob on the mouth)

Perhaps it won't take as long as it did with Mazy cat. She was unsocialized when she came here, so she had a lot of other stuff to learn besides nail trims.

I trim back claws on the cats who allow it. I've never attempted it with Mazy, I am happy with keeping the front done. I keep an eye on those back claws when she is playing (I don't dare try to touch them) to make sure they aren't getting over grown (growing over into the pad). If they did, she would have to be anesthetized to have it fixed.

Front claws are what get caught in the fabric or rugs, which can cause injury to the kitty, and also of course sharp claws cause injury to another kitty when they play together. My cats use their own furniture to scratch, not the couch, so that is not an issue.

When Mazy first came I had soft paws put on her for the first few weeks, to protect the other cats, not knowing how she would be with them. She had to be knocked out to have it done.

When I picked her up the receptionist at that clinic had the gall to suggest I have her declawed. Boy did she get an earful from me. I never went back, and called the vet and told her why I was leaving her practice, that her receptionist was telling people to have their cats declawed. The vet didn't understand why I was upset. Gah!

Only one of my boys was really freaked out about claw clipping. It took him quite a time to learn to trust that it won't kill him. Everyone else learnt faster or slower motivated by quick treat at first. With Ossi I tried with patience, then I just decided that it will take 3 years that way, and I forced him because we weren't making progress. I sure was not going to pay vet visit every 2 wks. (Of course Ossi is the one who pulls on his claws too, so his grow faster than others).

So, I wrapped Ossi in a blanket, pretty much smothered him under me and clipped ONE NAIL, and then gave him a special treat (malt toothpaste). I did this couple of times to show him that THAT is ALL I will do with his precious paw. Then I sat him on my lap, put the special treat next to us, and did the same thing. Then I moved onto clipping couple of claws at a time.

Now I can do all four paws at the same go, and he does not even require a treat afterwards. I try to always clip the claws in same place, the same way but it's not so crucial anymore when the boogieman is not present. He still prefers me to do it very fast.

I do not clip back paws but occasionally. They don't grow that fast - but they do need a clip now and then. Surprisingly the back paws seem to be less of an issue for everyone. With everyone though I have started with clipping only one nail at a time and having something very yummy right there for them to stare at. And with everyone at first time we just massage the paws, look at the claw and clippers/touch the claw with the clippers.

LOL! Love the disposal story! of course HE had nothing to do with it!

I don't like to give my cats human food either, but I also don't like commercial treats. The mayonnaise is only given in tiny dots, less than a pea size. I use it for nail trimmings, only Mazy ends up getting three or four dots throughout any typical trim. Jennie gets a couple,Tolly doens't need any incentive for nail trims, but he gets some anyway after, for being so good, and because he expects it.

The only other time it is used is if Mazy or Jennie has to be medicated for something. Tolly is medicated daily several times a day, so he isn't fazed by it and does not need treats for it, but Mazy and Jennie do better with a little help, if they have to take something like baytril tablets, for a UTI or ear infection for example.

I find I don't need to trim the back too often, but I do check them and trim as needed weekly. Sometimes none need it done, sometimes one or two - but the front almost always need to be trimmed each week - at least most of the nails do.

I know it may not be a good idea but I trained Ku Ku by giving her "goodies" only when she allows me to trim her nail(or two).
She was "a biter" and I often got bitten when I tried even holding her.
She didn't (and still doesn't) like to be held in the first place, so, I started out having her used to be held still for few seconds.

One of suggestion I found on-line was to cover kitty with towel when you trim nails. I, of course tried this on Ku Ku...but nope, it didn't work, she completely freaked out and ran away.

Later on, I read it somewhere on-line that nail-trimming should better NOT be done when kitty is in a playing mode as that's when you'd most likely get either bitten or scratched(or whatever the negative reaction you can get from your kitty) since your kitty is extra alert than usual.
Rather, you should wait for your kitty to be in either cuddly or napping mode that's when your kitty is least alert, so even if you tried touching him/her, your kitty would be like "huh? what's going on?".

This, combined with the treat, Ku Ku is now quietly letting me trim her nails(including back, I don't trim the back as often as front, though...)

While it may work at first to bribe them with treats or wait till they are sleepy (at least till you and the cat get used to things), I find that if you just take firm control from the start and YOU decide when to end the clippng, the cat is better off.

If you need to get a nail or two cut unexpectly - you don't always have a treat to share or time to wait till they are sleepy. Once the cat is more use to things and trimming, etc, then its far better to end the bribes!

You're right. And it goes for teeth brushing and grooming, ultimately. It's best that a cat knows they just have to deal with it.
I can usually clip any cat, too. When they get too unruly I stop, tell them this must be done and to behave in a firm voice. That tends to work for some reason.


Other things that help. Make sure you are using sharp clippers that aren't squeezing the nail too much before they cut. Cats can feel the pressure to some extent and touchy footed cats really hate this.
Show the cat the clippers, let them hear them being closed. Don't make the clippers something they only associate with something they hate. Let the cat rub their face on the clippers.
Give some pettings while clipping. Talk to them calmly.

Yes, as with anything you might have to do with a cat, it should be approached with confidence and firmness, and calm. And yes, many cats will accept trimming without compensation.

For Mazy cat, and others like her, she needs to have her mouth busy with the mayonnaise or I am likely to loose my hand.

It's not a bribe. It's compensation for her accepting me doing something to her that she loathes.

She hates it and fears it. She detests having her feet touched. If I can make it more pleasant for her, by offering her something she loves, I am happy to do it.

Agree with the tip about making sure the clippers are sharp. I replace clippers annually.

The way I did it with Larry was to massage his paws gently while he was in a sleepy mood....just gently pushed the pads and pushed the nails out, always talking to him calmly - he'd be purring away....he ended up liking having his paws slowly and gently massaged.

Then I tried adding the clippers and clipping while he was calm and sleepy....always talking to him gently. If he got fidgety, I usually stopped and finished at a later time.

A cat is not a dog <ggg> Cats brains are arranged the most like humans, random fact.

But that's not the point. Yes, the mayonaise is to distract her from biting me. But the association of this bad thing with something good goes a long way toward helping her accept it, whether SHE thinks of it as compensation or not.

But I stand by my opinion. She is allowing me to do something to her that she hates and fears, and so is entitled to compensation.

Don't offer it to him, as it doesn't have much scent, just put some on his mouth and see what he does. But low fat mayo-BAH! Soft cream cheese, soft butter, yogurt, baby food,(read label, no onions or garlic) liverwurst, even wet cat food can be used, anything smearable that he likes.

This works for medicating cats too.

I often feel like a monster when this is the way I approach things, and advice some more tentative cat owners to go about things so too. But I agree. It certainly seems to work with my cats. I do not have much experience with tricky/aggressive cats and I try not to advice much but feel sometimes some cat owners just are too tentative (I am not referring to anyone in this thread. Generally people who read boards are already step ahead).

I think I should at least attempt to ascertain that I am the boss because there are situations when it's extremely important for the cats (or my) safety and health that I can gain control. I also feel that after I have gotten to the point that new cat realizes I am not afraid to do things despite resistance, a new level in the relationship usually begins.

Again, I admit I have not worked with all kinds of cats - but just this week at adoption clinic I got a good reminder of what you get if you are tentative. I was hesitant with a very skittish cat, did not go for a grab with confidence and nearly got the teeth sunk in me. Totally my fault for not being assuring because this cat just needs firm hands, no hovering.

I realize things are not simple but I wanted to say I agree with pursuing to be in control and letting the cat know that certain things just need to be done.

I guess what started me taking control of trimming nails was when I took my rabbit (before the cats) to the vet for nail trimming and watched them do it. It seemed simple enough to do at home and at the time the vet was charging $10 or $15 to do this! (back in 70's).

I just watched others trim cat nails on the same way and started doing all mine. I find it a bit comical when someone claims they cannot do it or their cat won't let them, and I pick up the cat, put him on my lap and have them done in 5 mins with the person standing there in complete disbelief!

Ku Ku is often self-trimming her claws by biting them(yes...),
pretty much like ladies trim & care nails with emery board, I guess
Only part she doesn't(can't?) bite is the dew claws...she really hates me touching them.

Since I live alone, I've had to figure out a way to clip the kitties' claws by myself. I kneel on the floor and put the cat between my legs. Kind of looks like I'm sitting on the cat but of course I'm not . Doing this, with sweet-talk involved, works for almost all the non-feral cats---except for Silka, she bites, but fortunately doesn't really need her nails trimmed because she doesn't scratch stuff and she keeps them groomed by herself. The indoor ferals (I have 5), of course, have to figure out their own claw maintenance, LOL.

I tried this method with friends' cats, those who say "he never lets anyone clips his claws", and it always works, unless the cat is a bad biter like Silka.

If you have the need to trim I have always found that the least restraint is always better. When I got my Chester at 9 months he had never had his trimmed before. I could tell because he HATED it! But now he is 11 1/2 years old and I just sit him on my lap, belly up. Sort of sitting position(like his pic on my profile actually) and trim away. He gets a little antsy at times and I just let him go, give him treat and come back to it a little later. I always start with the back feet, they seem to be faster and less annoying to him. I also try to do it in a room with no distractions.

I hope you can find what works best for you. Good luck!