Kitten Hisses When I Clip His Nails!!!

I've had Legolas for 3 months now and since I've had him I've been clipping his nails every week. I've been touching his paws when not clipping his nails so that he gets used to his paws being touched.

The week before last he started throwing a real Hissy Fit! He tried to bite, he hissed and he had that very low growl saying that he was not a happy guy. So, in order to remain scratch free from him I've started to roll him up in a towel with the help of my hubby and only then can I clip his nails without getting scratched.

This behaviour appeared suddenly and for no reason. I've never clipped the quick on either of my 2 little monsters, but this is the reaction from Legolas, the guy that likes tomatoes but who is not getting them any more!

April

Zoey does the low growl when my bf holds her and I try to clip her nails

SO... what I decided to do know is just come up behind her when she is sitting on the floor, sort of sit over her and talk to her and grab her paw and quickly try to clip as many nails as I can before she gets mad I can usually do 3 or 4 at a time, then I'll come back and try to do the rest later. I always give her a treat after, even if she's a brat

Sicy,

I always give Legolas a treat before, during and after but he's a nasty guy when it comes to his nails. I forgot to mention that I even have tried to do them one day at a time. But man does he bite and bite hard!

April

Then invest in a natural wood scratcher and let him blunt his claws all by himself.

That's a very cool idea, MA! Thanks, I'll get hubby to build one seeing as we have 40 Acres of trees, I'm sure that building one will be a lot cheaper.

Any ideas of where I can purchase sissal for the new post? A Canadian site would be preferable.

Oh and Ma.....sorry about using 'Hissy Fit'......no pun intended, honest!

April

My current crew seem able to take care of their claws themselves, but my ol' lady Shasta -- we were together 21 years -- needed some help. Initially, the claw clipping was the longest 45 seconds in recorded history, and the whole neighbourhood knew that untold cruelties were being perpetrated upon her. This led me to procrastinate, and eventually, I found that if I didn't do it every week or every two, but waited until there were signs that the claws were starting to catch a bit, she'd accept the clipping. It didn't take her long to realize that, while the clipping was the indignity of the century, it did make her more comfortable, and all I got then was a token protest.

I usually pick up sissal rope at the Home Deopot. You should be able to find it at any hardware store.

Thank you for all of your suggestions and comments. Rapunzel, if my neighbours could hear Legolas when I clip his nails I'm sure they would come to the same conclusion. So thanks for making me feel like I'm not the only one!

Laura, thank you so much. I had no idea that Home Depot even carried Sissal! I'll have to go into town and check for it, if the one in town doesn't have it I'm sure that they can get it for me.