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brushing & trimming nails

post #1 of 11
5/7/04 at 9:49am
Thread Starter 
hi there,
i got the love glove from drsfostersmith and george hates it! i also got him a little comb for cats- he hates that. He does not like to be groomed, but i want to get in the habit of doign so we can bond, and it will help with my allergies. Any suggestions?

Also, nail trimming- my husband and I are horrible at it- i can only get through a couple of nails- and I dont think I am doign a good job- and I have not even tried the back ones yet...oh needs lots of help here, how to do it so iam not scared and then make george nervous, how often??? George is not into he scratching posts and pads, he like the carpet on our stairs which is already comign up off the wood. Help!

thanks!
shannon
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post #2 of 11
5/7/04 at 10:48am
Shannon...I trim my cats nails every week...what I do is take each one into the bathroom (small space) and I hold them on my lap and trim their nails...I've done this since they were 8 weeks old so they are used to it. What you can do for George is wrap him in a towel....pull one paw out and trim that paw...then put that paw back in the towel and pull out the other paw and trim that one. My cats get special "trim" treats so for all their protesting they know they will get something special afterwards.

Katie
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post #3 of 11
5/7/04 at 10:54am
Thread Starter 
ahhh treats! I have tried to give george little food treats- he seems to have no iterest. what are some cat treats most cats like- I want to give him treats- he is such a good boy!

every week huh??
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post #4 of 11
5/7/04 at 11:05am
I give my guys the Baste Ems...tarter control...pounce treats...but each cat is unique.

Katie
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post #5 of 11
5/7/04 at 11:33am
Thread Starter 
i have tried something similiar for george- tarter control- soft and chewey like pounce, nope he does not care for it
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post #6 of 11
5/7/04 at 11:51am
Well, some cats just aren't very food motivated, and some are just plain picky. My two don't like any treats except for Whisker Lickin's. The only wet food they like is Fancy Feast. And only specific flavors. Got the treats early on in their lives, but it has taken 4 years of trial and error to figure out the Fancy Feast (and flavors).

This may or may not work with George, but this is what worked with Trent. He HATED being brushed, but I needed to do it because of his propensity for hairballs. So I sat down with him, petted him, and explained that I needed to groom him so he wouldn't get hairballs so bad. Now, he still doesn't like to be "brushed" but as long as I tell him that we need to "groom" he will sit there patiently while I brush and pet him, and even purrs.
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post #7 of 11
5/7/04 at 12:28pm
Mine are also very picky. They love Whisker Lickin's too, and I save that for grooming treats. Sam hates being groomed, but now he will tolerate it for the sake of the treats. We sit in the same place, and that's the only spot he ever gets those treats. It took a long time, and a lot of work, to get him to put up with a short grooming session every day.

Now both cats will go and flop down on the grooming spot when they want treats. They both run and lie down there when they see the tin.
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post #8 of 11
5/7/04 at 1:06pm
what i used to do to groom my mums cat(who is very long haired) was wait till she was on my lap wanting to get stroked, then i would groom her, you should try this, as they will then associate petting with grooming and gradually it should become easier for you
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post #9 of 11
5/7/04 at 2:46pm
Don't worry about the hind nails too much. You may need to trim them a few times a year, or not at all. They don't do furniture any damage, cats usually trim hind nails themselves, and overtrimming can result in less grip (like in case the cat ever slips outside and needs to escape up a tree).

Just be calm--nervousness may only make your cat nervous as well--and just blunt the tip of the nail. So long as he doesn't mind, you can take your time a bit, enough to press out the claw and look for the quick just to be sure you won't go anywhere near it.

What kinds of posts and pads do you use? You may need to place something like sticky tape or foil on the stairs that he claws at, and put a pad down near it (or just put a pad over it). Some cats are quite picky about surfaces, and some cats learn to like carpet after they're forced to use soft carpet scratching posts (this is why I always recommend a rough surface for posts). I like http://www.topcatproducts.com because they use woven sisal. They do have a money-back guarantee that your cat will use it, too ^^
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post #10 of 11
5/10/04 at 5:46am
What I am gonna teel you might seem really funny, but! I am going to tell you this anyways! Well, First time I groomed Solomon and trimmed his claws- he didn't mind at all! Second time it was a disaster!!! He only wanted to play and didn't care about - "Please, my baby, we really need to do this"- or any kind of treats! So, I tried and tried and only were able to groom him for 5 seconds, I am not talking about trimming! But, one time I was in a bathroom for a certan reason ( ) and Solomon just jumped on my laps and lay dawn and started to purr... I used it as a moment to grrom him,. cause his brush was really close by, so while I was talking to him - he let me do everythiing and even trimming his nails was a peice of cake!!!!! So, maybe you should just wait till he get relaxed somewhere, and nicely and very carefully brush him with a little soft brush or even baby whipes first time, till he'll get used that when we touch him- it is always safe for him- no matter what we do! And after that feed him with wet food, or whatever he likes, that way you shouldn't worry about treats...I guess you know what kind of food he likes- so this wa it will be like a treat for him! and just wait a little bit- he'll tell you what treats he likes!
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post #11 of 11
5/10/04 at 6:54pm
I am only able to brush miikka when she is sleeping or quite tired. As far as cutting her nails I get my girlfriend to hold her and do the front paws at one time, and then the rear paws about 30 mins later. Try not to make the job longer than necessary. Try stroking the bottom of the paw, and the apply pressure to the digit to allow the nail to show. Be sure that you do not trim into the quick (the area with the blood flow - if you are just starting out be sure to have some blood clotting stuff on hand just in case). For the first couple attempts just take off a small amount of nail. Be confident when doing this and be sure to give kitty a treat/reward afterwards.
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