How do you get your cat to calm down while you clip his/her nails? Mine just freaks out when I get out the clippers - I can barely get half a paw done before she manages to escape. Any tips?
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Nail Clipping
- Thread starter megan
- Start Date
I have the same problem with one of my cats (I have two).
Mishmish thinks we shouldn't clip her claws. We can't get even one claw clipped
! I'm afraid we just gave up on that one and decided to sacrifice the couch and suffer some scratches instead...
I think animal behaviorists will tell you to go about it gradually, helping the cat associate the whole procedure with positive things. You should approach her when she's sleepy and relaxed, clip just one claw (and resist the temptation to continue to the other claws). Then, you should praise Tabby and possibly even give her a nice treat. You should do that for several times, until she's more relaxed when you approach her wit the clippers. Only then can you go on and try clipping two claws a time for a while. After a few times, continue to clip three claws at a time and so on.
This is what I read in cat books – tell me if this works!
Mishmish thinks we shouldn't clip her claws. We can't get even one claw clipped
I think animal behaviorists will tell you to go about it gradually, helping the cat associate the whole procedure with positive things. You should approach her when she's sleepy and relaxed, clip just one claw (and resist the temptation to continue to the other claws). Then, you should praise Tabby and possibly even give her a nice treat. You should do that for several times, until she's more relaxed when you approach her wit the clippers. Only then can you go on and try clipping two claws a time for a while. After a few times, continue to clip three claws at a time and so on.
This is what I read in cat books – tell me if this works!
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #3
Worked like a charm! I didn't even have to keep trying - just a couple of times like that and she's fine with it!
We have 6 cats so nail clipping is a monthly routine around our house. 3 if them have been trained since kittens so not problem with them now the others are pissed on a monthly basis. I couldn't possibly do it alone. Jim holds the cat while I snip away. It usually take a minute a cat to get all 4 paws done. I use a flat head toe nail clipper. I have tried the pin against the sofa routine whereas I block all exits with my body except the front, the 3 that done mind were fine whereas the other 3 kept escaping. I was exhausted after that. So for 30 years it has always been a two man team.
I do sort of what the behaviorist recommends. Clip one while he's sleeping and walk away. If I try to do another, he runs off. There is no clipping more than one at a time unless I manage to get one without waking him up. Rare. But it's not getting any easier. Maybe I should try giving treats after each one. I'll do that this weekend.
