No luck trimming the right paw

[acolyteofbastet]

I've been trying to get my cat Griffin used to nail trimming, and I know this takes time. I've tried starting with getting him used to just having them touched and held, and I'm sometimes successful trimming one or two nails in a sitting. Although even just one nail can be difficult, and it requires a ton of treats.

But i can only ever trim the left paw, and I'm wondering if anyone has any advice. It's not as though Griffin likes his left paw being touched, but I can barely even touch the right, never mind hold it or trim a nail. I have tried slowly getting him used to just lightly touching his paw. I have tried at many different times of day. I've tried trimming when he's napping, after he's eaten, after a brushing, after treats, and I can never get even a single claw on his right paw.

In general, I wouldn't mind too much that I can't trim his claws. The problem is he claws my couch (in addition to the scratching post). I don't care about the couch itself, but he frequently gets stuck on it. He reaches up to scratch, his claw gets stuck in the fabric, and then he starts crying and shrieking and hissing while he tries to pull free (I assume because he's in pain). It's a frightening noise - it sounds like he is being tortured. Sometimes I try to help him get unstuck, but that just results in me getting bitten.

I don't want him to get hurt, and I hate seeing him in pain. So I've tried trimming the claws so that he can't get them stuck. After a couple days, I've got the left trimmed. But like I said, I can't touch the right.

I've considered bringing him to the vet for nail trimming, but they charge $20 per trim, and his nails grow so fast, I try to trim them once every two weeks or so. And that would just get too expensive for me. So I'm really hoping I can eventually get him used to trimming the right paw too. It just scares me so much when he gets stuck and he starts shrieking and hissing. Any advice?

 

[onirin]

Have you tried trimming him while he is asleep?  Dont spook him but wait till hes in his sleepy mood, gently talk to him to let him know your there and move in to trim.  Thats how I do my cats nails.

Also I never try to force more then the cat wants.  If after one paw they keep pulling away I will try again another time.  Always end on a good note.

 

[kittens mom]

It's probably not his right paw but the way you shift him to get it.

I sit in a chair with arm rests. Have a good desk light.

Never start unless you have a towel in your lap. I will without guilt burrito them head included and fish out the paw I need. Do not spend a lot of time trying to console the cat. Quick and done.

I like to wait until they're sun drunk in a window set everything up and then launch the attack. I never wrap unless I have to. Wrapping them has not made them fearful. The most important thing is to just get it done and let them go like nothing happened.

Keep your breathing calm. Don't feed into their struggles.

This is something I had a hard time learning to do. It just took time.

 

[acolyteofbastet]

 Have you tried trimming him while he is asleep?  Dont spook him but wait till hes in his sleepy mood, gently talk to him to let him know your there and move in to trim.  Thats how I do my cats nails.
Also I never try to force more then the cat wants.  If after one paw they keep pulling away I will try again another time.  Always end on a good note.

Yes, I have tried trimming while he is sleeping/napping   no luck there, he wakes up and pulls his paws under his body, and I don't try to push him too much.

I do not try to force either 

thus trimming only one or two nails at a time (however long he will tolerate), and taking a few days to do the left paw.

 
It's probably not his right paw but the way you shift him to get it.

I sit in a chair with arm rests. Have a good desk light.

Never start unless you have a towel in your lap. I will without guilt burrito them head included and fish out the paw I need. Do not spend a lot of time trying to console the cat. Quick and done.

I like to wait until they're sun drunk in a window set everything up and then launch the attack. I never wrap unless I have to. Wrapping them has not made them fearful. The most important thing is to just get it done and let them go like nothing happened.

Keep your breathing calm. Don't feed into their struggles.

This is something I had a hard time learning to do. It just took time.

He's not much of a lap cat (he loves to sit and lie beside me, but does not stay in my lap for more than a few seconds, so I find being seated doesn't work well with him.  As soon as I put him in my lap to trim, he just jumps down.  With the left paw, I've been most successful sitting on the floor, with him seated between my legs, facing away from me.  If I find him in a calm/sleepy mood and do it that way, that is when I'm able to trim one or two claws on the left.  Same strategy doesn't work for the right though; as soon as I even reach towards the paw, he squirms away, and I have been trying not to force him to stay for too long.

I am beginning to think that for the right paw, I will have to go with the burrito method.  I had been hoping to avoid it, because I don't want to make him hate trimming even more (since he does seem to slowly be tolerating the left paw trims).  But I can't continue to listen to him scream when he gets stuck on the couch.  The noise just terrifies me   I had hoped that after a few times getting stuck like that, he might eventually get the idea that it's not a very good place to scratch.  But he continues to go back to it :s

Thanks for the advice, both 

I think I'm just going to have to give in, and see if wrapping him works any better

 

[kittens mom]

 
Yes, I have tried trimming while he is sleeping/napping   no luck there, he wakes up and pulls his paws under his body, and I don't try to push him too much.

I do not try to force either 

thus trimming only one or two nails at a time (however long he will tolerate), and taking a few days to do the left paw.

He's not much of a lap cat (he loves to sit and lie beside me, but does not stay in my lap for more than a few seconds, so I find being seated doesn't work well with him.  As soon as I put him in my lap to trim, he just jumps down.  With the left paw, I've been most successful sitting on the floor, with him seated between my legs, facing away from me.  If I find him in a calm/sleepy mood and do it that way, that is when I'm able to trim one or two claws on the left.  Same strategy doesn't work for the right though; as soon as I even reach towards the paw, he squirms away, and I have been trying not to force him to stay for too long.

I am beginning to think that for the right paw, I will have to go with the burrito method.  I had been hoping to avoid it, because I don't want to make him hate trimming even more (since he does seem to slowly be tolerating the left paw trims).  But I can't continue to listen to him scream when he gets stuck on the couch.  The noise just terrifies me   I had hoped that after a few times getting stuck like that, he might eventually get the idea that it's not a very good place to scratch.  But he continues to go back to it :s

Thanks for the advice, both 

I think I'm just going to have to give in, and see if wrapping him works any better

I went through everything trying to get them used to it. Sometimes Mook sits and sometimes she doesn't Kitten never once in her live submitted quietly to nail trimming. Towel every time and the air blue with her swearing. Let her go and she held no grudge. Mercy is 6 months old today and squirmy. It's a necessity so I just found a way to do it quick and move on.

 

[rickr]

 
<snip>

I like to wait until they're sun drunk in a window set everything up and then launch the attack. <snip>

I've never heard the phrase "sun drunk" before.  But what an accurate description.  

 

[GoldyCat]

Have you taken him to a vet to get his right paw checked out? There might be something going on that makes that paw more sensitive or painful when you touch it.

 

[rubysmama]

 
Yes, I have tried trimming while he is sleeping/napping   no luck there, he wakes up and pulls his paws under his body, and I don't try to push him too much.

That's exactly what my Ruby is like.  She can appear to be sound asleep, but as soon I as touch her paw,  she pulls the paw under her body or she's up and gone. 

My vet also charges $20 for a trim, plus getting Ruby in the carrier is another ordeal, so I keep trying to trim them myself.  And I do occasionally get a few done.  I just hate to be bugging her whenever she's sleeping and it's out of the question to even consider trying when she's already awake.

Good luck. 

 

[acolyteofbastet]

Have you taken him to a vet to get his right paw checked out? There might be something going on that makes that paw more sensitive or painful when you touch it.

Griffin's been to the vet four times since I got him, though not specifically for the paw.  He had a checkup with the vet when I first adopted him, and I definitely remember the vet feeling his neck, body and legs, but I can't specifically remember if he checked the paws as well.  Best I can remember is that he did watch Griffin walking around the room to see if there were any obvious signs of issues with the legs.

The other appointments have been related to itchy ears and one weekend of vomiting, so no examining of his paws at those appointments.