Trimming Nails - the bane of my cat's existence!

[seasoning]

Hello, fellow cat lovers!

I'm new to this community, and I know there are plenty of threads about nail trimming. However, no matter how hard I try, I find it impossible to cut my two cat's nails!

I've tried every method - cutting one at a time, trimming when they're asleep, handling their paws at a young age (although I adopted them when they were 6 months old so they really weren't that young.) Anyways, there seems to be a problem with everything I do, and I was wondering if any of you had advice? Trimming nails has become such a traumatising event for them - it breaks my heart to see them thrash out every time I even attempt to touch their paws. I really like the "trimming while they're asleep idea", but my cats sleep with either a) their paws tucked in or b) in a curled-up-ball-shape where paws are nowhere to be seen. Plus, they often wake up as soon as they are touched.

If any of you have any tips, please do let me know!

 

[hexiesfriend]

I'm with you on this and I've just given up. I've found unless you start them when they are tiny kittens it's a losing battle. Hopefully you can get some help with other members!!

 

[donutte]

Oh, you can trim their nails even if you didn't start when they were tiny kittens. My cats hate it - including the ones that were started as young kittens! They thrash and meow and act like I'm murdering them. I don't care, I have two declawed cats so those clawed kitties are getting their nails clipped. They are only briefly traumatized. And now I'm brushing their teeth on top of that!

 

[rubysmama]

I really like the "trimming while they're asleep idea", but my cats sleep with either a) their paws tucked in or b) in a curled-up-ball-shape where paws are nowhere to be seen. Plus, they often wake up as soon as they are touched.
If any of you have any tips, please do let me know!

I'm with you on this and I've just given up. I've found unless you start them when they are tiny kittens it's a losing battle. Hopefully you can get some help with other members!!

Sorry, no tips from me, as I'm in the same boat as you two, with my girl, Ruby.  She was 2 or 3 when I adopted her 2 years ago, so I don't know if she'd ever had her nails trimmed, but it's next to impossible for me to trim them.

She hates having her paws touched, hates being held or restrained, and is a ridiculously light sleeper! 

I do from time to time get one nail trimmed when she is napping on my lap (yes, despite hating being held, she loves sleeping on my lap!), but I'm sure there are nails that haven't been trimmed since the vet did it last year when Ruby was sedated to get a cyst removed from her leg. 

I think when she goes for her yearly check-up in a few weeks, I'm going to have to pay the $20 to have the vet techs trim them, but even they have a hard time holding onto her and I never feel they've been trimmed as short as I'd like.

Good luck to all of us...

 

[red dog]

I want to trim my cats nails, but will wait a bit. At the moment I bring them to a local Petsmart that also has a grooming salon. They cut both cats nails in about 10 minutes ($12 ea). Of course they hate to go in their travel boxes too, no easy answers that keep them happy it seems when it comes to nail trimming.

 

[donutte]

It takes about 5 minutes to cut each cat's nails (I only do the front paws, not the back), so a total of 15 minutes for three cats. I've just accepted the fact they aren't going to like it, but they always survive, as do I. I just have to be careful that they don't pull they paw back right when I'm cutting. Oliver is notorious for that, although he's gotten better in that department. He still cries like I'm trying to murder him. Penelopy is probably the biggest crier, but she was also a feral cat for a bit more than the boys were, so she's not quite used to being (wo)manhandled.

 

[molly92]

My cat is pretty food motivated, so treats are a huge part of the nail trimming process. I just got her when she was 4 and she was definitely not used to it, but we made a lot of progress. I can do her front paws with a treat between each nail without too much complaint, but for the back paws I still need to hold her on my lap. She hates it, but I'm lucky her form of protest is just a really pitiful meow.

Brushing her stomach, though, is something that is not nearly as well received and we are still working on that! I save really high value treats for this kind of situation. Vital cat treats sells literal whole freeze dried minnows that she absolutely adores, but she only gets them when I really need good behavior, so they are not an everyday treat which makes them even more special. So perhaps you could try offering them something super yummy like bonito flakes only when the paws are being handled, and their interest in the food will distract them at the very least.

 

[saitaina]

I have two that dislike it and one that I'm quite sure is planning my murder every time I even go near her paws, but much like baths, I struggle with them and force them to endure it...there are just some things you have to do to/for them against their wishes for their own good (like any small child really...).

If you really want to do it and are willing to endure the struggle, I take my eldest (the murderous one) under one arm, using my hip to hold her in place with a paw out and sort of fast clip them with one hand (push/clip, push, clip) then switch sides.  I don't do the backs as they are indoor/outdoor and they need something more then slightly dulled claws to fight with (well, if they weren't such chickens they run back into the house the second someone/thing even thinks about looking at them.

 

[kittens mom]

Oh, you can trim their nails even if you didn't start when they were tiny kittens. My cats hate it - including the ones that were started as young kittens! They thrash and meow and act like I'm murdering them. I don't care, I have two declawed cats so those clawed kitties are getting their nails clipped. They are only briefly traumatized. And now I'm brushing their teeth on top of that!

You sound like me. I have a beach towel on my lap. Small towels are little more than escape hatches. You need a good fold. I always start out using the least restraint possible but the rule is they get clipped before getting away. And I set them down . No lap launching. Both cats got fronts trimmed today. I seldom have to get the backs. Less than 5 minutes.

I heard a hiss last night during a game of tag. I know damn well it was a claw that got used even by accident. I'm getting mine used to the toothpaste. I have to get a tiny brush in the city this week. I've been pulling up the lips and rubbing the gums.

Mook will sit right until the last nail and then make a play. Mercy found Kitten's book of cuss words. Gheesh from such a little thing such language.

 

[donutte]

You sound like me. I have a beach towel on my lap. Small towels are little more than escape hatches. You need a good fold. I always start out using the least restraint possible but the rule is they get clipped before getting away. And I set them down . No lap launching. Both cats got fronts trimmed today. I seldom have to get the backs. Less than 5 minutes.
I heard a hiss last night during a game of tag. I know damn well it was a claw that got used even by accident. I'm getting mine used to the toothpaste. I have to get a tiny brush in the city this week. I've been pulling up the lips and rubbing the gums.
Mook will sit right until the last nail and then make a play. Mercy found Kitten's book of cuss words. Gheesh from such a little thing such language.

:lol3:

Well, I timed it when I trimmed their nails last Saturday - it was only about 8 minutes for all three, so definitely less that 15 minutes that I originally said! And that was with me using a new clipper that I wasn't completely familiar with using yet. I am a big fan of clippers specifically for animals after that, it's SO much neater looking!

Anyway, when the boys were little, I remember just holding them up in the air and telling them this was going to happen, so they might as well stop struggling. They were maybe 3.5 labs then. Definitely a lot harder to do that with a 9 and 10 lbs cat. I sit there and have to tuck their bottom halves under my one leg - towels just don't cut it with them, especially Oscar. And of course Oliver is my gentle giant-in-the-making. So now I try to just scratch their heads and look into their saucer-sized eyes and tell them gently this is going to happen, so they might as well stop struggling. Penelopy isn't TOO bad. She isn't fond of being handled still though. She makes such a sound that I've never even heard from a cat before when I'm clipping her nails.

As far as brushing, I think they are getting used to it. Oh, I tried the whole "get them used to toothpaste" thing and well, they looked at me like I was crazy. So went straight to brushing. After being bit by Lucky in November I'm still not too keen on sticking my fingers inside of mouths :lol3: so I have LONG toothbrushes that were designed for cats. A little more expensive but yeah, I want to save my fingers. I'm brushing every other day right now, and the pattern will be when brushing falls on a Saturday, that is also the day they'll get their nails clipped I know every day would be better, but every other day will have to do for the moment.

 

[kittens mom]

Well, I timed it when I trimmed their nails last Saturday - it was only about 8 minutes for all three, so definitely less that 15 minutes that I originally said! And that was with me using a new clipper that I wasn't completely familiar with using yet. I am a big fan of clippers specifically for animals after that, it's SO much neater looking!

Anyway, when the boys were little, I remember just holding them up in the air and telling them this was going to happen, so they might as well stop struggling. They were maybe 3.5 labs then. Definitely a lot harder to do that with a 9 and 10 lbs cat. I sit there and have to tuck their bottom halves under my one leg - towels just don't cut it with them, especially Oscar. And of course Oliver is my gentle giant-in-the-making. So now I try to just scratch their heads and look into their saucer-sized eyes and tell them gently this is going to happen, so they might as well stop struggling. Penelopy isn't TOO bad. She isn't fond of being handled still though. She makes such a sound that I've never even heard from a cat before when I'm clipping her nails.

As far as brushing, I think they are getting used to it. Oh, I tried the whole "get them used to toothpaste" thing and well, they looked at me like I was crazy. So went straight to brushing. After being bit by Lucky in November I'm still not too keen on sticking my fingers inside of mouths

so I have LONG toothbrushes that were designed for cats. A little more expensive but yeah, I want to save my fingers. I'm brushing every other day right now, and the pattern will be when brushing falls on a Saturday, that is also the day they'll get their nails clipped

I know every day would be better, but every other day will have to do for the moment.

I made the mistake of thinking I could use the finger toothbrush. So until I go back to the city I just persist in handling their mouths.  I found it harder to clip nails when they are tiny. So afraid of quicking them.

 

[donutte]

I made the mistake of thinking I could use the finger toothbrush. So until I go back to the city I just persist in handling their mouths.  I found it harder to clip nails when they are tiny. So afraid of quicking them.

It's very easy to see the boys' quicks with their white paws. I was always more worried with Oliver's pulling his paws away all the time right as I pressed the clipper. Penelopy's quicks are a bit more difficult to see for some reason, I think because the nail is a lot darker toward the base with her, and she's bad with pulling her paws away too.

 

[catanalyst]

My cat also used to dislike having her paws touched, so I would clip her nails while she was sleeping. Then she started getting wise and slept with her paws tucked under her, so I had to find another way.

Is there a treat your cat goes nuts over? I would pick a time when your cat is relaxed to touch their paw (not grab or pick up, just lightly brush the top in the beginning) and immediately feed them a treat. Then you can slowly build up from there to touching the bottom of the paw lightly while they're lying around, to eventually picking up the paw, squeezing, and finally trimming. For each step, any time they pull away, stop and try it again later. Also every time reward them with their special paw-touching treat. Hopefully they'll slowly begin to associate touching their paws with good things. The whole process is very slow. It might take months to build up that association.

After doing that for several months, I can now pull my cat into my lap, trim all of her nails in one sitting (takes less than 5 minutes), and she gets a treat in between each paw.