Any good nail clipping techniques????

Question

I have a kitten and I do not want to get her declawed. However, I am having a lot of trouble getting her to stay still long enough for me to clip her nails. I have been playing with her paws while she's sleepy for a while to get her used to it, but she still doesnt like me playing with them for too long. Any suggestions how I can make this weekly routine a little easier??

Answer 1

Congratulations on not wanting to de-claw! I think that what you are doing is about right, she will wriggle and try to get away as she's still little - and at that age, you can't pin them down for a moment. I do exactly what you do - even going so far as to wait until mine are asleep, then pinning them down and doing the deed. We've just recently gotten a 1yr old cat from the SPCA so I wasn't sure if she has had her nails clipped before. I got someone to hold her so that her paws were over their shoulder. This gives them a good grip on her, and makes clipping a breeze, as you would be behind the person just pushing on her pads and clipping. She will eventually settle down into the routine as she grows older and it will become easier.

Now is probably also a good time to include in the nail-clipping routine - opening her mouth and checking out her teeth, checking her ears etc, this gets her used to you doing "routine maintenance" and also gives you a chance to check that everything is ok with kitty.

Good luck!

Answer 2

Our kitten is 11 mos. If you start them early all the better. Make sure you kitty is in a calm mood and not wanting to play. Play with him til he's tired if necessary. Use a DaBird (cat toy it's wonderful).

I put mine on my lap - he lays on his back. I use the people nail clippers and clip one, wait a few secs, clip another...as long as he will tolerate. I might let him run around a while before doing the other paw.

I have never hurt him since I'm very careful to only clip where the quick is not. He has no fear of the clipping, it's some sometimes he's impatient and wants to get down so I let him run around and then finish up a few minutes later.

Don't make the mistake of clipping into the quick - that's the major thing.

We also have the Alpine scratchers for our cat, I showed him how to use them when he was a kitten and he likes them. We have the slanted one and the one on the floor.

We also have a very tall kitty condo/climbing post and it has various textures (carpet, real wood, sisal). He can take his pick there.

Some cats like upholstery or leather - use a squirt gun to discourage scratching on your furniture.

Answer 3

Lucky you... she's a kitten! Best time to start that routine! Two things you need... a towel and stiptic powder. You can get the stiptic powder at any pet shop. You NEVER want to clip any animal's nails without having that powder beside you. If you should accidently clip too far, into the quick, the toenail will bleed. Not a good thing. The powder clots and stops the bleeding. Wrap her up in the towel, like a baby, only allowing one foot to be exposed. Do one at a time. She's going to throw a fit. Your volume and tone of voice will make all the difference. She's learning something. So, you need her to learn that volume and tone of voice in any situation requiring you to wrap her in a towel to take care of something. Keep telling her that you're not going to hurt her and that she's okay. With each successful toe clipping, "See... that didn't hurt, did it!" But don't look her square in the eye. She'll connect what you're doing to her as a threatening act. Each time you put her through this routine will become easier and easier. And by the way, you may even have to cover her head, completely, to get the job done. It makes them calm down and relax more.

Answer 4

Sit the kitten in your lap so that her back is to you. Your left arm is around her left side and your right arm is around her right. This keeps her from backing up and gives you some loose control.

If you are right handed, pick up one of her paws with your left hand and squeeze gently on one of her toes to extend the claw. With the clippers in your right hand, quickly clip the tip. Release her, tell her how good she is and have play time or treat time.

Try to make the sessions fun times and not struggles for freedom. Soon, you'll be able to increase the amount of claws you can clip at a sitting and will finally be able to do all at one time. Just remember to always quit before she gets too restless.

When clipping the claw, you can easily see the pink quick in a cats claw. Be sure not to cut into this as it will cause pain and will bleed. It will make it harder for her to accept this practice as well. Until both you and she get good at clipping, taking off just the sharp tips will help tremendously.

Hope this helps. I'm so glad you aren't going to declaw her. Be sure she has a scratching post made from a rough material that SHE likes. Many people get one that goes good with their decor and the cat cares nothing about it. Most cats like the cardboard Alpine Scratchers and use them well. All six of my cats do.

Answer 5

I use a "people" nail clipper too. Someone has to hold my cat while I cut her nails but we try and do it as quickly as possible. She grumbles the whole time I'm cutting them but she doesn't run away when we're finished. I find with cats that they pick up routines very quickly so if you try to do the nail clipping the same place and the same time every week and do exactly the same thing, your cat will be sitting there waiting for you after a few times. Also, if you give your cat a few "treats" after you're finished, it will become an experience to be looked forward to. The key with cats is consistency. They LOVE routine.

Answer 6

This does work for some, but I cannot guarantee it works for all. Get something she really enjoys licking, mine always liked the hairball paste out of a tube, and smear it on her belly. You can use anchovy paste(not too much, it's very salty) or anything else that's sticky like that. While she's busy cleaning off her belly you can clip her nails. I did one of my cats that way, but the other one I had to wrap in a towel and do it quickly, because she just didn't want to cooperate. I even do my ferrets with the belly-method. They just sit on my lap and let me give them a full manicure.
How sound of a sleeper is your cat? You might be able to get at the nails while she's sleeping if she's a sound sleeper.

Answer 7

When clipping my cats nails I have my husband hold him and pet him and talk to him to keep him calm. I gently clip each nail and talk to him while I do so. It helps to keep him calm then when it's done we give him a treat and let him know what a good boy he was. You can also try using Soft Paws. They are plastic caps that go over your cats nails. They don't hurt and are not harmful to your cat if he/she happens to get one off and shallows it. They come in all sizes for kittens to older cats and come in many colors too.

http://www.softpaws.com/

I hope this helps you.

Answer 8

My dogs are the same way, and I have to let my husband hold them while I clip their nails. make sure you have the correct clippers to do this and make sure you don't clip down to the quick, as it will bleed forever.
If your cat doesn't eventually calm down, I would pay the few bucks to have them clipped at a groomer's or vet's office.

Answer 9

Wrap he kitty in a nice big thick towel and pull out one paw at a time. Not perfect, but it makes it a LOT easier than without!

Answer 10

there are some nail covers that you can get to put on their nails, but i think you have to trim their nails first. i had my cats declawed when they were kittens cuz they were scratching the heck out of me. just their front claws were removed, not their back claws. since they were kittens, they didn't and don't miss them. they were all indoor cats as well. if i got another kitten, I would want to keep all their claws, cuz now they would be outdoor cats.