Our cat goes wild when we cut her nails. Is there any way to tranquilize her? Thank you?

Question

She is an indoor cat,18years old and generally very quiet.

Answer 1

Hi Alex...the easiest way to trim a feisty cat's nails would be to swaddle (bundle) the cat in a towel then pull a paw out and gently squeeze the paw to extend the nails to trim.

Here's an instructional video on how to properly trim a cat's nails by Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine for Feline Health: http://www.felinevideos.vet.cornell.edu/trimming_claws/index.shtml

Answer 2

Ok, first off half these people are wrong. you can trim a cats nails, but not too far. I'd suggest wrapping her up and having someone hold her while you do it one paw at a time. Most of the time cats claws are clear, and you can see the vein (the dark line in the claw) and you don't even want to knick that because it is extremely painful and will bleed a lot. use your fingernail clippers and cut off the very tip. Eventually the vein will go back farther and farther to avoid being exposed due to normal wear and tear. You might also try and file the nail afterwards. You could also go to the vets office and for $10 they will trim an animals nails, and if they are difficult they will charge an extra $15 to $20 for using a mild sedative to calm her down. So to have it done by a vet and insure there is no pain for shouldn't be anymore than $30.

Answer 3

I would not declaw her by anymeans.. Did you know that declawing is actually amputating the first knuckle of the cat? So it's like someone amputating your finger tips. So don't do that.

I also use finger nail clippers to clip my cat's nails. There is this stuff in the pet stores (usually not the chains but the natural or organic home owned pet stores) It's called PET CALM. Its an all natural syrup that comes in a little blue bottle for about $10. I checked it out with my vet first to make sure it was safe and he said absolutely. It's actually some of the same stuff that they give to that cats that stay over night to make thier time in the kennels easier. I give my cats about one full eye dropper of this stuff about 10 min. before i clip thier nails. I also use it when i want to transport them, or give them a bath. Basically any time i don't wanna stress them out.

If the cat is STILL acting crazy or you can't find this stuff. I would use a towel, wrap him up like a little baby and leave one paw out. Clip the one paw then let him go. In about an hour, or even later that day do another paw. You don't need to clip them all at once, it's never really an urgent thing to clip thier nails. I'm sure you do it randomly anyways.

In order to safely clip thier nails:
Squeez the paw gently so that all of the nails come out and you can see the entire nail.
Look for the veins. They usually looks like little red threads. If you can't see them, it can just be the darker part of the nail.

NEVER clip anywhere near these. Even if it's just a little bit darker, there could be a vien or artery in there.

You should keep styptic powder nearby incase you do clip the vien. Styptic powder is just a blood clotting agent that is safe for all animals and quickly stops bleeding. If you don't have this you can use baking flou as a last resort. The way your cat freaks out, there might be a little mistake here and there.

Clip off the completely clear part of the nail. And thats it.

Hopefully this makes things easier for you. If you STILL have issues, when you go see your vet, they will usually clip the nails for free during your yearly check up. So i'm sure if you wanna make an appointment with them, they might do it for VERY cheap.

Answer 4

I don't think a tranquilizer is a good idea! I used to have to do nail cutting for my cats Spot and Sumaq, and what you need is a strong hand to hold the cat down while you cut the nails with the other. If you cannot manage this (many people aren't like me), then have someone else hold the cat firmly and try to calm him/her down while you clip the nails or vice versa. And remember not to cut below the cuticle!

Answer 5

Choose a time to cut her nails when she's sleepy....this way she's less likely to put up a fight. Start by softly rubbing her paws, letting her know it's okay for you to touch them. Wrap her in a towel/blanket tightly but comfortably (to keep the back legs from scratching). With the help of a friend, talk softly to her, letting her know it's okay, reassuring her. Softly push on the "knuckel" to push the nail out and quickly trim the nail - if you aren't comfortable with where to cut, have a professional show you.

If you still have troubles, spend the $9 or $10 to have a professional do it.

Good luck!

Answer 6

Not being a cat person I don't know if your supposed to clip their nails but I would think if they got too long you could. I have ferrets and have to clip their nails often. They hate it also. What I do since their so squirmy is put him/her between my knees facing me and put something they like like a banana or a tube of ferret lax which i hear they also have for cats which is a toothpast consistancy and I let them lick at that while I cut their nails. They don't even realize what's going on. Just try to keep her busy and she'll be fine. Good luck...

Answer 7

The easiest way that works is to wrap her in a towel (like a little burrito) and carefully pull one paw out at a time and trim them. Make sure that you give her a treat afterwords!!

Trimming a cats nails is no different than trimming our nails, and it cuts down on the risk of being scratched and having their claws get stuck and ending up with a torn nail.

What dramatic people. I would NEVER recommend declawing an 18 year old cat.

Answer 8

Check with your vet for Kitty Downers. They carry a variety of "mellowing" drugs for that purpose. Another way to go about it is called "shaking". Cats are easily distracted by the motherly motion of someone taking her by the scruff and gently shaking her from side to side. You many have seen vets or vet techs use this at their office when giving cats a vaccine. (This does take two people to accomplish.) Another older way is to place the cat on a screen (an old window screen, etc... tip it up and they hang on and you clip through the screen. That is how many groomers bath cats without getting clawed. Hope this helped.

Answer 9

You may be cutting them too close to the sensitive area at the base of the claw. Try trimming the nails a little further away from the paw and see if that's what is wrong.

Answer 10

If you can afford to do it, you should check out your local PetSmart or a store similart to that has a grooming service. Some places have people that can trim cat nails. But if you do it your self... becareful not to cut the quick. Have you tried using Softpaws? I never used it for my cat. He is good at not clawing thing (knock on wood) but many people say it has made big difference. Check out the source link below. Maybe have good tips you can follow.