Kitty Needs His Claws Trimmed?

Question

My cat always used to be great about me doing things like opening his mouth and playing with his paws but as he's gotten older he isn't as keen to let me do these things anymore.

He needs his nails trimmed so that I may apply some Soft Paws caps. He isn't too bothered by me touching his feet but as soon as I apply a little pressure to make the claws flex out he gets a little irritated.

I can't continue to fight him, its just making matters worse. I don't want him to associate me touching his paws with something negitive.

Is there a better way to do this, besides taking him to the groomers?

... There's nothing wrong with his paws. I really wonder about a lot of you. Do you even own cats? Have you ever interacted with one?

I didn't say he's flipping out when I touch him, I said he's aggitated. He just doesn't want me messing with his feet. When I attempt to, he gives me an indignant look, picks himself up and walks away. Or nips me, if I presist.

I've thought alot about declawing and its many evils. Any practice outlawed for cruelty in many countries isn't something I'm interested in partaking in. Even if legal here.

Answer 1

Hi there...here's an instructional video by Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine for Feline Health on how to trim cat claws easily to make it more accepting by your cat: http://www.felinevideos.vet.cornell.edu/trimming_claws/full_movie.shtml

Answer 2

i have a few suggestions....
if you don't want to have the groomer do it, get a friend to help you. I have always thought of nail cliping as a two person job myself. if he gets worked up the proper way to restrain a cat is to hold the skin at the "scruff" of his neck in one hand (with him on his side, that arm against his back) and hold his back legs with your other hand, steching him out. It won't hurt him, we did it every day at the animal hospital. it also can help calm him down if you cover his eyes with a small towel, or believe it or not , if you GENTLY shake his head (nobody get upset, i'm not talking about banging his head against the table or anything...a gentle swaying motion seems to calm them, it simulates something their mommys would do when they were kittens)

Usally cats claws are light and you can see the quicks (pink lines inside) dont cut lower then that! they will bleed and hurt! if you do nick a quick, qwick stop (styptic power) can be apllied but, it you dont have it, a bar of soap rub on the nail will work

Desensitization can also help. play with his feet just alittle bit every day without cutting his nails or anything negative. reward him when he lets you. with positive reinforcment he should let you handle his feet more and more.

Lastly, good for you for rejecting declawing. Its a terribly cruel practice. I find most people don't relize just how nasty it is. They are not just removing the nail, they are cutting out the whole first joint of the toe. Many housecat have been unknowingly mutilated by well meaning pet owners. i wish more people would think and get the facts before declawing.

Answer 3

I've had 4 cats in my lifetime and have had no luck whatsoever with the paw areas -- it's always to the local petsmart store or the groomers for issues like that... they would probably only charge you like $3 and that way the kitty won't look at YOU as the enemy! ha. I've gotten some really nasty scratches (they can be serious enough to go to the hospital) so I learned my lessons the hard way - some cats just don't like their toes touched for any reason.

Answer 4

If he is fighting you now, and was not before, I would seriously look into a possible nail fungus or something that may be causing him pain when you press on that. Cats typically do not radically change their likes or dislikes over night. You could consider having his claws removed, but if he is very old, that could really stress the kitty out. Why is it that now, you're thinking about soft claws? Why didn't you think about this earlier in his life? Groomer would be the best bet.

Answer 5

The best thing to do is try to get it over with as quickly as possible. My cats don't like me messing with their paws either, but they do let me trim their front claws. I hold them on my lap, like you would a baby, and then I go as quickly as I can. I give them a treat when done, so they associate the procedure with something positive. With my younger one, I will let him completely check out the trimmer - he will nip at it and sniff it first, then he lets me do what I need to do.

If you haven't been trimming his claws regularly since he was a kitten, then I'm not surprised he's fighting you. It takes time and patience, but he should adjust to it.

Answer 6

Whenever I have to do kitty maintenance (cutting nails, brushing teeth, brushing fur or whatever it may be) I usually wait till they're pretty calm or even coming to me to sleep. You could try it in their sleep. Or you could kind of force him through it, but nothing too physical, if he gets really annoyed, try having a few treats on hand and give him a treat. try to get him to associate pleasantries with nail cutting. You could give him a treat after each paw you trim. Cats, like dogs can develop patterns. I got kinda lucky with my cat, he lets me do everything to him so far and has never scratched me or bitten me while doing things to him...

Answer 7

I had an older female cat that was the same as yours.

I opted to spend $10 at my local vet and had the two front paws clipped, the back paws weren't a problem.

They were very quick and had the right clippers. I held my cat while they talked to her and clipped. That way she wasn't afraid of me at home.

Think about your local vet and they don't charge a visit charge.

Answer 8

I know you said you weren't interested in declawing... it isnt recommended declawing a cat thats older then a year anyway. My cat is the same way about his feet. It seemed to work that a second person hold the cat and you trim the nails.

Answer 9

Calm the cat, and get her used to laying on her lower back on your lap / on your fingers. gently rub down her palms & feet to get her used to the idea of you fiddling round jointly with her guns of conflict & mountain climbing. Play mushy new age music. turn on a robust, vibrant problem-free. positioned on your analyzing glasses if mandatory. Use a pair of cat claw trimmers (no longer human fingernail trimmers, they're going to reason the claws to split. you don't desire this to take position, believe me). Trim each claw in basic terms adequate to get rid of the pointy tip, in many cases about a million/8 of an inch, and taking large care to no longer decrease into the problem-free-colored quick contained in the claw. that is wealthy with nerves & blood vessels, and in case you trim it kitty will be quick to inform you about it. you'll also be in a position to inform because in case you decrease too deeply that is going to bleed and also you'll sense undesirable, highly as kitty shreds your face & dignity with what's left of her claws. be confident to get the "thumb" claws, and do not forget concerning the lower back claws. I have an total herd of cats and began trimming their claws even as they were kittens (except for both I were given as adults). Now that is a weekly ritual, executed with little or no fuss.

Answer 10

You may need a 2nd person to hold kitty down while you clip his nails. Personally if you can, take him to the pet store so you don't hurt kitty, and kitty doesn't hurt you. Plus if you happened to cut too short or something.

I've never trimmed my cat's nails, his are ok. If you want give him a scratching post to shorten his nails.