my cat won't let me cut her nails.

[dagger88]

whenever i try to grab her paw she just moves her paw back . i can't cut her nails. what to do ?

[jcon]

That's a two person job in my house. All three cats resist, I have a few scars to prove it.

[hystat]

I feel for you. I had one like that.
I kept the clippers in a central locale. Any time I'd cuddle her or she'd fall asleep on my lap, I just grab and try to do an unsuspecting clip before she knew what was going on.
I'd clip one a day, or every other day on an ongoing basis.

She was a bugger... would rather die than have a clipping. If 2 people grabbed her (I have leather welding gloves) she would squirm until you'd swear she's going to break her own bones to escape.... and then, once you had her tucked in between your legs and ready to clip.... she'd start peeing....you'd just feel your legs getting warm.... :)
then at the vets, she'd just huddle there patiently waiting for them to finish clipping

some are easier to love than others

[jabwillis]

I didn't dare to cut my cat's nails, it's very hard and I don't want to see them crying.

[EPcjay]

I'm pretty rough when I cut my cat's nails, but I'm able to do it. I wrap them around a blanket, sit on them, and pull out each paw to cut. Whole process takes about 2 minutes to cut their paws, and feet. Once done, i feed them a few treats, and they forgive me :p

[joeyjoejoe]

I didn't dare to cut my cat's nails, it's very hard and I don't want to see them crying.

As long as you don't cut into the quick, your cats won't feel it.


I'm pretty rough when I cut my cat's nails, but I'm able to do it. I wrap them around a blanket, sit on them, and pull out each paw to cut. Whole process takes about 2 minutes to cut their paws, and feet. Once done, i feed them a few treats, and they forgive me :p

My method is similar... In a sitting position, I trap them between my arm, leg and my body. The arm I am using to trap, I also use to grab a paw. Then trim away. I too have treats near me. They seem to not put up as much fuss knowing they'll get treats afterwards. Overall they have calmed down a lot and that just comes with them being used to getting their nails trimmed. I remember my first attempt... my cat spazed out, screaming and running away... I didn't even clip one nail! :facepalm:

Here's one solution that I found successful, when first trying to start trimming nails. My cats would love to sleep on my desk whenever I was on the computer... so I made it more comfortable by laying down a towel. But after they fell asleep, I would trim their nails. Sometimes they would wake up, but were too tired to do anything about it. I don't do it anymore as my cats have calmed down a lot, but it might help others:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3212/2712997112_edebeb21c2.jpg

[hystat]

I didn't dare to cut my cat's nails, it's very hard and I don't want to see them crying.

some cats need them cut.

if they don't chew them, or use a scratching post, the nail can grow right around into the pad of the foot and cause pain and infections.

[seven]

I do it when they are sleeping or just woke up and still drowsy. I clip a few at a time, and repeat again the next time I catch them sleeping. And I like playing with their paws, just to help them get used to it.

[kittypink]

I do it when they are sleeping or just woke up and still drowsy. I clip a few at a time, and repeat again the next time I catch them sleeping. And I like playing with their paws, just to help them get used to it.

This is what I do as well.
I wait till they're nice and relaxed and I gently pull out a paw and massage it for a bit. Then I quietly pull out the clippers. I only clip one or two nails at time.

[frankyflwrs]

I punch my cat in the head to knock him out....then I proceed to cut his nails. When he wakes up, he has no idea what happened to him....




Yo!...J/K


I usually wait til he's asleep, and I cut one at a time...might take me a few days to get all of them.

[chickenbones]

You guys are too nice, sometimes a little force for the good of the cat is OK.


I wrap mine in a blanket and my GF cut his nails. I wrap him 'cus otherwise he would scratch the heck out of both of us plus biting.

He screams like he's being killed though. He fights as if he's fighting for his life.

[hystat]

You guys are too nice, sometimes a little force for the good of the cat is OK.


I wrap mine in a blanket and my GF cut his nails. I wrap him 'cus otherwise he would scratch the heck out of both of us plus biting.

He screams like he's being killed though. He fights as if he's fighting for his life.

wait till he figures out peeing on you sets him free....

[joeyjoejoe]

wait till he figures out peeing on you sets him free....

Cats are vengeful... I wouldn't be surprised if chickenbones finds a big steaming pile of poo on his bed.:lol:

Just another thing to keep in mind, the front claws need to be trimmed every few weeks, but the back ones don't need to follow the same schedule. They don't grow as fast so every few months is fine.

[Jub3s]

I'm lucky, with both of my cats it's a breeze to trim their nails. If your cat is a lap cat, I would suggest starting to rub her paws more frequently and pressing on the tips to get her nails to pop out. Don't cut just yet, but try it for a week or so, so that she gets used to it. Then I would slowly start trimming a few at a time.

My cats are kind of crazy and purr through it now. It only took a few weeks of training before we could do it in one sitting. One cat per lap lol

Good luck!

[Cheap Cat]

OP, you have to try different things to find out what works for your cat. I keep the clippers in the night stand beside my bed and get them while they are sleeping in my bed. If they fuss a little, I let it go and come back the next day. I had one cat who was really bad because when he was a kitten the vet cut one claw too short and it bled. Even since that happened, he had issues particularly when I touched that paw so I used a blanket on him when he was sleeping. I never let a vet touch my cats claws.

[herekittykitty]

They will get used to it after doing it a while. I sit on my cat- gently of course! It would be easier if he didn't kick.