Trimming cat's nails who hates being touched

[peedin]

I adopted Ursala from the shelter the day after Christmas. She’s an adult, apparently came from a hoarding situation. She will let me hold her for 5 seconds, doesn’t sit on my lap, loves being brushed, won’t let me touch her toes, sleeps with me and loves to be petted. The vet was able to clip her nails at our wellness checkup but it was hell getting her into a carrier. I finally had to put her in my suitcase and wheel her in.

Anyway, her nails need to be clipped. I touch her toez every day but she pulls them away after 1 second (truly, I timed this). I cannot gently squeeze her toe. Her nails are catching on the carpet.

Should I just stuff her back into the suitcase and haul her to the vet? Yes, I have a proper carrier. I have opened it and set her in it and she freaks out and jumps away.

[Halt_Near_X]

I clip my semi-feral cat’s nails when she is dead asleep. Generally I can get one or two nails before she starts waking up. It’s just an ongoing thing.

If you want to try getting her better with the crate, take the door off, put some towels in, and start feeding her in there. Just put the food in and leave, so she can explore it on her own and you’re not hovering. You might need to use tuna to start so she can smell it. After she’s consistently comfortable going in for food, you can put the door back when you actually need to catch her and you should be good to go. When you get back from the vet, take the door off again and go back to just feeding her/letting it be her space for a while so she gets comfortable with it again.

[Pep_n_Ann]

I would probably take her to the vet this time, and then start working with her tons so you can do it next time.

[Zu_Zu]

Just Watch vet and her ‘tech’ complete this …remember everything break it down

• I finally learned this ‘scary’ :eek: uncomfortable task by watching the vet and her assistant do this trimming… :yes:

You need someone to hold the cat (person standing) … cats feet facing you

this gives the correct and easiest height to work AT HOME !

one foot til she rebels and then go on to another foot … remembering to come back

in other words it helps to confuse the cat a bit :winkgrin:

• they are SO foot sensitive that they immediately pull their feet back

just watch at vet’s once … break down the steps … ask them to demonstrate SLOWLY please

get a helper

and take your time
If I can trim ferals, ‘derals’ = domesticated ferals and the worst = spoiled domesticate cats’ nails

anyone can BUT I STILL HATE THIS CHORE ! :lol:

** I agree my cats have and will always hate this ‘maintenance’

as much as

I have and do hate this ‘chore’ :eek: but now I can make myself complete it because I know how to do it.

Honestly, I would just go to clinic without cat and ask them to help you learn on their clinic cat …and not take dear, Ursala back to the clinic.

and lastly I agree this is not something my cats would ‘get used to’… so I trim and then not bother their feet until it’s time for the next :eek: fiasco :lol:

A holder is the most important part … and practicing too.

Good Luck … a PITA ~ IMHO

[peedin]

I have left the carrier open and put treats in it. She runs in, grabs the treats, and runs out. I will try with her regular food.

She came home in a cardboard carrier which was sturdy and I though would be fine for subsequent visits. Well, the night of our vet visited she fought so hard that she essentially ruined the carrier. That’s why I had to stick her in the suitcase. I worry that I traumatized her. Last night my gym bag was on the floor empty, and collapsed. I picked her up and set her on it. She flew away.

I don’t necessarily believe that she will get better with more handling. Like I said I touch her feet and paws every day (or try to before she pulls away).

[french_fry]

You just have to roll her into a cat burrito (a “purrito”) and get it done. If you don’t think you can reach inside the cat burrito to grab a paw then replace it and grab another paw without getting bitten, just burrito her while leaving one paw out of the wrap then un-burrito and re-burrito sans a different paw to do the next foot.

If I can do this by myself on my 2 year old female (who has been having her paws handled/nails clipped since she was a kitten, all to no avail - she’s still a demon about it!) anyone can do it with this method.

[Louise]

Good luck! If you can get her to the vet this time, I would do it. Then, I would patiently work with her and see if you can get her to tolerate it any better.

At least you can pick her up. My semi-feral is the sweetest, most loving little thing. She sleeps with me, loves to sit on my lap and loves to be petted. However, when you pick her up, she turns in a split second from that sweet little cat to a struggling panther, claws and teeth fully engaged and utterly impossible to hold on to.

Right now, I’m working on getting her to eat in the carrier. She will do that just fine when I put the dish in, but backs out in a mega-second if I try to stay near the door. Oh well, patience, patience, patience. Someday maybe I’ll be close enough so that I can actually close the door before she realizes what is going on. That will work for one vet visit. I don’t know what I will do after that.

[peedin]

Dear Zu Zu, I wish you would come over and be my helper!!!

I don’t know how to burrito a cat. I think I will work on touching her toes while sleeping, and my plan is once that gets better, trim one nail at a time. And put her food dish in the carrier. Or stuff her howling into something and haul her to the vet and be more upset than she is!

Off to find a video on burritoing a cat.

[saje]

You might need to try a bigger carrier too.

[french_fry]

Making a cat burrito is pretty easy!

http://www.vetstreet.com/our-pet-experts/towel-wrap-your-cat-in-5-scratch-free-steps

[Hilary]

I saw once on the “My Cat From Hell” show a technique where you sit next to the cat on a sofa, and gently put one arm over him and hold that paw - so if the cat is on your right, your right arm is over the cat, right hand holding his right paw. Clip with your left hand.

The cat cannot back up because of the sofa and between your arm and body he’s sort of squeezed, which is comforting. You might only get one nail per sitting, but it did seem to work with our guy. He wasn’t awful, but he didn’t like it and he fights less when we do it this way.

Since you said your cat likes to sit next to you, can you put your arm over her, and work up to holding the paw? Start with petting/touching it and resting your fingers on it without holding?

[SugarRush]

If you’re feeling self-conscious about bringing your cat to the vet in a suitcase (no shame there though, trust me)…

I’m not sure where I learned this (somewhere on the Internet) but to get my old cat in the carrier I used to put him in a pillowcase then slide him right in. Worked like a charm. Just leave the case opening facing out at the gate/grate so your cat can work her way out if she chooses to (mine never did, he was a round trip slug).

[peedin]

I was embarrassed until the vet tech said “you should see what people bring their pets in.” Fortunately it was just my carry on bag… I doubt I could get her in a pillowcase. She does not like feeling confined at all. She won’t even tolerate me throwing back the covers if she ends up underneath…

[Larbear]

[QUOTE=Hilary;8618255]
I saw once on the “My Cat From Hell” show a technique where you sit next to the cat on a sofa, and gently put one arm over him and hold that paw - so if the cat is on your right, your right arm is over the cat, right hand holding his right paw. Clip with your left hand.

The cat cannot back up because of the sofa and between your arm and body he’s sort of squeezed, which is comforting. You might only get one nail per sitting, but it did seem to work with our guy. He wasn’t awful, but he didn’t like it and he fights less when we do it this way.

Since you said your cat likes to sit next to you, can you put your arm over her, and work up to holding the paw? Start with petting/touching it and resting your fingers on it without holding?[/QUOTE]

This is what I do with mine. I started with handling their paws and giving lots of cookies. My little female was the worst one but now she’s the best. So cute, she gets excited to see the clippers because she knows she gets treats. My other kitty isn’t thrilled but tolerates it because of the cookies

[Halt_Near_X]

[QUOTE=peedin;8618360]
I was embarrassed until the vet tech said “you should see what people bring their pets in.” Fortunately it was just my carry on bag… I doubt I could get her in a pillowcase. She does not like feeling confined at all. She won’t even tolerate me throwing back the covers if she ends up underneath…[/QUOTE]

If she doesn’t like it but doesn’t throw a screaming fit about it, you might be ok with the burrito approach.

If she fights things like being caught under the covers, I would be very, very cautious about the burrito. My cat was put in a burrito one time and she went ballistic. Not just vocally upset–fought so hard she shredded the towel upset.

She was untouchable for a year after that and five+ years later she has decided that being petted/brushed/etc is ok–on her own terms. She loses her marbles if she thinks someone is going to hold or confine her.

It’s one of those things where the burrito works very well for most cats, but I would never try it again on a cat that hates (not just dislikes, but actively fights) confinement already.

[red_mares]

My cat gets her nails done at the vet. I got tired of fighting with her.

I have this crate and I love it. It’s so much easier to drop them in from the top them shove them in from the side.
http://www.overstock.com/Pet-Supplies/Petmate-Medium-Two-door-Deluxe-Kennel/5634919/product.html

[DakotaTA]

http://www.amazon.com/Cat-Grooming-Bag-restraint-Downtown/dp/B0098AIWMG?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s01

Might try one of these. They come in other sizes and include a muzzle. You put kitty in it and extract one paw at a time. I have a “deral” for whom this was purchased. He doesn’t like it, but the nails get trimmed.

[peedin]

Red Mares, I like that carrier but it’s sold out at overstock. I will look for it elsewhere.

Last night while she was sleeping on her perch, I managed to touch and hold a rear paw for a few seconds. Later she was resting on the ottoman so I put a hand towel on her back. She leapt up like she was scalded so no burrito wrap. I put the towel back on the ottoman and put a few treats on it so she would not be scared. So no burrito, no muzzle, no wrap. I can’t even put an arm around to encircle her.

I will purchase kitty nail clippers (recommendations please?) and try it when she is asleep. Failing that, I will buy yet another carrier (I have a soft sided one) and lasso her into that at some point. My last and final hope would be asking the vet if they know of a free-lance kitty manicurist who makes house calls.

Still haven’t heard from ZuZu if she will come over and help…

[JenJ]

I’ve got one that is dangerous to do as well.
Burrito wrap was a total failure - this cat fought so violently, she became a danger to me and to herself.
Fortunately if I’m quick enough and catch her off guard, I can get her in a cat carrier and to the vet, where the little brat behaves perfectly and just lets them clip claws on all feet.
I’ve given up, it is easier to run her to the vet twice a year than lose flesh myself.

[peedin]

[QUOTE=JenJ;8619034]
I’ve got one that is dangerous to do as well.
Burrito wrap was a total failure - this cat fought so violently, she became a danger to me and to herself.
Fortunately if I’m quick enough and catch her off guard, I can get her in a cat carrier and to the vet, where the little brat behaves perfectly and just lets them clip claws on all feet.

I’ve given up, it is easier to run her to the vet twice a year than lose flesh myself.[/QUOTE]

I have a feeling this is how it will end, which is fine. Just need a top opening carrier.