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Old March 31st 16, 05:17 PM posted to rec.pets.cats.anecdotes
jmcquown[_2_]
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Default Claw Clipping Help

On 3/31/2016 10:01 AM, Dee wrote:
jmcquown wrote in
:

When I first adopted Buffy in June, 2015, she was very agreeable
about my clipping her front claws and even the dew-claws. I was
absolutely amazed. I thought, "Good! she's had this done before.
Whew!"

After a couple of times though, she decided she does NOT want me
to do that.

I *know* not to clip down too far. Nothing I'm doing hurts her.
It just annoys her. Well guess what? Being scratched annoys me,
too.

I've tried rolling her up in a towel like a kitty-burrito but she
manages to squirm out before I can get more than a couple or three
nails on one paw clipped.

I can't afford to take her to the vet just to have her nails
clipped. But she is ripping the heck out of me.

Of course she doesn't do it intentionally. The problem is
sometimes when I'm walking across the room she jumps out and grabs
my leg, claws fully deployed. It's like my leg is a tree. OUCH!
STOP THAT!

I don't know how to get her to let me trim her claws again. Any
suggestions?

Jill


The first time I tried to clip Corky's claws she struggled quite a
bit, and from there it started to escalate. I decided that I wanted
clipping time to be enjoyable for both her and me, and I wanted her
to learn to trust me, too.

I started by going up to her when she was sleeping. I'd clip one
claw, then immediately say "Good girl!!!" and give her a Pounce
treat. I did one claw a day, mostly just the front paws. I did this
for a week or so, just to be consistent in order to establish a
positive association.

When she was quite used to that, I tried something different. I
rattled the can of treats and she came running. I sat on the floor
with my legs out in front and the can of treats and the clippers next
to me. I put her in my lap and turned her so that she sat upright
with her back to my tummy but with her hind legs curled under so she
was actually lying with her back against my stomach. I clipped one
paw at a time, saying "Good girl" if she sat quietly, and gave her 2-
3 Pounce treats per paw. She took to this very well - if she hadn't,
I would have tried sitting her in my lap and doing just one or two
claws or paws a day for a while.

Soon she was purring and drooling the entire time I was clipping her
claws. :-)

One other thing is the type of clipper you use. My cat didn't like
the guillotine clipper at all, but they didn't mind the scissors-type
clipper. Your cat might have a preference to which type you use.

Good luck.

Dee

Thank you, Dee!

Buffy is a tad plump (13 lbs). I really don't want to give her treats.

Everything I've ever read or been told about clippers was the guillotine
were the best because they're quicker. I dunno. This is the first cat
I've ever been owned by whose claws needed clipping. Thing is, she
accepted the clipping for a couple of months, then started resisting. I
have no idea why.

Jill