# How do you clip a cats nails who won't let you?



## Auroraei (Jun 18, 2013)

I've had Luna for about 2 months, she's 7 months.

She has super long nails and she won't let me clip them. No amount of treats, scruffing, wrapping her in a blanket, or anything works. She squirms away. She is really skittish and doesn't like being picked up and won't go on your lap or anything.

I'm not used to this since my other cat Phoenix has always let me clip his with little fuss.

How do I go about this? I spend a lot of time playing with her all day but she just isn't comfortable and she's always moving around and squirming everywhere.


----------



## CherylM (Sep 5, 2013)

If all else fails you might try taking her to the vet. I had a friend that would have her cats nails clipped as part of their regular vet visit. Good Luck


----------



## Auroraei (Jun 18, 2013)

CherylM said:


> If all else fails you might try taking her to the vet. I had a friend that would have her cats nails clipped as part of their regular vet visit. Good Luck


Regular vet visit? I'd have to go every 1-2 weeks. I can't do that :\


----------



## Auroraei (Jun 18, 2013)

Not to mention I'm not even sure how a vet would do it, LOL. I'm trying with 2 people here!


----------



## NOLAKitties (May 30, 2013)

Have you tried that method on youtube video? Rolling the cat in the blanket and cover the face?

Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

My cats will sit there and let my vet or groomer do it without a fuss. They seem to know they can't get away with stuff with strangers, especially in a strange place. With me, they turn into tiny MMA fighters. I actually _can_ clip their nails now, but Charlee will always be a battle.


----------



## Auroraei (Jun 18, 2013)

marie73 said:


> My cats will sit there and let my vet or groomer do it without a fuss. They seem to know they can't get away with stuff with strangers, especially in a strange place. With me, they turn into tiny MMA fighters. I actually _can_ clip their nails now, but Charlee will always be a battle.


She's been to the vet before, 2 vets had to restrain her with a blanket to clean her ears. I think she is traumatized. After that they tried to give her oral meds while she was on my lap and she scratched my arm and now I have a scar lol.


----------



## Sinatra-Butters (Aug 9, 2010)

I would swaddle her in a blanket with one paw out at a time to clip. 

Does she let you handle her paws easily when you aren't clipping them? I found after handling my cat's paws on a frequent basis they have become more at ease with clipping. My boy has never been too awful with it but my sweet little girl used to hiss every time we would do it! Now we make sure to massage her paws when it is cuddle time. She still doesn't love it but she is much better. Mind you, this is scientific and it took a few years, she could just be used to it by now and all of my paw massaging was for nothing.


----------



## Auroraei (Jun 18, 2013)

Sinatra-Butters said:


> I would swaddle her in a blanket with one paw out at a time to clip.
> 
> Does she let you handle her paws easily when you aren't clipping them? I found after handling my cat's paws on a frequent basis they have become more at ease with clipping. My boy has never been too awful with it but my sweet little girl used to hiss every time we would do it! Now we make sure to massage her paws when it is cuddle time. She still doesn't love it but she is much better. Mind you, this is scientific and it took a few years, she could just be used to it by now and all of my paw massaging was for nothing.


She lets me put my finger on her paws but if I go and hold them, she will pull back. She never hisses at me or acts aggressive, she just tries (and succeeds) to flee.


----------



## Sinatra-Butters (Aug 9, 2010)

Maybe try holding them more often when you cuddle. We would start with just touching the paws and then moved to holding them and now she lets us even un sheath her claws while we massage her paws.


----------



## Auroraei (Jun 18, 2013)

Sinatra-Butters said:


> Maybe try holding them more often when you cuddle. We would start with just touching the paws and then moved to holding them and now she lets us even un sheath her claws while we massage her paws.


We don't cuddle, she won't go on my lap and can't pick her up. She's very skittish. But she's sweet, she will come up and rub on me and let me touch her head, but if it involves her being on me or picking her up or trying to restrain her, she's not having it at all.

I managed to clip her nails right now by my SO holding her up in the air, firmly holding under her chest and under her belly, so she was kind of hanging there lol looked ridiculous. I wonder if she will let me do it again in the future. They were superrrr long omg.


----------



## jusjim (Jun 30, 2009)

Auroraei said:


> She lets me put my finger on her paws but if I go and hold them, she will pull back. She never hisses at me or acts aggressive, she just tries (and succeeds) to flee.


Claws are their major defensive weapons, and I think they're reluctant to have them nulified. These days I can hold Missy's claws. It took 3 years. Do you think that's too long? Missy loves her claws.


----------



## Auroraei (Jun 18, 2013)

jusjim said:


> Claws are their major defensive weapons, and I think they're reluctant to have them nulified. These days I can hold Missy's claws. It took 3 years. Do you think that's too long? Missy loves her claws.


I'm just lucky she's never hissed or tried to scratch me. She's really sweet. She just gets scared and flees. I guess I will need to wait it out, I've only had her for 2 months. My other cat Phoenix the first day I got him let me clip his nails, he was always so good about it.

Also she's not fixed yet. I really need to get on that :shock:


----------



## Sinatra-Butters (Aug 9, 2010)

Good, I'm glad you were able to do it! I'm sure she will just get used to it over the years. 


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## 3gatos (Nov 28, 2012)

I hold my cats paws all the time when we cuddle. And practice extending the claws so they're used to it when we clip.


----------



## Wannabe Catlady (Aug 6, 2012)

My cat who isn't keen on being held long and who never sits in my lap used to freak when I tried to clip his nails, but I've got a one person system down. I kneel on the ground, and kind of pin him between my legs so he's still standing and then I quick clip his front paws. He will wrangle out of any other grip. Make sure to give lots of treats after!


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## CherylM (Sep 5, 2013)

Auroraei said:


> Regular vet visit? I'd have to go every 1-2 weeks. I can't do that :\


Is she having a problem with her claws or are you having them cut to keep her from scratching furniture and people ? I had a cat one time that had one claw, a dew claw as I recall, that would keep growing and start up curl under. I would trim that one claw and leave the rest be. Another option is nail caps.... 

Cat Nail Caps from PETCO.com

I have never tried it so I don't know how well they work but it's an idea.


----------



## Lotu (Apr 26, 2013)

I have almost 7 month old kittens...a little different since they were raised in a rescue foster care...handled often, nails clipped young and they seem to accept it okay--best if they are drowsy/sleeping. One is more of a lap-sitter than the other, but both have been handled and prepped to have their nails trimmed. Have you tried trimming while she is drowsy/sleeping? We check nails often by handling the paws while they sleep, but usually they are sitting on a lap.


----------



## emilyatl (Sep 9, 2013)

One of my foster kittens totally flips out when I try to clip his nails. He likes to snuggle, but really on his terms. He does not like to be picked up at all. So it sounds similar to your problem. I've tried several times and he leaps out of my arms and gets me with his back claws (which I know he doesn't mean to do, he always gives me kisses afterwards). With fosters, it's hard because you don't know how they were treated/mistreated in the past, so I just avoid it.  Even the vet said he's spastic when they clip them.


----------



## WhiteKitties (Dec 22, 2008)

Fergie was awful with claw clipping when we first adopted the girls. For a while the only way I could clip was to wait for her to fall asleep in the afternoon, clip one or two before she woke up, then wait for her to fall asleep again and repeat... Took a couple of hours! We've since found a couple of things that work well. One is to clip claws when she's super tired, like right after company has left and she's so tired she passes out five minutes after everyone leaves. Hubby still has to scruff her, but she hardly puts up a fight. The other thing that helps is that we give her treats and lots of praise after clipping. She still doesn't like it, and won't submit nicely like her sister, but it's gotten a lot easier. Be patient, in time this will get better!


----------



## librarychick (May 25, 2008)

If she's already skittish then any method that scares her will become completely impractical as she gets older, you need to change your approach. Start thinking 'how can I get her to let me do this'.

I'll come back later to put down my approach in detail, but the main thing is patience, time, and lots of yummy treats.


----------

