Do your cats run away the moment the nail clippers come out? Yes, ours too. We wish they knew that it was for their own good and we aren’t trying to torture them. We make sure to provide them with a cat scratcher so we can keep nail clipping to a minimum. We trim their nails about every 2 weeks. Though nail clipping is not their favorite thing in the world to do, they tolerate it, especially since they know a treat is waiting for them at the end. Here are some tips that worked for us.
Paw massage
Coffee never minded having his paws touched. But Steve doesn’t enjoy it. We found that massaging their paws and getting used to us touching their paws have made it easier for us to get to the actual nail clipping part.
Making friends with the nail clipper
The sound of the nail clipper can be frightening for some of the cats. So they get used to the sound, we clipped uncooked spaghetti next to them. And yes, we humans had spaghetti for dinner!
Set the mood
The cats are easily distracted by each other. To prevent them from jumping, we clip their nails in the restroom. This provides them with privacy and no distractions.
Time to clip
When you look at your own nails, there’s the white part and the pink part. Cats also have a white part and a pink part. Just like it hurts for you to cut your nails too far, it’s the same for cats. Only cut the white part because the pink part is very sensitive. With the cat on your lap facing away from you, take one of their toes in your hand and massage and press gently so the nail extends. Trim the nail and if your cat is having a hard time with the nail trim experience, give them a treat.
We hope that these tips work for you and your cat!
