Thread: Nail Clipping?

I have always been lucky with my babies as the breeder has always sat them on her lap at least a couple of times & just snipped a very small amount off so they get used to being held & the noise from a very early age,like everyone else has said sit them with their backs against your chest & away you go.I always find by sitting them like that & tickling their tummy & whisper sweet nothings{as you do}into their ears at any chance you have gets them used to being in that position so they are then more relaxed when you need to do the nails,I also handle the feet & toes {same even with dogs}as much as I can,you can't beat playing this little piggie went to market with an animal but again it gets them used to having that part of the anatomy handled so they don't bother when you hold them there for nail clipping. I have eight coonies {two belong to daughter luckily}& they range from 3.5kgs to over 10kg & they all sit like angels for claw clipping I am pleased to say.
I work at a vets & sweat more over holding animals to have claws clipped than anything else ......

When we picked up Simba his breeder showed me how to cut his nails - she had her husband hold him while she snipped them off with nail clippers. She made it look very easy and Simba was very good but I have yet to try myself. I do my dogs nails regularly but they are easy as I just tell them to sit and be still. I think if you are at all unsure or nervous it is probably best to take him to the vet Dee. I had a neighbour once that took her dog regularly to the vet to have his claws clipped cos he was so bad.

I liked the video Roy - very helpful.

Exactly my point Karena about trying to make sure all feet are handled well when they are babies,dogs or cats,I am always amazed at owners who struggle think the easy way out is to take them to the vets,it might be for the owners but not the veterinary staff,we have no magic wand to wave,muzzles on dogs,wrestling with three spare legs while trying to hold the fourth out for the vet,little dogs wriggle & big ones you end up straddling & if you are really lucky you end up in a heap on the floor,ok now we are allowed to wear trousers but not so good when it was dresses,with cats you have teeth as well as those unclipped talons to contend with,I have to say though most cats are better behaved than dogs...
Yes I do agree go along to the vets to be shown how to do it but if kitten is going to be an indoor cat you will be running along to the vets a lot in his lifetime,I clip our cats claws every month & that way the leather sofa keeps purrfect !

Just found this link that I found quite useful, going to give it a go with human nail clippers to see how I get on, they suggest you do it when pus is quiet. - Hmmm not sure about that one, Harry will soon wake up when he sees something new to play with he he. Anyway will let you know how I get on, that's if I got any fingers left to type a post !

Clipping a Cat's Claws (Toenails)

We clip our four MC's front nails every 2-4 weeks (unless we get lazy). We have tried to be good about doing the boys since they play roughly and one is a kitten still.

I actually prefer human nail clippers to the cat clippers, but we do use the bigger ones (sometimes called toenail clippers), as the smaller ones can be too small. We usually do this as a team with my wife holding a cat on her lap while I hold a foot and clip. You just press the foot in the center of the ped and the nails come out. The problem with MCs, though, is the amount of hair on the feet. This can make it pretty difficult to find the nails even when you have them sticking out. It does work best when the cats are calm. I also sometimes do a few nails by myself when they are dozing. Mixed success with this. Obviously do not cut into the pink part of the nail!

The main reasons we clip nails are: (1) so you can play with them without getting scratched, (2) so they don't get caught on cat tree carpeting, (3) so they are less likely to injure each other when playing.

Don't forget to do the dew claws, as we find these can become a problem with cat tree carpeting plus they can still scratch you during play. We do not bother with the rear nails, as we don't find a need to have them clipped.

Some of the cats are more cooperative about this than the others, but none are as bad as some dogs that I have seen. Since you need to do this at least about once a month, taking them to the vet is not too realistic.

I'm sorry I don't have al ink... I've seen them on tv or at the shop. I will have to see what I can find.

Well surprisingly enough I had very little trouble clipping Harry's nails. As NCarver said in his post we used toenail clippers and yes the problem was more about finding them with all the hair. I've never needed to do this before because we have always had outdoor cats so I was quite surprised as to how soft their claws actually are.