- Joined
- Nov 26, 2022
- Messages
- 51
- Purraise
- 118
I just wanted to spread the word and hopefully help anyone having trouble with this (as I always get so much help from this forum!)
I had tried everything, but my otherwise sweet cat just wouldn't let me go near his paws, either awake or half asleep. Massaging them for a while was also out of the question. I was trying to get "closer" to the paws daily with positive reinforcement, but getting nowhere I also thought the restraining burrito would be terrifying for him.
So! After a lot of research, I came up with my own technique which I'm really proud of
It worked amazingly well, I honestly almost cried in the end. I was able to calmly cut the nails, all at once, no fear of accidentally trimming the quick.
Here's the technique, if anyone has trouble and would like to give this a try. It requires some patience, time and two people:
1. Waited for him to be naturally calm (this could be asleep, after play, after eating...)
2. Applied a calming spot on his neck. I used Beaphar Calming Valerian, costs about 4 pounds
3. Played "calming songs for cats" on YouTube - no idea if this helped, but who knows!
3. Waited for Beaphar to work. Our cat gets really weird and alert at first, but the effect shows up after 1 hour, 1:30
4. Then we put him on a calming vest, and that's the key thing. The most famous one is Thundershirt but very expensive in the UK. I got "Geyecete Classic Cat Anxiety Jacket" on Amazon for 16 pounds. Great quality. This needs to be slightly tight. It applies gentle pressure on the cat's body and makes him feel instantly calmer. My cat let me put it without resistance after the calming spot-on - I put it very quickly, starting from the body rather than the neck. (btw this is also good for pets afraid of loud noises, or with anxiety issues)
5. Now, in calming bliss and sitting on the floor, my partner gave him a lickable treat (Churu tuna) while I took one paw at a time and trimmed all nails. I put a piece of blanket between the paw I was cutting and his face, so he didn't see what I was doing and wouldn't be able to bite me easily if he wanted to. This made a difference, I think, he didn't even seem to care when he wasn't seeing it.
That's it. Removed the jacket immediately. Lots of praise and play afterwards. I can't believe I got all those scratches before! I kept everything we needed at hand - can't say if this could work for a cat who is afraid of the nail cutter itself, or with a more aggressive personality. Hope this can help someone out there. Worth a try if you already tried other things!
I had tried everything, but my otherwise sweet cat just wouldn't let me go near his paws, either awake or half asleep. Massaging them for a while was also out of the question. I was trying to get "closer" to the paws daily with positive reinforcement, but getting nowhere I also thought the restraining burrito would be terrifying for him.
So! After a lot of research, I came up with my own technique which I'm really proud of
It worked amazingly well, I honestly almost cried in the end. I was able to calmly cut the nails, all at once, no fear of accidentally trimming the quick. Here's the technique, if anyone has trouble and would like to give this a try. It requires some patience, time and two people:
1. Waited for him to be naturally calm (this could be asleep, after play, after eating...)
2. Applied a calming spot on his neck. I used Beaphar Calming Valerian, costs about 4 pounds
3. Played "calming songs for cats" on YouTube - no idea if this helped, but who knows!
3. Waited for Beaphar to work. Our cat gets really weird and alert at first, but the effect shows up after 1 hour, 1:30
4. Then we put him on a calming vest, and that's the key thing. The most famous one is Thundershirt but very expensive in the UK. I got "Geyecete Classic Cat Anxiety Jacket" on Amazon for 16 pounds. Great quality. This needs to be slightly tight. It applies gentle pressure on the cat's body and makes him feel instantly calmer. My cat let me put it without resistance after the calming spot-on - I put it very quickly, starting from the body rather than the neck. (btw this is also good for pets afraid of loud noises, or with anxiety issues)
5. Now, in calming bliss and sitting on the floor, my partner gave him a lickable treat (Churu tuna) while I took one paw at a time and trimmed all nails. I put a piece of blanket between the paw I was cutting and his face, so he didn't see what I was doing and wouldn't be able to bite me easily if he wanted to. This made a difference, I think, he didn't even seem to care when he wasn't seeing it.
That's it. Removed the jacket immediately. Lots of praise and play afterwards. I can't believe I got all those scratches before! I kept everything we needed at hand - can't say if this could work for a cat who is afraid of the nail cutter itself, or with a more aggressive personality. Hope this can help someone out there. Worth a try if you already tried other things!
