The sleep method for nail trims actually worked!

TardisDance

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A little accomplishment, but my husband and I have been struggling to trim Sango’s claws for months. She was a hoarder rescue and has improved a ton in year as far as socialization goes. However, picking her up is something she’s still very uncomfortable with. She would thrash, pant, bite and even peed on me once being handled for a vet visit. For nail trims, we’d need to wear full protective gear and grooming gloves - she became fearful of the gloves and she’d hide if she’d heard us going into the bedroom together to change clothes- she’d starting associating us together as something bad. It was just stressing her and us out!

The vet prescribed liquid gabapentin when I told her about our experiences with handling her. However she wouldn’t take it in her wet food - it was a bitter flavor so I don’t blame her (I taste tested it, yuck!) I was going to have it compounded into treats, but knowing how picky she is with food, I just decided that I wouldn’t bother with nail trims anymore because she does wear them down somewhat. But there’s always some nails she doesn’t wear down,

Lately she’s taken to sleeping on my lap which is brand new. Those nails can hurt and I’ve got several small scratches on my legs. I got the idea from Jackson Galaxy/other posters to try get her used to have her paws touched. So for 2 months, I’ve been touching her paws and squeezing them. And last night, I took the bravery test and actually trimmed her nails! I got to 7 total before she realized what was up (admittedly I went overboard but I was too excited!). She’s actually sleeping on my lap tonight and has let me touch her paws again so I don’t think I stressed her out much.

Small victories but I’m so happy!
 
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TardisDance

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suzeanna suzeanna it was small tips if anything but a huge win nonetheless. The last nail, I clipped a big more and that tipped her off. I’m still trying to figure out how to get to the dew claws without a fuss from her. I’m going to give her a break so she doesn’t think that lap=nail trim every time though.
 

Coolgram

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A little accomplishment, but my husband and I have been struggling to trim Sango’s claws for months. She was a hoarder rescue and has improved a ton in year as far as socialization goes. However, picking her up is something she’s still very uncomfortable with. She would thrash, pant, bite and even peed on me once being handled for a vet visit. For nail trims, we’d need to wear full protective gear and grooming gloves - she became fearful of the gloves and she’d hide if she’d heard us going into the bedroom together to change clothes- she’d starting associating us together as something bad. It was just stressing her and us out!

The vet prescribed liquid gabapentin when I told her about our experiences with handling her. However she wouldn’t take it in her wet food - it was a bitter flavor so I don’t blame her (I taste tested it, yuck!) I was going to have it compounded into treats, but knowing how picky she is with food, I just decided that I wouldn’t bother with nail trims anymore because she does wear them down somewhat. But there’s always some nails she doesn’t wear down,

Lately she’s taken to sleeping on my lap which is brand new. Those nails can hurt and I’ve got several small scratches on my legs. I got the idea from Jackson Galaxy/other posters to try get her used to have her paws touched. So for 2 months, I’ve been touching her paws and squeezing them. And last night, I took the bravery test and actually trimmed her nails! I got to 7 total before she realized what was up (admittedly I went overboard but I was too excited!). She’s actually sleeping on my lap tonight and has let me touch her paws again so I don’t think I stressed her out much.

Small victories but I’m so happy!
You've hit the nail on the head (no pun intended!). That's exactly how I do Gracie's nails. I adopted her at age 6 months and I don't know how much she had been handled before I got her, but she too didn't and still doesn't like to be picked up. Eventually she got comfortable enough with me to lay across my lap while I was watching tv in the evening and I would be constantly stroking her paws and then decided to try to trim her nails while she was asleep, or almost asleep. This has worked well for us. Sometimes I only get 2 or 3 nails clipped before she gets down, but the next night I do a few more and so forth, until I've gotten them all. It's a great method, glad it works for you!
 

LTS3

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TardisDance

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Update: Sango’s been suspicious since I trimmed her nails, but my husband did sneak up and get both her dew nails in the course of a week. The dew claws are such a challenge when she sleeps! She immediately knows what’s up.

LTS3 LTS3 , for the gabapentin, I am highly suspicious this was the human stuff. When I brought her in for her teeth cleaning, I mentioned to a vet tech that she’s wouldn’t take it in her wet food. I didn’t say that I had actually taste tested it, but she said that it’s a cherry flavored but the pharmacy does a bad job at making it even cherry! Why would they ever think that a cat would eat a cherry flavored item???!!!!
 

klunick

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Boone and Gracie have always been pretty good about nail trims. I sit them on their butts on my lap and that seems to work. Then they get treats. Much easier time trimming nails than putting their Revolution Plus on them.
 
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TardisDance

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klunick klunick , I wish it was easy, but it comes with the territory of an abused cat. Even tonight, I feel terrible because I half jokingly closed a door to a room she was in (for less than 30 seconds) and she absolutely panicked and hid under the living room couch for hours. She’s super sensitive.
 

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Many pharmacies have pet-friendly flavorings to add to liquid medicines. Chicken, beef, fish, peanut butter, cheese, etc. You may need to specifically ask for it the next time you refill. If your pharmacy doesn't, try a compounding pharmacy.
 
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