How to Restrain a Cat for Nail Clipping: Vet-Approved Safety Tips

The station How to Restrain a Cat for Nail Clipping: Vet-Approved Safety Tips by Chris Dinesen Rogers appeared archetypal connected Catster. Copying implicit full articles infringes connected copyright laws. You whitethorn not beryllium alert of it, but each of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, truthful they aren't considered nationalist domain. However, we admit that you similar the nonfiction and would emotion it if you continued sharing conscionable the archetypal paragraph of an article, past linking retired to the remainder of the portion connected Catster.com.

Whether you already cognize it oregon not, cats scratching things is an instinctive behavior. While their claws supply defense, they besides let cats to pass with different felines successful the country with ocular and olfactory signals. That’s not an contented erstwhile it comes to the trees outside, but it’s different substance erstwhile it’s your sofa that they’re digging their nails into. You person 3 plans of attack: You tin enactment up barriers to support your favored from destroying your stuff, you tin effort affirmative reinforcement grooming to get them to scratch due things, oregon you tin chopped it disconnected astatine the source—literally.

Trimming your cat’s claws is an important portion of feline ownership. Like the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), we don’t advocator declawing. Instead, we urge trimming them. We recognize if you’re wondering however to trim a cat’s nails that won’t fto you. It’s not similar they marque it easy. However, our usher offers tips connected ways to marque the acquisition little melodramatic for some of you.

Before You Start

The champion mode to marque this task easier is to get your favored utilized to the process. That means handling them and their paws often truthful that they get utilized to it, preferably from a young age. You tin besides usage each favored owner’s concealed weapon: treats. Food has a singular mode of making animals comfy doing things they wouldn’t usually do. We suggest getting thing peculiar for this task, specified arsenic tuna, fixed the feline penchant for it.

Cats are people wary of caller things successful their environment. It’s adjuvant to get them utilized to the things you’re going to usage to clip their nails earlier you start. Let them research the clippers connected their ain clip alternatively of yours. Also, recognize that adjacent the astir docile favored whitethorn bite. Felines don’t similar being restrained and volition often combat it. Therefore, you whitethorn privation to enlist a helper to assistance clasp your feline oregon to tally the clippers portion you hold.

Image Credit: Tatiana Foxy, Shutterstock

The entity of galore of the items utilized for trimming a cat’s nails is to minimize injuries to you and your pet. It’s successful everyone’s champion involvement to get the occupation done arsenic rapidly and safely arsenic possible. The materials you whitethorn request see the following:

How to Restrain a Cat for Nail Clipping

1. Let Your Cat Sniff the Towel if Using One

We equate curiosity with cats for a bully reason. Breeds alteration successful however outgoing oregon shy they are. However, familiarity brings a definite comfort. That’s wherefore we suggest letting your feline sniff the towel and clippers you’re going to usage for a fewer days earlier you effort to groom them. Novel objects whitethorn enactment an carnal connected the defense, truthful let your favored to instrumentality their clip and analyse things astatine their ain pace.

2. Apply Pheromone Spray to the Items

For immoderate cats, pheromone sprays tin beryllium calming successful stressful situations. Being restrained for nail clipping  tin undoubtedly suffice arsenic 1 of those stressful situations. These products simulate pheromones a feline releases successful comforting times, specified arsenic snuggling with their parent and littermates. It’s an olfactory all-is-well awesome that whitethorn marque this task much manageable and little stressful. Spray the items, country and your hands astir 15 minutes earlier attempting nail trims.

Image Credit: Vydrin, Shutterstock

3. Wrap Your Pet successful a Towel

A heavy towel volition support you from getting scratched. After all, there’s a bully crushed you’ve decided to clip your pet’s nails. Fold the towel successful fractional lengthwise and laic it retired connected the level oregon table. Starting astatine 1 end, wrapper the towel snuggly astir your cat’s assemblage burrito-style. The caput should beryllium sticking retired 1 extremity and unobscured truthful that your feline tin respire easily. This volition support their legs contained and springiness you power of their caput astatine the aforesaid time. While you’re trimming their nails, clasp your kitty adjacent to your body. This tin comfortableness a frightened favored and assistance things get done arsenic rapidly and safely arsenic possible.

4. Expose One Paw astatine a Time and Trim the Tip of the Nails

Bring retired 1 paw astatine a time. Your feline volition apt instinctively widen their claws to grasp for something. Push each nail guardant to exposure the tip. Make definite to look for the speedy (the reddish enactment extending astir fractional the magnitude of the claw) beforehand and lone trim the extremity wherever determination is nary quick. Trim tiny amounts until the nail is arsenic abbreviated arsenic you privation it. Have the styptic pulverization acceptable if you hap to spell excessively abbreviated and the nail starts to bleed.

5. Reward Your Cat

Reward your feline with a treat for their practice aft clipping their archetypal paw. This enactment builds a instauration for a affirmative relation with this task. Your kitty inactive whitethorn entity to being restrained the adjacent clip you bash it, however, you’ll apt find there’s little play erstwhile your favored realizes what lies astatine the extremity of the proverbial tunnel.

Image Credit: Andriy Blokhin, Shutterstock

6. Speak Softly to Your Cat arsenic You Switch Paws

Speak softly to your pet portion clipping their nails. Research has shown that cats find their owners’ beingness comforting during stressful times. If idiosyncratic is helping you, guarantee you’re the 1 holding your kitty portion the different idiosyncratic does the trimming.

7. Remove the Towel and Finish With a Treat

When you’re done, marque definite to extremity connected a affirmative enactment with different treat. Your feline apt has an flight connected their mind. Something yummy whitethorn distract your favored and enactment the absorption backmost connected a bully experience. You tin permission the materials you utilized successful the country truthful that your feline tin travel backmost and cheque them retired again if they want.

Final Thoughts

Nail clipping doesn’t person to beryllium an ordeal for you and your cat each clip you bash it. Letting them get comfy and utilized to the cogwheel you’re going to usage good earlier you commencement whitethorn truly assistance you. Nurturing a affirmative relation betwixt nail trimming and treats is indispensable arsenic it tin assistance spare some you and your feline from injury. Hopefully, they’ll soon get utilized to the process and it won’t beryllium specified a hassle the adjacent time.

Featured Image Credit: Yimmyphotography, Shutterstock

The station How to Restrain a Cat for Nail Clipping: Vet-Approved Safety Tips by Chris Dinesen Rogers appeared archetypal connected Catster. Copying implicit full articles infringes connected copyright laws. You whitethorn not beryllium alert of it, but each of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, truthful they aren't considered nationalist domain. However, we admit that you similar the nonfiction and would emotion it if you continued sharing conscionable the archetypal paragraph of an article, past linking retired to the remainder of the portion connected Catster.com.