# Trimming Cat Claws - Aggressive Cat



## WildWayz

Good morning all,

We have a 3 year old Sphynx cat that has 'issues'. We took her on because her owner was needing her knees replacing and could no longer look after her.
After we re-homed her, we realised that her previous owner was a drunk and we suspect that she would grab her cat to force cuddles.

We took on the Sphynx about a year and a half ago, and she was very lively when we got her. She has such a complex set of emotions. One minute she'll be all over us loving us and purring - next minute she'll freak out and go ballistic on us.

She doesnt get on with our Siamese (he was the alpha in the house until she came along, now they both want to be the alphas!) but gets along with the other cats.

Anyway, it has always been a mission to trim her claws - I can usually get about 1 claw clipped before she'll freak out and bite/scratch me.
I've tried doing it when she is in her 'happy mood' but no luck. 
I've tried using a towel to wrap around her to keep her still - no luck.
I've tried talking to her softly - no luck.
It is now at the stage where if I cannot get this resolved, I will need to get her re-homed again :/

Can anyone offer any kind of advice? All our other cats are OK with having their claws trimmed (or they put up a little wriggle).

Thanks in advance.

James


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## manickbarry

I started doing JD's when he was in a deep sleep, but to get him used to it every time he lays near me I play/massage this paws now I can do them when he is awake.


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## Simba9952

Hi WildWayz. With my own cat my partner and I can clip her claws while she lays down or is on one of our laps.
However, my parents have a male 2 year old who hates the claw clipping. He's a really nice cat, just not when trying to clip those claws.
This may sound over the top, but it's the only way we can do it and stay safe.
Firstly I put on a jumper and thick gloves and pick him up. Then my mum puts a towel round him and holds his head (so he can't bite). Then one leg at a time is removed from the towel and my partner clips the claws. All the while this is happening he is growling, struggling and trying to bite.

Get some friends round to help and make sure you protect yourself.

Good luck


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## lorilu

Aww, the poor kitty, how awful it would be for her to get shunted off again, please don't give up on her!

A cat can be trained to accept nail trimming but sometimes it can take a lot of time. It took one of my kitties three years to finally accept nail trimming from me.

She HATES her paws touched, but she now allows nail trimmings.

I did Paw Work with her. Every single day. Cats are the original copy cats, so get one of the cats she gets along with involved.

Get special treats. I use mayonnaise.

In a quiet area, wherever you plan to ultimately do the nails, have both cats. Mayo in a bowl next to you. Take compliant kitty onto lap (or in whatever position you do nails). Give compliant kitty a small dot of mayo on his/her mouth, and touch each paw, pressing to extend the claws as if you are going to trim them, while other kitty watches.

If necessary, give Sphinx some treat even before her turn, to keep her watching and interested

Be sure to talk them through it. Use whatever your lovey voice is with them, use their names a lot, tell them what you are doing, lots of praise.

After doing the first kitty, do the Sphinx kitty. Put a dot of mayo on her mouth so she is busy licking, then do the paw/claw extend press. Put another dot of mayo to do the other paw.

release her and offer a little more mayo to lick off your finger.

Do this every day, with both cats. Sphinx kitty sees other cat doing it, then she does it.

the treat is very important, as it helps kitty associate this scary procedure with something good.

Gentle and calm and easy does it, will win the day, in the end.

Eventually you will start trying to snip a claw during this exercise. At first you may only get one claw at a time. As time goes on, you'll be able to get two, then three then ALL!

As I said, it took three years of this *daily paw work* for my one kitty to learn to allow me to trim her claws at home. In the interim I was bringing her to the groomer every six weeks to have her claws done (also using the mayo there, too)

You could also try using nail caps as she learns, but it sounds like you'd have to let a professional apply them, and they don't last more than four or five weeks.

The mayo (or butter, or yogurt, or anything like that a kitty might like) on the mouth keeps kitty busy, while you get her used to having her paws touched.

Please please don't give up on her. With each new home, a pet has less and less chance of adjusting and staying.


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## WildWayz

Thanks all - will deffo try the mayo thing and the Paw Work 

Will update you on the progress!


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## spid

Actually I'm finding it hard to accept that you would rehome her just because you can't cut her claws! If you make sure they've got scratching places (cat trees etc) you shouldn't really need to do this anyway - I only cut my cats claws when they are off to stud or show. Other than that they take care of themselves (and I have indoor cats that use the scratchers and not the furniture)


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## WildWayz

They have plenty of cat scratching posts - but even with them, their claws get long, especially the back ones (not fun having them run over you and leave you with scars!)


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## Nonnie

You can get cat restraint bags (might need to speak to your vets as to where to purchase one) that are designed to allow access to one foot at a time.

I personally dont like them, but it would be preferable to the cat being rehomed and stressed out again.

They are similar to this:

Restraining a Cat


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## thenaughtyfairy

WildWayz said:


> They have plenty of cat scratching posts - but even with them, their claws get long, especially the back ones (not fun having them run over you and leave you with scars!)


Not fun?! But you don't mind putting your cats through this horrible procedure???


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## lorilu

thenaughtyfairy said:


> Not fun?! But you don't mind putting your cats through this horrible procedure???


What horrible procedure? *Nail trimming*?

That is not horrible at all, in fact *nail trimming* is beneficial to the cat, as many cats' claws grow so long, they will curl into the pad and cause pain and crippling. Or the claws will get caught in some fabric, and when the cat tries to free him/herself, a claw can potentially pull right out.

If you are talking about declawing, yes that is horrible, but no one here is talking about that. In fact most of the posters are from the UK, where declawing is illegal.

And it's coming to the USA too. Banning of declawing I mean. Can't happen soon enough for me, so far only six cities, and five of those in California.

But it's coming, and I hope I live to see the day declawing (mutilating, amputating) of cats is banned all across the USA.


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## eyelicker

I can sympathise with you Wildwayz, one of my cats is really stroppy too. He's bit clean through the nail bed on my little finger the first time I tried to cut his nails The air was blue after that.

Anyway Lorilou speaks a lot of sense with the slowly slowly advice and plenty of treats. I ended up buying a mini pair of nail clippers which are barely visible between your fingers. I then left the clippers in his bed for a few days so he'd get used to them, I also stroked him with them. Then one day I waited until he'd been fed and fell in to a deep sleep. I sneaked up, chopped 1 nail, gave him a treat and walked off. I left it a couple of days and tried again. I'm 6 months down the line now and can get about 4/5 nails done at a time, as soon as he flicks his tail I stop, give him a treat and walk off. I don't think we'll progress beyond where we are now, but a least i get to keep my fingers!


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## lorilu

eyelicker said:


> I can sympathise with you Wildwayz, one of my cats is really stroppy too. He's bit clean through the nail bed on my little finger the first time I tried to cut his nails The air was blue after that.
> 
> Anyway Lorilou speaks a lot of sense with the slowly slowly advice and plenty of treats. I ended up buying a mini pair of nail clippers which are barely visible between your fingers.* I then left the clippers in his bed for a few days so he'd get used to them, I also stroked him with them.* Then one day I waited until he'd been fed and fell in to a deep sleep. I sneaked up, chopped 1 nail, gave him a treat and walked off. I left it a couple of days and tried again. I'm 6 months down the line now and can get about 4/5 nails done at a time, as soon as he flicks his tail I stop, give him a treat and walk off. I don't think we'll progress beyond where we are now, but a least i get to keep my fingers!


Great idea, leaving the clippers in his bed and stroking him with them. then they are HIS! (whether he likes them or not)


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## thenaughtyfairy

lorilu said:


> What horrible procedure? *Nail trimming*?
> 
> That is not horrible at all, in fact *nail trimming* is beneficial to the cat, as many cats' claws grow so long, they will curl into the pad and cause pain and crippling. Or the claws will get caught in some fabric, and when the cat tries to free him/herself, a claw can potentially pull right out.
> 
> If you are talking about declawing, yes that is horrible, but no one here is talking about that. In fact most of the posters are from the UK, where declawing is illegal.
> 
> And it's coming to the USA too. Banning of declawing I mean. Can't happen soon enough for me, so far only six cities, and five of those in California.
> 
> But it's coming, and I hope I live to see the day declawing (mutilating, amputating) of cats is banned all across the USA.


I did think you meant that. Sorry.


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