cross-posted from: https://lemmy.zip/post/18482947
When cats sharpen their claws on wood it keeps them at the right length.
The only time we needed to clip our cat’s claws was when she was getting old and couldn’t sharpen them herself.
We noticed it when she was getting more and more passive, and on a whim we looked ar her claws, they had grown into her pads on her paws, we started cliping them regularly, but only slightly, and she was soon feeling much better.
This happened after and accident when she was out and we thought she got lost, but after a few days she was back in our garden, she was clearly in pain so we took her to the vet and one of her rear legs had been dislocated, it took weeks to get it to heal, and after that event she started having trouble with her claws.
What do you do when the cat refuses to use scratching posts? No matter the material—cardboard, carpet, rope—she will only scratch the furniture and folded towels. (We even tried wrapping a scratching post in towel material and she still won’t scratch it.)
Obviously we don’t want her destroying the furniture, so we don’t* let her scratch long enough to shorten her nails… wat do?
Try one of these: https://a.co/d/08I5FYeD
Cats really only like to scratch on tall and sturdy things like trees or heavy couches
If their post isn’t tall enough, they can’t get a good stretch out of it
If the post tips over easily, they just won’t want to use it (you can also use a heavy weight to keep the base steady, but I find that solution rather cumbersome )
We never really had this issue, but I would try putting the folded towels in a cupboard with a door. As for furniture you could try and fit some hard plastic over the favourite scratching area so she won’t get a grip with her claws.
We had our cat when we were doing a remodel (still going on at my parents, I still remember when the front porch was ripped out and the big job was starting back in 2000, but even before then the house was being remoddeled.
She loved to scrach against wodden posts so much so that over the years she had scratched away about a third of the equivalent of a twobyfour post.
We let her do that since the post would hold little weight, and it is relatively easy to swap if needed.
I’ll try the plastic idea; thanks.
Though it still doesn’t solve the issue of her refusing to scratch a designated post. She’ll just find something else. I’ve thought about buying a cheap yoga mat, cutting off a bit and taping it to the floor, cause she seems to enjoy scratching those too when we’re working out and step away for a break.
You can make or buy something like this if you can’t do clips.
Be calm, gentle, but firm. No build up, no “I’m sorry kitty, don’t be mad” and try not to be tense. Just do it. (If you’re tense, they’re tense)
Use a treat or food to distract the cat, and hold them firmly (preferably, have a second pair of hands, but I manage just fine on my own)
Proceed with the processes, even if the cat complains, or gets a little feisty (back off if they’re ballistic). Let them know (with your body language) that you’re not stopping because they’re unhappy
Also, make sure they have a good footing. Cats get uneasy if they don’t have their feet on something, or if the ground is slippery (like a bathtub)
Put a towel in the bottom of the tub to give them better footing (not the best solution, but it works)
Make a cat burrito. Gently but firmly wrap your cat in a towel with one claw free. Work on the free claw. Get a helper to hold the burrito and to try and confort the cat.
Its not fool proof if the cat fights hard, but it helps on some cats without traumatizing them or injuring you.
When my cat was a kitten, I played with her paws and claws regularly to get her used to it. After a few weeks of that I had no problem clipping her nails. I don’t think she likes it but she tolerates it and gets loves when we’re done.
I also glue “soft paws” to her claws because she loves to destroy carpets and furniture despite the cat trees and our efforts to deter her.
I didn’t have this issue with my 4 cat when i do that, i usually have them belly up on my lap, head facing me, and i trim it that way so their paw won’t be in an awkward possition. They will try to get away, but i’ll just grab them back and give em some head scritches to quiet them down. I sometime will grab their paw when giving them pat and ask “lets check your nail. can i trim this?” and then trim it. Usually they let me trim one or two before getting annoyed.
I did it like this on my sister’s cat as well, works just fine.
“belly up on my lap” I’d be eviscerated trying to achieve this step with the cat I have now. All our previous cats were, well, pussycats about nail clipping compared to her. I finally had to resort to a dose of gabapentin, which barely slows her down but enables me to get one claw at a time over about 3 hours, with a toothy treat after every claw, and plenty of freedom and “da bee” playtime in between to tire her out.
