QUESTION: When Clipping A Cat's Nails...

[TrogL]

Poll question: QUESTION: When Clipping A Cat's Nails...

...and after she's clawed the [moderated] out of:

• various towels
  
• 1/2 a roll of grey tape
  
• my pants
  
• my shirt
  
• my arms
  
• my legs
  
• my face
  
• my ass
  
• my [moderated]
  

do I:

[girl gone mad]

1. Have you..

thought about trying those plastic caps?

My kitty lets me clip her claws any time with no fuss. I started by playing with her paws a lot when she was still a baby. You might try to get your cat used to you handling her paws while she's sleeping in your lap or relaxing somewhere.

My kitty also lets me brush her teeth every night and give her baths, kiss her face for ten minutes straight and hold her in my arms in bed all night like she's a teddy bear. She's a real sweetheart, but she was a biter and scratcher when I first got her. I just screamed at the top of my lungs ("ouch") every time she scratched or bit and she got the message pretty quickly.

[TrogL]

2. how often do you have to replace the caps

...and where do you get them? What are they called?

My cats manage to claw the scratching post about 50% of the time.

They're getting better about clawing me. The kitten actually sat in my lap for five minutes this morning without doing anything psychotic - a first.

[girl gone mad]

3. 4 to 6 weeks,

and I think you can get them at the vet. They can even put them on for you. I've never tried them, so I don't know if they are any good, but I've heard they work.

Don't remember what they're called... Lee press-on nails for cats? :)

[geniph]

4. Soft Paws

Get the vet or vet tech to put them on if your cat's really resistant to claw-clipping.

http://www.softpaws.com

Or you can get a "cat bag" - basically a kind of straightjacket for cats so you can clip claws or treat ears without incurring permanent damage. The Drs. Foster and Smith catalog carries them.

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=3159&Ne=40000&R=4289&N=2002+2015

[twistedliberal]

5. Let it bleed.

I've given up on my cats' claws. The last time I tried, HOINK growled at me for three days. They have destroyed the trim around all of the doors (not that I care...I'm renting :) ), they have fully destroyed a couch that was given to me by some neighbors that moved out, and they have torn up my carpet.

Today they sat me down for a briefing and made it clear that I am very lucky they still allow me to live here.