The Cat Behavior Answer Book - Arden Moore [61]
Start by playing with your cat’s feet regularly to get her used to someone touching her toes. Gently squeeze the footpads to expose the nails. Do this whenever you are petting her or grooming her.
When you are ready to do an actual trim, set out the tools you will need: nail trimmers designed for cats, a thick towel, and styptic powder (just in case you clip the nail too short and it bleeds). Then bring your cat into the bathroom and give her a small treat to start the proceedings on a good note. Be upbeat. Silly as it sounds, try singing a happy tune. Don’t worry if you’re off-key — your cat won’t tell your friends. Or at least talk soothingly as you work. Sitting on the floor or in a chair, hold your cat with her back against you so that you can hold a paw in one hand and use the clippers with the other.
If your cat struggles too much in this position or tries to scratch, wrap her in a thick towel, exposing her head and her one front paw. Hold the paw steady in one hand. Position your thumb on top of the paw and your other fingers underneath and gently press to expose the nails. Snip the tip of each nail, including the dewclaw on the side. Just nip off the white part, being careful to avoid the vein that runs into each claw.
FELINE FACT
The current record for possessing the most toes belongs to a cat named Tiger who has 27 toes and lives in Alberta, Canada. His prodigious digits landed him in the 2002 Guinness Book of World Records.
Tune into your cat’s reaction. If she starts to kick up a fuss, then do just one paw this time. You don’t want to turn a routine chore into a battle royal. See if a yummy treat will settle her down before you start on the next paw. If she’s very upset, wait and do the second paw the next day. Patience is your ally. Depending on your cat, you will need to trim nails every two to four weeks, so make nail-trimming seem ho-hum to your cat.
If you accidentally clip too deep and nick the quick, it will bleed. That’s where the styptic powder comes in. Just apply a dab of powder on the nail for a few seconds and apply pressure until the bleeding stops.
Remember to heap on the praise during the trim session. When you are done, open the door and let your cat walk (or run) out. Count to 10 before you leave the room, so your cat won’t think you are chasing her. I usually walk out and go in the opposite direction and my cats will stop in the hall, look at me, and begin some spontaneous face grooming to calm down. Within a minute or so, they are following me around as usual.
Feline Food Fan
Q My cat, Emma, acts just like a dog at dinnertime. She persistently begs for food. She works the table, going from one person to the next. Sometimes she even paws at our legs or laps. Mealtime has become a battle of wills. What can I do to enjoy my food and break my pet of her food-begging ways?
A Dogs don’t have a monopoly on being food beggars, but cats are more coy and mobile. They look at you with their adorable emerald eyes and wink or softly tap your shin with a friendly paw as you prepare to take a forkful of food. Or they deftly land in your lap and begin purring sweetly. You succumb and hand your cat a food morsel from your plate.
See a pattern here? Without realizing it, Emma has “trained” your family to be her personal food servers. Some cats develop their chowhound skills to the point that they reach PhD status (Panhandling for Dinner). Some moochers evolve into bold thieves who will jump up on tables and swipe food off plates. Others develop such a preference for human cuisine that they turn their noses up at the chow you put in their bowls and con you