Stopping cat from clawing furniture

toedtoes wrote:
Also, in regards to clipping the cat's nails, an easy way to accomplish it is as follows:

Pick up the cat and set it in your lap. Set it down as you would your baby - back legs sticking out over your thighs, cat's back against your stomach.

Start the first few times just holding the cat like that and simply grasping its front paws and giving a little squeeze and then pressing lightly to splay the claws. Talk to the cat the entire time, pet it (carefully avoiding the cat's sensitive areas). The idea is to get the cat used to sitting in your lap and having you touching its paws.

After a couple visits like that, have a pair of fingernail clippers handy. These work well because they keep you from cutting too far down the nail and are easily used with one hand. As you talk to your cat, handle one paw and lightly splay the claws. With your other hand, bring the clippers to one of the nails and quickly clip it. Immediately set the nails down and pet and comfort the cat and tell it how good it is. When the cat is calm, do again and clip a second nail. Continue until the cat doesn't easily calm down (don't push to the point of the cat fighting you). Do however many claws you can at one sitting. If you don't finish them all, go back to a couple sessions of just touching and talking to the cat. Then try again.

This works really well because the cat is in a comfortable position, you're not yanking their feet out, and you are able to pet and talk to the cat the whole time. And, for most cats, there is no need to ever wrap them in a towel.

I have used this technique for years and have been able to clip all but feral cats' claws.

X10

If you cut them to get the sharp points down they don't scratch.And I just can not tolerate picking up a cat and having them dig those sharp nails into my clothing like velcro.

I have cut all the cats I have owned with toe nail clippers. Same way you do by putting put them on your lap.

And BTW interestingly the best place I found to do it is sitting on the toilet (lid closed of course:W) Don't know if it's doing it in room they are not used to or what but they just lay there real still while I clip away.