My cat is an 11 month old ragdoll cross and is an indoor cat. When she was younger I could clip her nails when she was sleeping but now she wont let me anywhere near her nails, if i try and get them out when she's sleeping she immediately wakes up and runs off and gets really angry. I'm not sure what to do as since she doesnt go outside I need to trim them but i dont want to upset her, last night I tried to trim a nail but I wasnt even cutting the nail and she was making the most horrible crying noises like I was killing her! She is quite a drama queen at the best of times and gets annoyed very easily. I called the vets who said they trim nails for £10.75 which i thought was really expensive and I'm not sure what they would do differently to me. I'm not sure what to try next does anyone have any suggestions??

Have yo got one of those trimming tools or are you trying to do it with nail scissors? They make it much easier. How often are you doing it?

You could always get a scratching post and wrap half of it in sand paper!

Ive never know a cats claws to need trimming .......... cant you just buy her a scratching post?

£10.75 to trim cat nails!!

Broomhill charge £10 for dogs, fiver for cats...

Mine are outdoor/indoor cats so they have never needed them doing, but one of them isn't as active as she used to be and gets her claws stuck in everything so I decided to trim them once.

I actually used the same clippers I have for the dogs and had no trouble at all but then she's quite good at being handled (finally - after 10 years of wondering if she was actually feral).

Have you tried wrapping her in a towel with just the relevant paw hanging out? Wrapping them securely in a towel can help keep them calm and prevent nasty scratches :)

Thanks for the replies everyone! I've got a scratching post for her that she loves but it doesnt shorten her nails as its rope material and not rough enough for them to wear down on. do you think the sand paper would work or was that a joke haha? she needs them trimming as she doesnt go outside so unlike where a normal outdoor cat would wear them down naturally on the pavements and wood fences etc she doesnt so they just grow and grow! she last had them trimmed a few months ago when she was neutered but i havent been able to do any since so i can hear them clicking on the wood floor and they get stuck in the sofa on on her scratching posts so i think they need trimming again.

I havent tried the towel thing someone else i know suggested that but i was worried it might upset her more if she was being restrained but maybe i'll try it. whats the place called in broomhill that does the trimming for £5? I think i could push to that if all else fails!

sandpaper around a section of the scratch pole would work fine ...... but dont get anything too coarse.

I use the towel trick on my cat when ive got to do something he doesnt like (bathe wounds etc) .... although he hates it at the time, he soon gets over it with the help of a treat

I used to let mine go to sleep on my lap.... normally got one paw done before she wakes up.

I used to let mine go to sleep on my lap.... normally got one paw done before she wakes up.

she used to let me do that but for some reason wont anymore she immediately wakes up when i try and get her nails out its so frustrating! im going to try the towel thing tonight and see how it goes!

I'd recommend that rather than getting a scratching post, get a piece of wood and a piece of hessian backed carpet. Fix the carpet on to the wood with the hessian outwards, then fix the wood firmly to a piece of a wall somewhere that it would be natural for a cat to mark the wall with scratches, then let her do her worst on it.

A really good scratching post is one that the cat can put their whole body weight into- most pedestal scratching posts are just not stable enough for them to strop their claws on properly, but fastened to the wall they will often get all of their feet off the floor whilst simultaneously getting the length off their claws.

Try gaining her confidence with having her paws handled without actually trimming them first. Give positive reinforcement and make it a pleasurable experience. It may be that you cut them a bit too short last time and it was a bit sore for her. Try trimming more often but take less off to prevent that.

If you are near Dinnington then give me a shout. 01909 564632 I can trim them for you at my grooming salon. I charge £5.00 for nails, dog or cat.

Ive never know a cats claws to need trimming .......... cant you just buy her a scratching post?

More of an issue with indoor cats that don't have access to trees and the like... Our Norwegians and Bengals have super-strong long claws and despite having access to scratching posts and other gizmos to keep them finely honed, still benefit from having them trimmed (as does my sofa). I use a pair of small wire clippers- scissors are useless and i tried one of those claw clippers and couldnt get on with it. I introduced my lot to trimming at an early age but for cats that hate the ordeal, trimming just one or two at one go is often the trick- as long as you remember which ones you cut the next time you try!

I hold one of ours and my hubby clips! You need an assistant.
They don't like it much but they need doing.
Ours are indoors and they have a scratch post, and the carpets..hmmm but they need clipping now and then.

Oh my god Ruby goes psyco if I go anywhere near her paws! I took her to the vets and asked them to try and clip them and in the end there were 2 assistants holding her down and the vet trying to clip. He managed to do 2 claws and then said he had to stop as she was getting too stressed (and to be honest she took a right chunk out of his hand) Try giving your cat a plank of wood to scratch although if it's anything like mine it'l much prefer using your dining chairs or the arm of your sofa!