I sneak up on mine while he's in deep slumber and usually get at least three
claws snipped this way.

He's in a sleepy state and looks at me like, "Huh? Wha? Oh well, just finish and
let me go back to sleep."

But I've got fifteen seconds to do the clipping, tops. :-)

Duct tape?  ;)  JUST KIDDING!!

But seriously, I would not attempt to cut my cat's claws
alone. One is strong and wriggles away, and the other scratches
and bites.

My cat is very uncooperative, too.  I have to wrap her in a thick blanket
(towels just don't cut it) and for me, it's extremely important that I have
her hind legs and the paw not being clipped securely wrapped.  I almost
swaddle her in the blanket so she can't squirm free.  I also found that the
longer I wait between clippings, the more she squirms.  If I clip her nails
every other week, she gets a little used to it and doesn't struggle quite so
much.  But if I wait a month between clippings, she squirms as though I'm
torturing her.  I am also prepared to only have a few nails clipped at a
time.  Sometimes I can do an entire paw, but if I only get 2 or 3 in one
sitting, I'm pretty happy.

I should also mention that I don't even bother with her back claws.  There's
really no points, especially since there's no way she'd let me cut them.

rona

I find the most important thing is patience; I usually try to do it when
they're curled up sleeping and don't react right away if I pick up a paw.  
Then, I'll do only as many claws as they seem to want to allow -
sometimes only one or maybe two.  If they recoil or seem upset in any
way, I quit and leave it for later.  Then I'll go back and try to do
another.  Over time, they get more used to it.

It's a good idea to get them used to having their paws handled a bit.  
When they're sitting beside me or on my lap, I rest their paw in my hand,
and let them remove it as they wish.  This way they don't become afraid
of my holding their paws.

Deb

Ah, aside from starting when they're very young and getting them used to
it... (this isn't always your option if you get an older cat).

I have found that as long as my cats are allowed to have their 3 other paws
on something (couch table etc.) and NOT wrapped, they're ok.  I have the
kind of cats who get REALLY nervous when they're picked up or held against
their will.  So I position them on the couch, all 4 paws down as though they
were just sitting there, and then I get right next to them, come from behind
and talk to them very reassuringly during the entire process.  I think it's
just a style you have to develop depending on your cat.  It's trial and
error for a while!

Meghan

Behavior modification.  :)

1. Find something he LOVES. Touch his paw, then give him that treat.
Then leave him alone. Do this 5 times a day for a week. If by then he
wants you to touch his paw because he gets that treat, go to step 2. If
not, keep going until he wants you to touch the paw.

2. Same as #1, but hold the paw for 1 second. Work up to 5 seconds.

3. In with the clippers. Touch the paw as though you were going to clip,
putting slight pressure on the toe to expose the nail, but don't clip
it. Treat and let go.

4. Clip one nail.

5. Work up to clipping a whole paw, then two paws...until all paws can
be clipped.

Takes a long time, but you get a cat that looks forward to nail clipping
time.  *G*

Do not have the vet clip his nails in the meantime if that's a
possibility for you, because he'll get that pissed off feeling about
having his paws handled all over again. That can set you back if your
cat doesn't distinguish between the vet handling him and you handling
him.
This may not be an option for you if you trim his nails to keep him from
hurting the furniture or some such, but it's something to think about.

I  invite a friend over to help. I have one who has to be scruffed and
Aragorn, my Siberian, purrs and licks my hand while I clip his. Talk about
extremes.

Sounds like my two Snowshoe Siamese kittys, 10 months.  I've tried to ease them
into nail clipping since they were 3 months old, to no avail. The female is a
terror and the male just darned uncooperative.  I can clip one or two of either
cat if I get them in a trance like state, but that's about it.  Usually when
they are zoned out I can get a rear paw, but the front ones are my real target.
Funny, but like you I never had a problem with any other cat, and I''ve had 5
others over 28 years.

So, I bought a contraption like the one others have mentioned.  It is called
the Cat Sack, and it is similar to the one earlier described.  Go to KVee Vets,
or something like that on the web. (Or plug "cat Sack" into google and you'll
find several vendors)  They both fight getting into it, although the male is
easily tricked, time and again, by my opening the paw zippers and poking my
fingers through.  He immediately jumps at it, and practically gets into the
sack himself.  I then have to literally wrestle him until I can close the
velcro collar and zip him up.  Once he is in, I pull out one paw at a time and
clip.  He cries, but it only takes a minute and then I let him out until the
next session two weeks later.  It is also a good time to give him ear mite
medicine.

The female is more wary, and doesn't fall for the poking fingers trick.  I lay
the sack on the couch and leave it there.  When I see she is close enough I
wrestle her into the bag.  She is a strong little tyke and very determined;
however, I'm bigger than her and more determined.  Occasionally I get her half
in and she gets away.  Once in, she is surprisingly docile and resigned to her
fate.  She cries, but stops struggling. I quickly do the deed and let her out.

I'm amazed that I have to go through this routine with these two as I always
clipped my other cats nails.  I'm resigned to the fact that we'll just have to
have this ordeal every few weeks for as long as I can see.  However, once we do
get through it, their nails are nicely trimmed and my back is protected from
the male jumping on it from his cat tree while I'm computing.  It also protects
me from the female as she tries to poke her paw through the slot made by my two
legs when I cross them.  There is nothing there, but it turns her on so I let
her do it.

I use the sneak attack approach and try to get them when they are sleeping
or deep at rest. I end up getting a few at a time but in the end they all
get clipped.

From the responses, evidently a lot of people trim their cat's nails.
What is the purpose of this?

--
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