I always get them when they are super sleepy and relaxed. May only do one or
two at a time. Your kitty is young enough, you should be able to get him
used to it. I would try giving a special kind of treat after you clip so he
associates it with a good thing. Does he lap sit? If so, try massaging his
feet gently when he sits on your lap, desisting when he gets antsy, to get
him used to handling them. Use the scissor kind of clippers with the little
"claw indent". I find those easiest to use.

Telecomd...@aol.com wrote:

I kneel on the floor with kitty between my knees.  I cross my feet
behind cat so they can't back out that way.  Hunching over them, and
enclosing them with my arms, I can get their front claws done without
too much trouble.  Have to have help to do the back ones
though...although, thankfully, they grow much more slowly than the
front ones.  Good luck!

dragon

I'm pretty good at this process.  I've done it -to- numerous cats over the
years that were totally strange to me simply because their owners would
rather put up with shredded upholsteries.

Pick up the cat.  Hold it close to your chest and explain what is about to
happen.  Show ... and let them smell the little claw clippers you're about
to use on them. Use the little scissor-like claw clippers with the indent
for the claw in the blades.

Sit down and put the cat on its back between your legs with its head resting
on your belt buckle.

Use your thumb under each pad in turn and press just hard enough to extend
the claw a bit.  Snip off the hooked talon and no further.  KEEP TALKING to
the cat all the time you're doing this.  Many will start to resist when
there is silence during the snips.  Do this all quickly and with confidence
... don't dawdle along.  The cat will keenly sense any trepidation on your
part and then try to escape.

The whole process should take about 3 minutes.

Then massage all its little feet ... keep talking to the cat telling it how
much better things will be ... and then let it down on the floor.

Your done.  Pat yourself on the back.  :^)

KellyH just posted this yesterday, it is great. That is
her cat Newcat starring in the video!

www.snittens.com/newcat.wmv

My experience is that the more you do it, the more they get used to
it.

Good technique and tools are esssential.  I like to use the
small, blunt-nosed, notched, scissor-like clippers (Groommax Cat Nail
Clippers:
http://www.petsmart.com/global/product_detail.jsp?ADD_CART_ITEM%3C%3Esku_id=1689
949371942377&ADD_CART_ITEM%3C%3Eprd_id=845524441778153&ADD_CART_ITEM%3C%3Equanti
ty=1&PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524441777735&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302033731&
ASSORTMENT%3C%3East_id=2534374302023690&bmForm=frm_add_to_cart&bmFormID=11030275
13655&bmSubmit=add_to_cart&bmUID=1103027513655&bmHash=9e3d0666c22e452480e2e2f54d
47208699ac8b6b),
as they are less obtrusive and easier to handle. I've trimmed claws on
hundreds of cats (used to be a groomer), and those work for me.  You
will
eventually find a set of tools and a routine that works for you, if
you stick with it long enough.  Also, the vet can give you lessons in
technique if you need them.

The method I use is this:

While standing, place the cat on a folded towel, on an *unfamiliar*++
table, with his head to your left.  Put his body close to yours so
that you can lean to the outside (furthest from your body) and clip
first the fronts, and then the backs (or vice-verse - I do both).
When clipping the fronts, I pull the paw up and out, and kinda behind
their head, so that if they do try to bite, they have to go past their
own arm to do so, which gives me enough time to get away.  When
clipping the backs, I just pull the foot out, or in some cases, I
gently flip it back.  As I do the backs, I block the head with my arm
and elbow, so that the cat can't reach around and bite.

Flip kitty 180 degrees (this is why you have him on a towel), and
repeat the procedure on the other side.  Let go, and watch him fly!
;o)

Obviously, if you have any cats that are real biters (rather than
nippers), you have to have someone scruff them while you trim their
nails.  If the cat remains difficult to trim, I suggest having your
vet do it for you (should be free or less than $10).  Also, the vet
may be able to help you improve your technique so that it becomes
much easier for you.

++The reason you put the cat in an unfamiliar placve to do the
trimming is that it distracts the cat, and allows it to focus on
something other than biting you.  If you trim in the cat's own
"territory" it knows exactly where to move, where to jump to, and
where to hide.  I do the trimming on my kitchen island, since that is
a place the cats are not familiar with.  A folding table in an
attached garage would serve the same purpose.

HTH,
-L.

I'm not as patient or as skilled as the others, so I put my Freddy into a zipped bag
to do this:

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

Adam