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Ratman · 10-05-2006, 04:11 AM

Of course it helps to start when they are young. For those of you with kittens, YOU are the "mom" and need to start grooming habits and patterns while they are young. Then it becomes bonding time.

For those of you with adult cats, I have found it helps to ease them into things over several weeks of build up. When you are stroking your kitty, touch their paws. Gently at first, then working into kind of a massage over time. You are building trust. As you massage their paws, start gently extending the nail, but make it part of the massage. After awhile, three or four weeks, you can probably clip that nail while it's out, just don't take too much. You might have to do one or two a day, for awhile, but they do accept it eventually.

The same goes for teeth. While stroking rub thier head (mom cats lick between the eyes/ bridge of the nose to show affection). After they have adjusted to the head massage, gently work a finger around the whiskers. Be gentle! If they trust you with the whiskers, your life is easy! Using your finger, work up to a little gum massage. Make sure your fingers are clean, don't try this after cutting onoins! Again, once they trust you in their mouth, you can probably start working in the toothbrush- a soft, clean, small-head kitty toothbrush.

Try this. Build trust! Be patient! You may get a couple of swipes, but don't freak- keep stroking, talking, praising (my cats love it when I sing softly).

Good luck!

10-05-2006, 04:11 AM	#9 (permalink)
Ratman Addict Location: Somewhere... Across the sea...	Of course it helps to start when they are young. For those of you with kittens, YOU are the "mom" and need to start grooming habits and patterns while they are young. Then it becomes bonding time. For those of you with adult cats, I have found it helps to ease them into things over several weeks of build up. When you are stroking your kitty, touch their paws. Gently at first, then working into kind of a massage over time. You are building trust. As you massage their paws, start gently extending the nail, but make it part of the massage. After awhile, three or four weeks, you can probably clip that nail while it's out, just don't take too much. You might have to do one or two a day, for awhile, but they do accept it eventually. The same goes for teeth. While stroking rub thier head (mom cats lick between the eyes/ bridge of the nose to show affection). After they have adjusted to the head massage, gently work a finger around the whiskers. Be gentle! If they trust you with the whiskers, your life is easy! Using your finger, work up to a little gum massage. Make sure your fingers are clean, don't try this after cutting onoins! Again, once they trust you in their mouth, you can probably start working in the toothbrush- a soft, clean, small-head kitty toothbrush. Try this. Build trust! Be patient! You may get a couple of swipes, but don't freak- keep stroking, talking, praising (my cats love it when I sing softly). Good luck! __________________ The difference between theory and reality is that in theory there is no difference. "God made man, but he used the monkey to do it." DEVO Last edited by Ratman; 10-05-2006 at 04:14 AM..