Pets that visit a veterinary clinic are exposed to a less familiar environment. This causes stress in some cats and they may express certain signs of stress such as impatience, hyperactivity, aggression, etc. Here are some tips to make your pet's pedicure much more pleasant:
Bring your Cat's Favourite Treat
It is more difficult to please a cat with treats in an unfamiliar environment. Try to discover your cat's favourite treat by regularly offering several choices at home. Then, bring us some of his favourite treats!
Arrange Transportation
The stress your pet feels can start as soon as the trip to the veterinary clinic begins. Try to make the transport pleasant, for example by rewarding him throughout the trip.
Desensitize the Paws
This step is the most important of all. You simply need to gently handle your cat's paws on a daily basis. Start at the shoulders and hips, then slowly work your way down to the fingertips/toes, all the way to the nails. Reward him during these exercises and be sure to respect your cat's boundaries while making it an enjoyable experience. If the cat withdraws its paw, it means that you are going too fast. At the end of these exercises, you should be able to touch all of your cat's fingers and toes and even apply light pressure to them.
Make Regular Appointments
Long nails can be painful for cats, who are essentially walking on their knuckles. If you have your cat's nails trimmed more regularly, you reduce the chances of pain and the sources of stress. As well, regular appointments prevent the need for cutting all nails at once, thus reducing the duration of visits and handling.
The “Give the Paw!” Command
Cats love to learn tricks. The “give the paw!” command may help in some cases to cut the nails of the front paws in a very pleasant way.
Prevention
Some products sold in veterinary clinics are designed to help reduce stress in cats. Calming pheromones are available as a spray, wall diffuser or even as a collar.
Don’t hesitate to talk to your veterinarian about treatment options for stress management. Medication is commonly used in anticipation of a visit to a veterinary clinic, daycare, or grooming salon to reduce your cat's stress.