Are you worried about trimming your cat’s nails? If so, you may be a candidate for a training session.
Researchers at a California university hope to ease the stress of cat owners with a project focused on kittens. The ultimate goal is to improve veterinarian protocols and provide ways to prevent pets from becoming aggressive during care.
Jennifer Link, PhD Candidate at Animal Welfare Epidemiology Laboratory, University of California-DavisShe and Carly Moody, a professor and principal investigator at the lab, are looking for More people To register for the virtual cat grooming study.
Anyone can sign up, Modi said: “It doesn’t matter if it’s at a pet grooming salon, at home or at a veterinary clinic, we just want them to have a better experience.”
The goal is to help cats be less fearful, reactive and aggressive during grooming and to teach people less stressful ways to trim their nails.
Link has created guidelines for pet owners based on her previous experience. Research on cat behaviorMany of the study participants told Link that they needed the most help with personal care.
“Some people have found out I study cats and have said to me out of the blue, ‘Oh my God, please help me trim my nails!’” Link said.
In the new study, Link will meet with participants via Zoom and show them how to gently touch and squeeze the kittens’ feet and claws. She will show them how to trim their nails with hand clippers and document the interactions. If the kitten doesn’t immediately allow its nails to be trimmed, she will talk to its owner about steps to acclimate to the procedure.
She hopes to provide foster parents with resources they can pass on to people who will adopt cats. Link learned during a pilot program in San Diego Humane Society Many people who foster or adopt cats don’t have access to this information. Some foster cats are now participating in Link’s nail-trimming study, said Jordan Fry, the humane society’s marketing director.
Taylor Papuccio, head cat groomer at Zen Cat Grooming Spa in Michigan, said it’s not uncommon for cat groomers to take a slow, deliberate approach to trimming cats’ nails. But Papuccio said Link’s research will add scientific support to the practice.
Moody’s doctoral research on pet grooming appointments, which veterinarians and health care professionals in Canada are keen to follow, helped her develop ideas for treating cats in a more gentle way. Instead of dealing with cats’ reactions, some veterinarians opt for anesthesia or full body restraint.
But they know the gentle approach, and vets may be willing to skip anesthesia or physical restraints.
The American Veterinary Medical Association declined to comment on Moody’s techniques. However, an official told USA Today that the association American Association of Feline Practitioners Provides some guidance.
Practitioner Site, CatFriendly, Pet owners are advised to start nail trimming early.“If your cat doesn’t like having her nails trimmed, start slowly, give her breaks, and make it a familiar routine,” the association says. Cat owners should ask their veterinarian for advice or an offer to trim the nails. The site reminds caregivers to “always trim cats’ nails in a calm environment and provide positive reinforcement.”
Moody said some veterinarians avoid handling cats. Some clinics have only one person handling cats at a time.
She hopes to encourage more clinics to try the gentle approach — for example, wrapping cats in towels before grooming them. She said cat owners are more likely to feel better about taking their cats to the vet when they see staff caring for them in a calm manner.
Contact reporter Crystal Norse at [email protected]. You can follow her on X, or formerly Twitter,@CrystalRNurse.
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