My cat's nails are long, overgrooming, needs a carrier. What to do?

If Sherlock is that bad for his nails I would consider sedating him to have them trimmed. You can also have a mobile vet come to your home in case he is better for that. I would also recommend if you try going to the vet again to have the techs not get him wild before they come in. Can you get one nail each time he is sleeping? I would be careful since cat bites can be very serious. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

You can try to cut Poppy's claws yourself, or you can see if there is a mobile vet clinic or groomer that can come to your house. There are vets willing to make house calls, as well as groomers who do the same, and they could come to your home and cut her claws there. That keeps you from having to get her into a carrier for the vet. If there are no mobile vets or groomers in your area, I would confine Poppy to a bathroom with food and water. Let her relax in there, and then go in with the cat carrier to get her into it. It's easier to put a cat in a carrier when they are in a small confined space with less places for them to hide.

If she won't let you trim them, you will need to take her to a vet and have them do it. They can give her some sedation, if needed, to make it easier for them to trim the nails.

Hello. I am sorry but legally we are not allowed to prescribe or recommend a medication for an animal that we have not directly examined. You can contact your veterinarian and ask them about providing you with a prescription. If your cat has not visited a veterinarian in a long time, you will have to have her examined and brought up to date on vaccinations including FDVRCP and Rabies before any grooming facility will accept her for an appointment. Please contact your regular veterinarian for the medication you need and it is likely that even they will need a current physical exam to prescribe something.

Personally I would try to reduce stress in the household by providing private, quiet areas for her to relax, use a pheromone diffuser like Feliway, try anti anxiety supplement like Solliquin, and if you need medication to stop it right away I prefer using a long acting steroid injection. Giving daily medication to a cat is stressful in itself and I don’t like to medicate cats excessively for overgrooming. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Archie.

NO, they will not bite them off and they can grow into the pads (which is bad). I recommend to ask your vet about an oral sedative called Gabapentin. This may help either you guys or the vets to clip her nails. It's very important to keep them from growing too long. I hope this helps.

Absolutely! It is easy to clip a cat's nails at home as long as she is relatively cooperative. You can squeeze the tip of each toenail to extrude the claw and identify the pink quick. Clip the claw avoiding the quick. If you're unsure or your cat is frisky most grooming facilities and some veterinarians will trim nails and can probably demonstrate the proper technique.