Are you struggling with trimming your cat’s claws? If so, a coaching session may be the answer.
Researchers at the University of California hope to reduce stress for cat owners through a kitten-focused project, with a larger goal to improve veterinary procedures and offer ways to prevent pets from becoming aggressive during grooming sessions.
Jennifer Link, PhD student University of California, Davis, Animal Welfare and Epidemiology LaboratoryShe and Professor Carly Moody, along with the lab’s principal investigator, More people Sign up for our virtual kitten grooming study.
Moody said anyone can sign up, “It doesn’t matter if you’re a groomer, at home or at a veterinary clinic. We just want to make the experience better.”
The goal is to help kittens reduce fear, reactivity and aggression when grooming, and to teach people a less stressful way to trim their nails.
Link has created guidelines for pet owners based on his previous experiences. Research on cat behaviorMany participants in the study told Link that they needed the most help with grooming.
“When people find out I study cats, for no apparent reason they say, ‘Oh my gosh, help me clip their nails!'” Link says.
In the new study, Link met with participants over Zoom to teach them how to touch and gently squeeze a kitten’s paws and feet. He demonstrated how to trim the nails with a manual nail clipper and recorded the interaction. If the kitten didn’t immediately accept the clipping, he walked the owner through the procedure and helped the kitten get used to the procedure.
She hopes to provide resources to educate people about adopting cats. San Diego Humane Society Many people who foster or adopt cats don’t have access to this information, said Jordan Frey, marketing manager for the Humane Society. Some of the kittens that were adopted are now participating in Link’s declawing study.
Taylor Babcio, head cat groomer at Zen Cat Grooming Spa in Michigan, said it’s not uncommon for cat groomers to take a slow, careful approach to trimming nails, but she said Link’s study adds scientific backing to the approach.
Moody developed the idea for a gentler approach after his doctoral dissertation looked at Canadian veterinarians and their grooming staff, some of whom opted for sedatives and full-body restraints rather than dealing with the cats’ reactions.
However, veterinarians know a gentle approach and may omit sedation or physical restraints.
The American Veterinary Medical Association declined to comment on Moody’s technology, but a representative for the association told USA Today: American Association of Feline Medical Practitioners We offer some guidance.
Practitioner’s website “CatFriendly” Owners are encouraged to start clipping their nails early.“If your cat doesn’t like having their nails clipped, start slowly, take breaks and make it a familiar routine,” the association explains. The association says cat owners should ask their veterinarian for advice or to demonstrate nail clipping. The site reminds owners to “always clip nails in a calm environment and use positive praise.”
Moody said some veterinary staff avoid working with cats, and some clinics have only one staff member in the entire clinic who is dedicated to cats.
She would like to encourage more veterinary clinics to try gentler approaches, such as wrapping cats in towels before grooming them: If owners see staff caring for their cats in a calm manner, they’ll probably feel more comfortable taking them to the vet, she said.
Contact reporter Crystal Nurse at [email protected] and follow her on X (formerly Twitter).translation:.
