Worried about trimming your cat’s nails? If so, you may be a candidate for a coaching session.
Researchers at the University of California hope to reduce the stress of cat owners through a project focused on kittens. The larger goal is to improve vet protocols and provide methods to prevent pet aggression during grooming.
Jennifer Link, a doctoral student at UC Davis’ Animal Welfare Epidemiology Laboratory, said she and Carly Moody, the lab’s professor and principal investigator, are looking for more people to sign up for the virtual kitten grooming study.
Anyone can sign up, Moody said: “It doesn’t matter if it’s at a salon, at home or at a vet clinic, we just want them to have a better experience.”
The goal is to help kittens be less fearful, reactive and aggressive during grooming and to teach people less stressful methods of nail trimming.
Link created guidelines for pet owners based on her previous research on cat behavior. Many participants in this study told Link that they needed help the most with grooming.
“I’ve had people find out I’m studying cats and completely unprompted just say, ‘Oh my God, please help me trim my nails!'” Link said.
In the new study, Link will meet with participants on Zoom and show them how to touch the kittens’ feet and paws and give them a gentle squeeze. She will demonstrate grooming with a hand clipper and document the interactions. If the kitten does not allow nail trimming right away, it will tell the owner about the steps to acclimate it to the procedure.
She hopes to give foster parents resources to pass on to people who will adopt cats. Link learned during a pilot program at the San Diego Humane Society that many people who foster or adopt cats did not have access to this information. Jordan Frey, marketing manager for the humane society, said some foster kittens are now participating in Link’s nail-trimming study.
It’s not unusual for cat groomers to take a slow, deliberate approach to nail trimming, said Tyler Babuscio, lead cat groomer at Zen Cat Grooming Spa in Michigan. But Babuscio said Link’s research will add scientific support to that practice.
Moody’s doctoral research, which monitored Canadian veterinarians and groomer appointments, helped her develop ideas for gentler handling. Instead of dealing with cats’ reactions, some vets have opted for full-body sedation or restraint.
But they know the gentle approach, vets may be willing to skip anesthetics or physical restraints.
The American Veterinary Medical Association declined to comment on Moody’s techniques. However, an official told USA TODAY the American Association of Cat Practitioners offers some guidelines.
Practitioner site CatFriendly recommends owners start trimming nails early, explaining: “If your cat doesn’t like nail trimming, start slowly, offer breaks and make it a familiar routine.” The association says cat owners should to ask their vets for advice or a grooming demonstration. The site reminds caregivers, “Always trim nails in a calm environment and provide positive reinforcement.”
Moody said some veterinarians avoid handling cats. Some clinics only have one person caring for cats for an entire clinic.
She hopes to encourage more clinics to try the gentler approach – for example, wrapping cats in towels before grooming them. She said owners are likely to feel better about taking cats to the vet when they see the staff caring for them in a relaxed manner.
Contact reporter Krystal Nurse at knurse@USATODAY.com. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter,@KrystalRNurse.
