Ideally, you should introduce nail trimming into your cat’s routine when s/he is a kitten. In this video, KPA CTP Tabitha Kucera teaches her kitten Steward cooperative nail care with the nail trim game. Tabitha says, “I broke down the behavior into smaller behaviors, including picking up Steward, placing him on his back, touching his paws while he is on his back, and cutting one nail while he is on his back. I paired each of those smaller behaviors with a squeezable treat that Steward loves. I also assessed his body language to ensure that the session remained positive and progressed at a pace the kitten was comfortable with.”

Learn more fun and useful behaviors to teach your cat in KPA’s Train Your Cat course.