Iāve found telling mine beforehand that I need to give them meds or cut their nails also works, since while they donāt generally run away, they arenāt happy about it. Itās just a way to let them know this Thingā¢ is going to happen and not think the Thingā¢ can happen anywhere or whenever. I mean, just think about what you would prefer: Someone telling you something is going to happen before it happens or it happening randomly whenever theyāre around?
It also helps if theyāre sleeping and you have to wake them up. āI need to give you your medsā lets them know thereās a reason you woke them up and separates it from the times you may accidentally wake them up by petting them or making a loud noise or moving them off your lap when your bladder is about to bust while your foot has fallen asleep.
I also use the phrase āJust need to do one moreā (or some variation, but āone moreā is always part of it) when doing their nails and theyāre fidgeting. I donāt like letting them go when they start struggling because they learn quickly how that gets them out of getting their nails trimmed, but I donāt like forcing anyone ā human or animal ā to remain visibly okay in a situation they donāt like.
So I tell them I need to do one more nail then they can go. The reaction? They stop struggling and I can do one more nail then let them go. Itās a bit inconvenient for me when they have to be done in multiple sittings, but itās a way to build and keep trust. One of my current cats was extremely skittish when it came to being held or having his nails done, and by never pushing him into his panic zone but asking him to hold on for 5 seconds longer after 11 years I can do all his front nails in one go and heāll happily purr on my lap for as long as I let him after.
This from the cat where for years I would have to do his nails when he was sleeping because heād panic if he was held. (He was feral up until 6 weeks old or so, maybe even more).
Cats are smart. If you communicate with them your intentions, they will start to figure things out. Their brains are actually similar to a humanās, and most cats value dignity and personal agency. They lose both if you need to give them meds or do their nails or anything else they deem unpleasant. But give them a phrase or word to connect to it and respect them the rest of the time, and theyāll come around.
Because cats largely do want to be social and trust their main human. I canāt speak as to how cats perceive the world, but as someone with loads of anxiety, thereās a world of difference between someone who gives you a heads up about things and someone who gives no indication whatās going to happen when. Even if both are lovely people, Iām going to gravitate to the former because I can trust them more and know theyāll reliably communicate things.
I canāt stand when a friend shows up unannounced wanting to do something, how do you think Iād feel if a friend suddenly grabbed me and shoved a pill down my throat, you know?
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