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There are two things you have to accomplish to have a well-behaved cat with its claws intact: provide appropriate scratching surfaces, and train your cat to sit still (or at least relatively so!) while you trim its nails. These techniques will work (with a LOT of patience) with older resident cats as well as new residents. Kittens are easiest to teach.
You have to discover what texture most appeals to your cat. Wood, carpet, sisal, cardboard, or even a variety of them. Place several “legal” scratching objects around your house in a place where your cat is already scratching or where you think your new cat might scratch. (I had to put a carpeted scratching post at the corner of my bed until Tootsieroll learned not to scratch at the box spring there.) Rub catnip into the “legal” surfaces, and place your cat there. Sometimes, this is all it takes! If your cat starts scratching in an “illegal” place, gently pick it up and place it on/over/in front of an approved scratch place or move the scratching surface so it obscures the non-scratching surface. Covering the illegal scratching place with double-sided tape or with adhesive shelf paper sticky side out will provide a deterrent when you’re not home.
At the same time you’re teaching your cat where it’s allowed to scratch, you have to get it used to you handling its paws, and used to seeing the nail clippers. You can buy a really good set for less than $10 at your local pet store. (I use the scissor type, but use whatever works best for you.)
Start off by holding one of the cat’s front paws briefly during a petting session. At first they will pull their paw away. Gradually, they’ll begin to relax with you gently holding the paw. Have the clippers somewhere in the immediate area every time you do this so your cat gets used to seeing it around. Once the cat’s comfortable allowing its paw to be held, “play” with that paw: gently squeeze it, massage it, put the tip of your finger in between the pads on the bottom, squeeze to extend claws, etc. Kitty will gradually get used to you squeezing the paw and extending the claws, especially if it’s all a part of play/cuddle.
Move from there to touching the clipper to the claw, pretending you’re clipping. If you're nervous about how short to clip, ask your vet to show you the proper length before you actually do any clipping yourself - if you clip too short you'll cut the quick and they'll bleed (use a styptic pencil to stop the bleeding); too long, and you have to do it every week. The mid-point of the curve at the end of the claw is a pretty good rule of thumb. If your cat's claws are light colored, you can see the quick through the nail. If your cat's claws are black, you really need an "old hand" to show you the right length.
When the moment feels right, do some actual clipping. I always commiserate with my victim - “That's a good kitty…oh, I know you don’t like this…sit still just another second and we’ll be all done….” etc. If he/she won’t sit still for both paws, do one paw one day, the other the next. Hopefully, your little one will sit still and allow you to do this. I have a couple who sit patiently in my lap while I clip their claws. The rest, I swing into my left arm like a baby, drop their butts on my left leg, squeeze them close to the left side of my body with my elbow, hold their paw with my left hand and clip with my right. Use your elbow to control squirming. (My vet taught me this position, and it’s really effective. With practice, you’ll get quite adept at doing this quickly.)
This is the most effective, least expensive, and most humane alternative to declawing.
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