PRE-WORK:
Paw Touch
At this point, you should start Paw Touch which gets the cat used to having his paws touched to prepare for a future step to clip his nails. Do not try to clip his nails yet, you’ll have a full tutorial at that step. For now, we want him to get comfortable enough to not pull his paw away when you very lightly hold his paw in your hand. If he pulls away, let him pull away but follow his paw with your hand. Do not clamp down and grip his paw and do not try to prevent him from pulling his paw away.
You should always be giving treats while you touch his paws in order to create a positive association. You will incorporate a few seconds of paw touch at the end of every session as you continue the rest of the socialization steps.
Paw Touch
Each step may take days or a week for the cat to become used to it. This means touching with one finger may take a few days, then touching with two fingers takes a few days, then sliding your hand underneath may take a week etc. Make sure the cat is oblivious to the current paw touch step (all the while giving treats) before moving on to the next step.