Crazy,
Every 2-3 weeks I clip everyone's claws. Two of my boys will lay in my lap and let me trim all of the claws. Just takes time to build a relationship with cats. Some people don't want to bother with it or don't know the need to exists. Others get their cat to have a relationship with the cat, and that fulfills the needs of both parties.
When you watch the episodes of my cat from heck, unless the cat is too far mentally broken, the obvious problem is the person got the cat to pay themselves unlimited love and attention on demand. Dogs come pre-wired that way, cats don't. So the fix is to spend quality time with the cat every day creating a routine the cat can rely on for attention paid to the cat's needs. You then accept what the cat is willing to give back, which is often a lot if it feels it's needs are being fulfilled.
When you are at the point you need to use a squirt gun, you've been behind the curve since you first brought your cat home. And then, the squirt gun is for attitude adjustment mixed with a smidgen of revenge. And unlike a fiery romance with a crazy girlfriend, you don't even get makeup funsees to relieve the tension. Ehh, maybe around the time your cat hits 5 or 6 it will ease off driving you nuts.
