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Scratching!

This is a place to gain some understanding of cat behavior and to assist people in training their cats and dealing with common behavior problems, regardless of the method(s) used. Keep in mind that you may be receiving advice from other cat owners and lovers...not professionals. If you have a major problem, always seek the advice of a trainer or behaviorist!

  
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Zoey

Purrbox		 
 
Purred: Wed Jun 22, '05 6:34pm PST 
My cat is very young (8 weeks), and she scratches a lot. Something tells me this is just something she'll grow out of... but how can I let her know it's not all right to scratch people? Currently, when she sinks her little claws in, I remove her and move her away from me. And if she comes back, I do the same until she stops.

I got her a cardboard scratching board (the ones with catnip in them), because I know cats have a natural need to scratch... but all the scabbed up scratch marks on my legs and hands are getting to me, haha.

Thanks.
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Apollo (In- Memory)

Love Ya

moderator		 
 
Purred: Fri Jul 15, '05 10:25pm PST 
Well, I don't scratch Mom, but if I do something wrong she will grab me by the scruff of the neck and just hold for a few seconds. This is what a mother cat does with her kittens when they misbehave. Don't lift her off her feet, just hold her. She should relax and "give up". Release. If she starts right in trying to scratch you again, grab her again by the scruff.
Can you trim your kitten's claws? If she will let you, try trimming her claws (don't cut to the quick). Dull claws don't scratch so bad.
If she just comes running at you to scratch or ambushes you, carry a water container that you can squirt her with.
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Remington- the Unicorn- Cat

Little Pink Face		 
 
Purred: Sun Jul 31, '05 12:12am PST 
Has anyone tried the product "Soft Paws"? They are like fake nails that you glue over the cats claws. It seems very strange but maybe it works. Also I have a declawed cat (I DID NOT have him declawed, I adopted him that way) who has poor balance and co-ordination due to this procedure he had done. Just another reason not to declaw.
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Member Since
08/08/2005
Other posts by this user
 
 
Purred: Tue Aug 9, '05 8:13am PST 
Yes! My mama uses soft paws on me (and my brother when he gts big enough). They keep me from being able to tear things up the way I like but they aren't too bad. I don't really notice them anymore. They don't hurt at all (except when mama accidentally uses too much glue and it sticks to the fur around my claw, OUCH). I didn't really like them at first but I couldn't get the suckers off! It didn't take me long though to get used to them, probably 2-3 weeks. If you are as against declawing as my mama is then these are the perfect alternative! Oh, one more thing, they come in lots of cool colors! I have pink because I am a princess (plus it looks good with my gorgeous black fur and pink argyle collar).
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Jack

Save a paw,- don't declaw!		 
 
Purred: Mon Aug 15, '05 4:24am PST 
What I do when he scratches it to soud very firmly "No!", sometimes it takes a few times, but he gets the hint and stops scratching.

It also works if he's scratching at the furnature, or attacking my feet, and lots of other things.

Since he's teething, he's biting, and we have to tell him "No!" for that, too.

I've been trimming his nails but that doesn't last very long, so I've ordered some softpaws from America (I live in England at the moment). Softpaws will last about 4-6 weeks while nail trimming only lasts for about 1-3 weeks. It's only temporary until he's fully trained, and since he doesn't go outside unless he's on a leash, I don't worry about him getting into trouble and not being able to use his claws.
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Member Since
08/08/2005
Other posts by this user
 
 
Purred: Mon Aug 15, '05 11:52am PST 
I think you'll find the soft paws work really well! They are the best thing ever. Baghi can't mess things up but she can scratch away as much as she wants! We'll get them for our kitten just as soon as he's a bit bigger and they will fit him.
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Aurora- Ahrigato

Aurora Ahrigato - Tortie- Extroardinaire		 
 
Purred: Mon Aug 22, '05 6:58am PST 
My Mommy used "Soft Paws" on me a couple of times - when we were going to visit her parents' house, where the furniture is much, much nicer. (I don't scratch *that* much, do I?) At home, Mommy just clips my nails whenever they get too sharp.

You can sort of see me wearing red ones in the picture on my profile on the pink carpet. If you're gonna do a manicure, I say do it right!

Anyway, I chewed them off over the course of a couple of days. We decided not to use them once I'd be there at the same time as my Mommy's niece, a toddler who might pick them up and swallow them.
She just made sure to clip them right before we went to visit "the big house" now.
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Chandran

The Pretty Boy		 
 
Purred: Mon Aug 22, '05 12:57pm PST 
When I volunteered at a no-kill shelter, I was always told that kittens didn't really realize that their claws hurt you until about 6 months. I tend to believe that just from experience, but it's really annoying! Luckily, my naughty kitten Chandran is about 6 months now and surely enough he's starting to ease up on the paws and understand when we mean "no."
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Member Since
08/08/2005
Other posts by this user
 
 
Purred: Tue Aug 23, '05 11:47am PST 
I am a scratching maniac! I scratch all the time. Not furniture (that's what my scratching posts are for, duh) but my mom. I don't mean to hurt her. I just can't figure out how to "turn them off". I wish I was like Wolverine (X-men) and could figure out how to pull them in when I don't want to use them. I guess I'll figure it out some day. I am just a little bloke.
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Zoey

"i must play!"		 
 
Purred: Thu Sep 1, '05 9:45am PST 
ok, we have heard of these...and they sound really nice. But our human is on a limited budget. How much are these?...and keep in mind that there are three of us.

We have also heard a rumor that there is some kind of spray out there that our human could put on the furniture that would keep us from scratching on it. Does such a thing exsit?
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