How can I stop my cat from scratching me?
Wednesday, March 10th, 2010 at
4:07 am
I bought my cat when he was 2 yrs old. He spent most of his life in a cage so he probably didn’t learn how to hold his claws in when he’s playing. Now, he wants to play with me a lot but he always tries to scratch me while he plays. Is there any way I can train him to hold his claws back? I don’t want to have his claws removed.
Filed under: Cat Furniture
Like this post? Subscribe to my RSS feed and get loads more!
There are tons alternatives to declawing.
Here is a list of items you can use to stop a cat from scratching:
A bottle/can with something noisy in it
Air (I use a balloon pump)
Aluminum foil
Anything citrus smelling (spray/rub in on whatever they’re starching)
Double sided tape
Dumb Cat Anti-Marking & Cat Spray Remover (Spray-Petco-This one is for urine)
Four Paws Cat and Kitten Repellent (Spray-Petco)
Four Paws Keep Off Indoor and Outdoor Dog and Cat Repellent (Spray-Petco)
Fresh Kitty Furniture Protectors
Gingerroot
Packaging tape
Pet Botanics Bitter End Training Aid (Spray-Petco)
Pet Organics No Scratch! for Cats (Spray-Petco)
Pet Organics No-Mark for Cats (Spray-Petco-This one is for urine)
Pet Organics No-Stay Furniture Spray for Cats (Spray-Petsmart)
Scratching post
Simple Solution Indoor/Outdoor Repellent for Dogs and Cats (Spray-Petco)
Softpaws
Spray that stops them (there all different kinds)
Spray that stops them (there all different kinds-just go to petco.com type in “scratch spray”)
Trim their nails back once a week
Water bottle spray
Also if you have a scratching post & your cat is not using it you can get some catnip & rub it on there or they sell catnip spray. Also it might not be big enough. A scratching post needs to be as tall as that cat (about 32”).
Here is a little info of declawing:
Onychectomy (Declawing)
You should read these websites. To see what declawing really is. It’s not a simple surgery of removing the “claw”. It’s an amputation of 10 digits.
Please do not get your cat declawed. Most of the problems with declawing has nothing to do with the actual surgery. Declawing is the worst thing you could ever do for your cat-other than not getting I fixed. Most cats that do have problems are not visible. Most of it has to do with their back muscles. Cats need their claws in order to stretch properly. That would be like a human not being able to stretch when they wake up in the morning. Imagine how stiff you would be. That results in back problems their whole life. And because cats are VERY good at hiding pain/sickness you can’t really tell.
Also you should know that when a veterinarian declaws a cat without trying everything else possible they are breaking the AVMA (American Veterinary Medical Association) guidelines: Declawing of domestic cats should be considered only after attempts have been made to prevent the cat from using its claws destructively or when its clawing presents a zoonotic risk for its owner(s).
Also people think it’s better if they get it done laser. NOT TRUE. Watch this video. It’s long, but worth it. The part about laser is 10:44 into the video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaEx-qe2wBw
All of the stuff below is from research & the websites listed below. Not written by me.
A few quick facts:
The Cat’s Claws:
Unlike most mammals who walk on the soles of the paws or feet, cats are digitigrade, which means they walk on their toes. Their back, shoulder, paw & leg joints, muscles, tendons, ligaments & nerves are naturally designed to support & distribute the cat’s weight across its toes as it walks, runs & climbs. The claws are used for balance, exercising & stretching the muscles in their legs, back, shoulders & paws. They stretch these muscles by digging their claws into a surface & pulling back against their own clawhold-similar to isometric exercising for humans. This is the only way a cat can exercise, stretch & tone the muscles of its back & shoulders. The toes help the foot meet the ground at a precise angle to keep the leg, shoulder & back muscles & joints in proper alignment. Removal of the last digits of the toes drastically alters the conformation of their feet & causes the feet to meet the ground at an unnatural angle that can cause back pain similar to that in humans caused by wearing improper shoes.
The cat’s claw is not a nail as is a human fingernail, it is part of the last bone in the cat’s toe.
Declawing is not a “simple”, single surgery but 10 separate, painful amputations of the third phalanx up to the last joint of each toe.
"Declawing is actually an amputation of the last joint of your cat’s "toes". – Christianne Schelling, DVM.
“Fifty percent of the cats had one or more complications immediately after surgery…. 19.8% developed complications after release.”
Many vets deliberately misinform & mislead clients into believing that declawing removes only the claws.
Many cats also suffer a loss of balance because they can no longer achieve a secure foothold on their amputated stumps.
"Among 218 cats relinquished to a shelter, more (52.4%) declawed cats than non-declawed cats (29.1%) were reported by owners to have inappropriate elimination problems."
Psychological & Behavioral Complications:
Cats who were lively & friendly become withdrawn & introverted after being declawed.
In some cases, when declawed cats use the litterbox after surgery, their feet are so tender they associate their new pain with the box…permanently, resulting in a life-long adversion to using the litter box.
Other declawed cats that can no longer mark with their claws, they mark with urine.
Others, deprived of their primary means of defense, become nervous, fearful, and/or aggressive, often resorting to their only remaining means of defense, their teeth.
Many declawed cats become so traumatized by this painful mutilation that they end up spending their maladjusted lives perched on top of doors & refrigerators, out of reach of real & imaginary predators against whom they no longer have any adequate defense.
Unlike routine recoveries, including recovery from neutering surgeries, which are fairly peaceful, declawing surgery results in cats bouncing off the walls of the recovery cage because of excruciating pain.
A declawed cat frequently resorts to biting when confronted with even minor threats. Balance is affected by the inability to grasp with their claws.
Removing the claws makes a cat feel defenseless. The constant state of stress caused by a feeling of defenselessness may make some declawed cats more prone to disease. Stress leads to a myriad of physical & psychological disorders including supression of the immune system, cystitis & irritable bowel syndrome
Some veterinarians are now promoting laser declawing as a "guilt-free" procedure. While laser declawing can reduce the bleeding & perhaps diminish, to some extent, the agonizing pain, the procedure is the no different, only the means of amputation.
A cat relies on its claws as its primary means of defense. Removing the claws makes a cat feel defenseless. The constant state of stress caused by a feeling of defenselessness may make some declawed cats more prone to disease. Stress leads to a myriad of physical and psychological disorders including supression of the immune system, cystitis and irritable bowel syndrome.
I’d get him declawed because there isn’t a way to get a cat to hold back their claws. It will save you both alot of trouble.
say "ouch" and just ignore him for a while. soon it will learn you know wow these humans are delicate.. maybe i shouldnt claw at them. it works on dogs
Get him a scratching post.
when he starts scratching you stop playing and leave…after a couple of days he;ll get the hint that thats wrong and he wont want for u to leave so he’ll stop doing it..get the point?
I put these things on my cat’s claws…they are little plastic "claw covers" shaped just like the claws,..i really don’t know what they’re called but any pet store would know. You buy them in a pack of like 20. You clip their claws down and then put one over each claw. When the cat’s claws grow, they fall off and you redo it. Very simple. They come in different colors like pink, blue, orange, black, etc. Then when they do scratch, it doesn’t hurt or leave marks.
I doubt it, but maybe try giving his paw a squeeze when he scratches, hope he’ll get the message. Act hurt too, some cats really pick up on that stuff.
Sorry, I don’t think that there is. Cats are still wild animals at heart and that is how they play. I have had cats all my life and they all have done that.
Please don’t declaw your cat. It’s like the meanest thing you can do. Your cat isn’t TRYING to scratch you. He just doesn’t know better. I wouldn’t play with him with my hands (I never do that). I would use toys like a fishing line or laser pointer to interact with my cat.
Here is what I do and it works!! When a cat gets to rough with his claws (or teeth for that matter) I give him a very stern NO!!!! and I will do it again, if he does it again then I will give him another stern NO!! repeat it over and over and I promise you he will get the message.
Tricky question…
My cats will not play with their claws out but I’m not sure how that happened. You can try the plastic tips for his nails or just make sure you keep trimming them as much as possible. He may not like it at first if he’s not used to it but the more often you do it the better. Also just playing with and extending his claws daily will help him get used to you messing with them. Please do not get him declawed, I work at a clinic and see how they do it and I will NEVER consider getting any cats declawed ever again.
With time your cat should naturally learn to retract his claws. I had the same problem with my cat and in order to still be able to play without the pain we simply wrapped a tea towel or wore long sleeve tops so that we weren’t harmed by his claws.
Did you know having their claws removed is actually removing the entire first joint of their toe? Imagine if that happened to you! Yikes! Declawing is barbaric. I taught my cat not to scratch by simply saying "owww" in a high voice when she accidentally scratches me. She learned very fast. And yes cats CAN hold their claws in when they play. I had a cat for 13 years who never once scratched me or anyone or anything else even though she was very playful. They can learn. Cats are very smart.
You can try filing or clipping your cats nails. Also there are these caps you can buy to put on the cat’s claws.
There’s no real way of training your cat to keep his claws in, it’s just his instinct. My cat does this as well and my solution is just to cover up my arms and hands with something his claws can’t penetrate. You could also get his claws clipped a little and slightly filed down so they aren’t as sharp. If cat’s claws aren’t maintained they can get long and sharp and a bit unruly!
Hope I helped!
Kitty~