kitten scratching my arm to shreds!

[smokey326]

Hi everyone. I just got a new kitten, 4 months old. Her name is Punkin. Like all kittens she loves to play, but I'm an invalid and her favorite game is to attack my hand and arm constantly. She attacks them when I'm awake and moving them,worse she attacks them while I'm sleeping! I've only had her a week and my left hand and arm have more than 100 scratches on them! I can't afford to de-claw her, my local vets quoted more than $400! So I got some Soft Paws nail tips, but since I'm an invalid I can't get them on my self, so I called the vet for some help just to be told they don't like doing it because they don't think they work. So now I don't know what to do!

[Lilith]

Hi Smokey, I think the first thing to look at is how you play with Punkin. Kittens do like to play aggressively and use their claws; they enjoy the play and also it's the hunting instinct which even the gentlest cat has; if the owner waggles their fingers, dangles a hand and then snatches it away, the kitten will see the hand as 'prey' and will often be a lot quicker than the human! So if you've been playing any games like this, then best not to. Toys she can interact with and scrag hell out of, like catnip bananas, or the battery-operated Cat's Meow which she can watch and jump on, or the little laser beam toy that gives her a dot of light to chase, can all help to work some energy off and give her her 'hunting fix'.

If she starts scratching you, then it could be a good idea simply to say 'no', even quite sharply, and refuse to have anything to do with her until she calms down. When she does, or if she comes fussing and purring, give her lots of love and praise - but if the scratching starts again, then say 'no!' and go through the withdrawal routine. This is what works for me - my youngest cat still wants to play rough despite my refusing to do so.

If she's going for your arm when you're asleep, could it be possible to leave her in another room?

Those soft tip gadgets - I too don't think they can work. A cat's claws don't grow in the same way as a human's or even a dog's. Cats shed their claws; the old sheath comes away to leave a fresh new claw beneath; that's why a cat must always have something to 'sharpen its claws' on - only it's not sharpening, it's easing the old sheath off. A scratching post is essential. Many cats bite their claws for the same reason (sorry if you know all this already!) So I think a cat could soon work or bite the soft tips off.

As for declawing. This is a UK site and declawing's illegal over here unless the amputation's necessary, say in the case of an injured paw. Leaving the legal (and emotive) side apart, declawing entails amputating the top joint of every toe on a cat's paw. That's like a human having to lose every fingertip - but the cat has to recover and then walk on those tipless 'fingers' - which can also affect balance. The cat can't climb; if it's allowed out it can't avoid dogs etc or defend itself. Also it's been found that declawed cats, since they can't use their claws, start to bite...

Truly I think with gentle training you can avoid the distress and expense of declawing. I think your vet could help by trimming Punkin's claws now and again - but a kitten can generally keep its claws in trim with a scratching post. Those cat gyms with all the posts and shelves are wonderful if you've got the money and space and you'll have a lot of fun watching her run up and down one like a squirrel. (Coupled with the little laser dot zooming up and down the cat gym to tempt the kitten to hunt, I can't think of any better in-house entertainment for cat and owner lol.)

Kittens ARE a handful - but with a bit of perseverance they become placid cats. Hope this helps for now - other people on here will have more advice and I do hope you succeed with her - let us know how you go on

[Crewella]

I agree with Lilith's post, a sharp no, withdraw your arm and ignore her until she is being more calm and gentle, and reward the right behaviour with praise and fuss. You do need to be very consistent as you start this, and if necessary wear thick clothing or a glove so that you can withdraw your arm quickly - any fumbling could be mistaken for a game!

It really is worth putting in the time and effort now.