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Cat Forum / Health and Behavior / March 2007Kitten behavior
I am new to this and need some help. I have a 7 month old male kitten. He is beautiful and affectionate. When he gets in my lap and does that "kneading" thing that cats do, his claws are partially out and it HURTS. Is this normal? Is there a way I can make him stop? TIA for any help >I am new to this and need some help. I have a 7 month old male kitten. > He is beautiful and affectionate. When he gets in my lap and does that > "kneading" thing that cats do, his claws are partially out and it > HURTS. Is this normal? Is there a way I can make him stop? Yes, your kitten's kneading behavior is quite normal. You might want to try clipping his claws so that they aren't so sharp, and his kneading doesn't hurt as much. If you don't know how to clip claws, your vet can show you. Debby Hanoka dhanokaatearthlinkdotnet Thanks, I knew the kneading was normal. It's the claw thing that had me baffled. I will get the vet to show me how to clip them. > Thanks, I knew the kneading was normal. It's the claw thing that had > me baffled. I will get the vet to show me how to clip them. It's easy with two people, even with a cat that resists. We do our cats' claws every month, just cut the tips off. ONCE my husband nicked the quick--Gracie jumped and I just about died. However--far from being the huge emergency I thought it was going to be, she neve showed another sign of discomfort, it only bled a little, and it healed right up. My point being, though you want to be very careful NOT to cut too low, if you do it is not the end of the world.  SignaturePosted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com >> Thanks, I knew the kneading was normal. It's the claw thing that had >> me baffled. I will get the vet to show me how to clip them. [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > being, though you want to be very careful NOT to cut too low, if you do it > is not the end of the world. With my cats, I think they dislike being restrained more than having their nails clipped. on Sat, 17 Mar 2007 18:35:51 GMT, "22brix" <spamdavidk@pacific.net> wrote: > With my cats, I think they dislike being restrained more than having > their nails clipped. That would be true of Rudy, too. He sits patiently when I do his claws, but at first (keep in mind he was a feral who I adopted at 4 months of age), he wasn't having any part of it! Levi squirms, but he still tolerates it. I've been doing it every week since he was teeny, though, so I don't think he's going to stop squirming. SignatureLynne > on Sat, 17 Mar 2007 18:35:51 GMT, "22brix" <spamdavidk@pacific.net> > wrote: [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > so > I don't think he's going to stop squirming. Actually, one of my most tolerant cats, my old lady cat Molly, is one of the hardest to do--she really dislikes it and it takes two people! Go figure! Bonnie > > on Sat, 17 Mar 2007 18:35:51 GMT, "22brix" <spamdavidk@pacific.net> > > wrote: [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > > Bonnie Back when my three former cats were alive, here's how claw clipping went: Cosimo the big boy was easy because he didn't mind you playing with his paws and he couldn't move too fast anyhow. Emily the little cat (6.5lbs) was easy as she'd just freeze in position and let you clip away. Randy could be a little rambunctious but he knew that once it was over it was Pounce time. Evangeline does NOT like having her paws manipulated at all and it's a challenge to clip her claws. > > Thanks, I knew the kneading was normal. It's the claw thing that had > > me baffled. I will get the vet to show me how to clip them. [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > though you want to be very careful NOT to cut too low, if you do it is not > the end of the world. If you gently press on the pad above the claw, it'll extend. If you look at it you can see the quick and avoid it. > I am new to this and need some help. I have a 7 month old male kitten. > He is beautiful and affectionate. When he gets in my lap and does that > "kneading" thing that cats do, his claws are partially out and it > HURTS. Is this normal? Is there a way I can make him stop? > > TIA for any help You don't want him to stop; he's expressing his love and trust. You want to encourage that. What you need to do is clip his claws. You can buy a clipper at a pet supply store, or you can just use a straight edge toenail clipper. Just take off the tips the first time; be gentle, and give him a treat afterwards. You'll be happier, and your vet will thank you, too. Lis > You don't want him to stop; he's expressing his love and trust. You > want to encourage that. Agree! > What you need to do is clip his claws. You can buy a clipper at a pet > supply store, or you can just use a straight edge toenail clipper. > Just take off the tips the first time; be gentle, and give him a treat > afterwards. You'll be happier, and your vet will thank you, too. I find the small clippers designed specifically for cat claws are the easiest to use on cats. When you are first starting out trimming claws, just do one (maybe two) at a time the first day, then do the next one or two the next day, etc. Gradually build up so the cat knows you aren't going to hurt him. Eventually you will be able to do all of them at once, but it could take many months before your cat is comfortable with that. Just be very sure not to trim too short, and when kitty gets antsy, it's time to give him a treat and wait for another time to do more. SignatureLynne When Tiger (23 pounds) wants to get on my lap I have a folded towel handy to put on my lap before he gets on. He can knead the towel all he wants. Also, if something startles him (like the telephone) he can jump off without digging me with his hind claws. He knows that the towel is an invitation. ---MIKE--- >>In the White Mountains of New Hampshire >> (44° 15' N - Elevation 1580') > When Tiger (23 pounds) wants to get on my lap I have a folded towel > handy to put on my lap before he gets on. He can knead the towel all he [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > >>In the White Mountains of New Hampshire > >> (44° 15' N - Elevation 1580') I'v had Evangeline since mid January and already I can see the changes. She's much more affectionate, and she's a kneader too. But at around 10lbs she's not too bad and she goes very gently with the kneading. > When Tiger (23 pounds) wants to get on my lap I have a folded towel > handy to put on my lap before he gets on. He can knead the towel all he [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > ---MIKE--->>In the White Mountains of New Hampshire I use a towel as well. however, I agree with everyone in saying that trimming his nails is still a good idea. I prefer to use the cat nail clippers that look like a tiny scissors. The cheaper ones make a popping noise that scared my cats, but the "scissors" is silent. They cost a bit more (about $10) but they work much better. > I use a towel as well. however, I agree with everyone in saying > that trimming his nails is still a good idea. I prefer to use > the cat nail clippers that look like a tiny scissors. The > cheaper ones make a popping noise that scared my cats, but the > "scissors" is silent. They cost a bit more (about $10) but they > work much better. I like those, too. I am not comfortable with the type with the hole that you put the claw through -- too easy for that big shape to take off too much. I'd also like to stress that they have to be sharp. Since I don't know of a way to sharpen the blades of the tiny scissor type, I just replace them when it is hard to get through a claw. SignatureCheryl on Tue, 20 Mar 2007 01:32:39 GMT, Cheryl <jlhshadow@NOSPAMhotmail.com> wrote: > I like those, too. I am not comfortable with the type with the hole > that you put the claw through -- too easy for that big shape to take > off too much. I'd also like to stress that they have to be sharp. > Since I don't know of a way to sharpen the blades of the tiny scissor > type, I just replace them when it is hard to get through a claw. I like the small cat scissor-type clippers more than any others I've used because you can really see the claw and control exactly how much you clip off. I also don't know of a way to sharpen that little curved blade, so I replace them when they start to feel dull, too. If the nails start to splinter, it's past time to replace your clippes, because they are being crushed rather than cleanly cut. SignatureLynne > When Tiger (23 pounds) wants to get on my lap I have a folded towel handy > to put on my lap before he gets on. He can knead the towel all he wants. [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] >>>In the White Mountains of New Hampshire > >> (44° 15' N - Elevation 1580') I have used a very heavy bath towel on my lap for TuTu for several years. When she kneads, I tap a paw and say "no claws"/ She now knows what that means. TuTu is very large and heavy, a fact which I keep telling her. I also comb and brush her with the towel on my lap. MLB > TuTu is very large and heavy, a fact which I keep > telling her. When I call Rudy "fat" my daughter chimes in with, "he's not fat! He's big boned!!" (He's fat.) SignatureLynne >> You don't want him to stop; he's expressing his love and trust. You >> want to encourage that. [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > when kitty gets antsy, it's time to give him a treat and wait for > another time to do more. before you trim his claws the first time, it will help if you handle his paws/toes so that he gets used to having them handled, and he sees that good things come out of having them touched (praise, treat, fussing...). Bobble SignatureHave you hugged your cat today? Sonny's web page --> http://web.ncf.ca/ai151/index2.html > > You don't want him to stop; he's expressing his love and trust. You > > want to encourage that. [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > I find the small clippers designed specifically for cat claws are the > easiest to use on cats. I've always found the toenail clippers easier, but that's likely just an issue of my hand and what it'll hold easily. > When you are first starting out trimming claws, > just do one (maybe two) at a time the first day, then do the next one or [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > Just be very sure not to trim too short, and when kitty gets antsy, it's > time to give him a treat and wait for another time to do more. I started my two when they were each just about seven months, and they now take it for granted that every so often I interrupt a kneading & petting session to trim their claws, and then resume petting them. The older one even keeps purring throughout, usually. So while it is likely to take months for him to get comfortable with it, in the end he may be almost unbelievably comfortable with it! Lis |
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