Kitten has claws out all the time

Our kitten, 10 weeks old, constantly keeps her claws out when she is either just walking around and not being disturbed or when one of us picks her up, she is persistent in having them out. It reminds me of her flexing her front legs and exposing the claws..... Can any of you please help me understand what this cat is doing, how can we stop it, and any other insightful information that you would be willing to share? please help this lifelong dog lover who has a new love for my kitten.

Beachbums Cat...

Kittens don't have the ability yet to retract their claws...their little toes just aren't big enough yet. They don't mean to do it and it doesn't mean they are upset or trying to hurt you, they just don't have a choice right now. I think they are able to around 6-8 months. If you are very careful, you should be able to trim them. Starting them young at that age is the best thing because they get used to having their paws fooled with. Just make sure you can see the quick (the vein that runs down the claw) and cut above that. They will still have them out, but they won't be as bad. The quick is usually easy to see in kitten claws because they are still soft (very sharp! but soft). Awww...kitten claws, don't miss them!

Good luck!

BTW...welcome to the cat site! There is a lot of great info here on kittens and kitten care. What is you kitten's name?

Pictures Pictures

I agree on starting to train her on getting nails cut early. Use the smaller fingernail clippers till she is bigger. Regular cat clippers are too big for tiny nails/feet.

Well long story short from this lifelong dog lover... My new kittens name is Flopsy.... not to sure I would of chosen a name like that for her, we had a male kitten, however, Thursday, my fiance ran over the kitty....... They were brother and sisters. His name was Sebastian..... He just had a really bad habit of going out to the driveway with anyone or darting under a vehicle with us doing our best in backing out and not running over a huge number of oak trees and trying to watch for him.... He is missed by me........After his unfortunate incident...... My fiance called her sister, whom we got Sebastian from and she decided to give us this kitty....... So how is everyone doing this evening and any advice that you might think this amatuer kitty owner might need to know......

Please keep your cat indoors. Even if you are in a rural area, it is very dangerous as you found out. Especially when they are so young. Also, she can get pregnant in just a few months. She can be spayed once she reaches 2 pounds.
Please also do not consider declawing your kitty. There are a plethora of reasons why but you can look up declaw on this site and find plenty of information.
The easiest way to trim a kitten's claws is to wait until she is nice and sleepy, then carefully trim just the tips off. You can see the quick through the claws and make sure to avoid that. Sometimes they get squirmy, so be persistant and wait until she's sleepy again, then trim a couple more.
Get a few scratching posts, both vertical and horizontal for her to learn proper scratching behavior. You don't want her to practice on your couch.
Since you are new to cats but not to dogs, please understand that behavior training is very different in the two species. Cats do not respond well to negative reinforcement like scolding, spanking or rubbing their nose in an accident. Try things like distraction and redirection. If she's doing something you don't want her to do, distract her with a toy and redirect her energy into something positive.
If you want her to be able to experience the great outdoors, start training her now with a harness and leash so you can take her out on supervised visits. You could also consider a cat enclosure that would keep her safe and give her somewhere to play and relax in the outdoors.
Congratulations on your new kitty and condolences for poor Sebastian.

Good luck!

Devlyn

Kittens take a lot of energy...good luck! But, it is well worth it. I agree, as long as she is still so young, keep her inside. It may seem cruel to you but it is for her own good (look at Sebastion). Kittens are curious about anything and everything, and being outside they don't know what is safe and what is not. They will learn later.

She will need some toys. A lot of adult cat toys with catnip have never really attracted my kittens, but I will tell you what they love...empty boxes! You don't need to spend a lot of money to entertain a kitten. If you get soda or beer in 12 packs, put the empty box on the floor for her to play and hide in. Any packing boxes or anything like that and she will entertain herself for hours. Especially if you play with her! Paper bags are good to, but don't use plastic ones. Not only could they sufficate, but they can also get their heads stuck in the handle and it freaks them out! Harley looked plastic bags, until he couldn't get one off his neck, and he ran around the house absolutely terrified. I thought it was cute...he looked like Super Kitty with his "cape" flapping behind him...but by the time I was able to catch him, he was a terrified mess.

She does need something to climb, and something to scratch. Yes, cats will scratch but you have to show her what is scratching material and what is not. You don't have to have anything fancy right now. You can pick up a scratching post at Wal-Mart for less than $20. Later on, you can invest in a cat tree if you can't afford one right now.

Having a kitten is like having a child. You will find yourself saying "no", "get off that", "you are not supposed to be here" more than you would like. But, this is when they learn YOUR rules. And, like I said, it does get better.

If you have any questions, PM me and I'll try to help!