My cat doesn't scratch walls. Barely touches my bed, and has lots of carboard and scratching posts to play with. But he still likes to dig his claws into me. I know I've spoken of this problem before, and I've talked to a vet, so I'll update you.
I am 1 year of cat ownership down and no matter how many toys and games I give my kitty he will not stop tearing into my feet at every possible convenience. Do I smell like mouse?
The vet said that he's having a problem in that he's mistaking me, or rather, my moving feet, for prey. Ahem. He pounces me because he wants me to play with him. He wants me to chase him and run around. I can't do that, unfortunately, I don't have the health to, so I try playing with toys and giving him new ones to play with regularly so he doesn't get bored of the old ones.
This morning he found a new place to hide I didn't know about. Normally he hides behind the bicycle to pounce me, or under the table, both places I know about and so I can usually avoid danger. But not this time. At about 6 am in a semi-dark kitchen I went to put the kettle on for tea. I turned around, walked back across the kitchen and he jumps my feet from behind the garbage can. I shrieked, of course, having something grab my feet in the dark kitchen and of course, when you have a cats claws in your foot and you jerk away it makes it worse.
I now have a scratch on the inside of my foot from my heel to my toe. I stopped the bleeding, don't think it needs a doctor's attention but since I'm going this week anyways I'll show it to her. I know that cat owners do tend to get minor scratches, but this was not a minor scratch, and it was entirely my fault for jumping away when a cat had his claws on me.
The worse part is I yelled at my cat as if it were his fault. He's just following his instincts.
I want to try the soft claws because I won't have to trim his nails every two weeks and then he can still pounce me and play with me without causing me to bleed. And we won't have anymore anger management problems from me.
I am 1 year of cat ownership down and no matter how many toys and games I give my kitty he will not stop tearing into my feet at every possible convenience. Do I smell like mouse?
The vet said that he's having a problem in that he's mistaking me, or rather, my moving feet, for prey. Ahem. He pounces me because he wants me to play with him. He wants me to chase him and run around. I can't do that, unfortunately, I don't have the health to, so I try playing with toys and giving him new ones to play with regularly so he doesn't get bored of the old ones.
This morning he found a new place to hide I didn't know about. Normally he hides behind the bicycle to pounce me, or under the table, both places I know about and so I can usually avoid danger. But not this time. At about 6 am in a semi-dark kitchen I went to put the kettle on for tea. I turned around, walked back across the kitchen and he jumps my feet from behind the garbage can. I shrieked, of course, having something grab my feet in the dark kitchen and of course, when you have a cats claws in your foot and you jerk away it makes it worse.
I now have a scratch on the inside of my foot from my heel to my toe. I stopped the bleeding, don't think it needs a doctor's attention but since I'm going this week anyways I'll show it to her. I know that cat owners do tend to get minor scratches, but this was not a minor scratch, and it was entirely my fault for jumping away when a cat had his claws on me.
The worse part is I yelled at my cat as if it were his fault. He's just following his instincts.
I want to try the soft claws because I won't have to trim his nails every two weeks and then he can still pounce me and play with me without causing me to bleed. And we won't have anymore anger management problems from me.
