Ouch! My kitten playing with claws out; how can I stop this??

happyviking

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My 10 week old kitten is very playful, and used to bite all the time. I started hissing at her whenever she bit, and she never bites us anymore. However, she loves to play on my lap, but always has her claws out, and they are sharp as can be. I know I can clip them, but just the behaviour in general; can it be stopped, or is this to be expected from a kitten? Will she grow out of it, do I ignore it, or do I do something to stop it? It really hurts at times, but I love it when she plays on my lap, other than the scratching.
 

stampit3d

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NEVER play with her with your hands...always use some type of toy when "roughing her up". Say "NO!" and immeadiatly stop the playing if she does try to get your hands. She will get the idea. Cats are smart!
 

miss mew

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Originally Posted by stampit3d

NEVER play with her with your hands...always use some type of toy when "roughing her up". Say "NO!" and immeadiatly stop the playing if she does try to get your hands. She will get the idea. Cats are smart!
Very good tip. Sometimes it's cute when they are kittens but they will keep doing that even when they are a 14 lb grown cat...ouch!
 
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happyviking

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Originally Posted by stampit3d

NEVER play with her with your hands...always use some type of toy when "roughing her up". Say "NO!" and immeadiatly stop the playing if she does try to get your hands. She will get the idea. Cats are smart!
Let me clarify... She does not play with my hand at all, she'll bring a toy and as she plays with the toy she'll scratch up my legs unintentionally (she's sooo wild in her play!), or she'll get too close to my hands while I play with her with a toy and scratch my hand as she tries to get to the toy. Believe me, I do not offer my hands to play with, it is simply too painful. Other times she just wants to play with the seam on the pocket of my jeans or ANYTHING AT ALL that can possibly be played with... She just doesn't realize that she's getting my thighs as well!
 

hissy

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It's typical kitten behavior. Playing with her with an interactive toy like Da Bird or just a peacock feather is the best way to avoid this. Pretty soon, she will be climbing up your leg like a cat post, again typical kitten behavior. Right now, you are the other cat and she will use you accordingly. Use a small sharp pair of fingernail clippers and trim the tip of her claws. They grow back quickly- or either that go and get a small piece of board, prop it up against the wall and she will use that to sharpen her claws- but the board will blunt her claws not sharpen them. Get a hardwood, not something soft like they make cat scratching posts out of.
 
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