File :-(, x, )
Anonymous
Hello /an/

I am getting my first kitten in about four weeks. Female siamese (traditional, not the wedge head).

I want to know when raising a kitten, when you play with them will 'play fighting' them with your hands make them more prone to bite/scratch as adults because they see it as playing? I know some people have cats that just became unbearable because the wanted to 'fight' all the time with their owners hands as adults when it was okay as kittens. Should i try use my hands/fingers for affection only or light playing and stop as soon as they start to put their teeth or claws on you?

I do know a bit about the breed, and the kitten i chose was very affectionate even more so than her siblings. I just dont want to 'make her mean' i suppose.

Also- does anyone here use Soft Paws? I intend to get them for her eventually and wanted to know about other people's experience getting them on their cats. It seems a slight bit tricky from reading the online directions.
>> Bitter Anon !!WJLRQ1cwCyZ
Yes, it does make them more likely to scratch as adults. Don't let them bite you or attack your hands even when they are little. This is especially important if you are trying to raise kittens that will be going to another home (if you are a foster or your cat has 10 kittens and 9 are going to be sold).

There are many other ways to play with cats besides having them attack your hands and feet. You can use a flirtpole (basically a stick with string or some kind of bait on the end. those 'cat dazzler' things with the foil are similar), which is what I do, or you can give them small stuffed animals. The snailkittens have a crappy beany baby thing that they carry around, tackle, wrestle with, etc. You can teach them to play with toys like kongs and jingle balls too.

If you MUST handwrestle with your cat, get a nice pair of thick furry gloves. Usually you can find some that are leather on the outside with fur for the inner lining. If you turn them inside out, you end up with huge bear paw things (Yes, I did learn this from a furry, what of it?). Cats fucking LOVE wrestling with other things that have fur. Plus, with thick gloves, their claws can't get to your skin and they associate the glove with play, and not your hand.
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
I use Soft Paws! But don't buy them from the website, it's much cheaper to get them off Ebay. It's not that tricky... Just make sure you have someone to help you. This is what I do.

First, get the cat when it's relaxed and put it on top of a towel spread out on the ground. Make sure its front legs are off the towel, then bundle the cat up snugly so you've got a cat burrito with its front legs sticking out. Voila, no possible cat scratches and they can't struggle.

Then get the person who's not holding the cat to put the glue in the rubber claw (not too much or it'll overflow when you put it over the claw and get glue over the cat's cuticle and fur, which is painful).

Then just move to the next claw, rinse, repeat. When you're done try and keep the cat there in the towel while the glue dries, then watch it to make sure it doesn't pull the claws off before they're well and truly stuck on.

My cats have them on, and they don't mind them at all after the first 10 minutes or so. I haven't used them for kittens before, but I know you can get kitten-sized ones too. I have a new kitten and I'm pondering whether I'll use them on her yet.

As for playing... I love play-wrestling with my cats :D I think of it as a bonding exercise. It hurts sometimes when they bite too hard, but when they do that I'll just disentangle myself, walk away and ignore them. Soft Paws help with the scratches from wrestling too as far as the front paws go, but they'll still get you with kicking their back paws. It just depends on whether your cat learns to retract their claws while playing, like my first cat, or are little bastards out to do some damage, like my second <3 I think my ex-housemate was the one responsible for getting him into the habit of being too rough, though it might just be that he's male.

<-- My crazy little man with his claws on
>> Anonymous
>>258445
>>If you MUST handwrestle with your cat, get a nice pair of thick furry gloves.
PS, that's a really good idea too if you're not into pain
>> tigerfeather !CrwtTbFNxQ
If they are playing all-out-as-hard-as-they-can as babies and you let them, then why would they think that it wouldn't be okay as they get older? Believe me, you would like avoid a full-grown cat chomping your hand for fun.

Here's a good tip: if you see your kitten doing something that's borderline misbehaving, think to yourself "Would I like her doing that when she's an adult?" You'd be surprised how often you'll see yourself saying "no" to yourself. Adding ten pounds to a cat's weight when they leap onto you can make a big difference.
>> tigerfeather !CrwtTbFNxQ
Oh, and no, I don't use Soft Paws. I just trim my cat's nails monthly, or if I can feel them while they knead. OP, if you want your cat to use Soft Paws, do it early (like when you get her), so she can get used to them. This is the key to a well behaved cat; start training immediately. You won't make her grow out of her kittenhood any faster by doing it, and your cat will be very well adjusted as an adult.
>> Anonymous
>>258445
thank you. i had suggested to someone maybe the fact they rough housed with their cat may have made them so rough but.. i wasnt too sure. i find the little teathers on a string to be hilarious to watch as well as light pointers and such.

>>258447
thank you so much! i had wondered if people wrapped them up or how they wrangled them. i know clipping my grandmother's chihuahua's nails are HELL and a cat could only be worse.

>>258457
thank you, i hadnt really thought about that point but yes i suppose training them young etc etc. i am definatly more of a cat person to a 'oh god kittens!' or a dog person to 'oh god puppies'. so whether or not they developed mentally into a cat early or not wouldnt bother me- not that i'd do anything to rush them out of the playful stages or restrict them from that energy (unless harmful etc).
also, i had considered letting the kitten go natural until she got a bit older for the soft paws but i do guess getting them used to it when they are smaller would make them more acceptable of it as adults (hopefully)

thanks for the info /an/ i'll be sure to post pics once i visit her again prior to bringing her home.
>> Anonymous
>>258448
that did actually sound like a neat idea

now if i can just decide between the names i need i'll be set (minus the acquisition of the odds and ends i dont have yet + getting a vet appointment set up and all those wonderful tidbits)
>> Anonymous
>>258466
*names i have i'll be set.

wtf
>> Bitter Anon !!WJLRQ1cwCyZ
>>258466
Biscuit.

You mentioned laser pointers: Excellent idea, just try to avoid getting them in the eye. Flashlights work too. If you get toys with catnip in them, don't expect them to work on cats under 2 years old. SOME cats react to catnip as young as 6 months, but most don't until 18+
>> Anonymous
>>258472
moar liek: etta, hester, opal, prudence, onnie, or O (for flannery O'connor)

yes im on an old names kick. sounds nice comming off the tongue and naming it after my favorite author or some of her characters would be totally sweet.

wouldnt point it in they eye.. not exactly the cleverest idea it sounds like..

i didnt realize that about catnip. interesting.
>> Anonymous
just be gentle. play with them, but if they start bitting to hard stop and pet them gently. playing and rough housing is sort of natural for kittens to do...so let them play