my cat uses her claws to play how do tell her to stop?

Answer 1

when my cat presents with open paws and claws, i have to remember to show him closed hand with fingers together instead of splayed out. if your fingers are apart when you play with kitty, kitty's claws will be out and ready --when i present to kitty with my hands closed, kitty does not use claws nearly as much. i also tell him to be gentle --i need to remind him a lot, because kitties by nature use their claws to play--learning how to hunt and kill their prey----use gentle reminders--biting is kitty's way of saying love you, also--just remember, present to kitty with closed hands, and remind kitty you do not have fur, so she needs to be gentle with her love.

enjoy kitty!

Answer 2

You do say cat and not kitten. A kitten takes a while to develop neurologically before it can control the extension and retraction of its claws - just like a baby has to develop before it gets control of its bladder and bowel function.

If your cat is using her claws it is because you have trained her to feel that human hands are toys. That's why you should always use an interactive toy like a cat dancer or feather toy for your play sessions with her. Keep her nails trimmed on a regular basis too.

Let her know it hurts! Say "Ouch!", hiss in her face and put her away from you if she has her claws out.

Don't declaw! Declawed cats frequently become biters. A cat bite is a much more serious problem than a cat scratch.

Answer 3

As others have said please don't declaw your cat (do a google search for "de claw" and see the pages and pages of horrible facts that come up). Declawing often causes litter box avoidance and biting (which is much more serious than scratching), the rescue I work with gets TONS of returns because people declawed their cats and now they pee everywhere and bite anything that goes near them. It hurts the cat FOREVER because of changes to the way the foot now hits the ground and their being unable to stretch a series of tendons going from their claws to their back.

Back on topic...

Quit using your hands to play with your cat, get some of those play gloves, a cat fisher, etc. If your cat thinks your hand is a toy it is going to be scratched. When you do get scratched yell loudly and end play time right away. Eventually the cat will learn its not very fun to scratch you. Also please remember that cats need somewhere to scratch so they'll need a scratching post, etc. to use.

Answer 4

I don't know who these people are saying you can't train a cat to not use it's claws! Mine is!!! All I did was tap her nose and say NO very loudly whenver she used her claws, then I'd stop playing with her for about 5 minutes. She got the idea.

Answer 5

Hm...well declawing is always an option, but its a rather cruel one. Every time she uses her claws to play, say "OW" Really loud and high pitched. Eventually she'll get the message that claws during play is a no-no.

Our cats did that all the time, and they still do from time to time, but they're not as aggressive as they used to be.

Answer 6

You can't really train your cat to quit using it's claws during play or any other time. That's like trying to tell your child not to use their fingers. The only solution would be to get him/her declawed. If your cat is an outdoor cat or a combination of indoor/outdoor then I wouldn't suggest declawing them. Their claws are one of their defenses and could end up saving their lives.

Answer 7

I trim my cat and kitten's claws. This keeps them blunt and it doesn't hurt if they knead me or use their claws during play. If you are going to trim your cat's claws get someone to show you how to do it, first. You don't want to cut the quick of the nail, it hurts!

Answer 8

You can tell her all you want ... but cats are nearly impossible to train and the use of their claws is instinctive. If she's young, have her de-clawed. If she's older, you can actually trim her claws. Ask your vet ... he or she can show you how to do that.

Answer 9

Perhaps the method I used to use will help. Take a spray bottle, fill it with water, and then when she uses her claws, gently spray her feet. If that doesn't work, try taking a long piece of cloth and attach it to a stick. Drag it back and forth in front of her. Hopefully she'll attack it and not you.

Answer 10

Stop playing with her when she does it. Keep her nails trimmed well and have a scratching post she can use to wear them down naturally. Whatever you do, DO NOT declaw your poor cat. It's mean and will affect her temperament.