Kitten nails!!!(ouch)?

Question

I just got a 8 week old kitten 2 days ago. He was the sweetest kitten ever. Then when I took him home and he setteled in, he started scratching like crazy!! I got him a scratching post, but he doesn't use it. I know he's just playing but he really hirts. And when he jumps on my bed, he uses his nails to climb up. I'm scared he is going to mess up items in the house, or even worse, hirt my 2 year old son and 1 year old daughter.

Answer 1

He won't hurt your kids except for play, and now is the perfect time to teach the kids that one must not use hands to play with any cat, but toys.

A tall, sturdy and heavy scratching post sprinkled occasionally with catnip is the favored alternative. Some cats are partial to sisal doormats.
When selecting furniture, a closely woven fabric is the best. Cats find this type of fabric difficult to pierce with their claws.
When your cat begins to scratch on a piece of furniture, give him a firm warning such as "No, Kitty!" and then give him a quick squirt from a mister or water pistol. This should discourage him. Then call him to his scratching post with a food treat and praise him when he comes and uses the post. This may have to be done over and over until he understands.
If accustomed to the procedure, cats will tolerate having the curved part of their claws clipped regularly. Consult your veterinarian for instructions.
Until your cat learns that only the scratching posts (it's recommended that you have several), are for scratching, cover his favorite furniture scratching areas with either one or a combination of aluminum foil, a loosely woven fabric, double-sided tape, or blown up balloons taped to the furniture.
When playing with a kitten or cat NEVER use your hand or arms in play. This teaches him that people are toys and he may scratch simply in play. Each time your cat scratches you, give him a loud "OUCH" and leave the room. One of the most effective punishments for a cat is being ignored.

If you catch the cat in the act of scratching in the undesired spot, even with the aversives in place, correct the cat with a sound; hissing, a quick ‘ah!’, but nothing that she can interpret as punishing sounds associated with your voice. This is why we don’t use the cat’s name during the correction - only when he performs an action we approve of; his name is then only used in conjunction with praise. Especially at first, it’s important to follow the correction with a trip to the post, where the cat has an opportunity to earn praise and again make positive connections with the experience of scratching in the right place. After the correction, the carrying over to the right place shouldn’t have a punishing feel to it - don't scoop the cat off the ground in a sudden motion, or continue after the correction sound with further disapproving tones. Be patient; incorporating this new behavior into his routine may take a few months without having any ‘slips’.

Remember that an important part of scratching is the cat's desire to mark a territory, so a scratching post should be in an area that's used by the family, not hidden in a back corner. After a time you can move the post away to the periphery of the room, but you'll need to do this gradually.

Initially, put the post where your cat goes to scratch. This may be by a sofa, a chair or wherever Kitty has chosen as her territory, and you may need more than one post to cover her favorite spots. Security is a major factor in making the post appealing to your cat. If it topples or shakes, she won't use it. It should either be secured to the floor or have a base wide enough and heavy enough to keep it stable.

Encourage Kitty to use her post with clever enticements. Feed her and play with her by the post. Rub dried catnip leaves or powder into it. Make all the associations with the post pleasurable. Reward her with a favorite treat when she uses it. Have her chase a string or a toy around the post or attach toys to it, which will result in her digging her claws into it. Eventually she will learn to love it and regard it as her own. It's also a good idea to put a post where Kitty sleeps. Cats like to scratch when they awaken, especially in the morning and the middle of the night. If space permits, a scratching post in every room of the house is a cat's delight. The most important place is the area of the house in which you and Kitty spend the most time. I have many sisal posts in my house, yet often in the morning my cats line up to use the one in the living room.

If she starts to scratch an inappropriate object, immediately place her in front of her scratching post and begin petting her. Some cats will begin kneading when petted, thus digging their claws into the desired surface and establishing this as a fine place to scratch.

Answer 2

Well hun thats what ya get when you want a kitten! Kittens are babies too remember so it is a vital part of being a feline to use their claws whiskers etc. They are just learning how to do things with what God gave them just like any other baby. I would honestly give them some time to grow a little before chopping off their claws and confusing them. If you're afraid to ruin the house then maybe a kitten isnt for you.

Answer 3

Try some catnip on the scratching post, tats how I got mine to use it. The nail caps are called soft claws. Good Luck

Answer 4

Go to www.safepetproducts.com and click on the 'soft claws' link.. THEY ARE AMAZING!!!!!!!! They are silicon covers for cats nails, both of my cats have them, I wouldn't have a cat, that wasn't declawed, with out them. They save your skin and your furniture. They just glue on, they are EXTREMELY easy... Since you have a kitten, you will have to get the kitten size, at that website i gave you, you can get them for 14.99, which is cheaper than a pet store, usually have them for 22 and wont have the size you need... I would look into them... Good luck

Answer 5

I knew a redneck from Texas who named his son Mister. mockingly his final call became Wright. the father stated that his son might constantly get admire if his call became Mister. particular, Kitten is a wierd call. i've got called girlfriends Kitten in the previous, yet basically as a nickname. i think her mom and dad needed their daughter to have a memorable call. right here on the reservation youngsters get the strangest names too. Names that don't even exist in foreign places languages. i'm not sure the place this predolection for unusual names on the reservation got here from inspite of the undeniable fact that it fairly is nicely-known to furnish youngsters names like ok'Shon, Willemeenia, Labrynth, Ruby crimson, T'Shinga....the record is going on and on. It turns right into a discomfort interior the butt once you are attempting to purchase personalised coffee cups for adult males like that.

Answer 6

When we had this problem, I went for clipping the very ends of his claws, just enough to blunt them a little.
Just had to share, a friend renamed her kitten at this stage, it was Blackie, very quickly got to be called Velcro, which I think is an ace name for a kitten.

Answer 7

They make these plastic covers to go over each nail. You just glue them on with special glue. There perfectly safe and humane. I forget what there called but try to google plastic pet nail covers.

Answer 8

I just use regular fingernail clippers and hold my kitty, calmly clipping the ends off her claws. I don't cut much off but it makes them much duller and not razor-like.

Answer 9

I would try cutting his nails (try not to cut them to hard they might fling in you EYE!)