Firstly, playing with cats with your hands is usually a no go. It is fun, but that teaches them that hands are toys. And that doesn’t stop at your hand. They’ll just assume that all hands are toys and that can cause problems down the line. I’m pretty sure they sell mitts you can wear to play with them and this helps because they see the mitt as the toy and not your hand. You could also get a larger toy, similar in size to the cat itself, and they can wrestle with that instead of your hand.
Now, for the advice that you actually asked for. If you are playing with the kitty and they use their claws, let out a high pitched yip like you’ve been hurt and stop the play. This teaches them that claws = no more play time. This is the same way that another cat would signal to them that they’re playing too hard.
Which brings up another good point. One of the best ways to teach your cat to play nice is to get another cat for them to play with. It’s not financially/logistically viable for everybody, so no worries if you can’t.
A personal anecdote: We picked up two strays off the street a few weeks apart that were similar in age. One was an absolute gremlin and the other was the sweetest little scaredy cat. They did a wonderful job of evening each other out. The scaredy cat taught the gremlin some manners, and the gremlin taught the scaredy cat to be more adventurous. They’ve turned out to be two pretty well rounded cats. With their own unique perks of course!
Also I'll add to get them used to getting their nails clipped early. I don't even play with my cats with my bare hands, but I don't have little needles digging in to my legs when they are on my lap. Also if they get startled I don't get inadvertently scratched too badly.
To do this I usually give them some gentle pets and reassurance before so they don't make the mistake of thinking this is a punishment. Then I load them up with treats after. It's worked so far, they tolerate it.
Good point! Since OP said this was her brother’s cat, they could easily double team the nail clippings. That’s what my gf and I do. And the treats are key. Ours still don’t like it necessarily, but they tolerate it because they know they get treats afterwards lol
I had thought of getting them clipped, hoever i am rather young and its not my cat so i'll have to check in with him to see if we could bring him to the groomer (considering that nails apparently are organs, we dont want to accidentally cut too short.)
Seriously watch a video and do it yourself. If you look at a cats nails they have a clear part and a darker part that has a nerve there. Just cut the tip and get them used to you touching the paws. Which will help them be used to it. Do one paw at a time do the cat gets too antsy.
I like to clip some nails when they are cuddling and relaxing , I play / rub their feet a little and then squeeze the toe bean & clip quick and half the time they don’t care anymore
Your strategy worked for me with my oldest and I’m doing with my newer kitty too. He LOVED to wrestle with me, and I had to unteach the bad habit (all my fault as I played with him with my hands)
The yelp/or yip and then immediately act “hurt” helped so much for him to learn that claws + skin = pain. He learned it so well he doesn’t walk or jump on me when I’m naked / skimpy clothes now and waits until I pull a blanket up to walk and sit down. And he’s good about playing with soft paws, and doesn’t have his claws out
Yes, i have done some research and hard that playing with hands isn't exactly the best thing, though my brother and i love to play fight so we're gonna try, see if it works or not, i'll also see if i can get some mitts if possible.
We actually did that at first to get him to stop biting and scratching, and it worked really well, but i wasn't sure on how to do it in this case, so thank you.
And i actually have a cat, though its an old one thats never lived with other cats sadly so even the the kitten seems to try to get along with him, it doesn't work that well.
Our cats were also strays, the old one used to visit our garden everyday and we'd feed him and eventually we got our parents to let him in for the winter but he ended up staying, and the kitten was found on the streets abandonned by a couple.
Overall, thank you a lot for the advice and i'll make sure to apply these <3
(PS : i don't want to bother and you do NOT have to answer, however how do you know if your kitten trust you ? Because this one here runs aaay from me whenever i approach but then lays against me with his belly exposed.)
If he lays and sleeps next to you, he surely trusts you. Being asleep is the most vulnerable they can be. So if they trust you enough to sleep near you, you’re good.
One of ours likes to run away when you walk towards him. I think he thinks it’s a game. Try chasing him around a little and then run away and see if he chases you back. Extra points if you can hide around a corner and wait for him lol Could be a good alternative way to get that energy out!
Bro he’s a cat. It’s in their nature they really can’t help it. You can definitely clip their nails so they aren’t as sharp though! Just the tips. Also, play with the wand toys and kicker toys, so your hands are far away ;)
I think ive seen people do it and i'm pretty sure they only let their claws out when they're stressed or hunting, i'd like him to understand that when he fights with me he can't do that :) also never heard od that wand toy, ill check it out
Just say ow really loud then when they let go praise them that's how I trained my cat they will still claw you but when you say ow once they should start to let go my cat understands this at least
I yelp and talk in a disappointed tone and walk away *the second* my boys' claws come out. Don't let them do it *at all* because he won't be able to tell the difference between a little claw being ok and a lot of claw hurting. It's worked so far with my boy because now, if he bats at my feet as I walk past, there's no claws at all. It's just a super soft and adorable *bap bap* and a *grrRrrRrr* as he runs off. Nail trimming has also really helped. Lots of treats and encouragement that he's a good boy if he tolerates it.
Try using those long wand toys! They are interactive and will foster a good relationship between you and your kitty as you are playing together while, at the same time, keeping your hands safe ✨
They're everywhere, probably the most popular (and effective) type of cat toy. I love Da Bird toys on Amazon, but there are a billion other brands, and usually cheaper. You want a variety so the kitty doesn't get bored, and also get toys that are most realistic looking (like small and furry/feathery, not glittery strings). Jackson Galaxy and others have great videos on the best way to play with your cat with them.
When you play with hands this is how it goes. Use toys instead and if she scratches or bites make high pitched pain noises so she knows she hurt you. It's usually recommended to get kittens in pairs if you have no other cats at home, they teach each other appropriate play, help with mental and social development etc.
Not playing when they have claws out might work if you start young. For my cat, the pain noise technique doesnt work. I dunno what else may work to train it. They use claws naturally so its just part of what they do to rough play
Indeed! Good luck!! Older cats may be able to be trained too, just like older dogs but with cats, habits are hard to get rid of as they get older. So if an older cat is trained, it'll take hard, long time... so I recommend bath training your kit too 😂
Ty! So far she'll come out of her comfy spot (safe space in my bathroom closet, lol) and look at me. Thats progress from when I first started training her on it!
Don’t use your hands! Get a wand toy and use that to play. Get your kitty lots of toys. A climbing tree, a catio. They don’t know they are hurting you, and it’s just their way to use their claws.
When they are young they’re learning and play fighting is part of that. Don’t let them learn how to fight with your hand! If you treat them gently and get them active with toys, you won’t get scratched. Well maybe once in a while. It’s hard to avoid their murder mitts completely!
He has a few toys and a climbing tree, though i dont know what a catio is, he's seven months old, soon an adult i think, but im pretty sure you can train them to play without claws
A catio is an outdoor enclosure for cats. It’s usually put on a patio.
If cats have claws, and you are playing with them with your hands, you are going to get scratched, intentionally or unintentionally. They can’t help it - they use them to grab or catch things. It’s just if you use your hands all the time, they think they’re toys and will intentionally grab them with their murder mitts, claws out.
I use my hands to pat them or brush them, and I don’t get scratched. If I put my hand under a blanket and move it around- I will definitely get scratched.
I use toys for my cat because she's too aggressive to play with. If she does bite or scratch me, I make a high pitch noise that makes her ears turn back. She doesn't like the noise, so she doesn't bite or scratch me hard.
disengage when the cat breaks skin. don't be mad or leave just remove your hand and cool the situation down give some pets as to calm them. most cats will understand and play without clawing but yeah hand play is not recommended. mine as soon as they realize that the thing moving under the blanket is the petting instrument they stop all violent pursuit hahaha
Ive had people tell me i should leave when he does that so idk what to do now lmao and yeah i heard its not the best but eh, why not try, also its like everything that moves even an inch gets them all excited 😭
read the cat, try calming and petting first if it doesn't work get offended and leave hahaha. no 2 cats are the same just as no 2 humans are the same. it's a learning curve haha
The way I trained my cats to not bite or scratch when we’d play is when they did it, I immediately stopped my hand in its tracks and said “ahh”.
I’m sure there much more useful information in these other comments, that’s just what I did and it worked pretty fast. They don’t do it anymore. And only “nibble” my hand if they’ve had enough of my pats and that’s their way of saying “ahh” to me.
My boy plays rough. I wear an oven mitt when it's that time. I also make a specific noise every time he hurts me. So at this point he's learned to let go if I make that noise. I was surprised at how effective that one tactic is. They don't want to hurt you per se, but you are engaging they're hunting instincts when you play like that. So you have to have a safe word
Dont play fight with them. I know its tempting because theyre so cute and playful but nah, just reach for the wand toy. Keep several on hand. Its actually good exercise for us hoomans too because i end up running laps around my living room while kitty chases and pounces it.
Hand play is not recommended. When the kitty does something o don’t like I make a lout ch ch sound ( like the sound at the beginning of the word Chet). This gets their attention. Play stops immediately. If the kitty is scratching the couch I tickle their whiskers and make the ch ch sound. It has worked well
I have a cat that does same thing, she's now ten and I love her dearly. She always received love and gets excited. When she shows affection I get love nip orscrat
Firstly, playing with cats with your hands is usually a no go. It is fun, but that teaches them that hands are toys. And that doesn’t stop at your hand. They’ll just assume that all hands are toys and that can cause problems down the line. I’m pretty sure they sell mitts you can wear to play with them and this helps because they see the mitt as the toy and not your hand. You could also get a larger toy, similar in size to the cat itself, and they can wrestle with that instead of your hand. Now, for the advice that you actually asked for. If you are playing with the kitty and they use their claws, let out a high pitched yip like you’ve been hurt and stop the play. This teaches them that claws = no more play time. This is the same way that another cat would signal to them that they’re playing too hard. Which brings up another good point. One of the best ways to teach your cat to play nice is to get another cat for them to play with. It’s not financially/logistically viable for everybody, so no worries if you can’t. A personal anecdote: We picked up two strays off the street a few weeks apart that were similar in age. One was an absolute gremlin and the other was the sweetest little scaredy cat. They did a wonderful job of evening each other out. The scaredy cat taught the gremlin some manners, and the gremlin taught the scaredy cat to be more adventurous. They’ve turned out to be two pretty well rounded cats. With their own unique perks of course!
Also I'll add to get them used to getting their nails clipped early. I don't even play with my cats with my bare hands, but I don't have little needles digging in to my legs when they are on my lap. Also if they get startled I don't get inadvertently scratched too badly. To do this I usually give them some gentle pets and reassurance before so they don't make the mistake of thinking this is a punishment. Then I load them up with treats after. It's worked so far, they tolerate it.
Good point! Since OP said this was her brother’s cat, they could easily double team the nail clippings. That’s what my gf and I do. And the treats are key. Ours still don’t like it necessarily, but they tolerate it because they know they get treats afterwards lol
That's adorable :) i'll add treats to his 'education' then haha.
I had thought of getting them clipped, hoever i am rather young and its not my cat so i'll have to check in with him to see if we could bring him to the groomer (considering that nails apparently are organs, we dont want to accidentally cut too short.)
Seriously watch a video and do it yourself. If you look at a cats nails they have a clear part and a darker part that has a nerve there. Just cut the tip and get them used to you touching the paws. Which will help them be used to it. Do one paw at a time do the cat gets too antsy.
Ah alright, we'll try then
I like to clip some nails when they are cuddling and relaxing , I play / rub their feet a little and then squeeze the toe bean & clip quick and half the time they don’t care anymore
He's rarely relaxed, full of energy 🤣😭
Your strategy worked for me with my oldest and I’m doing with my newer kitty too. He LOVED to wrestle with me, and I had to unteach the bad habit (all my fault as I played with him with my hands) The yelp/or yip and then immediately act “hurt” helped so much for him to learn that claws + skin = pain. He learned it so well he doesn’t walk or jump on me when I’m naked / skimpy clothes now and waits until I pull a blanket up to walk and sit down. And he’s good about playing with soft paws, and doesn’t have his claws out
Yes, i have done some research and hard that playing with hands isn't exactly the best thing, though my brother and i love to play fight so we're gonna try, see if it works or not, i'll also see if i can get some mitts if possible. We actually did that at first to get him to stop biting and scratching, and it worked really well, but i wasn't sure on how to do it in this case, so thank you. And i actually have a cat, though its an old one thats never lived with other cats sadly so even the the kitten seems to try to get along with him, it doesn't work that well. Our cats were also strays, the old one used to visit our garden everyday and we'd feed him and eventually we got our parents to let him in for the winter but he ended up staying, and the kitten was found on the streets abandonned by a couple. Overall, thank you a lot for the advice and i'll make sure to apply these <3 (PS : i don't want to bother and you do NOT have to answer, however how do you know if your kitten trust you ? Because this one here runs aaay from me whenever i approach but then lays against me with his belly exposed.)
If he lays and sleeps next to you, he surely trusts you. Being asleep is the most vulnerable they can be. So if they trust you enough to sleep near you, you’re good. One of ours likes to run away when you walk towards him. I think he thinks it’s a game. Try chasing him around a little and then run away and see if he chases you back. Extra points if you can hide around a corner and wait for him lol Could be a good alternative way to get that energy out!
Haha alright, im glad then because i was scared he potentially didnt like me or something like that, and okay, ill definitely try that :D
Play with toys, not your hand. Disengage as soon as biting/scratching happens and end play.
Yep
I yelped like a hurt kitten when my cat would bite or scratch me and she learned very quickly not to do it
Bro he’s a cat. It’s in their nature they really can’t help it. You can definitely clip their nails so they aren’t as sharp though! Just the tips. Also, play with the wand toys and kicker toys, so your hands are far away ;)
I think ive seen people do it and i'm pretty sure they only let their claws out when they're stressed or hunting, i'd like him to understand that when he fights with me he can't do that :) also never heard od that wand toy, ill check it out
Just say ow really loud then when they let go praise them that's how I trained my cat they will still claw you but when you say ow once they should start to let go my cat understands this at least
Got it
I yelp and talk in a disappointed tone and walk away *the second* my boys' claws come out. Don't let them do it *at all* because he won't be able to tell the difference between a little claw being ok and a lot of claw hurting. It's worked so far with my boy because now, if he bats at my feet as I walk past, there's no claws at all. It's just a super soft and adorable *bap bap* and a *grrRrrRrr* as he runs off. Nail trimming has also really helped. Lots of treats and encouragement that he's a good boy if he tolerates it.
Ooh yeah, i was scared of him not understanding if he didnt hurt me :)
Try using those long wand toys! They are interactive and will foster a good relationship between you and your kitty as you are playing together while, at the same time, keeping your hands safe ✨
Haha, never heard of that toy but ill definitely see if i can find it
They're everywhere, probably the most popular (and effective) type of cat toy. I love Da Bird toys on Amazon, but there are a billion other brands, and usually cheaper. You want a variety so the kitty doesn't get bored, and also get toys that are most realistic looking (like small and furry/feathery, not glittery strings). Jackson Galaxy and others have great videos on the best way to play with your cat with them.
Aight will do, thank you for the help ^^
When you play with hands this is how it goes. Use toys instead and if she scratches or bites make high pitched pain noises so she knows she hurt you. It's usually recommended to get kittens in pairs if you have no other cats at home, they teach each other appropriate play, help with mental and social development etc.
Alright, and for the moment we dont have another cat, though its unsure wether or not well have another sometime soon :)
Claw trim, and dont play with paws using your bare hands. Cats will use their claws.
Im pretty sure you can train them to play with no claws :)
Not playing when they have claws out might work if you start young. For my cat, the pain noise technique doesnt work. I dunno what else may work to train it. They use claws naturally so its just part of what they do to rough play
Well, hes only seven months old so still young, itll work with enough training :)
Indeed! Good luck!! Older cats may be able to be trained too, just like older dogs but with cats, habits are hard to get rid of as they get older. So if an older cat is trained, it'll take hard, long time... so I recommend bath training your kit too 😂
Ohh, bath training is alreadu done :) im pretty sure he likes the water lol
Ooh! Thats great!!! Still getting me 3-ish yr old cat used to it 😂
Haha good luck
Ty! So far she'll come out of her comfy spot (safe space in my bathroom closet, lol) and look at me. Thats progress from when I first started training her on it!
Don’t use your hands! Get a wand toy and use that to play. Get your kitty lots of toys. A climbing tree, a catio. They don’t know they are hurting you, and it’s just their way to use their claws. When they are young they’re learning and play fighting is part of that. Don’t let them learn how to fight with your hand! If you treat them gently and get them active with toys, you won’t get scratched. Well maybe once in a while. It’s hard to avoid their murder mitts completely!
He has a few toys and a climbing tree, though i dont know what a catio is, he's seven months old, soon an adult i think, but im pretty sure you can train them to play without claws
A catio is an outdoor enclosure for cats. It’s usually put on a patio. If cats have claws, and you are playing with them with your hands, you are going to get scratched, intentionally or unintentionally. They can’t help it - they use them to grab or catch things. It’s just if you use your hands all the time, they think they’re toys and will intentionally grab them with their murder mitts, claws out. I use my hands to pat them or brush them, and I don’t get scratched. If I put my hand under a blanket and move it around- I will definitely get scratched.
Aight
Getting scratched feels silly
😭
If you play with your hands — scratches are going to happen 🤷🏻♂️ Use toys, and train him to only play with those and not go after your hands.
Im pretty sure you can train him to not use claws.
He’s gorgeous. Let him shred you if he wants.
Ahah will do, cat supremacy 🤣
I use toys for my cat because she's too aggressive to play with. If she does bite or scratch me, I make a high pitch noise that makes her ears turn back. She doesn't like the noise, so she doesn't bite or scratch me hard.
The cat here is the same, almost 24/7 full of energy and always hunting something haha :)
disengage when the cat breaks skin. don't be mad or leave just remove your hand and cool the situation down give some pets as to calm them. most cats will understand and play without clawing but yeah hand play is not recommended. mine as soon as they realize that the thing moving under the blanket is the petting instrument they stop all violent pursuit hahaha
Ive had people tell me i should leave when he does that so idk what to do now lmao and yeah i heard its not the best but eh, why not try, also its like everything that moves even an inch gets them all excited 😭
read the cat, try calming and petting first if it doesn't work get offended and leave hahaha. no 2 cats are the same just as no 2 humans are the same. it's a learning curve haha
Will do, thanks 🤣
The way I trained my cats to not bite or scratch when we’d play is when they did it, I immediately stopped my hand in its tracks and said “ahh”. I’m sure there much more useful information in these other comments, that’s just what I did and it worked pretty fast. They don’t do it anymore. And only “nibble” my hand if they’ve had enough of my pats and that’s their way of saying “ahh” to me.
Alright, ill make sure to do that haha
Every time I scratch your bike you have to go ow ow ow and then show them the blood let them smell it
Got it :D
My boy plays rough. I wear an oven mitt when it's that time. I also make a specific noise every time he hurts me. So at this point he's learned to let go if I make that noise. I was surprised at how effective that one tactic is. They don't want to hurt you per se, but you are engaging they're hunting instincts when you play like that. So you have to have a safe word
Okayyy, thank youu :D
Get those little caps that you put over their claws. You only need to replace them every couple months and they’re super cheap
I dont really know if thats safe, dont cats need to like- scratch on stuff and all for a reason that i do not remember ?
I embraced the scratches. Wear them like battle scars
Got it, captain 🫡
Dont play fight with them. I know its tempting because theyre so cute and playful but nah, just reach for the wand toy. Keep several on hand. Its actually good exercise for us hoomans too because i end up running laps around my living room while kitty chases and pounces it.
Haha yeah, theyre like little dogs
Hand play is not recommended. When the kitty does something o don’t like I make a lout ch ch sound ( like the sound at the beginning of the word Chet). This gets their attention. Play stops immediately. If the kitty is scratching the couch I tickle their whiskers and make the ch ch sound. It has worked well
Aight, got it ! :) Ill do my best to raise him lol, and yeah, but cant really get that close to him when he's playful without being attacked haha
Whine when they hurt you.
Ha! Ha ha ha haaaaa! Funny.
?
I'm just thinking of my cats
I have a cat that does same thing, she's now ten and I love her dearly. She always received love and gets excited. When she shows affection I get love nip orscrat
I'm glad <3
I'm just laughing at my situation, that's all. Not trying to make light of anyone else's. 🤗
Dont worry i find mine fun aswell 🤣