You are here:
- Home
- Animals/Pets
- Cats
- Cat Training and Behavior (Domestic and Feral)
- New kitten scratching Baby
Cat Training and Behavior (Domestic and Feral)/New kitten scratching Baby
Advertisement
Question
Hello~ My friend recently adopted a new kitten. She has two small children who are now starting to get scratched. She has had the cat for a couple of weeks now and this is just starting to be a problem. She doesn't want to have to get rid of the cat, already being really attached. She asked me how I felt about de-clawing, which I am really against. Is there anything else she can try?
Jessica,
A kitten WILL scratch children out of defense, until he gets used to them. Make sure the children are taught the correct way to be gentle and calm around the kitten. If the kitten is newly adopted, then everything is new to him, and he will be frightened and defensive. Give him time to adapt. Make sure the kitten is not alone with the children until she is sure that they are trained about how to handle a kitten.
Do not de-claw!! That is a horrible thing to do to a cat or kitten and can create life-long problems for the cat, both mental and physical.
Here is a website that shows with photos how to trim a cat's claws:
(copy and paste, or type, the whole link into the address bar)
http://www.cat-world.com.au/catclaws.htm
Here is information about Soft Claws:
http://www.softclaws.com/faqs.asp
And here are some links that pertain to de-clawing that your friend should read before deciding anything:
http://www.declawing.com/
and
http://www.hdw-inc.com/declaw.htm
I hope this information is helpful.
Tabbi
Related Articles
Answers by Expert:
Dear Tabbi
Expertise
My expertise is in helping people understand their cat (or cats) and their behavior. Questions are welcome even if you don't have a cat....just a question about them. Hopefully my experience, suggestions, and comments will be of help to you...and your cat (or cats). Looking through my past responses to questions will give you additional information and/or answers too. Domestic Cats = cats (no matter what breed) who are tame or not wild, or abandoned cats who were pets that became wild, but can be tamed again. Ferals = cats who are born with one or more parents who were wild stray cats. They usually have had no interactions with people. They have an inbred distrust of humans and are difficult to socialize. They are skittish, hide, and are afraid of people. They take a lot of time and patience to work with them. A lot of kittens from shelters had a feral parent.
Experience
Since I was a child, over 45 years, I have been owned by a LOT of cats and kittens of almost every temperament, behavior, and personality. I have had experience with neurotic, disabled (including blind), stray, and 'problem child' cats and kittens. (A few normal cats too!) Plus all the things a lifetime of owning cats and research has taught me. I also have experience in feral cat behavior (which is different from domestic cats), and some experience with feral colonies that includes colony feeding and feral cat TNR (trap/neuter/release).
Education/Credentials
***********
Awards and Honors
* One of the top 50 Experts Of 2008 *
©2012 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company. All rights reserved.