Louie Doesn't Know: Mostly Gentle, Sometimes Draws Blood

[Louie'sDad]

Witchy Woman is the only one here who I know doesn't clip her F1s claws. Neither do I. I have learned to anticipate when Lou is becoming overstimulated, and, normally we can play..............fairly roughly sometimes..............and either his claws are retracted, or if they are extended, there is simply a faint hint of a sharp edge on my skin but no cutting being done.

Louie is just 2 years old and still evolving/changing personality as he gets to the magical age of three, which is, I think, the age considered to be the age of full maturity for cats. For all cats, or mostly for hybrid cats of higher wildcat percentage I leave that to the experts to say.

Lou has always been a chewer/biter rather than a scratcher; maybe the default characteristic for many higher serval percentage SVs. Most times he bites gently, although he does bite hard enough to draw blood on a number of occasions. I like it when he greets me in the morning and goes for my nose, although it is not always blood-free.

 

[WitchyWoman]

I clip all of the cats' claws except for Maliik who is an F2. My F1 never uses his claws when he plays with us but they can grow wicked long and I've clipped them regularly since he came home.

 

[Patti]

I have four F1s, I don't clip any of their nails. Only one bites when overstimulated (which doesn't take much) and she needs to be corrected at times (scruffed then ignored) because she is not gentle when the mood catches her.

 

[Cathouse1]

I trim Loki's (F2) because he has always been "grabby" and plays very rough when he gets wound up. He tolerates it well, and goes to work chewing new points almost immediately. It keeps him from snagging food of the counters so easily, lol!!

 

[John Popp]

My F1 never uses his claws when he plays with us but they can grow wicked long and I've clipped them regularly since he came home.

Same with Dino. Never uses his claws, they grow quickly and get regularly clipped. He does occasionally catch us with a claw, primarily as a result of kitten clumsiness righting himself. About every other weekend works, although if he's in play mode not a chance he'll tolerate it.

 

[Louie'sDad]

I have four F1s, I don't clip any of their nails. Only one bites when overstimulated (which doesn't take much) and she needs to be corrected at times (scruffed then ignored) because she is not gentle when the mood catches her.

Patti,
The bites he gives me are "love bites", especially to my nose (although I'd much prefer that he'd lick instead of bite it).
Should I discourage "love bites" that are gentle? He doesn't know how to regulate the jaw pressure, I think. I don't know how to teach him how to ease off. Again, the bloodletting happens mostly to my nose. He'll "love bite" my fingers and hands as well, buy my old nose is more tender than my hands and fingers.
I don't allow him access to my nose as freely as I have in the past. I feel bad because I see that he wants to bite it. If only he were more gentle about it.

 

[Louie'sDad]

As far as the claws...............forget about trimming them. No way, no how. I see claw husks shed here and there. If the outer shells of the claws are shed, then is clipping actually required, except as protection for the humans in the household? I would think that the "molting" is nature's way of keeping the claws at the optimal length?

 

[Patti]

Well IMHO, it's up to you if you want to discourage it or not - I would say it mostly depends on if he ever has the opportunity to bite anyone else. If he does, I would definitely try to curb the behavior. Shere Tani is also giving me love bites, but she becomes very passionate about her affections - I think she would smother me with love if she could! She also becomes very jealous of any other cats that try to get my attention so at times there is some aggression brewing under the surface as well, which doesn't help matters at all...

 

[Louie'sDad]

Well IMHO, it's up to you if you want to discourage it or not - I would say it mostly depends on if he ever has the opportunity to bite anyone else. If he does, I would definitely try to curb the behavior. Shere Tani is also giving me love bites, but she becomes very passionate about her affections - I think she would smother me with love if she could! She also becomes very jealous of any other cats that try to get my attention so at times there is some aggression brewing under the surface as well, which doesn't help matters at all...

I had a Labrador Retriever, Jessie, whom I trained to hunt with me. There are toys and training aids that encourage and develop "soft mouth", whereby the animal would retrieve the bird by holding it gently in its muzzle, and they worked well for her.

No, there's no danger of Louie harming anyone else but me. He is firmly bonded to me and me alone. He shies away from anyone else except me.

Do you offer any of your more tender parts to Shere Tani to be passionate with?

 

[Patti]

Do you offer any of your more tender parts to Shere Tani to be passionate with?

I don't really understand your question - I don't 'offer' her any of my parts, but when she start gnawing on me I usually stop her before she gets carried away.