Discretionary use of claws in light-hearted play activities.

[ChrisGreaves]

I have noticed two aspects of cat behavior over the years, and wonder if any loungers can corroborate my observations in their own pets. The aspects are related in that they concern the cats discretionary use of claws in light-hearted play activities.

(1) I pick up a cat with my right hand under their chest/forearms and my left hand under their rear end, and the cat will settle against my breast, facing towards my right. I've noticed identical behavior in Jupiter (7 years) and Bumpous (1 year): If I am wearing a shirt, sweater or any other covering, they hold on to my right shoulder with some slight clawing, not deep, just a grip. But if I am not wearing a shirt or sweater, then no claws are extended; their soft paddy-paws rest against my naked shoulder. It is as if they KNOW when I'm not wearing fur, and decide not to make use of their claws.
I should add that the clawing isn't painful, it's more of a "re-assuring grip"

(2) I noticed soon after I got him that Jupiter loved playing games around me on the floor. One game involves me kneeling down, with my bum on my heels and a slight gap between my legs, a tunnel, if you will. Jupiter will lie on his side and "swim" down the tunnel, starting at a position between my knees until he re-appears out of the tunnel behind me. He paddles with his paws, using a light claw-grip to pull himself through, the claws making contact with my trouser legs. Unless I'm wearing shorts, bare-legged, in which case he elects to claw his way along the carpet.

I would re-assure non-cat-owners that the only times I have been clawed are when I get too close or too boisterous in play - my fault entirely - or I am holding a cat and a sudden noise such as a door slamming startles them; then they use their claws to catapult themselves to safety, which is usually somewhere at my feet.

[Bowlie]

Chris,
Speaking as the owner of two Birmans I can safely say ...

Spoiler

That what you do in your spare time, should stay with you!

[Sundog]

Sorta related, discretionary use of talons in light-hearted play activities: My wife the Zookeeper has hand-raised a Great Horned Owl (Frodo) from age ~7 days, to verging on maturity at the moment. When Frodo alights on her gloved arm, the owl grabs on with light talon pressure. When Frodo alights on her bare arm, the owl does not sink its talons into the flesh. She believes it's a learned behavior, undoubtedly responding to my wife's loud screams ( ) when the infant Frodo dug in.

This is a good thing: Wikipedia says "These birds have 500 pounds per square inch of crushing power in their talons. An average adult human male has about 60 pounds per square inch in his hands."

[viking33]

How do you make out when attempting to trim their claws?
Our otherwise docile pussy cat turns onto a jungle tiger of sorts. Mayhem!
The German Shepherd just watches and allows a quicky manicure. Then goes back for a snooze.

[Sundog]

trim their claws?

We have found that a Dremel loaded with a "sanding band" works great, vs. clippers. Easier to avoid getting to the quick, and it allows rounding off the sharp edges.

sandband.jpg

[ChrisGreaves]

two Birmans

Wossa Birman?

[ChrisGreaves]

She believes it's a learned behavior, undoubtedly responding to my wife's loud screams

That's part of my puzzle.
I can't recall, ever, Jupiter digging in his claws when I picked him up, and hence I can't recall screaming at him.
it is uncanny (literally, I suspect, from connaitre - to know).
Is he smart enough to recognize that the alpha male has times when a light grip could be permitted, and other times when not?

If I had scolded him in any way when he climbed to my shoulder, i could understand learned behaviour.
But this "instinctive" behaviour in BOTH cats is weird.

[ChrisGreaves]

How do you make out when attempting to trim their claws?

I don't trim claws.
Jupiters are razor-sharp, literally.
Odd times when I'm out of line and he takes a swipe at my nose he leaves a very clean cut, like a paper cut on the finger; not deep, but doesn't "stitch" well.
He bites off his claws from time to time. My living-room floor looks like the shadow of a tree during a solar eclipse, littered with translucent crescents.
I should vacumn before I move.

[viking33]

trim their claws?

We have found that a Dremel loaded with a "sanding band" works great, vs. clippers. Easier to avoid getting to the quick, and it allows rounding off the sharp edges.

sandband.jpg

I suppose we have a hyper-sensitive cat. The mere sound of a Dremel would send her off to her bunker for the day. [sigh]

[Sundog]

I suppose we have a hyper-sensitive cat. The mere sound of a Dremel would send her off to her bunker for the day. [sigh]

Use positive reinforcement; reward your critter when you turn the Dremel on some distance away. After not too long of doing that, our dogs stretched out and enjoyed their nail trimming (looking forward to a treat).

Don't know how that would work with a haughty cat, however.

[ChrisGreaves]

The mere sound of a Dremel would send her off to her bunker for the day.

You've just given me a great idea.

[wasbit]

Wossa Birman?

Played by Burt Lancaster as a prisoner in Alcatraz.

[wasbit]

Programme on BBC2 (UK TV) over the last 3 nights called The Bear Family & Me.

Gordon Buchanan a renowned wildlife cameraman, filming black bears in Minnesota was bitten by one mother when he did something to startle her cub.
Nary a swear word passed his lips as he reported the event live on camera, saying that the bear applied just enough pressure to let him know that she didn't like whatever it was that he had done.

As for claw cutting, try a misogynist cockatoo. Only the male owner can hold him whilst his wife wields the cutters. The squawks & screams are so bad that they have to pre-warn the neighbours.

[BobH]

Hello Chris and All,

We (still) have a Kat (her name). I call her 'dark matter' because no light escapes her coat.

Understand that my experience having a cat is only the last 4 months; but I have noticed that when playing or asking for attention, she will use a single claw expressed just heavily enough to be sure she gets your attention but not enough to puncture anything. She leaves her paw placed and retracts the claw.

Kat has another funny behavior that I hope some day to get on film and send to YouTube. We have a miniature dachshund who preceded the cat in our family. Molly is older and a real loving lap dog. The Kat will sometimes want to show Molly that she, too, deserves attention (even if she really doesn't tolerate it much). On those occasions, I've seen Kat jump over Molly's back landing and turning on her hind feet and using the front ones to shadow-box Molly's tail. She moves so fast that I don't know if she actually smacks the tail - Molly doesn't respond - but it is a perfect demonstration of her independence and latent dominating capacity.

[Hey Jude]

Chris,
Speaking as the owner of two Birmans I can safely say ...

Spoiler

That what you do in your spare time, should stay with you!

That is toooooo funny Bowlie

[Hey Jude]

The funniest BBCA show I have ever watched was "Are You Being Served" with Mrs. Slocombe head of the ladies' department; also known for her changing hair colour and conversations about her cat, which she always refers to as her pussy Such hilarity. I was sad to see that Mollie Sugden has passed on.

[ChrisGreaves]

Wossa Birman?

Played by Burt Lancaster as a prisoner in Alcatraz.

So let me get this straight.
Burr Lancaster used his tool to trim the claws of a Great Horned Owl?
He should have been flying out of jail, instead of filing in jail, no?

[John Gray]

[HansV]

There seems to be a problem:

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[John Gray]

Well, it works fine for me! This is the link I used between [ img] [ /img] tags.