Cat digging claws in to me when I.m stroking him..............

[MinkyBorage]

He arrived from cpl yesterday and is gorgeous, totally soppy and affectionate(when dc not around, when they are he hides). He digs his claws in to me/sofa/carpet when I stroke him. How do I stop him. I want him to settle well, so don't want to frighten him when its such early days, but it hurts, and I don't want him to wreck the sofa!

Just gently make a little cry of pain and gently touch his paws. He will get the message, although tbh, cats kneed with their claws when they are happy.

If he kneeds the sofa, just again gently say no and unhook his claws from the fabric.

Sorry, that wasn't that well explained. He is happy because he is enjoying the stroking, so you stopping the stroking and reaching for his paws should mean the claws stop kneeding.

thanks. he is definitely doing it in a happy way. I'll try that, thanks.

I think the claws thing is what kittens do to stimulate milk flow from their mother's teats. It's a sign of contentment, I gather.

x posts. oh I see, yes, thanks.

quite a few people think it's because the actions mimic the action he used as a kitten to get milk from his mum, so food= happiness= purrs and flexing his claws to try and get more food from his mum; who is you.

I hope that makes sense.

I think MsHighwater is right. I have heard cats that do it a lot were taken from their mothers too young but that does not make them difficult. Do as the others suggested and keep the claws trimmed so they are not too sharp. Also you could try stroking him on a cushion on your lap.

He sounds lovely. He will get the message. All cats kneed with their claws, but for some reason, some cats hurt more than others. One of ours used to hurt a lot but lots of squeaks of pain from me seemed to get the message home to him eventually.

I don't know I would recommend trimming the claws though. Cats need their claws.

No, I agree with Dumbledoresgirl about not trimming claws. Just gently stop him from doing it. It might not stop him from doing it again in future but should discourage it on that occasion.

OK, thanks. I don't really like the idea of cutting his claws. I feel a bit sorry for him, first his balls, then his claws. where will it end?

Thanks