If I wasn't against declawing, Munch would be short some back toes! It's driving me nuts, and it's painful! Thankfully I keep his claws trimmed short, or I'd be bloody! Even with dull claws, this HURTS!
P.S. look how big his feet are! I have quite large hands, that's a good 2.5" spread!
Seriously tho, can you change the way you are holding him? Does he give any signal prior to launch? Perhaps dropping him (they land on their feet?) but not all the way down, just enough so he thinks twice before lift off?
Ouch! I'd have to agree with Cat'sHouse and change the way you hold him.
Maybe, for a while till the habit is broken) hold him where you have a hold of his back feet, or even just one.
I don't think you're going to be faster then his "launch" in order to drop him, like was suggested. There are rarely preliminary signals given before they do and your reaction to his movement is just going to be milliseconds too slow and his launch will be successful.
Just hold him in a new way for a while, see what happens.
I have the same issue with my Fink. I just have to hold him one specific way, across my body with his back feet in my hand. I also don't let him jump out of my arms (when I can help it!) he is too impatient to wait for me to put him on the floor, so I always set him down on a table or chair, so he can walk out of my arms, rather than launch
Our shelter mandates long sleeves and long pants. After surveying my denim shirt after washing it last week I understand why! I have a big hole in the waist right where Mr. Mustache launched himself off from and caught a claw! Ouch, DD&C I feel your pain!
Except that's my leg and I'm not holding him... he's walking on me. He doesn't much like to be held. He loves to cuddle, but not restrained in any way.
And yes, his nails are checked and anything shsrp clipped once a week when I do my dogs'
My cats are the same - they don't like to be held or sit in laps, but they love to use me as a step stool when zooming around playing. And they're polydactyls so that's a looot of claws coming at me lol.
I don't know if it would work, because it's sort of the opposite problem, but when my cats would jump down from somewhere high or jump up to land on my shoulders (I'm only 4'10") I would say OW! loudly and sort of high pitched- like a yelp- and sort of tense up. Then they'd usually jump down real fast. It has gotten to where now they only do it if I'm wearing a hooded sweatshirt...lots of protection. :smile: I wonder if Munch would get the idea if you sort of yelped when he did it. It might not work as well b/c your reaction might be clouded by his focus on whatever he's jumping to, but it might be worth a try.
Oh, duh! I guess I wasn't really paying attention!
I'm really reaching here, but maybe a big startle movement from you? It might scare him more than teach him...and he also might not even notice. Sorry you're getting clawed so much.
You could move him every time he starts walking on you, before he has a chance to leap off anywhere? Mine don't give me any advance warning, but if he roams around on you before trying to launch off, maybe always putting him down will curb things? It would be hard if he just wants to cuddle or be close, but if verbal commands are out, I can't think of any visual cues to stop him or actions that wouldn't just surprise him into possibly scratching while leaping away.
My boys both did this until they were about two, we ended up making a rule that if they were having crazies they weren't allowed on any sort of furniture. In the beginning we enforced it with a squirt bottle (although I'm not a super fan) because it was the only way to deter then in full zoomy-mode.
Gradually they caught on, and now they'll run around like crazy, but keep it to the floor and their cat post. Since I usually lie on the couch this means I'm safe.
The issue is exactly what you're saying, he doesn't realize he's doing it or that it's hurting you. If he knew what was going on and was specifically interacting with you then you can change your behavior...but when my boys did this it was because they were happy and excited and pouncing something. I was the couch at that moment.
When they're crazy now I still push them off of me. If he starts from being on you watch for him to freeze and tense, push him off right then. My boys don't typically launch without that pause and tense second, but it's a very short moment to catch....
I also make a point of having a blanket on me as an extra buffer (and because I'm a wimp about cold ), just in case.
I completely sympathize, I actually have a few scars due to being a launch pad.
It's tough as it really only happens when I'm lying down. I usually have blankets over me too, but I was boiling last night. Munch was walking on me then launched off me to the floor. I can try to prevent him from walking on me, but then I wont get his cuddles and attention. I need to figure out how the dogs taught him not to be rude. I always say how pretending to be a dog to train them is stupid... but maybe pretending to be a dog to train a cat will work? Lol
Him being deaf, in this case, is a disadvantage. With my boys my hollering was a pretty obvious sign of distress...but Munch doesn't have any way of getting that...maybe you could stomp on the floor really hard??
TBH My boys mostly just grew out of it I think. The only time it happens now is when they get scared by something momentarily.
Ouch, that looks painful. Was it with the back claws or front (I normally only trim front claws). I feel your pain though, my legs/arms are all scratched up (mostly from overactive/hyper kittens). I have a huge scabby scratch on my leg right now (that was made through jeans!). :|
Back feet. He has yet to scratch me with his front feet. He's gentle and careful with his front paws, even when extremely hyper. The dogs taught him well
Yeah, I've had more than one set of marks like that in the past - but it was always when my Punky was scared and 'peeled out' as I called it, off my lap or out of my arms if something startled him suddenly while I was holding him. He didn't use me as a launching pad though lol.
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