How to play with my cat without her scratching me or furniture?

Question

Hi. My cat (1 year old) gets supper excited when we play with toys. When I find her getting to amped up I stop playing with her and/or try to take the toy away. This is when she accidentally scratches me and moves towards clawing things like the shower curtain. Here are my questions: 1) How do I get her not to scratch me? 2) How dangerous are cat scratches if they draw blood? 3) How do I play with her to get her energy out, but don't get her to jazzed where she starts scratching furnitur. Pet's info: Cat | Domestic Shorthair | Female | unspayed | 1 year and 1 month old | 5.5 lbs

Sara Farmer, DVM · Accepted Answer

She may need to play for longer periods of time to get tired out before you stop playing, or you may need to distract her with an appropriate toy just before you stop (a big stuffed animal might work). Cat scratches are much less likely to cause problems than cat bites, but you should check in with your physician if you have concerns. It also sounds like your cat might need some more scratching posts to use - I’ve also had some success with a product called Feliscratch that can encourage cats to choose a scratching post/pad over curtains and furniture. Clipping her nails can help reduce injuries in the meantime - for young cats I recommend clipping one claw a day for several months so they get very used to having their paws handled.

How to play with my cat without her scratching me or furniture?

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