# Are cat owners masochists? Are you currently suffering from an injury from a cat? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 9, 2013, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-cat-owners-masochists-are-you-currently-suffering-from-an-injury-from-a-cat/668412 "2013-09-09T14:00:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![usedtobe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ec9cab/32.png) [@usedtobe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/usedtobe)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2013, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-cat-owners-masochists-are-you-currently-suffering-from-an-injury-from-a-cat/668412/41 "2013-09-11T02:05:31Z")
> [@mage-girl](#): > > … > My cat however is a bastard. Sometimes he gives you a little warning. Sometimes he doesn’t. And he bites HARD. He is 17lb and very stocky… There is NO reason to put up with a bite. This lesson needs to be taught while a 6-week old, but here goes, and no, I don’t want to hear about how “mean” I am to poor, sweet cats. I used to breed them (Himalayans). Instantly put a hand behind its head and stuff the bitten part down its throat (no, not literally) - hold it there for about 5 seconds or until it realizes that biting a person gives the bitee the ability to make _them_ uncomfortable. It will try to withdraw, shake its head, etc. Hold on with a cold, calculating look in your eyes. Maintain direct eye contact throughout. Once it develops a look of terror/fear, let it go. I never produced a biter. This technique works absolute wonders when applied to the first ever bite. I’ve never had to break an adult ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2013, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-cat-owners-masochists-are-you-currently-suffering-from-an-injury-from-a-cat/668412/42 "2013-09-11T02:23:27Z")
Not really. Mine all get their nails trimmed every couple of weeks, whether they like it or not. So even if there’s a chase game going on that ends up using me as a trampoline, there’s not much clawsiness to do much in terms of scratch injuries to me. Work, now that can be a different story. ---
**Author:** ![DrumBum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e79b87/32.png) [@DrumBum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrumBum)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2013, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-cat-owners-masochists-are-you-currently-suffering-from-an-injury-from-a-cat/668412/43 "2013-09-11T14:03:49Z")
I serve four feline overlords and the vast majority of my scratched have been when I was playing with them as kittens. At the moment, the only “injuries” are from the cats kneading the blanket that covers my lap, in preparation for some quality time with dad. ---
**Author:** ![perfectparanoia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a5b964/32.png) [@perfectparanoia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/perfectparanoia)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2013, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-cat-owners-masochists-are-you-currently-suffering-from-an-injury-from-a-cat/668412/44 "2013-09-11T15:51:43Z")
I said no but then I realized that my dear Annie gave me a ‘love-nip’ too hard the other day and accidentally broke skin. (She then ran away and looked sheepishly at me for a couple of hours and still is licking it to apologize every time I pet her.) Other than that, it’s usually accidents. Sometimes she’ll be kneading bread on my chest and her claw will tweak me. Or during a ‘cat race’ they will run across a part of me that is not clothing covered. Meh. Totally worth it. Only tiny scratches. Nothing compared to the love and companionship I get back. ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2013, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-cat-owners-masochists-are-you-currently-suffering-from-an-injury-from-a-cat/668412/45 "2013-09-11T17:23:29Z")
Lots of little scratches (none currently) but never anything serious. The worst one was when the spouse startled one of the cats by pointing a vacuum cleaner at her while I was holding her–that one left a scar that I still have a bit of now, but it still wasn’t a serious injury. None of them have ever bitten me, nor scratched me on purpose. I forgive them. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2013, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-cat-owners-masochists-are-you-currently-suffering-from-an-injury-from-a-cat/668412/46 "2013-09-11T17:26:41Z")
Voted other. Owned 1 cat for a year. He’d hang his butt off the sandbox and crap on the floor. I always had scratches on my arms and hands. He went to a nice home with an experienced cat lover. No more cats for me. ---
**Author:** ![jayrey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/47e85d/32.png) [@jayrey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayrey)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2013, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-cat-owners-masochists-are-you-currently-suffering-from-an-injury-from-a-cat/668412/47 "2013-09-11T18:40:00Z")
I rarely every get scratched by my cat but am currently sporting several tiny puncture wounds on both arms from a large cockatiel perching there. He’ll ride on my shoulder but prefers my arm so he can more easily see my face and “talk” to me. He’s a kick! No, he doesn’t live with me and the cat. ---
**Author:** ![tiescore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4bbf92/32.png) [@tiescore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tiescore)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2013, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-cat-owners-masochists-are-you-currently-suffering-from-an-injury-from-a-cat/668412/48 "2013-09-11T20:38:23Z")
… with two cats, fully clawed brother & sister, … and boy do they act like it. I often have incidental scratches all over. More so are the internal injuries from my stomache or kidneys being jumped on while asleep… as they have found this an effective way of rousing me for feeding. The worst injury was when they were kittens, one was asleep on each of my thighs while I was wearing shorts and working on the computer… I saw the male open one eye, spy his sleeping sister and try to pounce on her… and come up short, digging all four claws down my inner thigh as he fell… this startled his sister who tried to escape by leaping to my undamaged thigh… came up short, and sunk all of her claws into my inner thigh as she fell… 30 some deep claw gashes, a quart of blood, and 300 curses later they came out of hiding to see if I was ok. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-cat-owners-masochists-are-you-currently-suffering-from-an-injury-from-a-cat/668412.md?page=2)