How much pain does your cat cause you?
I generally discover that I have been negligent in trimming our 4 cats’ nails when one of them jumps onto my crotch in bed and starts with the paw-paw.
Oh, gawd! Look at my typos!:smack:rolleyes:
I have scars all over the backs of my hands. From teeth, not claws.
I have the occasional claw-mark, mostly accidental when one of the Calico Monsters jumps off my lap or struggles in my arms to be put down. I don’t think Emily or Annie has ever deliberately clawed me.
Charley, the eldest Monster, doesn’t claw much but she’s always been snappish since she was a kitten. It’s just her way; she even does little tiny-front-teeth nips when she’s being affectionate. When she was small, I used to stick a finger in her mouth and tell her “Mommy doesn’t pet bitey kitties”–and then she bit me, so we don’t do that any more.
Close to none. But my wife insisted the cat be declawed so her ability to cause me pain is pretty minimal. Once in a while she does the “I’m going to rub you for pets… pet me… pet me… BITE! We’re done!” routine but that’s cats for you.
This is the first cat I’ve ever ‘owned’ that never bites or claws. As in never, ever; regardless of provocation that any other cat would claw your eyes out for.
I picked moderate, but I would have picked tolerable except for it isn’t my fault.
When ADam cat wants attention (treats) he will pat me with his paw. Unfortunately, he usually has his claws out. I used to have little pin prick sized scabs all over my knees until I started putting a blanket over my legs.
Today he got me in the shoulder, which got him dumped on the floor.
He likes for me to hold him on his back and rub his belly. Often he will reach up to pat my face, very gently, but every now and then he has his claws out and no matter how gentle the pat it hurts.
That gets him dumped on the floor too.
Sometimes, I’m not sure he can tell the difference. I thought cats know when their claws are in or out, but he seems clueless.
Just yesterday, I tripped while trying to get Paris to puke in the bathroom, rather than the carpeted hallway. Tripped onto my bad knees, and am bleeding in two places. But I did get him into the bathroom.
Otherwise, my injuries are largely financial, what with monthly chemotherapy for him.
And BTW, today is his 16th birthday. He and his sister had beef with grated cheddar for lunch.
The cat that I can currently come closest to calling “mine” has never attempted to claw or bite me. She is, however, a constant trip hazard, and a frequent crash hazard when operating any sort of wheeled vehicle. She will simply not leave anyone alone until she’s gotten her daily petting quota: She literally prioritizes petting over food.
Our current moggie, Baby Ruth, is a very sweet and gentle girl. She hasn’t clawed or bitten in literally years. Even when being “loved” by ungentle small children, she’ll withdraw rather than lash out.
If you get her to play-fighting, she’ll still only use velvet paws (hold her claws in) and mouth you. You’ll feel only the very tips of her fangs, but she never presses.
I think the last time I had any injury from her was when she got startled by a dog invading the house and she climbed up me to get away. :eek:
I could have voted twice. We had one cat that was a psycho-killer who literally sent a couple people to the ER over her life. We had a second that was gentle as could be and if you got scratched it was probably your fault. So flip a coin; I’ve seen both extremes.
Mine rarely inflicts pain other than an accidental claw poke when purring, but “cat pole” made me laugh.
My previous cat was pretty gentle. The only time he bloodied me too badly was once when he was startled while I was holding him. Cat launched himself with full claw traction, and shredded my forearm with five or six long, deep cuts.
The current cat gets overstimulated when being pet sometimes, and starts engaging in what seems like kitty romance with my hand. He’s left me bloody more times than I can count. We’re both getting better at figuring out when he’s getting overstimulated, though.
My two older cats are complete marshmallows, even to the white coloring. My cat Tippy prefers using verbal abuse to clawing. She hisses at me way more than any of my other cats ever did, sometimes I don’t even know for what.
My response is a swift,“Hey! No!” and a sharp finger tap on the nose.
I know cat experts say that any physical swat is ineffectual in training cats, but guess what? I don’t care. You don’t want nose taps, don’t hiss at me.
One is very gentle, but the other will snap and bite you for no reason.
She also has been known to ninja-attack fingers and toes at 3AM.
Eh, being bloodied by your cat is simply part of the process. On the scale of pain I live with, it is pretty minor.
Our Carmine (a large and foreboding-looking Maine Coon) never scratched or bit us, whatever his mood.
The most I can remember from him in terms of “aggression” was once when I was brushing him and clipping clots out of his fur. Eventually he very gently closed his teeth on my hand, not even hard enough to leave an impression. “Thank you, that will be quite enough for now.” 
My kitty was acquired almost full grown (was 7#, now 14# - look out for the Maine Coon markings - those critters get huge.
She was indoor/outdoor and fixed, so she should not have had much trouble.
I took me 5 years to get her to let me rub her tummy (she is now your basic slut).
She is also the only cat I have ever met which does not know the “extend hand downward and wiggle fingers” call. That one she picked up fast.
But still, somewhere in that kitty brain lurks a monster - she is dozing on the chair beside me. In a few minutes, she will awake with a start and bolt from the room.
Really strange - about twice, I have been holding and petting when she just went psycho, laid back her ears, bared teeth - full threat display.
If I don’t immediately freeze, she will strike.
This is the same cat that still exhibits nursing behavior if stroked on the top of her head.
Damn … I thought the OP was about polecats … can I change my answer?