Fun with claws and teeth

Just when you think it's safe to dress for summer, out come the....CLAWS!  Kittens are irresistible, so  soft, purry and so cute.  But they should come with a warning label:  Caution!  Sharp parts.  May be hazardous to flesh.

Kittenish cuteness is a brilliant disguise for the hellions.  They even fool each other... at first.    Litter-mates start off being such good buddies.  But as they get older and wiser, they realize being punctured by razor-like claws and needle sharp fangs is so over- rated.  And so they become wary of each other.  They have experienced first paw, the pain they can inflict on each other.   

I have experienced this phenomena myself.  A few scratches here and a couple bites there.... well, it gets old really fast.  True, some people enjoy being pierced with sharp instruments and will pay good money for piercings and tattoos.  But it's a one shot deal.  Each time you get punctured, you have to pay.  In these tough economic times, it would be far more sensible to invest in a couple of cats.  For a minimal investment, you can be pierced and punctured unlimited times for years to come.

Although the bites and scratches of adult cats give you more bang for your buck, kittens are the way to go if you want frequent piercings.  Get a couple of kittens and wear shorts.  Your legs will be so adorned with scratches, people will think you are a cutter.  Unlike ink tattoos, which are permanently placed and require expensive medical procedures to change or remove, cat scratches are versatile.  As one group of scratches fades, the cat will be more than happy to apply a cluster somewhere else.  You never have to worry about boredom over feline applied body art..

By the time your kitten is an adult, the scratches and bites come less frequently, but they have more impact.  An effective way to rouse an adult cat into administering a temporary tattoo is to taunt the cat with a very short string or stick.  It's guaranteed to work every time. 

If you're the type that likes to visit doctors, by all means get bitten by your cat.  Hand feeding is an excellent way to acquire a good bite.  I was careless last summer and a feline tooth slipped into my thumb beside the nail.  It hurt like the dickens but there was no visible mark, at first.  But I wasn't disappointed for long. Within a few days, the thumb had swelled to three times its normal size and turned pretty colors.  After a round of antibiotics and a lancing, the thumb began to heal.  Nine months later, the injured nail is finally almost grown out.  I certainly got my money's worth from that piercing!  Best of all, I got it done for free!