For thirteen and a half years, I never had to clip Tig the First’s claws, because he never scratched. From time to time I’d don a pair of gloves and he would know it was no-holds-barred playtime. He loved it.
For eleven years, I could not clip Tig the Second’s claws, because you couldn’t really do anything to him without a struggle. The last time I had the vet clip his claws while Tig was conscious, it was in New Jersey (over six years ago), and there was the vet, his assistant, and me. Tig was wrapped in a towel. He got two out of the three of us. After that, I only let them clip Tig’s claws if he was going to be unconscious for something else.
Well. Today, I picked up Tig3.0, put him on the bathroom counter, picked up a plain old nail clipper, and clipped his claws. My biggest problems? Finding the thumb claws and getting Tig to stop licking me or playing with my necklace.
As a reward for getting his claws clipped and behaving, he got a rolled-up paper wad to play with. And as a reward for my readers, here’s another picture of Tig expressing his Computer Fu. The Force is strong within him.
Yesterday, he changed my email display from date order, descending, to day order, threaded. And flagged another message as important. I have no idea how he’s managing to do so many things just by stepping on my keyboard at random. I begin to think it isn’t random, and that I’m in big trouble in the future.
Again, you really hit the Tig lottery. I think it has to do with handling him a lot when he was very young. That definitely helps behavior.
Face it, you are raising Catbert.
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Catbert. I didn’t think of that.
Well, it’s better than Dogbert.
A word of caution, though – I have been already twice left with an unusable laptop due to several button being ripped of the keyboard. Guess who did it. Since then my first reflective action when leaving the desk is to put the lid down on the darn thing.
Pretty soon, Tig is going to be putting up his own posts!
He just lies on it or stands on it, Snoopy. And looks very smug when I see him and tell him to get off the computer.
But I’m remembering to close the laptop more and more these days.
I want pics when the pallet-load of tuna in spring water shows up at your door.
He’s adorable. I have to agree with John about getting him while he’s young. My Pippin is the most loving, sweet-natured cat but I’m 99% confident that’s because I got him when he was just 5 weeks old so now he thinks I’m his Mommy.
Liana, if it shows up, I’m checking M.’s credit cards. It’s just the sort of thing he would do.
Whoa, Kate… long time no see.
I had Tig’s predecessor when he was 12 weeks old. He was a good cat, but he wasn’t as sweet-tempered as Tig3.0. Some animals are just born honeybunnies.
My vet told me that there’s a mean streak in Maine coons, as well as the super-mellow streak. Looks like I’m going to experience both.
Tig’s way cuter and sweeter than Catbert. Lucky you get to clip his claws, I haven’t been so lucky gave up really on my meowers.
Keeping the lid closed has another beneficial effect, keeps the cat hair out of the computer.