Jacqui & Julia: Cat-sitting, Not Cooking

Jacqui & Julia <3

Every now and then our friend, Foster, leaves town on business, during which time I am deemed babysitter to the cat he babysits. (His friend is in the army, I believe, so Foster took in his kitty for the year).  Well, this week I have been kittysitting Julia, and her cat charms have me wishing she were mine. I miss having a kitty to cuddle.  However, Julia is making up for all my lost cuddle time quite quickly; not even a second after I walk in the door, she aggressively wraps herself around my legs and trips me the whole way to the couch, where she literally tiger pounces my lap before I've even settled in my seat. I'm loving it!

I had wanted to bring Julia up to Johnathan's apartment (Foster lives right below him), but she has sharp claws and Johnathan has a nice, brand new couch.  He told me I could bring her upstairs if I clipped her nails, which sounded easy enough...but no...it is not. Hats off to skilled kitty claw clippers' everywhere! Julia would not let me hold her paw long enough to snip a single needle-like claw. 

Cat-like Reflexes: Julia - 1 Jacqui - 0 (Let's call it Love, I like being positive).

I made several attempts and she kept looking at me like, "Hey, keep petting. You're getting this cuddle completely wrong!" To which I replied (seriously, out loud), " Julia, if you just stay still and let me do this, you can come upstairs and we can cuddle all week." Jerks paw. "On a new couch." Rams head into hand. "You'll get to spend more time with me." Yanks paw. "Julia, I'm just. trying. to. Dammit!"  Happy-paws obscenely sharp claws into my thigh. "Okay, Okay! You're happy how you are; I get it." Rejection. "Don't cuddle on a new couch with me."

So, no all-out kitty cuddling going on in this upstairs apartment, but at least all I gotta do is run downstairs to get my affection fix. Still, it could have been so much more but she just wouldn't listen.

Sigh.

She's still too cute, though! Julia also doesn't have a tail-- just a little stub, which is surprisingly adorable on her. She is a very beautiful cat.  When I'm finally able to get a kitty, I think I might need to get a fluffy, gray one. A boy. Who enjoys cuddling on a new couch. With clipped claws...

Oh, won't Julia be jealous then. She'll be begging me to clip her claws.

Outside of scratching posts, anyone have friendly tactics for claw clipping? This cat's curious. :)