What to do about scratching and biting

First, start by clipping kitty's nails. You can buy clippers made for cats at your local pet store (don't use human nail clippers--they will cause splintering). Be very careful when clipping--look closely at your cat's nails and find the pink vein that runs through the lower half of the nail. Make sure you are clipping ABOVE the vein--actually clipping the vein will be very painful for your kitty and cause bleeding.

Next, it's important to disengage from the cat the minute she bites or starts using her claws on you. When she uses her nails on you, say "No!" firmly and walk away--ignore her. She will slowly learn that using her nails means the end of attention.

Also, examine the ways she is being played with. Does she get over-stimulated? She might be overwhelmed by the play and be scratching as a defense response, even though you don't mean her any harm. Watch to see what she does right before she scratches...do her ears go back? Does she pause? Does she wiggle around? Once you know the warning signs, back off before she feels the need to scratch.

Lastly, does she have places in the house she is allowed to scratch? A scratching post? Scratching pad? If not, keep trying until you hit on something she enjoys scratching, and is allowed to scratch. Cats need to scratch to shed the outer shucks of their nails.