I love to scratch and mark my partners during either sex or BDSM play. Unfortunately, I am a chronic nail-biter and have been my entire life. My natural nails (even if I’ve kept them painted for a few weeks and got a little bit of growth) are always a bit disappointing on the scratching front, so I’ve always used products to give the experience that my nails can’t.
Usually, this has been a pervertable — an item not made for BDSM play, but that nonetheless be used in this way. Specifically, I’ve used ‘bear claw’ style meat shredders, both in plastic and in metal. While I do really like my claws, I both wanted to try a scratching toy that was slightly less intense (bear claws are literally made to tear flesh, after all) and one that didn’t use my whole hand, to see if/how the emotional/sensual experience of that differed on the topping side of things.
That’s where the Deluxe Cat Claw Scratcher comes in! From Lovehoney’s BDSM line DOMINIX, the Deluxe Cat Claw Scratcher is a nickel-free black metal toy that looks really striking. Its two ring design means it doesn’t need to exactly fit fingers, meaning the one size it’s available in fits most people.
Using The Deluxe Cat Claw Scratcher
I would describe the sensation of the Deluxe Cat Claw Scratcher being used on me as honestly pretty similar to being scratched with nails. It’s perhaps a little more intense than some people’s nails (like mine, for example), but still relatively mild. When pressing down hard I can leave white marks, but they’re pretty transient. I don’t want to say breaking skin is impossible, but I wasn’t able to do it, even with quite a lot of force and in fleshy areas. (And in fact, some my partners have been able to leave longer lasting marks and break my skin with nails alone).
However, while the relative mildness means I wouldn’t really use the Deluxe Cat Claw Scratcher for intense painplay, it does make it excellent for more sensation-focused play. In my sex life, this tends to not involve any power play and is usually where I draw the line with play the first time I hook-up with somebody. The small size of the DOMINIX Deluxe Cat Claw Scratcher means it works really well for those early playdates, as I can slip it into a leather jacket pocket and be on my way.
The change in how I hold the Deluxe Cat Claw Scratcher compared to my bear claws also adds to that softer, more sensation and low/no dynamic type of play for me. Instead of using my whole hand, using a toy with just one finger helps with getting me into a less intense toppy headspace.
Comparison To Bear Claws
I do want to give a little disclaimer here that I’m aware my bear claws are a lot harder in terms of BDSM than a lot of people want to go. It is pretty easy to break skin with them, and I do — in fact — regularly do that. While I’ve tried not to let the fact my bear claws are my baseline for scratching play influence too much of what I say about the Deluxe Cat Claw Scratcher, it’s inevitably going to be compared to them.
The Deluxe Cat Claw Scratcher is a lot more mild than the bear claws. I suppose in theory somebody could break skin with it, but I’ve been unable to, and that’s not for lack of trying. However, I want to emphasise that this is not a flaw of either toy, just a place where they differ. Even as somebody who’s generally a semi-heavy SM player, there’s still very much a place for the Deluxe Cat Claw Scratcher in my toy box.
While you can use bear claws in a more sensual way, I’m always very conscious of how hard I’m pressing down with them (especially my metal claws). Risk management is, of course, part of the role of topping in any BDSM scene, but that doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate having a bit of relief from high-level risk management and mitigation. If all I want out of scratching somebody is some light sensation play, I’ll reach for the Deluxe Cat Claw Scratcher faster than I’ll reach for my bear claws. In addition, the relative mildness of the Deluxe Cat Claw Scratcher means I’m much more comfortable using it on higher risk or more sensitive areas, such as genitals.
Overall
The DOMINIX Deluxe Cat Claw Scratcher is more on the mild end of my scratchy toys, but there’s always a place for that in my toy box! If you’re a nail biter like me, I’d definitely recommend it rather than rely on your bitten nails, as it’s not too much of a step up in terms of sensation. It’s not really the toy if you do want to break skin (I’d recommend bear claw meat shredders if you do), but it’s excellent if you’re looking for mild-to-mid sensation.
Buy the DOMINIX Deluxe Cat Claw Scratcher for $24.99 from Lovehoney
You can also use the code KELVIN15 for 15% off all orders!
This product was sent to me by Lovehoney, in return for a fair and impartial review. Affiliate links were used in this post.
