Oh, darling kitties, how we love thee and your murder mittens, most terrifying and adorable! And we know you, feline fancier, love your cat’s sweet peets too. So, to honor the cuteness and power of the cat paw and the claws that come with it, we bring you the subreddit Murder Mittens.
With Reddit having grown into a source for great cat content, it’s no wonder r/MurderMittens has swelled its members to more than 180k. And since you love cat paws and the claws they come installed with, purrhaps you could be the next member to join! But before you pounce on Reddit for more cat silliness, enjoy this gallery of murder mittens!
Oh, Murder Mittens, How Do We Love Thee
To begin our ode to the murder mitten, here’s “the post that started it all.”
The first rule of Murder Mittens is “claws must be showing.” Loki has that rule covered.
This sweetheart is “cleaning the weapons.” And indeed, claws make fine weapons against threats, but they’re also essential tools. Claws can be used for grooming, marking territory, keeping balance, climbing, and holding onto prey.
Did you know cat claws are made of keratin, the same protein that makes up our hair, nails, and skin? We see here that Kuma’s claws are fine specimens of keratin formation.
The teeniest murder mittens make the biggest impact when it comes to melting hearts.
For fans of horror flicks with scary clowns, “He’s trying to lure me under the bed with red balloons.”
Cross-posted in the subreddit IllegallySmolCats, these murder mittens have been deemed “criminally smol!”
“Siegfried sporting a single death claw while watching TV.” A reminder to his humans…
Unless a kitty has some polydactyl fun going on with their feet, felines typically have five claws on their front paws and four on their rear. Add that up, and you get eighteen claws. That’s a lot of little blades ready to wreak some havoc.
And on that note, keeping the murder mittens in shape is an important task, so be sure your cat gets a trim at least every few weeks. Your flesh will thank you.
For some hints on trimming your cat’s nails, check out What To Know About Clipping Your Cat’s Nails.
Just like us, cats can favor using one paw over another. Here, we see feral cat Tux likes to use his left paw. And he’s using it to warn the human not to touch the lawn mower until his nap is done.
Mystique, magic, and a murder mitten, all in one fine cat portrait…
Cats need to scratch, and the reasons why are many! Not only does stretching and scratching feel good and release stress, but kitties also keep their murder mittens nice and sharp by sinking those nails into surfaces to slough away layers of the old worn nails, exposing the fresh and pointy beneath. And when your nails look this good, you have to flaunt them!
Clutching her toy tightly, Poppy demonstrates how cats also use their claws to mark things with their scent, thanks to the glands in their paws. The messages she’s leaving behind equates to paws off my toy!
“Murder mitten snack box.” For destruction on the go.
Does your cat destroy your furniture with their murder mittens? Try these 9 Tips To Stop Your Cat From Scratching!
One lone mitten seeking out a victim…
Sometimes you just feel a little “murdery”…
Here’s a fun fact; cats are digitigrade creatures. That’s a fancy word for they walk on their tiptoes.
“She likes to hold hands… if you can take it.”
Cats retract their claws by using tendons and muscles to pull those hooks back and keep them hidden in the fur and skin of their toes. But when it’s time to hunt, stretch, play, or knead, out come the murder mittens!
And obviously, big cats have big murder mittens. Yikes.
OMG. These newly-hatched murder mittens will reduce you to mush!
While the young murder mittens are pretty ferocious, age brings cats the wisdom of how to use those mittens with purrcision. This meezer man is nearly 19 and still shredding strong!
Want more facts about felines in general? Check out these 39 Amazing Facts About Cats!
And here, Nelson demonstrates how kitties keep their murder mittens in top form…
Feature Image: u/Ok-Ant2133/Reddit & u/Mr_Johnes/Reddit