Siamese Behavior

Question
Hi!
I am an expert over at the less warm and fuzzy Mac Computer
section and I saw your nomination and wanted to ask a question:  
A year ago, my mom gave me a Siamese for my 37th birthday
(getting OLD).  My old Siamese was 18 when we had to put her
down because she got an incurable mouth infection/disease
from our vet's extracting her teeth (she was not in pain and was
healthy, yet he insisted that she was in pain and needed the
teeth out).  Two weeks later, her tongue was being forced out of
her mouth and it broke my heart to have her euthanized.  She
died in my arms.

My new girl is such a doll.  She sleeps with me (because she has
to be in my room otherwise she will reak havoc in the house if
unsupervised at night).  She has a great routine at night and falls
asleep against my legs and stays in the bed all night.  During the
day, however, she is aloof and spends the day "stalking" the 11
year old large calico of ours.  "Flea" is a big cat, slightly
overweight, and is not the most cheerful cat on the planet.  
Gretchen (the Siamese) gets on elevated objects and literally
jumps onto her back in a sometimes successful attempt to "ride"
her around the house.  Once Gretchen is saddled up, Flea goes
crazy, bucking and hissing and spitting, seeming to make
Gretchen even happier.  

When I come home from work, if I don't acknowledge her, she
literally runs around the house until she is bouncing off the
walls.  Then, when I do acknowledge her, she spurns my
affection and walks away.  ALso, she REFUSES to be picked up,
acting like it hurts!  WHen she sees me coming, she tries to get
away, but when she can't she freezes and starts crying like she's
in pain.  When I pick her up (gently  and affectionately) she kicks
and spazzes out until I let her down.  Right now, she is
screaming around the house knocking things over.  

She doesn't sound like a Siamese either.  She has slight tiger
stripes and a thicker neck and face that a "normal" Siamese.  The
Siamese next door makes that familiar yowl and "talks" all the
time.  Gretchen wimpers like a hurt mouse or a kitten, mewing
and whining.  

I love her dearly, but two weeks ago, she scratched me trying to
get off my lap.  THe scratch turned into cellulitis and that turned
into a dangerous blood infection, for which I was hospitalized
for a WEEK.  I almost lost my leg.  Is there anything I can do to
improve her cleanliness (she's an indoor cat) so accidental
scratches won't cause deadly infections?

Thanks for your help!
Sincerley,
Jeff

Answer
Hi Jeff!  Oh my goodness!  You poor thing!  You've been through so much!  That is very scarey.  I always hear of infections happening from cat scratches, but never really pay attention. Boy, this really did, however!
I have a siamese who acts the same way.  She's very affectionate, but hates to be picked up.  Their claws tend to be like needles!  The only thing I could suggest is getting her nails clipped short.  Your veterinarian can do it, or, if she'll allow, you can do it yourself.  By clipping the nails, it tends to make the nail more flat, getting rid of the pointed ends.  I don't know how old she is, but if she's under the age of 2 years, I hate to say it, but possibly declawing her may be best.  I normally never suggest declawing, but in situations like these, it may be beneficial for both of you.  You are obviously sensitive to the scratching, and it's endangering your health. Since she is an indoor cat, getting her declawed won't be dangerous to her.  Like I said, I never suggest declawing, but this is definately a situation where it is an option.
I wish I could be of more help!  I really do!
I am so sorry about your siamese you had lost.  My Jinxi boy siamese died two years ago from renal failure.  I know how hard it is.  Hang in there!  I will talk to the veterinarian that I work with and see if there is anything he could suggest for you to do.  I will talk with him tomorrow, so bare with me and I will write you back.
Best of luck!
Hilary