and he’s keeping all of them!
destinycalling Just learned about http://www.betterme.org/cleansweep
My cat doesnt claw furniture at all. She was trained as a kitten though this is why its better to get a kitten than an older cat. I hope people avoid this surgery and just smack the cat when it scratches on furniture, I also have a scratching post and let her outside. These help her not to need to scratch furniture.
pallas__athena is exhausted
that people still does this to their cats, I was quite old when I learned that people does this to their pets, I long thought it was something people only did to circus lions and other big cats back when they didn’t know better and thought that was horrible enough. I live in Sweden and it’s illegal here as in many other countries. I’m normally not one to suggest making things illegal to make bad things go away but I figure making it illegal is a first step. Cats have claws and more people should learn to accept that fact. I don’t like dogs barking so I’m not getting a dog…simple as that!
xkim182x feels like 14 karats but no clarity
my mom was the only person i was trying to convince at the moment, becuase she was a big beliver of this, i bugged her so much she finally gave up and said they can keep their claws, im still going to spread my message to the world but i know 3 little guys will be safe for now =D
Sundays Child ~ Faith, Hope & Love ♥ is a Spiritual Extroverted Tree Hugger, enjoying the sunshine!
I think that in cats, like humans, some are smarter than others, some more stubborn, and so on.
The cat that I am sharing my home with, Frosty, is smart and a fast learner, even when compared with other cats I have lived with, and .. she is stubborn.
She knows that when I am not paying attention to her, as in when I am on the computer, she can start clawing the tablecloth (while looking over her shoulder at me)and it will get my attention, just like a child acting up to get mommy’s time.
In the past, when she clawed something I didn’t want her to, I would pick her up, take her to her scratching post, stand behind her, take a hold of her front legs and drag her paws down the post. I do this a few times and tell her what a good girl she is and love her up.
Now she knows, use the post and be a good kitty, and if she wants to piss me off or get my attention, use the tablecloth or the mattress. LOL Of course, this takes time and patience, repetition, but to me, having her toes chopped off is just not an option!
Imagine all your fingers and toes and now imagine them chopped off to the first knuckle. Think about how good cats are at balance and agility with all their fingers and toes!
Cats need their claws to protect themselves from outdoor nasties. Also, their climbing ability is effectively removed, making it hard to get out of a scrape.
To stop them from scratching furniture, provide them with a better scratching option, like a scratching post. Cats in the wild scratch on tree bark, so maybe a tree trunk would do the trick.
Also, avoid fabric on your furniture that is easily damaged by sharp objects.
I used to volunteer at an animal hospital where the doctor was very against declawing cats. He said it can be likened to removing your finger at the first knuckle, as there are tendons, etc to be removed – not just the claw! There can be complications from the surgery, and I know of cats who walked with a limp for the rest of their life. Infection is common after surgery, as well, since cats scratch in their litter box, etc.
You can buy fake nails to be glued on over the cats claws, file/trim the claws regularly (hey, you do it for your kids…), and temporarily attach sand paper to the furniture to discourage scratching. (The cats don’t like the texture; once they are trained not to claw the furniture the sandpaper can be removed. If they don’t stop, they are filing their nails, anyway!)
Suzi_1 'What the 'Eye' Sees the mind can aquire'
Someone told me to sprinkle pepper where you dont want the cat to go – although they naturally will go to a scratch post – If you dont provide it then they need to scratch as we need to cut n file our own nails.
I’ve had my cat since she was 7 weeks old – I have never cut her claws she naturally sheds them when the time is right and uses the scratch post – I have never taught her to use it she has done so by herself.
Cats are like children tell them off and they surely know it but unlike children they do STOP doin what they’re doing – I just tell my cat NO in a loud tone of voice and she knows it.
Also cardboard boxes are another favorite of my cat she loves the smell and scratches away merryly inside a box so whenever i have an empty cardboad box i give it to her to play in it only lasts a few days but its like seeing a child with a new toy hehehe
Sooooo much plesure in simple things … why complicate them ; )
glazecovered is starting anew
My parents recently got another cat from the shelter, and she’s been declawed by her previous owners. It really upsets my mom, and she is paranoid about not letting Zoe out of the house because she knows Zoe wouldn’t be able to survive on her own were she to run away. Our other cat is happily clawed and tearing through whatever he desires. But hey, that’s what comes with having a cat. Shouldn’t we love them for what they are?
Scully okay
she’s 4 months, and only one month ago, she used to scratch the loudspeakers of the living-room. We told her off when she did, and now she does not do it anymore. She never scratches when she plays with us. And she’s SO happy to scratch her claws on the old carpet. She scratches and watches us with a like-smile.
Now we have a neighbor who intended to do that, and when he knew how painful it was, he said he would keep his old sofa for a year more. So a yes.
