Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Agreed as well. If you can't leave, then at least think of the cats and what they would go through if declawed.
Imagine having someone come and cut off the last joint on all of your fingers! THAT's what they go thru. Imagine your mother doing that to you!
People that are more worried about furniture than their cats shouldn't have cats. Please bring them to a shelter if you can't move out and save them from being declawed. Be a grown up! Stand up to your father on this issue.
thank you so much for all your responses! we got a cat tree and it is in my room. They love it. We want to set up their neuter/spay appt around sept 20. no declaw as of yet, thank God. I just don't know any good vets in my area. I want to go to a vet who (does laser) even though I don't want to!! I would rather, as a last resort, declaw by laser. I read it is less painful. Still painful, but healing is faster. So if I go to a vet who does that then if worse comes to worse I will have that laser option. I live in Gilbert/East Valley Area in Arizona, if anyone knows of a good vet, thanks!!
Sorry I took so long to respond!
Wait at least 6 to 8 months for neuter spay unless you want to bring on urinary diseases that will plague them their entire lives. Also make sure to feed them WET not DRY food. Cats need to get their water from their food.
Also, I trained my first cat not to scratch my furniture from reading the book HOW TO BE YOUR CAT'S BEST FRIEND.
The author says that to do this all you need to do is teach "soft paw" beginning when the cats are kittens. You do this when they are calm and lying on your lap and kneading you. When their claws are extended, you stroke their paws in the direction of the fur and say in a soft voice, "soft paw" and then their name. You'll see the claws detract. After weeks of doing this and as the cat grows and when they start to try to scratch where you don't want them to, just say"soft paw" and run and bring them to their scratching post, start scratching it with your fingers, when they start scratching, praise them and bring them a food treat. Before long, all you'll need to do is say "soft paw" when the cat is near the sofa but hasn't started to scratch and he'll be reminded and will run to his scratching post. Make sure there is a scratching area near the furniture so he doesn't have to run to the far end of the house!
My cats have all their claws, and for the most part they scratch on an old wooden chair that I sacrificed to them , and on a couple of cat trees. Even if they scratched the furniture, though, I wouldn't have them declawed. It's cruel and inhumane.
That is a GREAT ad. THAT is what being declawed would feel like to a human.
I hear what you are saying and I believe you don't have to get rid of your kittens just yet or have to de-claw them or put out any expensive cost that would affect your schooling - I agree that de-clawing is cruel and some Vet's refuse to do the surgery.
I have seen the nail - covers that are tacked on by glue that prevent them from clawing the leather furniture. It takes a lot of time to train them to use a scratching post instead of furniture.
What I have done is put packaging tape on the corners of the couch and where my cats were trying to scratch after buying my new couch - I did it so the tape attaches at the top and bottom and the sticky side out - the cats try to scratch and realize the noise and that they will stick to the couch and they don't like it at all. I wanted to use double sided tape but think that it will take off any finish and pull on the fibers of a material couch when removing it- I did that for less than three weeks and they have not touched the couch in that manner since - that was in June 2008.
I guess you can use any tape, I found this one the best - I know it doesn't look good but - what are the alternatives. I hope this helps a little.
What about just putting blankets over the arms of the sofa and over the back? My current cat wont scratch anything that is loose material like that.
declaw them if you have to ( i suggest only front claws and only at 6 mos) .....emotionally & physcially , they'll be fine. don't listen to these freaks
i have cats with all their claws too, but i'm not a nut like most of these posters who dismiss everything... do what you need to do to save a cat...
same with neutering and spaying..
Calling people freaks and nuts with a different opinion from yours about a procedure that has a bit of controversy even among the vet community is pretty judgemental and crude.
What about just putting blankets over the arms of the sofa and over the back? My current cat wont scratch anything that is loose material like that.
I used the tape on my box spring and an old antique chair that I didn't want to give to the cats to scratch and honestly I didn't have enough blankets to cover everything I wanted them not to scratch. And my one cat Fred used to scratch the door jam to the kitchen and the bathroom and use it as a scratching post.
So in our case tape works better on these area's, so I guess use what works - my cats knead blankets and my clothing and I have lost many shirts due to the pulls.
Heard that cats leave a bit of a scent when they scratch - tape prevents my cats from doing it on places that they shouldn't and my cats love those cardboard scratching boards with cat nip- I don't prevent them from scratching just re-focus it.
Folks.. as you all know declawing is a hot button issue.
Our opinions on a location or issue are just that, opinions. Highly subjective. Personal preferences. Quirks, even. Leave wiggle room for dialogue, others may not see things the same as you, or been there as long as you, and any one of us can be wrong. Pouncing on someone you disagree with runs contrary to the spirit of this board and its members. We are here to help each other.
My Mom had a declawed cat, Jimmie, God was he a big lazy spoiled fur ball. He would rub those fat furry mitts on the edges of all the furniture, like he was massaging his pads. He loved to eat, get his cheeks and tail/back scratched, he could've cared less about those claws. If you want to remove them? And can afford the humane surgery? GO for it! Save your furniture! Theres more important issues.
Again someone argues with material things being worth more than living and loving creatures.
Well...Jimmie the cat could have cared less about those claws(heavy sarcasm). I find it disturbing when someone places material things over their pets. I unfortunately know someone like that. About 11 years ago I was babysitting my niece when there was a fire 4 houses down. I saw the firefighters doing CPR on a dog and cat. They didn't make it. When my SIL got home my niece told her mom what had happened to the pets. My SIL's response...Oh they had the most beautiful Ethan Allen furniture. I bit my tongue and didn't say a thing. I'm so glad that my niece has turned out nothing like her mother. I'm very proud of her...she is a volunteer at a shelter.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
no declaw as of yet, thank God. I just don't know any good vets in my area. I want to go to a vet who (does laser) even though I don't want to!! I would rather, as a last resort, declaw by laser. I read it is less painful. Still painful, but healing is faster. So if I go to a vet who does that then if worse comes to worse I will have that laser option. I live in Gilbert/East Valley Area in Arizona, if anyone knows of a good vet, thanks!!
, and on a couple of cat trees. Even if they scratched the furniture, though, I wouldn't have them declawed. It's cruel and inhumane.
Sure I guess that could work too
When my SIL got home my niece told her mom what had happened to the pets. My SIL's response...Oh they had the most beautiful Ethan Allen furniture.
