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Please tell me how to keep my cats from scratching the carpet beside having their nails declawed..
Thanks
Yeah, please don't ever declaw: I despise people who do that. It's a major operation; the "doctor" essentially removes their first joint. It is not, at all, the same as merely clipping their nails. It's cruel and it's selfish and materialistic. Personally, I don't own anything which is more important than my cat. And my cat is not a "thing," to be shaped to my own needs and convenience. He has an individual life of his own.
I'm very sorry if this hurts anyone's feelings; I'm just very passionate about it. Perhaps I should keep quiet.
I buy the regular, nothing fancy, made out of rope scratching posts for Neo. It's almost a joke that he cannot walk past it without walking over and using it. But that's OK because he doesn't even attempt to scratch at anything else.
My one cat, Bella, came to me in October of 2008, abused, filthy, terrified. She has her front claws gone, and I have had ample time to compare her with my other 15 cats.
Her entire front is underdeveloped for lack of claws. The front part of her neck, her two front legs and paws themselves, and her chest are all small compared to the rest of her and to the rest of my other cats. I tried doing PT with her, pulling and working her front legs, but she screams whenever I have done it, so I stopped. Her muscles seem to be locked or frozen, on top of being underdeveloped. I have been searching for a Homeopathic Remedy to not only help her with pain, but to relax those very muscles so that I can work them for her. I believe I have found what I am looking for, and ordered it today for her.
Think about it. A cat uses its claws all the time, even for walking. When they use the scratching post, they are pulling on their front muscles, thereby strengthening them. It's like using a pull-down pulley at the gym. She doesn't have the means to do that.
I've never seen this information written anywhere, yet I know it is true. She even walks differently then all my other cats.
There is no reason in my book, to declaw a cat. There are ways of training them and they, being the extremely smart beings they are, do learn. You can also put coverings over the furniture you don't wish to be scratched up....something very tough that they have a hard time scratching through. If you really thought hard enough, you could think of ways of saving your furniture. I have, for instance, scratching posts at every end of each sofa I have in this house. It basically works, except my cats don't think, me being the human I am, can see BEHIND the couch, where they have it torn up a bit. Now, I could move my couches right up against the wall, but that would ruin all their fun, now wouldn't it? And I am not talking nickle and dime furniture either, by the way.
Love is just more important to me than subjecting a beautiful creature to the destiny of crippling it for life. Your cat may not look crippled physically, but emotionally, believe me, it has taken its toll. Cats are VERY subtle, so if you are not tuned into that frequency, you won't know what I am talking about here. Please, again, I implore you, do not declaw.
I'm very sorry if this hurts anyone's feelings; I'm just very passionate about it. Perhaps I should keep quiet.
Well I’m not sorry, I don’t care who’s feelings it hurts, and I’m not keeping quiet.
I think anyone who has a cat declawed because he scratches a carpet or furniture is an insensitive, materialistic moron who doesn’t deserve to have a cat.
And furthermore, if someone has this done to his cat, I would like to cut off his fingers and toes and see how he likes it.
Try letting your cat claw up a scratching post, card board box or phone books.
My two that have claws LOVE the phone books. My other one....well, he doesn't understand the obsession. He's a rescue that'd been front declawed and I agree with Garden on what it does to a cat.
>> I think anyone who has a cat declawed because he scratches a carpet or furniture is an insensitive, materialistic moron who doesn’t deserve to have a cat.
I have to agree with you a million percent! People are so indifferent to the sufferings of animals. When I took Annie to be fixed, many years ago, they cut off one of her nipples during the operation! When I saw that when she got home, I was furious!!! I called them, and the girl laughed! She LAUGHED!! I thought: how would you like someone to cut off one of YOUR nipples?
I'm gratified to see that other people agree with me. I thought I was going to be in BIG TROUBLE on here!
>> I think anyone who has a cat declawed because he scratches a carpet or furniture is an insensitive, materialistic moron who doesn’t deserve to have a cat.
I have to agree with you a million percent! People are so indifferent to the sufferings of animals. When I took Annie to be fixed, many years ago, they cut off one of her nipples during the operation! When I saw that when she got home, I was furious!!! I called them, and the girl laughed! She LAUGHED!! I thought: how would you like someone to cut off one of YOUR nipples?
I'm gratified to see that other people agree with me. I thought I was going to be in BIG TROUBLE on here!
When I posted the first comment above opposing declawing, I was concerned too that my recent appearance here would be short lived, but, to the contrary, I see that this forum is populated by people who actually love cats. And no one who really loves cats could declaw. When I did it almost 40 years ago it was a reflexive decision made in response to a good sales pitch from a veterinarian. I still have not forgiven myself for that lapse in judgement. They still make that pitch. We can make it clear that this is not an issue on which there should be pros and cons. It is a travesty and that persons who declaw are ignorant (my excuse) or consciously indifferent.
Thanks to all for your outspoken support of an utterly rightful position. Those offended? Get tropical fish instead.
(((HUGS))) scsigurl3000>>>>>You are in good company here! Many of us here share your views!
(((HUGS)))Wilson>>>>>Forgive yourself and in so doing you shall set yourself free of the torment you have held in your heart for so long!
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Fyi
A cat uses its claws all the time, even for walking. When they use the scratching post, they are pulling on their front muscles, thereby strengthening them. It's like using a pull-down pulley at the gym. She doesn't have the means to do that. 
