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Fangs404 posted:I have a cat, and he and I have been best buddies ever since I got him at the age of about 2 months. I feel bad that he can't go outside, but I don't want to let him loose. I just recently heard of cat harnesses (kinda like a dog collar, but harder to get out of) that you can use a leash with. I was wondering if you guys have any recommendations on which to look at. I wanna make sure my cat is obviously not going to be able to escape it, but I also don't want to cause unnecessary chafing or restrict his mobility. Some people on the forums have had good success with harnesses. The favorite harness seems to be the Premier Come With Me Kitty, it's not too tough to get on and it doesn't apply pressure to the throat or neck. Some people also use walking jackets which are kinda like fabric sausage casings for their torsos. I can't remember which one goons recommended, I glanced online and they are all pretty similar-looking. Either way, make sure you try it on inside first to make sure it fits, he can't escape, isn't suffocating, etc. He may not ever get used to it but it's worth a try.
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Apr 11, 2010 18:41
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My two new kitties are really settling in. Its a total role reversal now, the shy one is all begging for pettings constantly (I love it!) and the other kitty Red is up in the closet on the top perch. They both still havent left our bedroom, but at least they are coming out and being really social and sweet :-).
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Apr 11, 2010 20:49
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Dr. Waffles posted:My two new kitties are really settling in. Its a total role reversal now, the shy one is all begging for pettings constantly (I love it!) and the other kitty Red is up in the closet on the top perch. They both still havent left our bedroom, but at least they are coming out and being really social and sweet :-). Awwww  So good to hear this! If they have adapted to you so quickly, I'd say it's only a matter of days before they become more adventurous and start exploring the house more.
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Apr 11, 2010 23:10
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Dr. Waffles posted:My two new kitties are really settling in. Its a total role reversal now, the shy one is all begging for pettings constantly (I love it!) and the other kitty Red is up in the closet on the top perch. They both still havent left our bedroom, but at least they are coming out and being really social and sweet :-). One thing that helps many kittens get bolder is to do a photoshoot to boost their self esteem. kitten pics pls
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Apr 12, 2010 01:53
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Alright I totally got her on tape doing her "Prairie Dog" stance! Check it out people. http://www.youtube.com/user/Opanami?feature=mhw5#p/a/u/0/ZP9e74lwnEY
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Apr 12, 2010 01:55
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Eggplant Wizard posted:One thing that helps many kittens get bolder is to do a photoshoot to boost their self esteem. I one upped ya! I got video of Harley, but here is a pic of Big Red, or El Rojo Diablo as we call him.  Click here for the full 615x461 image.
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Apr 12, 2010 01:59
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Dr. Waffles posted:Alright I totally got her on tape doing her "Prairie Dog" stance! Check it out people. Baaaaaaaaw what a lover. My roommate's cat does this when she wants attention. She'll go up to your leg and stand up and leeeeaaaaaan all over you. I call it her Brontosaurus Impression because of pictures like this one:  (Yes I know it's an apatosaurus and it even says so right on the picture but dammit I learned both and Brontosaurus stuck).
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Apr 12, 2010 02:57
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I have a question that doesn't deserve its own thread, because I think I am just being paranoid. On Wednesday of last week, I found my 4 year old cat playing with a length of string that came up from the carpet. I took it from him, because I know that cats and string don't mix, but I was worried that maybe he'd eaten some before I found him playing with it. I started keeping a close eye on him just to be safe. He threw up once on Thursday a small amount which isn't too uncommon for him, it happens occasionally, but it did make me more paranoid. He's been acting normally and as playful as ever since then, but his appetite seems a little low. He usually finishes a can of food in a sitting, but this weekend he's been eating half at first and then finishing it slowly later. He's still eating his usual dry food and drinking, as well as begging for (and eating) treats as usual. He's using his litter box, seemingly the same as usual (but then again I'm not usually checking it daily). Basically 5 days after the hypothetical incident, he has decreased appetite (but still distinctly less compared to his usual eating habits) and threw up once last week. Does it seem at all likely that he might have a bowel obstruction? He shows no pain or resistance when I scratch his stomach even below the ribs, isn't hunching or anything. I may just be paranoid, but better safe then sorry I suppose. If this seems out of place here, let me know and I can post it as a thread or wherever it really belongs. I googled as much about linear foreign bodies as I could, but I guess what I really want to know is how long symptoms would take to develop and how serious they'd be. Because now, several days later, his symptoms are mild enough that I wouldn't be particularly worried about them normally if I didn't have this though of him eating string in my head. (Edit: I wanted to clarify his appetite after re-reading that. He's eating his canned food in smaller bursts and over longer time, and eating less of his dry food overall. Usually he'll eat all the canned food when I put it out, or eat most of it and come back in an hour or so to finish it. I put out a can Friday morning and he finished it late Friday afternoon or early evening. It is odd eating behavior for him) And here is a picture of Nachos looking out the window, which is basically his favorite thing. 
toybux fucked around with this message at 05:32 on Apr 12, 2010 |
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Apr 12, 2010 04:37
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toybux posted:I have a question that doesn't deserve its own thread, because I think I am just being paranoid. On Wednesday of last week, I found my 4 year old cat playing with a length of string that came up from the carpet. I took it from him, because I know that cats and string don't mix, but I was worried that maybe he'd eaten some before I found him playing with it. I started keeping a close eye on him just to be safe. He threw up once on Thursday a small amount which isn't too uncommon for him, it happens occasionally, but it did make me more paranoid. He's been acting normally and as playful as ever since then, but his appetite seems a little low. He usually finishes a can of food in a sitting, but this weekend he's been eating half at first and then finishing it slowly later. He's still eating his usual dry food and drinking, as well as begging for (and eating) treats as usual. He's using his litter box, seemingly the same as usual (but then again I'm not usually checking it daily). Basically 5 days after the hypothetical incident, he has decreased appetite (but still distinctly less compared to his usual eating habits) and threw up once last week. Does it seem at all likely that he might have a bowel obstruction? He shows no pain or resistance when I scratch his stomach even below the ribs, isn't hunching or anything. I may just be paranoid, but better safe then sorry I suppose. If this seems out of place here, let me know and I can post it as a thread or wherever it really belongs. Good for you for paying such close attention to him. It's really important to do so since cats are very good at hiding pain or illness until things are pretty far along. That being said, an obvious and prolonged change in appetite is probably worth a trip to the vet, even if he isn't obviously in pain. If nothing else, it'll ease your mind. Assuming you take him, let us know how things turn out.
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Apr 12, 2010 07:28
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HondaCivet posted:Good for you for paying such close attention to him. It's really important to do so since cats are very good at hiding pain or illness until things are pretty far along. That being said, an obvious and prolonged change in appetite is probably worth a trip to the vet, even if he isn't obviously in pain. If nothing else, it'll ease your mind. Assuming you take him, let us know how things turn out. Observant owners are the best owners.  Is the wet food a different brand or type? I ask because maybe kitty just doesn't like that particular kind as much? (trying to rule out the obvious before you decide its vet time). I don't think much of the occasional vomiting, if only because kitty has done it before, and some cats are like that. One of mine throws up occasionally, but it's usually because he's being a pig and eating too much at one time. If he is still having odd eating behavior, and you haven't changed anything in his diet, it might be a good idea to see the vet, just to be on the safe side. Nachos is beautiful, by the way.
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Apr 12, 2010 15:43
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My kitties are getting bold around the apartment and following me into the bathroom. These cats are such little darlings, the thing is I can't let them into the windows during the day because the landlord made a secret agreement with me that I could have them as long as my neighbors didn't know. Looking out a window is a base need of a cat, so I am thinking are there any good 1 way screens or anything else I can put up there so they can see out but no one can see in? Right now I have a scratching post set back a foot or so and the window open so they can look out without sitting on the sill but this is depriving them of looking out entirely and temporary. Any ideas?
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Apr 12, 2010 16:00
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Dr. Waffles posted:My kitties are getting bold around the apartment and following me into the bathroom. These cats are such little darlings, the thing is I can't let them into the windows during the day because the landlord made a secret agreement with me that I could have them as long as my neighbors didn't know. Make sure you have this in writing because this could turn out very badly if the landlord suddenly decides you can't have them any more because neighbors complained.
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Apr 12, 2010 17:02
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I've got a similar window question that doesn't deserve it's own thread. How paranoid am I in thinking that my kittens may jump out of an open window? I live about four stories up and there are no screens on our windows. When my girlfriend was little she had a dog "commit suicide" that way and we're deathly afraid of our kitties using up their nine lives on one leap.
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Apr 12, 2010 17:57
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mdtyson posted:I've got a similar window question that doesn't deserve it's own thread. How paranoid am I in thinking that my kittens may jump out of an open window? I live about four stories up and there are no screens on our windows. When my girlfriend was little she had a dog "commit suicide" that way and we're deathly afraid of our kitties using up their nine lives on one leap. It could definitely happen. Perhaps not by jumping like a madman out the window, but by stumbling and falling off the window sill. Get some screens, and reinforce them.
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Apr 12, 2010 18:32
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mdtyson posted:I've got a similar window question that doesn't deserve it's own thread. How paranoid am I in thinking that my kittens may jump out of an open window? I live about four stories up and there are no screens on our windows. When my girlfriend was little she had a dog "commit suicide" that way and we're deathly afraid of our kitties using up their nine lives on one leap. It happens. ALL THE TIME. Be careful! Get screens. Some cats even are able to push the screens out.
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Apr 12, 2010 18:34
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Auracounts posted:Observant owners are the best owners. You bring up a good point, actually, because it is a type of wet food I don't think he's tried before. I'll pick up the usual and see how he feels about that. If it just turns out to be that, I'll be both relieved and feeling stupid for not thinking of it earlier.
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Apr 12, 2010 19:58
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toybux posted:You bring up a good point, actually, because it is a type of wet food I don't think he's tried before. I'll pick up the usual and see how he feels about that. If it just turns out to be that, I'll be both relieved and feeling stupid for not thinking of it earlier. Oooh, good. It's very possible that he simply doesn't like it as much. My Gemini is the most ridiculously finicky eater in the world, even for a cat. She refuses to eat any loaf style wet food, turns up her nose at turkey and chicken wet food, and pretty much will only eat salmon and tuna. BUT - it has to be a certain kind of tuna or salmon - not any old kind will do. I had to buy like one of every kind of the ultra healthy and crap store brand wet foods until I narrowed down specifically what she likes. She will fuss and cry at me and refuse to eat it if I give her anything but the specific stuff she loves. When I put that stuff down, she wolfs it. It's ridiculous. Cats are ridiculous, lol. I do hope that's the issue with Nachos. Healthy kitty and you won't have to hassle with a false alarm at the vet
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Apr 12, 2010 20:02
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Auracounts posted:Is the wet food a different brand or type? I ask because maybe kitty just doesn't like that particular kind as much? (trying to rule out the obvious before you decide its vet time). Well, I went and got some of the Fancy Feast he usually seems to like best. Came home, opened it, and put it into a bowl for him. Went to take the trash out and check the mail, and came back to find him licking his lips over an already empty bowl. I guess it was just bad luck to have bought the first kind of canned food he didn't love right when I was worried about him eating that string. I'm still going to keep an extra close eye on him for a while, but I'm waaaaaaay less worried with him having eaten that bit of food so quickly and happily. Edit: This is literally the first kind of canned food that he hasn't liked, and I have bought him pretty much every kind in the past. I just picked up some of this cause it was on sale at my grocery store. Here's another picture, this time of him stealing my seat.  Edit 2: OK one more picture just cause I'm so relieved. 
toybux fucked around with this message at 22:23 on Apr 12, 2010 |
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Apr 12, 2010 22:09
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toybux posted:Well, I went and got some of the Fancy Feast he usually seems to like best. Came home, opened it, and put it into a bowl for him. Went to take the trash out and check the mail, and came back to find him licking his lips over an already empty bowl. I guess it was just bad luck to have bought the first kind of canned food he didn't love right when I was worried about him eating that string. I'm still going to keep an extra close eye on him for a while, but I'm waaaaaaay less worried with him having eaten that bit of food so quickly and happily. Augh, my cat steals my seat too. Like literally right after I get up. He'll run across the room to get it. Haha, the one time I forgot to ask if you changed his food . . . There are some cats that will eat basically anything but most of them are at least a little picky. Also, if you are dramatically changing flavors or brands of food it's a good idea to "wean" the cat over the course of a few days to a few weeks (depending on how picky/sensitive your cat is) because a big change in food can make for digestive problems as well. You should check out the Pet Nutrition Thread in PI the next time you want to try something new, they will have some good recommendations and can help you if he makes a fuss about it.
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Apr 12, 2010 22:32
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toybux posted:Well, I went and got some of the Fancy Feast he usually seems to like best. Came home, opened it, and put it into a bowl for him. Went to take the trash out and check the mail, and came back to find him licking his lips over an already empty bowl. I guess it was just bad luck to have bought the first kind of canned food he didn't love right when I was worried about him eating that string. I'm still going to keep an extra close eye on him for a while, but I'm waaaaaaay less worried with him having eaten that bit of food so quickly and happily. Ahhahahahaaha. And Fancy Feast strikes again! That poo poo is like cat crack, I swear. I feed mine very ultra premium dry and have tried my damnedest to find a good ultra premium wet they would like. You read the ingredients (on the ultra premium) and man, it sounds better than the stuff I feed myself! Gemini won't touch it. She gives me a look like, "You expect me to eat that? Who do you think I am?" Break out the Fancy Feast (their premium version with like the florentines and stuff) and she will knock down walls to get to that plate first. If you can find the Solid Gold tuna in a can, you can try that. I was pleasantly surprised to find that she WILL eat that, even though she turns up her nose at pretty much everything else. Man, I don't know what they put in Fancy Feast, but I swear they have a secret ingredient that makes all other wet foods taste like poo poo to cats just so you're stuck forever buying it, unless you LIKE facing whining kitty wrath. Great to hear that Nachos seems to be ok! Fake edit: Just looked at the pics again. What a wonderful ball of fluff he is! Gorgeous cat.
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Apr 12, 2010 22:55
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HondaCivet posted:Augh, my cat steals my seat too. Like literally right after I get up. He'll run across the room to get it. Double posting - sorry >< This - a thousand times this. I have a couple cats that will eat anything, then the one super finicky eater, and the last is somewhere in between. The super finicky girl, though, man her digestive tract is sensitive! It's so bad that even when I try to wean them from one food to another, the smallest bit of the new food gives her terrible runs. Gross, I know. It's weird, too, because the last time I did it, I was doing it with two foods that are extremely similar, have the same general percentages/ratios of protein/carb/fat content, and more or less the same ingredients (different brands though). Oddly, she doesn't have this problem when I'm playing around with different types of wet foods. Honestly, it just seems to take time to figure out what the cat's specific tastes are. Some like chicken, others like fish. People think that cats will eat anything if they are hungry, but they just don't. They would much rather harass you to buy better food while leaving their food bowl untouched and full than eat something they dislike.
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Apr 12, 2010 23:00
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HondaCivet posted:Augh, my cat steals my seat too. Like literally right after I get up. He'll run across the room to get it. I'll check that thread out, because I've been meaning to get Nachos onto a more regular diet instead of his dry food plus whatever canned food happened to be on sale. The food being the answer really is a surprise to me though, because Nachos will eat almost anything. I've left a bowl of Cheerios on the table for a minute and come back to him eating the cereal itself, not just lapping at the milk. He's stolen pieces of spaghetti off my plate and run off with it. The only thing he was even questionable about eating was when I bought some generic brand dry food to tide him over until payday when I could resupply on his usual stuff. He still ate it, but he wasn't obviously thrilled like he usually is about being fed. So now I know that apparently 9 Lives chicken and tuna is not something to get him again. And Fancy Feast really is cat crack. The few times Nachos has gotten sick and refused food, the first thing he'll eat is human baby food (without onion/garlic). The second thing is always Fancy Feast. I'll just stick with that in the future.
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Apr 12, 2010 23:50
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toybux posted:I'll check that thread out, because I've been meaning to get Nachos onto a more regular diet instead of his dry food plus whatever canned food happened to be on sale. The food being the answer really is a surprise to me though, because Nachos will eat almost anything. I've left a bowl of Cheerios on the table for a minute and come back to him eating the cereal itself, not just lapping at the milk. He's stolen pieces of spaghetti off my plate and run off with it. The only thing he was even questionable about eating was when I bought some generic brand dry food to tide him over until payday when I could resupply on his usual stuff. He still ate it, but he wasn't obviously thrilled like he usually is about being fed. So now I know that apparently 9 Lives chicken and tuna is not something to get him again. If you read the food thread, Fancy Feast isn't the very best food out there for him but it's not too bad. Any sort of wet food is OK, really. It all still has some sort of meat in it at least. The main value of wet food is the high moisture content anyway. Troubles mostly come from when a cat is eating a lot of a crappy dry food, so make sure you read the thread carefully. You should be able to get him something decent even on a small budget. One of my cats stole a muffin-sized chunk of banana bread and ate it overnight.  Goddamn did the litter box smell bad that morning. They've grown out of it a bit though, they are blooming into their picky rear end in a top hat adult cat selves.Edit: Danged cat just stole a piece of musk melon from a fruit salad. He used to eat it but now he just kinda licks it and then gets bored. Then I get to clean it up. caaaaaaaaaaaats 
HondaCivet fucked around with this message at 03:57 on Apr 13, 2010 |
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Apr 13, 2010 01:45
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HondaCivet posted:
It's funny - I never had this problem until we picked up our two newest kitties two years ago. The "originals" (almost 5 now) have NO desire to eat people food. The only exception is that Gemini, the finicky one, likes to lick/eat toast with butter and I have also caught her licking a plate that had ranch dressing on it. It's the oddest thing. They usually just like to smell my food, they walk away. Yuuda is a bastard, though. That cat will eat ANYTHING. I can't leave any food where he might get it, because he can, and he will.
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Apr 13, 2010 01:49
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HondaCivet posted:If you read the food thread, Fancy Feast isn't the very best food out there for him but it's not too bad. Any sort of wet food is OK, really. It all still has some sort of meat in it at least. The main value of wet food is the high moisture content anyway. Troubles mostly come from when a cat is eating a lot of a crappy dry food, so make sure you read the thread carefully.
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Apr 13, 2010 11:22
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Please help me! My parents have feral cats perpetually living in their front yard, among the brush and the bushes. That is where they got our two indoor cats, 7 years ago, from a mother who abandoned them. Well, 2 months ago, a similar thing happened. A mother gave birth to three kittens in their front yard. Two were unfortunately eaten by coyotes. The mother cried for days, morning her lost children. My sister, bless her heart, took in the remaining kitten, for fear that it too would be eaten. It is a wonderful cat! He runs about her apartment constantly, and is ALWAYS "talking" to himself! He makes these stunningly beautiful, quizzical noises at every turn, and every discovery. He is, without a doubt, the most "interesting" cat that I have ever encountered. That said, he loves to scratch under the most inopportune conditions. For example, to wake up my sister, he scratches her face. That kind of thing. However, he NEVER scratches out of anger or fright. It is really ONLY out of curiosity. My sister wants to get him "de-clawed". I know. I told her not to. His personality is so so great! I would hate for him to lose it! But she is set on it. How can I convince her not to go through with it? Please help! We all love this little guy, but my sister is at her wit's end! Thank you!
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Apr 15, 2010 01:54
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IzzyFnStradlin posted:Please help! We all love this little guy, but my sister is at her wit's end! Trim the nails, stick a set of softpaws on him, and get your sister to sleep with a can of pennies or a water sprayer next to her, or better yet close her door.
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Apr 15, 2010 02:03
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Learning how to trim claws safely is EXTREMELY easy, especially when a cat is still young. You can get claw trimmers very cheaply at the pet store, and so long as you don't not trim to the quick (the pink part - think of where your nails attach to your finger), they will be fine. SOftpaws are also an option - again, very cheap and easy. I've never used them, but I trim my kitties' claws regularly. Also - make sure kitty has somewhere to scratch. A cheap post with sisal rope is usually popular with cats, and many will gravitate to those before the furniture. Quick edit - scratching is not just something cats do to trim off the dead portion of their nails. They also do it to mark areas (they have scent pads on their paws) and I believe I've read its also a psychological impulse with them. Yet one of the many reasons why declawing is NOT advisable. Please, please, try your best to make your sister understand her options. Pull up some websites on what declawing is, to show her the brutality of it (she might be honestly ignorant about it), and then pull up some sites that show the easy, and cheap, alternatives to declawing. Auracounts fucked around with this message at 02:14 on Apr 15, 2010 |
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Apr 15, 2010 02:11
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Crap - one more thing - if he's scratching her to wake her, chances are, he's not actually trying to scratch so much as get her attention. When and how often is she feeding him? Maybe kitty is hungry, and that's why he's trying to wake her. How long has she had him? Maybe he isn't adjusted to her sleep schedule yet. Kittens are awesome, but inherently high energy assholes. He will grow out of the "lets wake up mommy!" phase. Is she playing with him a lot at night? If she plays with him to the point of exhaustion at night, she has a better chance he will sleep through the night instead of being a fluffy ball of terror when she's trying to sleep.
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Apr 15, 2010 02:16
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Let me share this story. We had a cat in for a dental and an "ingrown claw" yesterday. It turns out that the cat had been declawed on all four paws and all of the claws were growing back in and getting infected. So we had to declaw this cat again (the only sort of circumstance our doctors will ever declaw in). I pretty much spent my day on the edge of tears because this cat cried all. day. long. This after it had been through the initial painful procedure and healing. Now it has to do it all over again, not to mention having the claws starting to grow back on all four paws and how painful that can be.  He was on his back like this all day long. He literally peed himself because he wouldn't stand on his paws to use the litterbox.  And all of this was while on a ketamine drip AND a fentanyl patch. Your sister's cat probably isn't using his claws properly because he was raised solo. There are so many options, that have been mentioned. Trim his nails. Close the door. Use a can of pennies or a vacuum or a squirt gun, my cats HATE canned air. Soft paws. Kitties who are put through this procedure often become much more aggressive and since they don't have claws they use their TEETH. Not to mention the fact that he will probably be hell to get into a vet for the rest of his life. Just ask her to research it, it's illegal in several countries for a reason. I came home and kissed all my kitties toesies. RheaConfused fucked around with this message at 03:31 on Apr 15, 2010 |
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Apr 15, 2010 03:29
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What the christ. That's so awful, I don't even know what to do with myself. I want to hug you, Rhea, and I want to snuggle that poor kitten and then slap the poo poo out of the person who did that to her, especially since they most likely did it because their poor, poor furniture! gently caress! I'd rather have happy kitties and crappy furniture than a pristine house and that situation. Why do people think this is ok?! You don't cut off kids' digits when they paint on your walls, your furniture, or your car. You discipline and find deterrents. Ugh. Im going to go snuggle all of my cats to pure annoyance now.
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Apr 15, 2010 03:50
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This was my first experience around a freshly declawed cat. I was against it before and NEVER would have done it, but now... I can understand all the angry cats I have seen and I wish the owner was around for this part. She didn't even visit today. All three of my cats are fed up with me tonight and I can see my husband looking at me and I know he's thinking "LITTER PAWS!!!!"
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Apr 15, 2010 03:57
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Ugh, there's nothing more annoying than self-righteous cat owners comparing surgical declawing to chopping off a child's fingers (hint: not the same thing). You don't condemn parents for getting their children's wisdom teeth taken out. Declawing is not so different. Procedures like laser declawing and tendonectomies which do not involve the removal of bone at all, or insignificant amounts with essentially zero chance of regrowth, are now commonplace. Most reputable veterinary surgeons are capable of doing the procedure with zero damage to the animals paws. Is it necessary (medically?) Rarely. Is it necessary (socially in order to keep the cat?) Sometimes. Should everybody do it? No. But should you blanket condemn everyone who does it? Of course not. For the vast majority of cats, there is little discomfort that is easily managed for a few days by the fentanyl patch and some antibiotics. After that, they go on to live happy clawless lives. Neither of my two cats has experienced any problem from their procedures (front claws only), nor have the other declawed cat owners I know. It's got nothing to do with furniture -- my cats are indoor only, and I like to snuggle and play with them without constantly having accidental scratches and scrapes. I'm sorry you had that awful experience RheaConfused, but what you're describing is not the fault of the procedure, it's the fault of a vet surgeon essentially committing malpractice and butchering a surgery. The AVMA has found no scientific link between declawing and behavior problems. The data especially does not support any significant relationship between increased tendency to bite. -e- Also, as best as I've been able to tell the only country that blanket bans the procedure is Brazil. Several other countries (UK, Austria, Australia, etc.) allow it as a medical procedure (versus an elective procedure) but that is not the same thing as saying "they ban it" -- allowing it under those limited circumstances reflects that there are situations where declawing is medically indicated. Cue raging throngs of anti-declawers calling me a butcher. Shruggyface. Leif. fucked around with this message at 05:02 on Apr 15, 2010 |
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Apr 15, 2010 04:50
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I'm not going to call you a butcher, but in many countries it IS banned, just because it's okay for a medical reason doesn't mean it's not banned. After all, it's a purely optional procedure (except for medical necessity), and the situation we're discussing here is elective. As far as I know, I can't think of anyone who would be against declawing if it was medically necessary. Now, I do want to say that I snuggle all my indoor kitties and have never had a problem with their claws, not once. They are all well aware of the fact that claws are not okay for snuggle or play with our bare clothes. With some minimal training and/or other scratching options, the cats have never touched the furniture (cue picture of Trophy on expensive couch). While I am very glad that your cats have had no ill effects, I firmly believe it wasn't necessary, and it's a little misguiding to say that "since there's no harm, why NOT do a surgical procedure". Seems a little backwards to me.  Why declaw if you don't have to?
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Apr 15, 2010 05:56
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I'm certainly not suggesting it should be the first option. I do, however, think that if it comes down to declawing or letting a cat sit in shelter where 70-80% of them will be euthanized, I'd rather declaw. I certainly would not recommend it as a routine thing, or something that an owner should go into without extensively looking into the risk of complication and preparing for any discomfort, and researching a reputable, capable vet that uses modern procedures to minimize discomfort and fear in the animal. Nor do I think I'm saying anywhere that there is "no" harm. Of course there is some harm, just like there is in any surgery. Usually it is not permanent, and the risk can be mitigated. But I do think the harm is grossly blown out of proportion by some in a manner I could only really compare to that of the Tea Partiers or Code Pink. Leif. fucked around with this message at 06:08 on Apr 15, 2010 |
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Apr 15, 2010 06:04
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Sorry to just butt in here but I thought I'd ask about things here instead of being uncertain! I'm getting a new cat on Saturday, my last cat - Callie had to be put down nearly two weeks ago now. She died in my arms, something I will never forget but at least she was able to be comfortable and loved in her last moments. She was 15 and very sick with liver disease, unfortunately. I think it was the best choice for her but I have to admit, I'm lonely without her. So I've decided to get new cat. I'll be getting an adult female from the local RSPCA shelter. But as I live at home still, I can only get one cat even though I'm paying for everything cat-related and increasing my rent to cover food/litter costs. I have no idea how to talk my parents into letting me bring home two cats so. I may just have to wait until I can move out to get her a mate. Would that okay for the cat? My last cat was a terror to other cats because she was raised alone and I don't want to bring home another cat when I move out later on only for this new cat to not accept it. So what can I do? I'm at home due to disability so I'll be with her five days out of seven, so um. She won't be alone very much but still. Help? And to add another reason onto why cats should stay indoors. A story! My last cat was let outside because she never went further then our backyard, most of the time that she was outside - she sunbathed. THIS IS A TERRIBLE THING. In the Australian sun, her white fur covered pink skin and pink skin burns. She burnt a lot and unfortunately, her fur hid that fact until she developed problems later on. The last three years of her life, she had a terrible scabby skin irritation on her head going from the tip of her nose to the base of her ear that got very bad around her eye. Skin cancer is very common among Aussie cats, unfortunately. Mine was lucky that the scabby thing wasn't cancer but she still had to have pills and eye drops everyday until she passed. As well as that, she had her nose/eyelid frozen to reduce its spread and a lot of random skin lumps removed. And that wasn't even cancer... So Australian cats are best kept indoors and out of the sun!  She was still adorable even when scabby. My next cat will be an indoor and supervised in the shade only cat. Plus she will be mine and not the family pet (even though Callie ended up being all mine anyway, shh). And sorry for the lengthy ramble. Hopefully this new cat thing goes okay. 
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Apr 15, 2010 07:17
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She was super cute! When you go to pick out your next cat ask them about cats that get along with other cats if you plan to get a second cat down the road. But cats can be fine on their own also, especially adult cats. I think in your case with you there so much you don't have to worry at all about your new kitty being bored or lonely. post pics when you get him or her. Of course if you can talk your parents into it, 2 are better than one
ChairmanMeow fucked around with this message at 08:20 on Apr 15, 2010 |
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Apr 15, 2010 08:18
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SWATJester posted:Ugh, there's nothing more annoying than self-righteous cat owners comparing surgical declawing to chopping off a child's fingers (hint: not the same thing). You don't condemn parents for getting their children's wisdom teeth taken out. Declawing is not so different. It is really different. No decent parent would do a medically unnecessary surgery on their child. Wisdom teeth come out for a reason, it is easy to determine by xray that they will cause health issues down the road. They aren't taking their child's teeth out because they are chewing on the crib. SWATJester posted:Procedures like laser declawing and tendonectomies which do not involve the removal of bone at all, or insignificant amounts with essentially zero chance of regrowth, are now commonplace. Most reputable veterinary surgeons are capable of doing the procedure with zero damage to the animals paws. I'm perfectly happy to read any factual information you can point me to that supports this statement. SWATJester posted:Is it necessary (medically?) Rarely. Why is it fair for you to condemn us for making "blanket" statements, and then make blanket statements yourself. Just because you had this experience with your cats does not mean it is the rule. Like nonanone, I snuggle my cats every single day and I haven't been scratched by any of the three of them, save for the night I brought my nervous tortie home. My cats know the difference between clothes and skin. Can you talk to us about what you tried to keep your cats from scratching you? Why you came to the decision to declaw? SWATJester posted:I'm sorry you had that awful experience RheaConfused, but what you're describing is not the fault of the procedure, it's the fault of a vet surgeon essentially committing malpractice and butchering a surgery. As has been said, no one here is against declawing when "medically indicated." Your situation was not that. There is a reason it has been banned. There are lots. Beyond the commonly stated reasons, there is no way I would ever put my cat under an extended period of anaesthesia without a medical reason. RheaConfused fucked around with this message at 13:55 on Apr 15, 2010 |
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Apr 15, 2010 13:04
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I honestly fail to see how it's different. We are talking about people who, for the most part, are declawing their cats because they are afraid of their furniture getting scratched, or they're whining because they got a scratch on their arm. We are talking about human vanity here, or the failure of that owner to train and socialize their cat properly. Sure, my example was extreme, but explain to me how, exactly, it's different. People discipline/train/socialize their children on proper behaviors - they don't unnecessarily get rid of a child's parts when they misbehave or mess up the house. Taking out wisdom teeth is not even remotely the same thing - you aren't removing a *fixed* part of the kid's body, and in most cases, it's necessary. Not to mention, that person has a CHOICE and it's done for the child's benefit, not their parent's. I've never even heard of a dentist recommending such a procedure when it isn't warranted. Had mine out - they were impacted. My mouth had no room for them. It was necessary. Declawing involves removing the cats digits - in other words, their fingers. The countries that allow it medically allow it for circumstances exactly like what Rhea posted, not so you can save your bloody furniture. In 99% of cases, it's elective and for the OWNER'S convenience, not the pet's.
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Apr 15, 2010 15:00
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gently caress my couch. It's never once come running to the door to welcome me home, or played with me, or anything fun.
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Apr 15, 2010 15:14
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