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Archive through January 31, 2007

The TVClubHouse: General Discussions ARCHIVES: Jan. 2007 ~ Mar. 2007: Hairball Haven: Cats (ARCHIVES): Archive through January 31, 2007 users admin

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Costacat
Member

07-15-2000

Sunday, January 28, 2007 - 6:04 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Costacat a private message Print Post    
GAL, you shake the can at the kid (don't throw anything at the kitty, ever, silly gal!).

Also, I'd put somethng like Neosporin on scratches. They'll heal faster, and the antibiotic will ensure you don't get infected. Get the Neosporin that also has the pain relief in it -- it definitely helps!

Clip the kitties claws (or have someone -- vet, pet store -- do it). That'll protect you, and the other critters around!

And keep the little monsters separated. Put the new monster in a separate room if you have to, with soothing noises, lots of hiding spots, and lots of warm blankets to curl up in. Put food and water, and then hide a bunch of treats around. If he finds and eats the treats, it'll give him something to do and may help to settle him down.

Twiggyish
Member

08-14-2000

Sunday, January 28, 2007 - 6:26 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Twiggyish a private message Print Post    
I didn't know that about declawing, but I do know it made me feel guilty to do it, too. He was just fine a few weeks after surgery. (Andy)
On another note, we have a very grumpy older cat.(Carmie) He didn't like Andy when we first got him. They've sort of found their own peace now. They even sleep by each other.

Costacat
Member

07-15-2000

Sunday, January 28, 2007 - 7:07 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Costacat a private message Print Post    
Declawing a cat is like cutting off your fingers at the first knuckle. It's a major thing, and people (like my hair stylist) who declaw cats just to do it should be "declawed" themselves!!! I strongly feel that it's inhumane, can you tell? :-)

Karuuna
Board Administrator

08-31-2000

Sunday, January 28, 2007 - 7:56 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Karuuna a private message Print Post    
We cut the foreskin off baby boys too. Let's just hope we do it with anesthetic these days. We cut tails and ears off dogs; and spay and neuter them as well.

Ultimately, it's *how* it's done, and that it should be done with full understanding of what it means, as well as suitable pain medications be given.

I'm generally against declawing;and none of my four babies have been declawed. However, some cats are absolutely and completely destructive, and no amount of training or giving the right thing to them to scratch will help. In these cases, I think declawing can sometimes be necessary. I'd rather do that than have them end up at the humane society, out on the street, or worst of all, put down.

Costacat
Member

07-15-2000

Sunday, January 28, 2007 - 8:26 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Costacat a private message Print Post    
None of that involves amputation. Neutering or spaying is equivalent to a vasectomy or hysterectomy (well, OK, slightly more complicated for boy babies).

But declawing is amputating. Toes and fingers.

And there are things you can do to deal with cats who claw. Keep their claws clipped for one (every two weeks). Try pheromones. Toys. Preventive measures like foils and pads. Even the claw covers, so the the kid can't do any damage.

Hell, mine kick and bite me all the time when we play (Costa loves to rabbit kick). But I keep their claws clipped and the only time he draws blood is when he manages to also get his teeth into me (a rare occasion when we're playing).

Costacat
Member

07-15-2000

Sunday, January 28, 2007 - 8:27 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Costacat a private message Print Post    
Whoops. I'm also against clipping dogs ears and tails but most especially when it's done so the dog can be shown. If the dog was supposed have short upright ears or a nonexistent tail, well, the dog would've been born that way, yes?

Twiggyish
Member

08-14-2000

Sunday, January 28, 2007 - 9:25 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Twiggyish a private message Print Post    
Had I known that about amputating I wouldn't have done it. Sorry, but our vet didn't explain that to us. I'm not an ignorant person, but I trust the vet to tell us these things. The cat still has his back claws.
Our Chihuahua has floppy ears. Yes, he's got papers. We don't care if he's show quality.

Pamy
Member

01-02-2002

Sunday, January 28, 2007 - 10:08 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Pamy a private message Print Post    
Twiggy, I think in the past the info was not out there as much as it now. It's not your fault, I am sure your kitty is doing great and knows you love him dearly.

I also dont like the things some do for show dogs and I am against breeding fancy dogs...but that is just my opionion....mainly because we see first hand all the homeless animals that aren't so fancy

Seamonkey
Moderator

09-07-2000

Sunday, January 28, 2007 - 11:44 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Seamonkey a private message Print Post    
GAL .. you just rattle them :-) And for most cats the water spray works well.. just that some breeds.. like Julip's Bengal and my brother's occicat, seem not to mind the water, in fact, may ENJOY it, so then other means may become necessary.

Thanks, Half! I had blanked.. but I keep the neosporin at hand. Antibacterial soap, then alcohol, then liberal dose of neosporin. And yes, it is a good idea, if you have cats, to have a current tetanus shot, but that is only every 10 years or so anyway.

I also kept Critter and Angelina completely separated for quite awhile and even now they are separate while I'm sleeping, but that may be more for my own sanity and because I simply won't allow a 19 year old cat to not have free reign of the place overnight.

Pamy I respect your opinion, but I must say that I'd guess Critter would tell you she has loved the almost 19 years she's had, so far, after declawing, compared to being close to her deadline to be killed at the shelter. I guess I could be wrong. And yes, my vet, who is very good, explained exactly what was done and the pros and cons and I got to see a cat who was just a week post surgery. I don't think I'd do it again, but certainly not for any bad effect on Critter.

But they have the soft claws (?) things now that I'd consider for Angelina should I have more than "normal" problems (lol.. besides somewhat shredded carpet on the stairs).. luckily she adores shredding those cardboard scratchers and does quite a good job of it, too.

I feel just as strongly about cats going outside, but realize that some will still be out there and wouldn't wish death on them as the better alternative.

I wouldn't have had a dog breed that involved modifying ears or tails, but we did have the dewclaws removed on some of our lab litters. They tend to get caught and injured. The dewclaw is only used now by breeds that climb, say a blue tick coonhound, while treeing prey (but I'm not a hunter and wouldn't have that sort of dog either) and in most breeds it is a vestigal appendage that is gradually disappearing. When I first started showing labradors everyone cut off the whiskers. As soon as I realized that this was cutting off a major organ in a dog (or cat) I stopped that practice and luckily we brought in judges from the UK, who also spoke out against the practice, thank goodness.

As for homeless animals, purebred or mixed, the problem is that people don't spay and neuter.

Show and breeding quality has more to it than just cosmetic changes.. sound conformation, screening for genetic problems and temperament are all key considerations.

Goddessatlaw
Member

07-19-2002

Monday, January 29, 2007 - 6:34 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Goddessatlaw a private message Print Post    
Half, I'll definitely keep the kitty valium or the female hormones Karuuna discussed in mind if 7 doesn't show signs of maturing after neutering and a bit of TLC. I might name him Jekyll if he hangs around long enough - one minute he's sweet and cuddly, the next he's taking your arm off. Would it be wrong to name a cat "Satan?"

Fortunately 7 and Max seem to have reached some sort of agreement overnight. We locked them both out of the bedroom and let them sort it out, and of course there was the elephant stampede up and down the stairs all night, but very little squawking out of either of them. They were curled up sleeping in separate parts of the house when Colossus got up. Upon inspection, neither seems to have lost fur or shed blood.

7 figured out the cat door on his own and seems mighty pleased by this, he's been in and out of the garage a couple of times already this morning.
He's sleeping at my feet after spending the larger part of the morning attacking my slippers.

I agree that declawing is necessary for a small number of kitties but only if their destructive tendencies are out of control and it's either that or lose their home. Puss is an indoor/outdoor cat, so he has a full set of highly sharpened claws, but he rarely uses them indoors and never when he's playing. Max submits to having his nails clipped because there's always a treat involved, no problems there either. Both cats seem to understand what the scratching post is for and rarely go after other furniture in the house. 7 on the other hand sees scratch opportunities wherever he looks, it's all fair game. I think most cats can be trained to minimize damage, but there's always going to be a little when an animal is involved. My Dad says our dogs and cats have destroyed more of his property than all five kids combined. He is correct.

Max and 7 are staying home today, I'm trying to kitten-proof the house once again, but you can be sure that things are going to be knocked over or scattered when we get home. Here's hoping they will sleep all day since they were up all night.

Costacat
Member

07-15-2000

Monday, January 29, 2007 - 7:59 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Costacat a private message Print Post    
Yeah, my two get bribed when I clip their claws. I use Tender Vittles, something that they don't normally get. And then they get extra (regular) treats when we are done and cleaned up.

For Xmas, the kids got a new toy. It's a scratching mat that I got at PetSmart. It's not one of the cardboard thingies. It looks like a rug, with sisal in the center, and padded material along the edges (with yarn tassles at each corner). I just laid it down in the middle fo the floor, sprinkled catnip in the middle of it, and both cats figured out right away that it was a scratcher. Costa uses it all the time; Kassie about half the time. I was trying to get her to quit doing her scratching thing on the carpet. She's so funny... she'll go stand on the new scratching pad and then scratch at the carpet RIGHT NEXT TO THE PAD! Bad aim, or intentional? <grin>

When I was little, we had a dog named Satan. Now granted, he was a HUGE black lab, with the most yellow eyes. And in the dark, looking at you over a fence, well, you can just imagine. He was the most gentle of souls however, and would allow us to ride him like a horse (yes, he was that big).

Karuuna
Board Administrator

08-31-2000

Monday, January 29, 2007 - 8:50 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Karuuna a private message Print Post    
Just to be clear, I do think that declawing a cat should only be done in the very worst cases, and only when all other measures have failed. I am also against clipping ears and tails and all that other nutty stuff that's done for vanity. But declawing in a cat that is otherwise intractable is still better than euthanizing. We're still removing organs when we spay/neuter; but sometimes we do things in the animal's best interest.

I had a friend who had a cat that I still swear was part mountain lion. It weighed close to 20 pounds, and stood 4 inches taller than any other cat I had ever known. There were times when for no apparent reason, you'd walk across the room and he would launch himself from behind a chair and wrap himself around your leg- every claw and every tooth engaged. It was quite dangerous and damaging. My friend had to have her leg stitched up three times as a result. She neutered, and then added the female hormones. Worked like a charm; but if those had not worked, then clearly something else would need to be done.

Soft claws (little caps that you glue to the kittie's claws) can work well, but they are very high maintenance. My kittens hated them and chewed them off at every opportunity, which meant I was replacing a few almost every day.

Cndeariso
Member

06-28-2004

Monday, January 29, 2007 - 9:00 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Cndeariso a private message Print Post    
i have always taken my kittens when they were scratching something they shouldn't and carefully picked them up while talking gently, taken them to the scratching post, helped them exercise their claws and praised them for being a good kitty. i have never had a cat that didn't train to that.

and, NONE of my cats ever get on the kitchen counters or dining table.

Costacat
Member

07-15-2000

Monday, January 29, 2007 - 9:31 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Costacat a private message Print Post    
NONE of my cats ever get on the kitchen counters, bar counter, or dining table. Ever! They are allowed on the coffee table (I keep a cup of bottled water there for them to drink from). And the bathroom counters (they love to drink from the faucet). They are also not allowed on my desk, and they know it.

Keeping a cats claws clipped will prevent 90% of the scratches that they can inflict. Teeth, of course, are another matter.

And believe me, I know. I keep my cats claws clipped regularly. And every now and again I'll be at someone's house who does NOT clip their cats' claws. I'll be playing with the cat, and suddenly realize I've been scratched. The ONLY difference is I keep mine clipped and they don't.

Cndeariso's right... Costa was trained to scratch at a cat scratch post. Cats can be trained (remember, they are very food motivated). If your cat is doing something he or she shouldn't, encourage that cat to do the right thing and reward 'em. Works like a charm!

Twiggyish
Member

08-14-2000

Monday, January 29, 2007 - 7:30 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Twiggyish a private message Print Post    
Our cats do not go on the counters, either. They just don't go there. They do get on top of the tv cabinet..LOL

Karuuna
Board Administrator

08-31-2000

Monday, January 29, 2007 - 7:55 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Karuuna a private message Print Post    
My cats don't go those places when I'm home; but it's clear that I must be doing something wrong, because they aren't at all shy about jumping up there when I'm not in the room. Crazy beasts!

I remember getting into a rather testy discussion once with a guy who couldn't stand having animals in the house. I simply said we have coyotes that frequent the area, and I was about to let my cats become dinner for them. It drives me crazy that people have outdoor cats in our neighborhood. I'm always cleaning up their remains after the wild dogs feast on them.

Seamonkey
Moderator

09-07-2000

Monday, January 29, 2007 - 8:36 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Seamonkey a private message Print Post    
My vet says outdoor cats live an average of 3 years.

of course when I lived in Modjeska Canyon outdoor cats lived considerably shorter lives, unless they were mountain lions!

Goddessatlaw
Member

07-19-2002

Tuesday, January 30, 2007 - 5:48 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Goddessatlaw a private message Print Post    
Well Big Lil 7 went to the vet today. I warned them, they didn't listen. It was a virtuoso display of big kitty jungle noises and yelping assistants ROFL!!! At the beginning, when he was all pretty, posing and purring they tried to convince me that I should give him pills for tapeworm instead of a shot. Right. By the end it took three assistants to hold down baby kitten and clip his nails (oh trust me they tried to get out of clipping his nails, I actually had to pay them to do it even though it's usually a free benny of kitten's first visit). Baby boy got shots for everything that ails him because nothing else was ever going to work.

Man did he scream. I thought Linus was bad at the vet, now I'm seriously afraid the vet is going to tell me to go elsewhere when the little wild ones show up at my door. Thankfully, everyone agreed that his adorable little face made up for everything (actually, it was more like "it's a good thing he's cute. Otherwise . . . ")

He's an 8 and 1/2 lb bouncing 9-month old, roughly. Well, he's either a big 9-month-old, or a little 1-year-old, the vet couldn't get near his teeth except to look when he was snarling to see his 6 month teeth had come in. Having been around him awhile, I'm convinced he's younger - there's all kinds of crazy-ass kitten in there that he's still working out. He has a long way to go before he's through growing.

Poor little guy was so exhausted and probably feeling sick from the shots that he went limp for the entire day and Colossus' employees carried him in his box from office to office letting him sleep on their desks. He's still very lethargic, and is sleeping on my lap right now. Max seems to realize 7 is not feeling well and is being very gentle with him.

No tests on him today, though. I suggested and the staff agreed that 7 would draw more blood from them than they would get from him. If he is still with us next week we'll take him to get neutered and have tests run then. Since Max and Puss are innoculated against just about everything there is for a kitty to catch, the vet said they are not at risk being around him before then. Please let that be true.

Oh, and as for the running down the halls and attacking our knees? Vet says we are all antelopes and wildebeasts in 7's eyes, and it's his little hunting behavior coming out LOL. Guess what he suggested? Rattling coins in a can or water bottle. I didn't tell him you guys had already filled me in on all the little kitten tricks, he was being very funny and charming as he always is. There are no bad kitties in his world, I love that about him. His assistants might think differently though.

Goddessatlaw
Member

07-19-2002

Tuesday, January 30, 2007 - 5:54 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Goddessatlaw a private message Print Post    
PS Kar, every cat I've had is the same as your kitties. They mind when we're around, but do what they damned well please while we're gone, we've seen the pawprints. I just consider it a part of that cattitude thing. I can't imagine having an outdoor animal where you live. I freak when just a small hawk is circling when Puss is outside, even though he's too big to really be at risk, much less worry about wild dogs.

Calamity
Member

10-18-2001

Wednesday, January 31, 2007 - 2:22 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Calamity a private message Print Post    
The other day my mom gave me collars & tags for my three cats. They never go outside but she thinks they should wear them just as a precaution. "You never know, you might have to evacuate one day." That's my mom, always the optimist.

Spencer appeared completely unfazed when I put his collar on, Indy twisted a little but I think she figured out that the collar just sets off her shiny black coat so she seems happy with it. Linus was traumatized at first by his tag clanging against the side of his metal supper dish. He'd lean forward to eat, *RING*, and the poor little guy would jump back in confusion. This was repeated a number of times before he finally looked over his shoulder and gave me the most pathetic look imaginable.

Goddessatlaw
Member

07-19-2002

Wednesday, January 31, 2007 - 5:05 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Goddessatlaw a private message Print Post    
You did pretty well, Calamity. I've never had any success keeping a collar on a cat. The minute you turn your back they get out of it. We had to have both our kitties chipped.

Poor Linus LOL.

Gina8642
Member

06-01-2001

Wednesday, January 31, 2007 - 5:34 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Gina8642 a private message Print Post    
Every kitty takes collars differently. I remember the cat we had when I was little. We put the collar on her and she fell to the ground and wouldn't move.

She slunk around low to the ground forever after that. She wanted to make it very clear to all of us what a horrid experience we were putting her through. We still laugh about it.

Dipo
Member

04-23-2002

Wednesday, January 31, 2007 - 6:28 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Dipo a private message Print Post    
LOL, Gina, my two kitties are like that, except they go hide under a chair and won't come out. They seem to think they are being punished, so naturally, they don't have collars!

Seamonkey
Moderator

09-07-2000

Wednesday, January 31, 2007 - 7:24 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Seamonkey a private message Print Post    
I'm paranoid about collars. Mine don't wear them. Critter is microchipped and I plan to get Angelina chipped when she has her teeth cleaned.

and even with my dogs.. I just saw or heard of too many tragedies, so we didn't even leave a collar on if they were crated. If I had dogs today, they would also be chipped.

Rosie
Member

11-12-2003

Wednesday, January 31, 2007 - 7:43 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Rosie a private message Print Post    
Recently, my cat was brushing against my legs while I was getting her supper (canned food) ready for her. She was swishing around me in the kitchen and all of a sudden there was a loud crash. Her collar had gotten caught on a bottom cabinet drawer knob. Her reaction caused her to completely pull the drawer out and it fell onto the floor. The collar finally broke loose and she took off. She was not hurt but to say she was scared would be an understatement. She was afraid to enter the kitchen.

No more collar for her.