Sprinkling catnip on the scratching posts will attract them to the posts (might not work right away, some kittens ignore catnip till they're older). I hate that catnip leaves a bit of a mess so I spray it with the liquid catnip. Works just as well with my cat. Since we do that it helps when we buy him new scratching posts, beds, toys, etc. We spray it with catnip and he knows it's his.
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Declaw or no cat!
- Thread starter buffalo-mitch
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Well, I've read the entire thread up to this point. First off, congrats on your very first petOriginally Posted by buffalo-mitch
OK this is what will probably happen (some of this has already been decided and won't be changed):
1-We are getting a cat
2- The cat will come from a farm and I have already seen the cat I would like (she is the runt of the litter, a tuxedo cat with white paws hence the name 'Mittens')
3- I will get the cat on July 17th (I know it will only be 8 weeks old and I have heard you should wait longer be the owner of the farm says she has given away countless kittens to friends and family and says never once has there been a problem with them being a little younger)
4- I will do everything in my power to try and train the cat to use a scratching post and steer clear of the furniture (something I think is entirely possible based on most people who have cats with claws)
5- The cat will NEVER end up in a shelter or on the streets (if it is no longer feasible to continue to own the cat, we know a lot of people who would take it and give it a great home like ours)
6- The cat will be loved and treated with the upmost respect
Sorry if I sound a little stressed out. I have my road test in a couple of hours and I'm very nervous
I'm in the anti-declaw camp even though 3 of my meezers had their front claws removed before I adopted them.
If push comes to shove and it is either declaw the cat or surrender it to a shelter, as much as I am against it, I would opt for the declaw. That is just me though. I'd rather give the kitty a good home than surrender it, regardless of the circumstances. Sounds like your hands are a bit tied so I am wishing you the best and I'm confident you will make the right decisions.
Hope the test goes well
Congratulations on your decision!
Remember that it is a natural act for a cat to scratch on things, and unless you have alternatives to furniture to scratch and show them how to use those alternatives, the furniture will suffer.
Get a scratch post that is tall enough for the cat to fully stretch up on. While a kitten is still small, when full grown, that means it can stretch up to roughly 3 feet. A good scratch post needs to be at least that tall. Cat condo's are great because they are typically taller than scratch posts, and gives him something to play and nap on.
If you see your kitten start to scratch on furniture, give him a firm NO, pick him up and carry him to the scratch post. Place his arms on the post and rub on them. Pretend you are scratching the post with your fingers to show him what you expect of him. Cats learn pretty quickly if you are 100% consistent with them. But remember that kittens still have short memories, and you may need to work with for a bit until he is more mature.
You will show your parents that you are commited to prevent furniture scratching if you consistently work with the kitten. They may be more forgiving if the kitten has an accident with it until he learns what he is supposed to do. Never assume that a kitten/cat will figure it out on their own. You must teach them the right thing to do.
Remember that it is a natural act for a cat to scratch on things, and unless you have alternatives to furniture to scratch and show them how to use those alternatives, the furniture will suffer.
Get a scratch post that is tall enough for the cat to fully stretch up on. While a kitten is still small, when full grown, that means it can stretch up to roughly 3 feet. A good scratch post needs to be at least that tall. Cat condo's are great because they are typically taller than scratch posts, and gives him something to play and nap on.
If you see your kitten start to scratch on furniture, give him a firm NO, pick him up and carry him to the scratch post. Place his arms on the post and rub on them. Pretend you are scratching the post with your fingers to show him what you expect of him. Cats learn pretty quickly if you are 100% consistent with them. But remember that kittens still have short memories, and you may need to work with for a bit until he is more mature.
You will show your parents that you are commited to prevent furniture scratching if you consistently work with the kitten. They may be more forgiving if the kitten has an accident with it until he learns what he is supposed to do. Never assume that a kitten/cat will figure it out on their own. You must teach them the right thing to do.
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Though you've already decided on the cat you want, you could spare the pain and suffering of declawing her AND save another life by adopting a cat that has already been declawed. Tons of declawed cats and even kittens end up at shelters...
My two (or more) cents:
We have seven cats, including a 6-week old kitten who was a stray. Five of the seven are declawed....we just didn't think about it back then. When I was growing up, a cat was automatically declawed when it was spayed or neutered. And that's what we did.....when the cat was neutered or spayed, it was automatically declawed. But Mollipop is not declawed and Tabitha will not be declawed either. Just not going there anymore. (Mollipop has, thankfully!, grown out of that "Let's tear the drywall!" stage and is learning to behave. She still scratches the carpet every chance she gets, but we feel it's a small price to pay because we love her anyway.
And we'll deal with Tabitha and whatever stages she goes through, too. DH has already said he's not repairing the drywall and repainting now until Tabby goes through her drywall stage.
)
That being said, we have never had a issue with the declawed cats. Never. They didn't bite, even in play, they didn't bunny-kick any more than cats who have their claws bunny-kick. They are the sweetest, most lovable cats anybody would want. Have we been lucky? Probably. Only one cat ever peed throughout in the house, unless a cat was ill....and we expect kitties to get sick sometimes and have accidents.
Hydrox, The Old Coot, started spraying in the house even before he was declawed. He never stopped peeing inappropriately, but he started doing so at around 3 months old....he was not neutered and declawed until he was around six months. He was the only one who ever did this *knock on wood*.
One of my sister's cats; in fact the only one who is not declawed is an inappropriate sprayer and she is constantly cleaning up after him. She has two other cats, both are declawed (keep in mind that this is what we were told.....spay or neuter and declaw....and we don't declaw anymore) and both use the litter boxes. He does not.
So while research and statistics may show otherwise (and I don't really know if it does or does not), I don't feel that lumping declawed cats into the mis-behaving category is the right thing to do. Like I said, maybe we just got lucky with our gang. And either way, we're not declawing anymore cats....we now realize what's involved and future babies will not go through it.
We have seven cats, including a 6-week old kitten who was a stray. Five of the seven are declawed....we just didn't think about it back then. When I was growing up, a cat was automatically declawed when it was spayed or neutered. And that's what we did.....when the cat was neutered or spayed, it was automatically declawed. But Mollipop is not declawed and Tabitha will not be declawed either. Just not going there anymore. (Mollipop has, thankfully!, grown out of that "Let's tear the drywall!" stage and is learning to behave. She still scratches the carpet every chance she gets, but we feel it's a small price to pay because we love her anyway.
That being said, we have never had a issue with the declawed cats. Never. They didn't bite, even in play, they didn't bunny-kick any more than cats who have their claws bunny-kick. They are the sweetest, most lovable cats anybody would want. Have we been lucky? Probably. Only one cat ever peed throughout in the house, unless a cat was ill....and we expect kitties to get sick sometimes and have accidents.
Hydrox, The Old Coot, started spraying in the house even before he was declawed. He never stopped peeing inappropriately, but he started doing so at around 3 months old....he was not neutered and declawed until he was around six months. He was the only one who ever did this *knock on wood*.
One of my sister's cats; in fact the only one who is not declawed is an inappropriate sprayer and she is constantly cleaning up after him. She has two other cats, both are declawed (keep in mind that this is what we were told.....spay or neuter and declaw....and we don't declaw anymore) and both use the litter boxes. He does not.
So while research and statistics may show otherwise (and I don't really know if it does or does not), I don't feel that lumping declawed cats into the mis-behaving category is the right thing to do. Like I said, maybe we just got lucky with our gang. And either way, we're not declawing anymore cats....we now realize what's involved and future babies will not go through it.
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- #26
Thanks for the responses guys! When we get the kitten, I am going to take all of your ideas (plus any ideas I can find on google) and implement them. And I have 3 more questions:
1- Does the cat scratch furniture and things less when they are raised alonside a sibling?
2- In a typical delcaw, are both the front and hind claws removed?
3- I have some crappy furniture in the basement of my house, should I let it scratch that as an alternative to the good furniture? Or should I set the precedent that no furnitue can be scratched?
1- Does the cat scratch furniture and things less when they are raised alonside a sibling?
2- In a typical delcaw, are both the front and hind claws removed?
3- I have some crappy furniture in the basement of my house, should I let it scratch that as an alternative to the good furniture? Or should I set the precedent that no furnitue can be scratched?
At our shelter, we have never had a declawed cat that had the "issues" many here refer to. And we have declawed cats all the time. The good news is that when a declawed cat comes in, they are kept much longer than normal, because we DO have people who want them. We had an elderly couple a month or two ago who adopted ALL the declawed cats we had at that time, 3 of them!
We discourage declawing, and, in more and more places, it's illegal. If I understand correctly, it's not legal in any European Union country.
And I ask people if they would cut off their children's fingers at the first joint to keep them from picking their nose. That puts it in a new light for many people.
That said, my sister, the ultra-bleeding-heart-liberal, declaws all her cats. Go figure.
And I must say, I would rather have a cat adopted and declawed that see it languish in a cage for weeks or months, only to go to that terrible dark room in the back of the shelter.
And no, don't let them scratch ANY furniture. Consistency is the secret to good parenting, you know!
We discourage declawing, and, in more and more places, it's illegal. If I understand correctly, it's not legal in any European Union country.
And I ask people if they would cut off their children's fingers at the first joint to keep them from picking their nose. That puts it in a new light for many people.
That said, my sister, the ultra-bleeding-heart-liberal, declaws all her cats. Go figure.
And I must say, I would rather have a cat adopted and declawed that see it languish in a cage for weeks or months, only to go to that terrible dark room in the back of the shelter.
And no, don't let them scratch ANY furniture. Consistency is the secret to good parenting, you know!
I have 2 kittens now 11 months old. They each needed to be taught the proper place to scratch
In most declaws, the only the front are removed. I do hope you continue to do researching on declawing before you consider it. You run the risk of behavior changes that you may not like. Some people have come on to the site after a declaw to seek help because their happy energetic kitten now is withdrawn and depressed.
No, teach your new kitten to use only acceptable scratching surfaces. You will need to watch your kitten to see what type of scratching surfaces he likes. I have a couple who like the vertical scratching posts but also like horizontal ones. They really like the cardboard scratchers you can find at pet stores.
I found it was helpful to play with a wand toy, enticing the cats up the scratching posts.
I do believe that kittens should be raised in pairs. . .it's really much easier and the kittens grow up to be more well-adjusted, IMO. But it won't make any difference with scratching.
Scratching is inherent to felines, but generally speaking cats that are not bored, which having a playmate addresses are less destructive.
In a typical declaw, only the front claws are removed. No reputable vet will declaw the rear claws. It is not really necessary to prevent damage (the only unlikely damage is if they jump off something full force it may very slightly scratch from pushing off), and the rear claws help with the cats stability when climbing, and are useful if the cat needs to defend itself (teeth and back claws are what a cat resorts to when in full fight mode). So full four declaws are not recommended. And if you're handling a cat to where they feel they need to bite you and kick you with the back claws, you need to stop and take a different approach, as it means the cat is frightened to death.
Don't let your cat scratch furniture IMO, and cats scratch what they want to scratch. All training does is convince them that the stuff you set out for them to scratch is the best stuff around TO scratch so they want to scratch it. Being creatures of habbit, once they have their favorite scratching spots, they will continue to use them. In some instances though, a few cats will simply not take to training: http://www.thecatsite.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=232593
This is misleading as cats don't walk on the dystal phalanx claw bone. Cats walk on the pad of their feet which is supported by the "toe" bone aft of the retracted claw bone which rides vertically to avoid snagging, dulling, and damaging the claw. Only the claw bone is removed during a declaw, and thus a cat still walks on its toes and locomotion is unaffected. However, a botched declaw surgery can make the foot tender and result in a cat walking flat footed, but this is not the norm or inherent to the procedure.
Approximately 25% of cats in North America are declawed, and the complication rate is no higher than spay surgery and is considered quite routine, with laser declawed cats typically walking around within 24hrs post op, and there is no scientific evidence in studies that showed any more propensity for behavioral issues compared to control groups. That doesn't change that it is amputation and causing pain and surgery for human benefit, but one might argue the same for neuter vs scalpeless vasectomy. You can't teach a boy not to be a boy though, but you can teach scratching habbits. Dr Shelling is an anti-declaw advocate, and so has bended the truth to some extent to achieve the desired message, and so you have to take the information posted there the same as if you were asking a pro-life evangelist about abortion facts. You may get some facts, but you're likely to get strong exagerations as well. It doesn't make the pro-life stance wrong, just take it with a grain of salt.
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Someday, I hope to hear, "No reputable vet will declaw a cat!"
AC
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A laser declaw is just as inhumane, because the results are the same. The cat is crippled for life.Originally Posted by buffalo-mitch
I am getting my first cat ever (first pet for that matter)I really want one and we already have a kitten lined up from a farm and be an 8 week old kitten striaght from its mother when we get it. It will be "fixed" and have all necessary shots. Mittens (which I hope will be its name pending a judgement from my brat sister) will be a housecat and NEVER go outside. I know declawing is a terrible thing and I'm sure everyone on here is adamantly opposed but I am torn :/ My parents recently spent $7,000 on new furniture and want it protected (rightfully so). Ultimately they want the cat declawed, but are willing to give it a couple months to try and train the cat not too scratch the furniture. They also won't get a previously declawed shelter cat. What should I do? Just give in to an initial declaw? I heard laser declaw is more humane, can that be an option? Is there a "magic bullet" way not to get the cat to scratch the couches? HELP!
P.s.- Please don't just yell at me because I am considering a declaw
Declawing is cutting off the toes, bones, joint, muscles and ligaments. It is amputation.
Cats walk on their toes. When you cut the toes off, you cripple the cat. The cat can no longer walk properly, which puts strain on back and leg muscles. The cat can no longer stretch proper (they use their claws when they stretch) so the cat can never EVER get relief.
Declawing is illegal in many countries around the world, almost 30 countries, and eight cities so far in the USA, because it is considered inhumane.
Please read this site
http://www.declawing.com/htmls/declawing.htm
places where it is banned
http://www.declawing.com/htmls/outlawed.htm
And 9 cities, so far, in the USA.
West Hollywood, CA
Santa Monica, CA
Beverly Hills, CA
Berkeley, CA
Burbank, CA
Culver City, CA
Los Angeles, CA
San Francisco, CA
Norfolk, VA
Cats come with claws. Don't want to deal with it, don't get a cat.
Congratulations on your new pet and good luck on your driving test!!
I adopted Holland when she was a kitten - she was an older kitten at 5 months and had been at the shelter for two months already, so no furniture there. I have never had to redirect her scratching. I got her a scratching post the night I brought her home and she has never so much as put a claw to anything else (at least not intentionally - I always know when I've gone too long between nail trimmings when she "sticks" in the carpet"). Due to space and budget constraints she only has two small posts that come up to my knee or a little higher, and she uses them daily. I plan to get her a taller tree in the near future because I know she would enjoy the vertical space.
You should know that most kittens are immune to catnip, so sprinkling it on her scratching surfaces when she's young may not make a bit of difference. Something else I've found that Holland uses are these scratch mats:
http://common1.csnimages.com/lf/1/ha...tching-Mat.jpg
They're much cheaper than posts and you can move them around between rooms. I was worried that having a couple would make her think it's OK to scratch my carpet, but it hasn't in the least. I agree with the others that you should not allow her to scratch on old furniture as it would just confuse her what is OK and what is not.
I hope you stick around these forums, we'd love to see pictures of Mittens when you bring her home. It's a great place for advice, too, Holland is my first cat and I've gotten a ton of good advice here. You are going to have a lot of fun with your new addition!
I adopted Holland when she was a kitten - she was an older kitten at 5 months and had been at the shelter for two months already, so no furniture there. I have never had to redirect her scratching. I got her a scratching post the night I brought her home and she has never so much as put a claw to anything else (at least not intentionally - I always know when I've gone too long between nail trimmings when she "sticks" in the carpet"). Due to space and budget constraints she only has two small posts that come up to my knee or a little higher, and she uses them daily. I plan to get her a taller tree in the near future because I know she would enjoy the vertical space.
You should know that most kittens are immune to catnip, so sprinkling it on her scratching surfaces when she's young may not make a bit of difference. Something else I've found that Holland uses are these scratch mats:
http://common1.csnimages.com/lf/1/ha...tching-Mat.jpg
They're much cheaper than posts and you can move them around between rooms. I was worried that having a couple would make her think it's OK to scratch my carpet, but it hasn't in the least. I agree with the others that you should not allow her to scratch on old furniture as it would just confuse her what is OK and what is not.
I hope you stick around these forums, we'd love to see pictures of Mittens when you bring her home. It's a great place for advice, too, Holland is my first cat and I've gotten a ton of good advice here. You are going to have a lot of fun with your new addition!
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I agree but according to the OP her mother thinks "shelter cats are nasty".
1) every cat is different. Train the cat(s) to use their own scratchers. Provide a variety of scratching surfaces, cardbooard and sisal being the favorites. They need a large piece (often called a cat tree) for jumping and climing on, plus a flat one, and a curved one
2) It's not just the claws that are removed, It is amputation of the last digit of the toe, bone, muscle, nerve, tendons and joint. It cripples the cat.
Removal of the hind claws is the ultimate of cruelty. Imagine never being able to scratch an itch.
3) if the furniture remains in the basement, they will know the difference. But just provide them with the appropriate scratchers.
Behavior problems with decalwing may or may not happen. However, there is no getting around the fact that the cat will be crippled for life, and will have pain for life.
Cats are the masters of hiding pain. They don't show pain unless they are suffering so bad they can no longer hide it. So even cats who have no behavior problems due to declawing, they still have pain. You just don't do that to something you supposedly love.
Some people here say "it's just what you did in those days". I really find that strange. I am over 50 years old, grew up with cats and our cats were never declawed. I never even heard of it until I was in my twenties. The first time I ever heard of a declawed cat I was so shocked I threw up.
It still makes me physically nauseous to see posts like this.
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- #36
Well sorry :/ I didnt mean to offend anyone by the post
And I know almost all shelter cats that are adoptable are just as sweet and nice as any other cat but my mom is still uncomfrotable with a shelter cat (and seeing the burger the cat video didnt help her). Besides, we did find our kitten and if we didnt take her she wouldnt have been spayed and then had more kittens and eventually either she or her kittens would end up in a shelter
I will probably just keep it away from all furniture just to be safe. I have plenty more questions to ask and you guys have been heplful thusfar so I will probably post a new thread with all the countless questions I have
By the way: I got my license
And I know almost all shelter cats that are adoptable are just as sweet and nice as any other cat but my mom is still uncomfrotable with a shelter cat (and seeing the burger the cat video didnt help her). Besides, we did find our kitten and if we didnt take her she wouldnt have been spayed and then had more kittens and eventually either she or her kittens would end up in a shelter
I will probably just keep it away from all furniture just to be safe. I have plenty more questions to ask and you guys have been heplful thusfar so I will probably post a new thread with all the countless questions I have
By the way: I got my license
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- #38
Ok, I didnt mean it like I will totally bar its entry from the living room!
I meant I will use tin foil and double stick tape to keep it from scratching.
Also, can people please stop telling me I sohuldnt get a pet. I'm not here telling everyone how to live their lives
I meant I will use tin foil and double stick tape to keep it from scratching.
Also, can people please stop telling me I sohuldnt get a pet. I'm not here telling everyone how to live their lives
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- #40
Well double stick tape peels off pretty well if you get a kind with a bit less adhesive and the foil just sits on top so...
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