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- Dec 15, 2017
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Our beautiful 18-year-old cat died 3 weeks ago, and the rock is gone from the pit of my stomach, but I still think about her about 15 times a day, and cry about half of the time that I think about her. She was part of our family and we are still grieving.
My husband and I would like to get a pair of litter mates or a bonded pair of adult cats. Here's our dilemma. I would rather have no cat at all than to declaw another cat. He would rather have no cat at all than to get a cat with claws. So far the only thing we have agreed on is no cat at all, and neither of us likes that idea. We would be willing to adopt a pair that has already been declawed and then surrendered to a shelter.
We have the house decorated for Christmas, and that's not a great time to introduce cats to a new environment. So I have some time, but I would like to have a game plan ready. I have done some reading about what kinds of scratching posts cats like the most (tall sturdy ones, with sisal, like the Ultimate Scratching Post). So, I have already ordered two Ultimate Scratching Posts - one for each floor. I also bought a cat tree with plenty of scratching places that are wrapped with sisal. I've also been reading about deterrents - aluminum foil, plastic rug protectors with the bottom side up, orange-scented stuff, spray stuff, etc.
Here's my question: our furnace room is not a bad place to be - area run on the floor in part of the room, not damp, no weird noises. I'm considering setting up a kitty living space there while our cats of the future get used to the scratching posts and they become a habit. I would need to spend a lot of time in there with them so they aren't just by themselves. I'd plan on playing with them near the scratching post, dangling toys near it, giving them treats when they use it, etc. Then after a few days of use, allow them access to the rest of the house.
Here's the thing - we have leather upholstery in the great room. Cover it up with blankets during the introduction to the rest of the house? I'm not sure about spraying leather with a cat deterrent. And should I buy multiple rolls of aluminum foil to protect table legs on the dining room table? Wait to see what they do?
I'd appreciate your thoughts.
My husband and I would like to get a pair of litter mates or a bonded pair of adult cats. Here's our dilemma. I would rather have no cat at all than to declaw another cat. He would rather have no cat at all than to get a cat with claws. So far the only thing we have agreed on is no cat at all, and neither of us likes that idea. We would be willing to adopt a pair that has already been declawed and then surrendered to a shelter.
We have the house decorated for Christmas, and that's not a great time to introduce cats to a new environment. So I have some time, but I would like to have a game plan ready. I have done some reading about what kinds of scratching posts cats like the most (tall sturdy ones, with sisal, like the Ultimate Scratching Post). So, I have already ordered two Ultimate Scratching Posts - one for each floor. I also bought a cat tree with plenty of scratching places that are wrapped with sisal. I've also been reading about deterrents - aluminum foil, plastic rug protectors with the bottom side up, orange-scented stuff, spray stuff, etc.
Here's my question: our furnace room is not a bad place to be - area run on the floor in part of the room, not damp, no weird noises. I'm considering setting up a kitty living space there while our cats of the future get used to the scratching posts and they become a habit. I would need to spend a lot of time in there with them so they aren't just by themselves. I'd plan on playing with them near the scratching post, dangling toys near it, giving them treats when they use it, etc. Then after a few days of use, allow them access to the rest of the house.
Here's the thing - we have leather upholstery in the great room. Cover it up with blankets during the introduction to the rest of the house? I'm not sure about spraying leather with a cat deterrent. And should I buy multiple rolls of aluminum foil to protect table legs on the dining room table? Wait to see what they do?
I'd appreciate your thoughts.