Re: Soft Paws

[[email protected]]

In rec.pets.cats.health+behav Tara > wrote:
> This, IMO, is more the equivalent of asking how to go about dealing with
> a dog who is particularly hard to housebreak. Some dogs housebreak
> easily, some are incredibly difficult. Just because someone is having a
> harder time with theirs than you had with yours doesn't make them lazy,
> nor does it make them unconcerned.

Once agian, I was responding to who I quoted to...

And anyways, when I said that I had more in mind people getting dogs and
then wondering why they were chewing things up, or wanting to stick the
dog in a crate for 8 hours! Or buying dogs without doing any sort of
research on the breed they get or even on how to care for the dog! (or
cat).

Or just getting whatever pet they can get first or if it looks cool with
no regard to whether they can care for the pet or if they are even
supporting thigns like puppy mills.

> I hope she never gets another pet of *any* kind. But these examples and
> your subsequent labeling of *all* people experiencing difficulty is
> pretty misplaced. You're defining anyone who asks how to resolve an
> issue as though they were the above extreme examples....and they're just
> not the same.

No, I'm just pointing out examples of why I have such a low opinion of
most people in general. I just feel that at least 50% of people with pets
treat them like throwaway objects. As I have said, i wasn't using this to
direct this at any person on this thread, the commetn the person I quoted
made me feel like ranting on something that has been bothering me.

If it makes you feel better I applaud people who actually look liek they
are generally interested in learning how to train their pets and get along
with them. But I find they are far too few. A lot just want magical cures
(like wanting barking collars to cure their dogs barking without having to
work witht he dog themselves).

Alice

--
The root cause of problems is simple overpopulation. People just aren't
worth very much any more, and they know it. Makes 'em testy. ...Bev
|\ _,,,---,,_ Tigress
/,`.-'`' -. ;-;;,_ http://havoc.gtf.gatech.edu/tigress
|,4- ) )-,_..;\ ( `'-'
'---''(_/--' `-'\_) Cat by Felix Lee.

[*~*SooZy*~*]

"Joe" > wrote in message
...
> "P.D." > wrote:
>
> > I tried to train my cats, and they are just stubborn,
>
> Cats need to use their claws.
>
> Lean a carpet wrapped 2x4 against something and put their dry food at the
> top of the climb. Let them know the food is up there. Then you have
> solved the stubborn problem, they have to eat. Conceivably, there is a
> point at which the climb can be made long enough so that they will be too
> tired to scratch anything else. In any case, the perpetual climbing
> constantly reminds them that the carpet wrapped 2x4s are great for
> scratching. My cats quickly figure out they are for scratching,
> really sinking their claws into, and having fun. You might have to adjust
> for a weaker cat.
>
> Good luck.
>
> Out.
>
> LShaping

that's a brilliant idea, good thinking :-)

[*~*SooZy*~*]

"P.D." > wrote in message
. net...
> are you brain dead? I said I tried training, I spend a lot of time
trying,
> my cats just don't respond to it.


excuse me if you go back to the first posting of soft post it say
<copy and pasted>

After reading about declawing, I decided not to do it. I wanted to know if
anyone here uses "Soft Paws"? Are they hard to apply? Do they really work?
Cats don't get them off by scratching them allot of scratching posts or
anything?

thanks


--
--
Steve

its doesn't say anything there about you had tried training already, hence
my reply!

[Joe]

Laura A. Robinson > wrote:
> Joe ) said,

>> Why not clip the cat's claws?

> If you'd like, I can post pictures of my cats' very short,
> very *sharp* claws.

Go ahead and post pictures, please. I will take a look. Thanks.

[Tara]

*~*SooZy*~* wrote:
> "P.D." > wrote in message
> . net...
>
>>are you brain dead? I said I tried training, I spend a lot of time
>
> trying,
>
>>my cats just don't respond to it.
>
>
>
> excuse me if you go back to the first posting of soft post it say
> <copy and pasted>

And in one of the next posts he wrote in the thread, he mentioned having
tried training.

I'm extremely glad he's decided against having his cats toes cut off,
but some of the posts in this thread really seem misplaced and unfair.

Tara

[Tara]

wrote:
> In rec.pets.cats.health+behav Tara > wrote:
>
>>This, IMO, is more the equivalent of asking how to go about dealing with
>>a dog who is particularly hard to housebreak. Some dogs housebreak
>>easily, some are incredibly difficult. Just because someone is having a
>>harder time with theirs than you had with yours doesn't make them lazy,
>>nor does it make them unconcerned.
>
>
> Once agian, I was responding to who I quoted to...

I read that in other posts and understand that's what you *meant*. What
came across was entirely different.

Given the context (someone ranting about why would anyone use something
as stupid as SoftPaws), your reply *did* appear to be answering that
question.

As I said, I certainly understand the out of context and out of place
rant, but then please understand when people read it *in* context rather
than the out of context way you may have intended it.

Tara

[Cathy Friedmann]

"Laura A. Robinson" > wrote in message
.net...
> circa Tue, 01 Jul 2003 20:01:44 -0400, in rec.pets.cats.health+behav,
> Tara ) said,
> > but some of the posts in this thread really seem misplaced and unfair.
> >
> Some of the posters here are much more concerned with furthering
> their own agendas than with actually reading what is written and
> evaluating it on its own merits. And then there are the just-plain-
> freaks like ol' Joe there.
>
> Laura

I just noticed that "Joe" is "L Shaping" - shades from the past...

Cathy

--
"Staccato signals of constant information..."
("The Boy in the Bubble") Paul Simon

[Tara]

Laura A. Robinson wrote:
> circa Tue, 01 Jul 2003 20:01:44 -0400, in rec.pets.cats.health+behav,
> Tara ) said,
>
>>but some of the posts in this thread really seem misplaced and unfair.
>>
>
> Some of the posters here are much more concerned with furthering
> their own agendas than with actually reading what is written and
> evaluating it on its own merits. And then there are the just-plain-
> freaks like ol' Joe there.

Yeah, I read that little exchange there.

All I can say is you'll fit right in here in NYC. heh heh heh.

Tara

[Tara]

Cathy Friedmann wrote:
> "Laura A. Robinson" > wrote in message
> .net...
>
>>circa Tue, 01 Jul 2003 20:01:44 -0400, in rec.pets.cats.health+behav,
>>Tara ) said,
>>
>>>but some of the posts in this thread really seem misplaced and unfair.
>>>
>>
>>Some of the posters here are much more concerned with furthering
>>their own agendas than with actually reading what is written and
>>evaluating it on its own merits. And then there are the just-plain-
>>freaks like ol' Joe there.
>>
>>Laura
>
>
> I just noticed that "Joe" is "L Shaping" - shades from the past...

I don't get the reference.

Tara

[*~*SooZy*~*]

"Tara" > wrote in message
...
> *~*SooZy*~* wrote:
> > "P.D." > wrote in message
> > . net...
> >
> >>are you brain dead? I said I tried training, I spend a lot of time
> >
> > trying,
> >
> >>my cats just don't respond to it.
> >
> >
> >
> > excuse me if you go back to the first posting of soft post it say
> > <copy and pasted>
>
> And in one of the next posts he wrote in the thread, he mentioned having
> tried training.
>
> I'm extremely glad he's decided against having his cats toes cut off,
> but some of the posts in this thread really seem misplaced and unfair.
>
> Tara
>

yes, very true but I had already replied by then! if you check the posts
and times you will see that.... It's just some people don't even try to
train their cats just find a fast and easy way to stop them, and it makes me
cross! if training has been tired and not worked for them ok maybe you need
to use another method!

[*~*SooZy*~*]

"Tara" > wrote in message
...
> wrote:
> > In rec.pets.cats.health+behav Tara > wrote:
> >
> >>This, IMO, is more the equivalent of asking how to go about dealing with
> >>a dog who is particularly hard to housebreak. Some dogs housebreak
> >>easily, some are incredibly difficult. Just because someone is having a
> >>harder time with theirs than you had with yours doesn't make them lazy,
> >>nor does it make them unconcerned.
> >
> >
> > Once agian, I was responding to who I quoted to...
>
> I read that in other posts and understand that's what you *meant*. What
> came across was entirely different.
>
> Given the context (someone ranting about why would anyone use something
> as stupid as SoftPaws), your reply *did* appear to be answering that
> question.
>
> As I said, I certainly understand the out of context and out of place
> rant, but then please understand when people read it *in* context rather
> than the out of context way you may have intended it.
>
> Tara
>

Ok Tara sorry, what I was meaning is people should try training rather than
just using soft paws! after reading my post again, I realise the way I had
worded it was completely wrong.
I have read up about soft paws since and realising the cats can still climb,
nail contract etc, so it really doesn't make much difference to them, so
maybe they are a good idea... shame about the colours of them tho! LOL

[Tara]

Laura A. Robinson wrote:
> circa Tue, 01 Jul 2003 23:16:13 -0400, in rec.pets.cats.health+behav,
> Tara ) said,
>
>>>Some of the posters here are much more concerned with furthering
>>>their own agendas than with actually reading what is written and
>>>evaluating it on its own merits. And then there are the just-plain-
>>>freaks like ol' Joe there.
>>
>>Yeah, I read that little exchange there.
>>
>>All I can say is you'll fit right in here in NYC. heh heh heh.
>>
>>
>
> <snork> I was feeling grumpy. ;-)

Hey....happens to the best of us. heh

> P.S. Signed the lease yesterday.

CONGRATS!!! That's got to be a relief.

> For pics (I'm going to be doing a
> lot of painting and stripping of wood):

Isn't your landlord going to paint it for you?

> http://www.dotphoto.com/go.asp?l=geekwench&AID=870568&Pres=Y

COOL!

I notice you have a skylight. I'm only *slightly* jealous of that. (ok,
more than slightly). The fact that your hallway is bigger than my whole
studio is....well, my cats saw it and they'll be calling you tomorrow I
think. Something about switching loyalties....couldn't tell as they were
grumbling and giving me shifty eyed glances.

And, I've never heard of a server room?

Gorgeous place! I love prewar buildings.

I'm assuming the cats approved :-)

Tara

[Karen M.]

"P.D." > wrote in message >...
> I tried to train my cats, and they are just stubborn, they won't scratch the
> furniture when I am home, but when I go out they do. I make a big issue
> over it because it destroys my stuff and make my home look like a slum.
>
> > I can't understand why people make such a big issue over cats and
> > scratching... why get a cat in the first place if you aren't prepared to
> > train it properly!
> >

P.D.,

I think you may be looking for a solution to the wrong problem - you
said the cats scratch when you go out. Is it possible they are
scratching out of displeasure for your leaving? Are you gone a lot?
Are they getting enough physical and mental stimulation when you are
home? Perhaps 20-30 minutes of hard play time before you leave would
tire them out and make them more inclined to sleep than scratch. Also,
there's something call "Feliway", a synthetic cat pheromone which
helps calm cats down. It could be they experience anxiety when you
leave and that is why they are scratching.

My cats (all taught this by my matriarch cat, Audrey) scratch on
furniture and rugs to show displeasure or gain attention. Total
negative attention getting! :)
And it works everytime, because I of course make a beeline for
whatever cat is doing it. Smart little suckers. Anyway, some food for
thought. I've never used Smart Paws myself, so I can't comment on
that. Personally, if you can nip the inappropriate scratching in the
bud, I think that would be the best way to go. Good luck!

Karen

[Marilyn Ratcheson Stern]

On Thu, 03 Jul 2003 03:36:45 GMT, Laura A. Robinson
> wrote:

>P.S. Signed the lease yesterday. For pics (I'm going to be doing a
>lot of painting and stripping of wood):
>
> http://www.dotphoto.com/go.asp?l=geekwench&AID=870568&Pres=Y

That apartment is just beautiful! I'm sure your cats will be very
pleased. Good luck!

-Marilyn