PawsForThought wrote:

From: Katra

MaryL wrote:

"Relish" wrote in message
...
MaryL wrote:
"Katra" wrote in message
...

I have some cats that you can pick up by the tail and all they will do
is whine a bit. They won't scratch or bite, even with rough handling.

K.



This thread is getting overly long, so I just saw this message. What
you
have described here (picking a cat up by its tail) is dangerous to the
cat.
The tail is an extension of the spinal column, and you can do great
damage
to the cat by picking it up by the tail.

MaryL



I don't think she was being literal. I think she was just
exaggerating to make a point.


You are probably correct. I reacted because this is a favorite form of
abuse among some children, and I would like to get the point across that
cats should *never, never* be pulled of lifted by their tails. This is
something that parents should emphasize with their children. (Of course,
I'm probably "preaching to the choir" by posting to a group of cat lovers.)

MaryL

Picking up an animal by the tail can literally "strip" the skin off of
ANY mammals tail. Leaves them with bare muscle that must be amputated.

I merely mentioned this as an example of how loving and tolerant, and
tame many of my cats are...

I had a neighbor, Lynn, who, for awhile, did some housecleaning for me,
and she had two toddlers that routinely "abused" my cats when I was not
home...

So you knew her kids were "routintely" abusing your cats and you STILL allowed
her in your home????!!! The first time that happened to my cats, that person
and her kids would be gone! Your cats should not have been made to suffer just
because you wanted your house cleaned. Shows where your priorities are, now
doesn't it?

Lighten up. That is one of the major reasons I canned her....

Once she told me about it anyway.

I knew she had two kids so that is why I asked her to at least put Taz
and Diana in the bedroom. I don't trust toddlers as a general rule.


Got an e-mail from Sis', Shade is adjusting well to his declawing and
has FINALLY learned to run from the baby rather than having to be
aggressive. Sis refuses to feel guilty, while I do. sigh She was so
spooked by the scratch across the baby's eye incident.

I'm glad to hear the cat is doing ok, but keep in mind it can sometimes take a
while for problems to show up like litterbox avoidance and/or biting and
aggression. But then this cat already had a supposed aggresion problem, so who
knows what will happen. It can also take years for declaw problems to show up,
especially the muscle atrophy and arthritis.

Lauren

Well, so far so good. :-)
I'll keep y'all updated.
He is jumping up on his favorite resting places again...
and using the litter box so far. It's only been a week
or so so I'm sure his poor paws are still sor. :-(

K.

--
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