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#11
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wrote in message ... Well, I posted here many months ago regarding a stray that we decided to spay and keep. She turned into a beautiful cat with a nice shiny coat. First, good for you for not declawing. Second, if you read that far in this group, you can read a bit farther and learn how to TRAIN your cat. Every time we get a new upholstered piece I pin foil to the corners for a couple of weeks, then spray one of those citrusy sprays cats hate ( cat repellents,try Petsmart) regularly. If I catch them in the act I pick them up, tell them NO, and place them by a nice scratching post (of a pad if it's a rug) and take their little paws and gently go thought he motion and say "Gooood girl! Good Girl!" This is a great time to give a treat, too. Then PUT a scratching post or pad near the spot. Make sure it has catnip or bells or a toy so your cat will prefer it. Cats can learn! Remember, your baby wants to please you. If the cat tends to scratch something in a room where you often sit, you can also keep a water gun or spray bottle there and give her a squirt when you catch her in the act. Don't give your dear cat away. Train her! |
#12
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wrote in message ... Now I'm not sure what to do. I absolutely will not tolerate destruction of our carpet or furniture. We already raised two babies that vomited on or marked with markers everything we own. We finally have a nice house now, and I won't stand by and watch a cat shred it. Should we try to find her another home? We tried before, and failed. If you bring her inside she'll probably live a longer and healthier life. Have you tried to teach her to use a scratching post? A little time, effort and basic understanding about choosing scratching posts and where to put them is all it takes. Here're some tips from an expert: http://www.maxshouse.com/understanding_scratching.htm ...and there's trimming claws: http://www.maxshouse.com/Claw%20Trimming.htm ....and how to enrich her indoor environment which will significantly decrease the risk of inappropriate scratching. Many cats scratch inappropriately simply because they're stressed because they don't have anywhere to play and climb and scratch. http://www.maxshouse.com/Healthy+Happy_Indoors.htm http://www.maxshouse.com/facts_about_declawing.htm |
#13
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wrote in message ... Now I'm not sure what to do. I absolutely will not tolerate destruction of our carpet or furniture. We already raised two babies that vomited on or marked with markers everything we own. We finally have a nice house now, and I won't stand by and watch a cat shred it. Should we try to find her another home? We tried before, and failed. If you bring her inside she'll probably live a longer and healthier life. Have you tried to teach her to use a scratching post? A little time, effort and basic understanding about choosing scratching posts and where to put them is all it takes. Here're some tips from an expert: http://www.maxshouse.com/understanding_scratching.htm ...and there's trimming claws: http://www.maxshouse.com/Claw%20Trimming.htm ....and how to enrich her indoor environment which will significantly decrease the risk of inappropriate scratching. Many cats scratch inappropriately simply because they're stressed because they don't have anywhere to play and climb and scratch. http://www.maxshouse.com/Healthy+Happy_Indoors.htm http://www.maxshouse.com/facts_about_declawing.htm |
#14
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On Sun, 2 Nov 2003 10:03:43 -0600, "MaryL"
-OUT-THE-LITTER wrote: wrote in message .. . Well, I posted here many months ago regarding a stray that we decided to spay and keep. She turned into a beautiful cat with a nice shiny coat. She's still outside, and she sleeps on the deck in a nice little shingled house that I built for her. She's a good mouser, and we live next to a cornfield, o she get alot of hunting in. People keep telling me I should just make the leap and bring her into the house. I had always just assumed that declawing was a "normal" part of owning an indoor cat. I'm glad a sifted through the many posts and opinions. I didn't realize that so many people consider it to be a horrible mutilation. I was also interested to read the data regarding the effect on behavior (soiling, etc.) Now I'm not sure what to do. I absolutely will not tolerate destruction of our carpet or furniture. We already raised two babies that vomited on or marked with markers everything we own. We finally have a nice house now, and I won't stand by and watch a cat shred it. Should we try to find her another home? We tried before, and failed. Mitch, I have had indoor-only cats for 40 years. Only one of them was declawed (and that was done before I adopted her). I also have some very nice furniture. None of it is damaged on scratched. Some of it is furniture that goes back to my parents' wedding (literally! -- my grandparents' wedding gift to my parents) or to my childhood. Some of it is antique furniture that I bought over the last 35 years, and some of it is relatively new. You can see some of it if you will look at the links to my cats below (although I was trying to show off my cats and not my furniture). The point I am trying to make is that you can have *both* clawed cats *and* nice furniture. It is not necessary to give up either one. I have found that it is easy to train a cat to use a scratching post, although you will need to be vigilant and consistent for the first couple of weeks. You should also have a selection of scratching posts of different types and textures until you learn what the cat likes (sisal, carpet, even cardboard -- and possibly a mounted tree trunk/limb since your cat has been an outdoor cat). Place the scratching posts in various rooms in the house, and you may even want to have a good cat tree. All of these can be attractive and do not need to be "eyesores." An indoor cat probably will throw up a furball occasionally, but that can be cleaned. I trained each of mine to use a scratching post by the use of positive reinforcement and by making it somewhat of a game. I would watch carefully to see any sign that the cat was going to scratch, then would say "no," and either go to the scratching post and tap on it while calling my cat or would even pick up the cat and carry him or her to the post. I would frequently pull a string up the sides of the post (sometimes with a toy tied to the end of the string). Sometimes I would even scratch with my own fingernails until the cat did the same. As soon as the cat would begin to scratch on the post, I would praise excessively. Some people have found it helpful to rub catnip into the post, but it has not been helpful in my experience (in fact, I had one cat that would simply rub his head on the post if it was embedded with catnip). It never took more than a couple of weeks for my cats to be completely trained to a scratching post -- it is really almost "second nature" to them, and the primary need is to find the type of post that is to their liking. Some cats prefer upright posts (which is what all of mine like), while some prefer horizontal. Some like sisal (again, I would say this seems to be the "preferred" substance), while others will like other surfaces. Make sure that the posts are very sturdy (especially uprights) because a cat could become frightened and refuse to use it if one topples as the cat scratches vigorously. Many of the commercial scratching posts are much too short and lightweight. PetSmart has some very good ones. It is also a good idea to trim your cat's claws occasionally. Get good-quality trimmers that are made especially for this function. Some people even use "soft claws," but I have no experience with them. Good luck! And thank you for making the decision not to declaw. MaryL (take out the litter to reply) Photos of Duffy and Holly: 'o' http://tinyurl.com/8y54 (Introducing Duffy to Holly) http://tinyurl.com/8y56 (Duffy and Holly "settle in") Your posts are always informative and interesting -- I also admire your patience. When Princess (RB) came to me as a stray, I covered my couch and living room chairs with sheet plastic and left it there until the furniture was no longer of interest. She wore out a scratching post. TuTu has never bothered the furniture but she, too, has worn out her post. I either need to recover it or get a new one.I love to read about Duffy and friends. Good luck. MLB |
#15
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On Sun, 2 Nov 2003 10:03:43 -0600, "MaryL"
-OUT-THE-LITTER wrote: wrote in message .. . Well, I posted here many months ago regarding a stray that we decided to spay and keep. She turned into a beautiful cat with a nice shiny coat. She's still outside, and she sleeps on the deck in a nice little shingled house that I built for her. She's a good mouser, and we live next to a cornfield, o she get alot of hunting in. People keep telling me I should just make the leap and bring her into the house. I had always just assumed that declawing was a "normal" part of owning an indoor cat. I'm glad a sifted through the many posts and opinions. I didn't realize that so many people consider it to be a horrible mutilation. I was also interested to read the data regarding the effect on behavior (soiling, etc.) Now I'm not sure what to do. I absolutely will not tolerate destruction of our carpet or furniture. We already raised two babies that vomited on or marked with markers everything we own. We finally have a nice house now, and I won't stand by and watch a cat shred it. Should we try to find her another home? We tried before, and failed. Mitch, I have had indoor-only cats for 40 years. Only one of them was declawed (and that was done before I adopted her). I also have some very nice furniture. None of it is damaged on scratched. Some of it is furniture that goes back to my parents' wedding (literally! -- my grandparents' wedding gift to my parents) or to my childhood. Some of it is antique furniture that I bought over the last 35 years, and some of it is relatively new. You can see some of it if you will look at the links to my cats below (although I was trying to show off my cats and not my furniture). The point I am trying to make is that you can have *both* clawed cats *and* nice furniture. It is not necessary to give up either one. I have found that it is easy to train a cat to use a scratching post, although you will need to be vigilant and consistent for the first couple of weeks. You should also have a selection of scratching posts of different types and textures until you learn what the cat likes (sisal, carpet, even cardboard -- and possibly a mounted tree trunk/limb since your cat has been an outdoor cat). Place the scratching posts in various rooms in the house, and you may even want to have a good cat tree. All of these can be attractive and do not need to be "eyesores." An indoor cat probably will throw up a furball occasionally, but that can be cleaned. I trained each of mine to use a scratching post by the use of positive reinforcement and by making it somewhat of a game. I would watch carefully to see any sign that the cat was going to scratch, then would say "no," and either go to the scratching post and tap on it while calling my cat or would even pick up the cat and carry him or her to the post. I would frequently pull a string up the sides of the post (sometimes with a toy tied to the end of the string). Sometimes I would even scratch with my own fingernails until the cat did the same. As soon as the cat would begin to scratch on the post, I would praise excessively. Some people have found it helpful to rub catnip into the post, but it has not been helpful in my experience (in fact, I had one cat that would simply rub his head on the post if it was embedded with catnip). It never took more than a couple of weeks for my cats to be completely trained to a scratching post -- it is really almost "second nature" to them, and the primary need is to find the type of post that is to their liking. Some cats prefer upright posts (which is what all of mine like), while some prefer horizontal. Some like sisal (again, I would say this seems to be the "preferred" substance), while others will like other surfaces. Make sure that the posts are very sturdy (especially uprights) because a cat could become frightened and refuse to use it if one topples as the cat scratches vigorously. Many of the commercial scratching posts are much too short and lightweight. PetSmart has some very good ones. It is also a good idea to trim your cat's claws occasionally. Get good-quality trimmers that are made especially for this function. Some people even use "soft claws," but I have no experience with them. Good luck! And thank you for making the decision not to declaw. MaryL (take out the litter to reply) Photos of Duffy and Holly: 'o' http://tinyurl.com/8y54 (Introducing Duffy to Holly) http://tinyurl.com/8y56 (Duffy and Holly "settle in") Your posts are always informative and interesting -- I also admire your patience. When Princess (RB) came to me as a stray, I covered my couch and living room chairs with sheet plastic and left it there until the furniture was no longer of interest. She wore out a scratching post. TuTu has never bothered the furniture but she, too, has worn out her post. I either need to recover it or get a new one.I love to read about Duffy and friends. Good luck. MLB |
#16
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"m. L. Briggs" wrote in message ... Your posts are always informative and interesting -- I also admire your patience. When Princess (RB) came to me as a stray, I covered my couch and living room chairs with sheet plastic and left it there until the furniture was no longer of interest. She wore out a scratching post. TuTu has never bothered the furniture but she, too, has worn out her post. I either need to recover it or get a new one.I love to read about Duffy and friends. Good luck. MLB Thanks very much. I appreciate the compliments. I really have been fortunate. My cats have never caused damage. In fact, I have only had 3 or 4 broken items in all these years. Each of my cats has demanded lots of attention, but I enjoy that as much as they do. Right now, Holly is busy marching back and forth in front of the computer monitor (which she does with great regularity as soon as I start typing). She instinctively knows where my attention is and is very adept at directing it back to the "correct" place -- that is, to her! MaryL |
#17
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"m. L. Briggs" wrote in message ... Your posts are always informative and interesting -- I also admire your patience. When Princess (RB) came to me as a stray, I covered my couch and living room chairs with sheet plastic and left it there until the furniture was no longer of interest. She wore out a scratching post. TuTu has never bothered the furniture but she, too, has worn out her post. I either need to recover it or get a new one.I love to read about Duffy and friends. Good luck. MLB Thanks very much. I appreciate the compliments. I really have been fortunate. My cats have never caused damage. In fact, I have only had 3 or 4 broken items in all these years. Each of my cats has demanded lots of attention, but I enjoy that as much as they do. Right now, Holly is busy marching back and forth in front of the computer monitor (which she does with great regularity as soon as I start typing). She instinctively knows where my attention is and is very adept at directing it back to the "correct" place -- that is, to her! MaryL |
#18
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"m. L. Briggs" wrote in message ... Your posts are always informative and interesting -- I also admire your patience. When Princess (RB) came to me as a stray, I covered my couch and living room chairs with sheet plastic and left it there until the furniture was no longer of interest. She wore out a scratching post. TuTu has never bothered the furniture but she, too, has worn out her post. I either need to recover it or get a new one.I love to read about Duffy and friends. Good luck. MLB Extending the theme of this thread, it suddenly occurred to me that I should have mentioned one cat that caused damage. As I said in my earlier message, I have always been very fortunate in that none of my cats broke things or were deliberately destructive. The one cat that caused damage to the carpeting was also the only cat that had been declawed (four-paw declawed, before I adopted her), and I always attributed the problem to the fact that she had been declawed. Starting at about the age of 13 years, she began to urinate outside the litter box. UTI was ruled out, but this was also approximately the same time that her blood work first began to show signs of liver damage. I felt that her failure to use a litter box was probably due to the fact that she did not have claws. That, in combination with the onset of arthritis, probably caused pain when she would try to scratch in the litter box. I searched for the very softest litter I could find, and that helped -- but did not cure -- the problem. For awhile, I would cover areas where she would urinate outside the litter box. When it became clear that this was going to be an ongoing problem, I just let her use the spot she preferred and I cleaned it as best I could. She was a dear, sweet cat, and I did not consider this to be a deliberate or malicious act. I considered it to be a medical problem brought on by age, illness (advancing liver disease), and pain when trying to scratch in the litter box. After she died, I had that portion of the carpeting and padding replaced. We also sealed the concrete floor underneath and even replaced some carpet tack (strip) where the urine had seeped into the wood. I had a great veterinarian, and I gave her the best care I could. She lived for another 3 years, although she had originally been given only a few more months to live. I will forever be grateful for those extra years, and it was well worth the odor and damaged carpet. That little angel should never have been exposed to the brutality of declawing. MaryL |
#19
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"m. L. Briggs" wrote in message ... Your posts are always informative and interesting -- I also admire your patience. When Princess (RB) came to me as a stray, I covered my couch and living room chairs with sheet plastic and left it there until the furniture was no longer of interest. She wore out a scratching post. TuTu has never bothered the furniture but she, too, has worn out her post. I either need to recover it or get a new one.I love to read about Duffy and friends. Good luck. MLB Extending the theme of this thread, it suddenly occurred to me that I should have mentioned one cat that caused damage. As I said in my earlier message, I have always been very fortunate in that none of my cats broke things or were deliberately destructive. The one cat that caused damage to the carpeting was also the only cat that had been declawed (four-paw declawed, before I adopted her), and I always attributed the problem to the fact that she had been declawed. Starting at about the age of 13 years, she began to urinate outside the litter box. UTI was ruled out, but this was also approximately the same time that her blood work first began to show signs of liver damage. I felt that her failure to use a litter box was probably due to the fact that she did not have claws. That, in combination with the onset of arthritis, probably caused pain when she would try to scratch in the litter box. I searched for the very softest litter I could find, and that helped -- but did not cure -- the problem. For awhile, I would cover areas where she would urinate outside the litter box. When it became clear that this was going to be an ongoing problem, I just let her use the spot she preferred and I cleaned it as best I could. She was a dear, sweet cat, and I did not consider this to be a deliberate or malicious act. I considered it to be a medical problem brought on by age, illness (advancing liver disease), and pain when trying to scratch in the litter box. After she died, I had that portion of the carpeting and padding replaced. We also sealed the concrete floor underneath and even replaced some carpet tack (strip) where the urine had seeped into the wood. I had a great veterinarian, and I gave her the best care I could. She lived for another 3 years, although she had originally been given only a few more months to live. I will forever be grateful for those extra years, and it was well worth the odor and damaged carpet. That little angel should never have been exposed to the brutality of declawing. MaryL |
#20
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If the choice is mutilating the cat or finding her another home, then absolutely find her another home. I'm not saying that I strongly feel declawing is "WRONG!!!!!" :-), but I am going to look into it more before doing it. After all, animals are animals. Maybe they were never meant to be domesticated at all. Maybe getting her declawed is better than having her sleep out in the rain and snow. Roy sure thought his tiger was "trained." All the cat owners I know have a very casual attitude towards it, like it's nothing. So I was ready to follow suit, but decided to research it. Poor cat is looking at me through the sliding door: "Make up your mind, ya freakin' jerk!" |
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