I need your sagely advice and wisdom again, people. Declaw or not declaw, that is my question.

Meghan Noecker friesian zoocrewphoto.com wrote:

On Fri, 28 Sep 2007 07:06:56 -0500, "-Lost" maventheextrawords
techie.com wrote:

Now, for the rest of your response... um... you have to clip kitty
claws?

Yes if they're too sharp for you and yours. It's usually much more
difficult the first time. Funny though, I took in a stray tomcat and
the first time couldn't have been easier unless he had gotten the
clippers for me. He was very thin but he must've been spoiled by his
prior owner, he's a great house cat. The second clipping was less
acceptable, it's like he figured out what I was doing. I do expect
it to get easier from this point on though.

Yes, if a cat does not wear them down fast enough, which is
unlikely in a house setting, they can curl around and go into the
pad of the food. This is rare with cats,

In an inactive environment, more likely a cat will periodically shed
its claws. She grabs the the claw between her teeth and prys the
outer shell loose. If the room is quiet enough, you can hear the
claw parts creaking like wood as they are being pulled apart. Or
maybe she's just a nailbiter (kidding).

















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NNTP-Posting-Date: Fri, 28 Sep 2007 21:10:52 -0500
From: Meghan Noecker friesian zoocrewphoto.com
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats.health+behav
Subject: I need your sagely advice and wisdom again, people. Declaw or not declaw, that is my question.
Date: Fri, 28 Sep 2007 19:10:40 -0700
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On 29 Sep, 02:14, (---MIKE---) wrote:
At least the picture of the sheaths is proof that I have not declawed my
cats. Would you like to see my whisker collection?

---MIKE---In the White Mountains of New Hampshire

(44° 15' N - Elevation 1580')

LOl, LoL LOL
I thought I was the only person in the world that collected whiskers,
LMAO?!!!
Now I know different. My longest one so fat is 5.6 inches long, & it
belonged to Biffy the Birman. When Lilly arrived here, she was totally
whisker-less. Her siblings used to chew them off! Now she has nice fat
long ones around 4.6 inches long(average!!). Nice to meet a fellow
"weirdo", if that's what we are?!!


Sheelagh"o"

On 28 Sep, 19:36, "-Lost" wrote:
Response from "Sheelagh o" :

De-clawing a cat is like chopping each digit off @ the first
knuckle. Whoever told you it is a must, is either ignorant, or
cruel, yet handing out advice on something they are not fully
informed about. We have endless questions about declawing, & it is
always a passionate subject!

I see that! CatNipped gave me a wonderfully informative article on
it that brought tears to my eyes. I expect it will do the same when
I show the rest of the family when they get home.

I'm not sure if anyone has mentioned this yet, but if you are
worride about clawing,

Actually, was not REALLY worried about, only slightly. But I do not
consider her destructive in the least.

I was however under the false impression that it was healthier (for
lack of better word) for the kitty.

there are two products that will help your cat. 1: Lots of
scratching posts to stretch out their full body length,

Done! I have provided her a scratching post, a portable scratching
wall, and also a scratch/climb.

2: & also there is a new product on the market, that evades me
right now (It will come to me @ 4 am no doubt!!), but it is like a
rubber substance that you can paint on all claws, that will stop
the effect of side swiped by your cat who might be waiting to play
pounce with you. You just paint it on like nail polish. I hear it
is very effective. Perhaps someone else could provide a link to
the product I am referring to if they can remember the name of it?
I hope this helps,

Is it this?

http://www.softclaws.com/

This looks promising.

Thanks for the help, Sheelagh "o".

--
-Lost
Remove the extra words to reply by e-mail. Don't e-mail me. I am
kidding. No I am not.

You are most welcome, & yes, you have the product spot on. I couldn't
think of the product name, but you seem to have found it easily
enough. Well done )
Sheelagh "o"

"---MIKE---" wrote in message
...
http://albums.photo.epson.com/j/View...e=0&re s=high


Very impressive!

I used SoftClaws and was very disappointed. Maybe I messed up putting them on,
(although I did exactly as it said). But about 6 months ago I put them on
Lucky and he was playing and got his paw painfully stuck under the
refrigerator and stove( Two separate occasions). Turns out that the softclaw
was a little elevated over the nail so there was kind of a lip on it and it
caused his paw to be stuck. The poor thing was in so much pain. I actually
called the maintenance man at my apartment complex to come over and help me
gently get him free. Still to this day he has a hard time with anyone getting
near his paw. Mind you, I never used the soft claws again, not worth it if he
has the risk of getting caught on stuff. What would have happened if I wasn't
home that day? I just thank god he is ok. Anyways, I just wanted to warn you
all, before the same thing happened to your beloved cats.

-Lost wrote:
Response from Meghan Noecker :

Response from Meghan Noecker :

[quoted text clipped - 17 lines]
procedures at the vet are to improve the health, so we accept a
vet's advice. But this one is not in the same category.

Message-ID:

Make sure to read what I replied to (myself). The "friend" does
indeed recommend this for various blah blah reasons.

Sad.

snip

So, I trim every couple weeks, though often, I just look for the
one 1 or 2 that are really sharp.

Gotcha!

snip

Assuming this is incorrect, I will explain "shed their claws" to
avoid further confusion. I was told that cats claws were similar
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
a new set of sharp knives, and that is what is going to be poking
and scratching you by accident.

One more thing, I was recommended soft tips and found:

http://www.softclaws.com/

Do you happen to know offhand if they will still be able to hook onto
a post or other scratch with these on?

I am thinking that if I soften their tips that it would also prohibit
them from latching on since that is the purpose soft tips after
all...


--
Message posted via CatKB.com
http://www.catkb.com/Uwe/Forums.aspx...ealth/200709/1

Suddenly, without warning, -Lost exclaimed (9/28/2007 2:40 PM):
After talking with my friend at the animal hospital for the
thousandth time today, they started mentioning some other things that
I should have done before officially calling Gabby "good to go."


19. Maybe not 19th, but the last thing they said was, "And make sure
to get her declawed." Not so sure about...

Forgive my ignorance on this one, and cat lovers please don't bounce
something off of my head, but I thought as long as you were...

1. Not in fear of your life.
2. Your other animals got along fine with kitty.
3. Kitty uses her abundance of play things and scratching posts,
walls, climbs, and other assorted cat approved claw-holders.
4. Kitty eventually stops chasing you down and attacking you from
behind.

...that you did not have to get a cat declawed. My friend made it
out like it is a must along with spaying an animal.

What's the word cat people?


No, No, No, No and NO! Not unless it's a choice between her claws and
her life!

I've been away and as expected you've lots of responses, but wanted to
add my voice to the mix. There's some people out there who think you
should declaw as a matter of course - I quite hope they simply don't
understand what declawing entails (I'm sure others have provided the
gory details).

I had my first cat declawed (fronts only, back in 1987) - I thought it
was a choice between her claws and my apartment, and didn't understand
what was involved. Never again. Now I just train my cats as to when
use of claws is appropriate, and when it is not.

Please, DON'T get Gabby declawed just because your friend says you must.
And educate your friend as to what the procedure does to a cat, both
physically and mentally.

jmc

On Sat, 29 Sep 2007 07:17:47 -0400, ---MIKE--- wrote:

http://albums.photo.epson.com/j/View...e=0&re s=high


---MIKE---
[quoted text muted]
(44° 15' N - Elevation 1580')


That is the "cat's meow"! MLB

"John Doe" wrote in message
...
"-Lost" wrote:

After talking with my friend at the animal hospital for the
thousandth time today, they started mentioning some other things
that I should have done before officially calling Gabby "good to
go." ... 19. Maybe not 19th, but the last thing they said was,
"And make sure to get her declawed."

Who are "they"? Hopefully not your friend. Hopefully not staff at
the animal hospital. Sounds like it's time to find a different
animal hospital.

Forgive my ignorance on this one, and cat lovers please don't
bounce something off of my head,

It happens, maybe too often. I think of myself as someone who likes
to take good care of a cat just like I would any other animal I have
the responsibility of managing. What works for both of us is what
matters. If the host suffers, the guest suffers.

...that you did not have to get a cat declawed. My friend made it
out like it is a must along with spaying an animal.

I cannot imagine having to cope with the problems a declawed cat
would cause in addition to the normal problems that can arise. You
don't have to be a cat lover or even a person experienced with
managing cats to understand why it's problematic.

Claws are the essense of a cat. Cats require them for:

... self defense, inlcuding climbing to escape attack

... exercise, almost their entire body

... play, just like we use our fingers

... hunting, if outside (hopefully not)

... climbing for all sorts of reasons

And if you have multiple cats, you can use them to help balance
power, by clipping the aggressor's claws. If a pet manager cannot
handle claws, then cats are not for him (or her). You can clip a
cat's claws. Cats can still climb and stuff with clipped claws.

That's the truth! I'd just clipped everybody's claws this morning, then I
let Archer out of the kennel so he could get some exercise. I have to be
careful because he runs around pretty good even with the cast on his leg -
faster than I can catch him - and before I could get there, he was halfway
up the cat tree just by using his (clipped) front claws and pulling himself
up the sisal wrapped post!

Hugs,

CatNipped


I believe cats are not good around children, because they can do
seriouse harm to a peron's eyes, unless maybe you have well
disciplined kids that can keep their eyes far away from the cat's
claws. But again, you either have the cat with claws, or don't have
one.

Good luck.

In article ,
says...
Response from "cybercat" :

"-Lost" wrote in message
...
After talking with my friend at the animal hospital for the
thousandth time today, they started mentioning some other things
that I should have done before officially calling Gabby "good to
go."


Your friend is no friend. Do not mutilate your cat.

I figured that would be the general response. I wonder why it is
recommended at all?

The only animal refuge center we have recommended it as well, but I
would imagine it was to minimize the damage they might do to each
other at the center.



My former vet actually recommended declawing to save furniture. I know
how to trim claws and keep scratching posts and scratch pads around.

In article , says...

"-Lost" wrote

Your friend is no friend. Do not mutilate your cat.

I figured that would be the general response. I wonder why it is
recommended at all?

It is recommended for human convenience because many people
cannot be bothered to provide things cats like to scratch better
than furniture and rugs, and so that vets can make money. Ignorance
or pure cruelty can be the only reasons anyone would recommend it.

I was a kid (maybe 23) when I took my first cat in to be
spayed, and they said, "Do you want her declawed too?"
She was a hellion, and I was thinking, just the claws themselves
taken out--I never thought surgical hacking off of the bones in
her toes. I said yes. They ruined her beautiful little feet, she
became anxious, stopped covering her poo, and became a
biter as well. It is horrible, one of the worst things I have been
responsible for in my life. I have two cats now, and provide
scratchers and trim claws--just the tips--monthly. That is all
you need to do.

Did you understand the procedure when you asked this
question?

And will you voice your opinion about it to the shelters?




From what I've been told declawing a cat is similar to taking off the
tips of a humans fingers to the first knuckle. Ouch!