A cat forum. CatBanter

If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Go Back   Home » CatBanter forum » Cat Newsgroups » Cat rescue
Site Map Home Register Authors List Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read Web Partners

Another cat saved by declawing.



 
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #11  
Old February 16th 04, 03:57 PM
Judy F
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Whoops! That's habits not habbits.... What was I thinking?....
Judy F

"Judy F" wrote in message
. net...
If you declaw a cat (aside from ethical issues) they often develop other
habbits like biting, and urinating outside their boxes. These are habits
that you might find more annoying and "un live-with-able" than the

original
problem.
Judy F

"Mark Healey" wrote in message

...
On Wed, 31 Dec 2003 23:52:24 UTC, (He Who
Walks) wrote:

My cat (DQB) had been tearing up my furniture (as well as my patience)
by clawing everything, particularly when I would have to be being out
of town for two or three days at a time.

My friends Ken and Kathy told me about the success they had with
declawing their equally destructive cat so I thought I would give it a
try. I only had the front ones done, as DQB was not doing much with
the back ones.

DQB walked gingerly for about a week or two, but since then no
problems.

The owner (moi) is much happier now.

Another cat saved from the knackers.

Thank you Jesus for seeing DQB through the brief recovery and helping
me have the perservance .... Amen!


I don't know if this guy is a troll or not but I've been seriously
considering it. I have a couch at the upholstery guys place right
now.
I told him to make some pieces that go over the arms from the scrap
but that is a temporary measure. I'm not home to be Joe vigilant
training them not to scratch. They have a cat stand that they ignore.
They have torn up my box spring, the above mentioned couch, a $100
leather covered book.

That is all live-with-able. What isn't is that one likes to scratch
my Mame-cab at night. It is pretty much a Formica covered hollow box.
There isn't much damage but it is all kinds of noisy and he seems to
only like to do it when I am just starting to doze off.

I would like the pros and cons without a bunch of high abstractions
about mutilating their natural form (they are already eunuchs).

--
Mark Heaely
marknews(at)healeyonline(dot)com





  #12  
Old February 16th 04, 06:23 PM
Mark Healey
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

On Mon, 16 Feb 2004 08:22:14 UTC, Laura R.
wrote:

circa Mon, 16 Feb 2004 08:11:32 GMT, in rec.pets.cats.health+behav,
Mark Healey ) said,

That is all live-with-able. What isn't is that one likes to scratch
my Mame-cab at night. It is pretty much a Formica covered hollow box.
There isn't much damage but it is all kinds of noisy and he seems to
only like to do it when I am just starting to doze off.

I would like the pros and cons without a bunch of high abstractions
about mutilating their natural form (they are already eunuchs).

Soft Paws. http://www.softpaws.com


Have you used them and do you have any interrest in the company?


--
Mark Heaely
marknews(at)healeyonline(dot)com
  #13  
Old February 16th 04, 10:01 PM
minerva nine
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Just thought I'd share this with people considering declawing their cats....

I've always had cats, and I've never had any of them scratch up my furniture.
Early on, I happened to discover why. Those carpet-covered scratching posts
that you can get at pet stores are no good at all -- cats want something nice
and rough to scratch on. So I made my own scratching post/pad thusly:

Get a piece of sturdy wood or plywood 12"-8" wide X about 24" long. Go to the
hardware store and buy a good length of sisal rope, the really rough and hairy
stuff, but relatively thin, between 1/8" - 3/8" diameter. Tack the end of the
rope across the bottom face of the board with some carpet tacks (be sure the
nails don't penetrate to the other side of the board), then wind the rope around
the board until it wraps the board completely, all the way to the top. Tack it
again at the top. Leave this on the floor somewhere in your cats' regular
travel path. You can also apply some catnip extract (just boil up some catnip
in water and strain it) to get them started. Some cats like the board at an
angle, you can put one end up on a brick or something like that to give it a
little bit of slope.

I imagine you could make something like this with carpet if you put the rough
side of the carpet OUT, instead of the fluffy side. I have also used an old
roll of carpet, rolled with the rough side out -- they go mad for it.

M9

  #14  
Old February 17th 04, 08:13 AM
-L.
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

(Mark Healey) wrote in message ...

Soft Paws.
http://www.softpaws.com

Have you used them and do you have any interrest in the company?


Inappropriate cross-posting removed.

If you are having problems with cats ruining your furniture DO NOT
declaw them - unless you want your furniture ruined by inappropriate
elimination. Up to 30% of all declawed cats develop one behavioral
problem or another, the most common being peeing inappropriately (see
below).

I used to apply Soft Paws every day at a feline specialty vet where I
worked. I also do counseling for scratching and behavioral problems
in cats. Below, I will cut and paste a review of Soft Paws which I
wrote for another NG.

As for scratching problems, most can be solved without resorting to
declawing. Cats scratch to relieve tension and to mark territory, so
they WILL scratch, regardless of what you do. If a cat fails to use a
scratching post, it is usually because the cat is not satisfied by the
surfaces of the post, and the post is too small or not stable enough.
I always recommend purchasing a large cat tree, and covering the tree
with multiple surfaces, such as sisal, carpet (pile and backing), raw
wood (bark and/or pulp), burlap, different fabrics and anything else
you can get your hands on that might be attractive to kitty feet. If
you provide a surface more attractive than the furniture, your cats
WILL use it.

Trimmed nails are less likely to do major damage if the cat is
scratching inappropriately, so I recommend trimming nails every two
weeks or so. Also, there is a product called Feliaway which will
encourage paw marking (scratching) which you can spray on your cat
tree to encourage appropriate scratching.

As for declawing, there are a few studies which show an increased
incidence of behavior problems in declawed cats, and long term
complications have been found in roughly 20% of cats declawed.
Inappropriate elimination is a common problem. Having participated in
the surgery and been the primary aftercare provider for cats and
kittens undergoing the surgery, I could never, in good faith,
recommend declawing any cat, of any age. (Prior to my experiences as
a vet tech, I though declawing was a benign surgery. Not any more.)

Good luck, and I hope you can find a solution which works for you.

-L.

paste

SoftPaws

Some people were asking about SoftPaws. I work at a vet, and apply
these things every day, to all kinds of cats. Here is my take:

Description: A set of rubber nail covers which are glued to the nail,
after trimming, with a super-glue-like substance. They are used to
keep the kitty from scratching things that may be damaged by unaltered
nails.

****************

Pros:
They are really, really easy to apply if kitty cooperates, and will
let you trim her nails easily. They take about 5-8 minutes to apply,
once you get the hang of it.

They are relatively inexpensive (about $10-12/set, if applied at the
vet, and they last 1-3 months.) They are even less expensive if you
buy your own kit and apply them at home.

They do not interfere with normal claw usage, but protect things you
do not want scratched, fairly effectively.

Some cats do very, very well with them.

****************

Cons:

Some cats *detest* them, and will fight you tooth and nail (excuse the
pun) when you try to apply them.

Some cats pull them off easily.

The glue is very sticky, and will stick to and damage any surface it
encounters (including human skin).

If the glue touches any skin while wet (human or cat), it burns. It
is fairly caustic.

Some cats are allergic to the glue.

If the nail is trimmed too short, the glue can damage the nail bed,
which results in a crusty/ill formed nail, when the nail grows out.
They work best of the nail is trimmed fairly short, and if the glue is
applied in the inner 2/3 of the cap, before application.

The caps need to be fitted properly. Many technicians tend to use
caps that are too large, and then the cat is constantly fighting with
the caps, as they "feel" awkward. (Or they chew them off!) One cat
may need more than one size of caps to accomodate all nails on the
foot (e.g. mediums on all nails except 'pinky", which needs a small).

The caps need to be applied quickly after the glue is applied...the
glue dries very quickly. This can be tricky for beginners.

****************

Overall impression: I think trimming nails often (every 1-2 weeks) is
a better, more wholistic solution to scratching problems, than
Softpaws. If you are unable to do this, SoftPaws may be a solution
for you. Overall, it is a good product, but may not be good for every
cat.
  #15  
Old February 19th 04, 04:39 AM
frigamia
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Wow, thank you so much for sharing that. I've been arguing with my mom over
declawing or not declawing. She grew in the thinking that declawing was ok.
And I know it is not. So I try to convince her that it's not a thing to do.
You just gave me very good arguments there. Thank you very much

Mia

"-L." wrote in message
m...
(Mark Healey) wrote in message


t...

Soft Paws.
http://www.softpaws.com

Have you used them and do you have any interrest in the company?


Inappropriate cross-posting removed.

If you are having problems with cats ruining your furniture DO NOT
declaw them - unless you want your furniture ruined by inappropriate
elimination. Up to 30% of all declawed cats develop one behavioral
problem or another, the most common being peeing inappropriately (see
below).

I used to apply Soft Paws every day at a feline specialty vet where I
worked. I also do counseling for scratching and behavioral problems
in cats. Below, I will cut and paste a review of Soft Paws which I
wrote for another NG.

As for scratching problems, most can be solved without resorting to
declawing. Cats scratch to relieve tension and to mark territory, so
they WILL scratch, regardless of what you do. If a cat fails to use a
scratching post, it is usually because the cat is not satisfied by the
surfaces of the post, and the post is too small or not stable enough.
I always recommend purchasing a large cat tree, and covering the tree
with multiple surfaces, such as sisal, carpet (pile and backing), raw
wood (bark and/or pulp), burlap, different fabrics and anything else
you can get your hands on that might be attractive to kitty feet. If
you provide a surface more attractive than the furniture, your cats
WILL use it.

Trimmed nails are less likely to do major damage if the cat is
scratching inappropriately, so I recommend trimming nails every two
weeks or so. Also, there is a product called Feliaway which will
encourage paw marking (scratching) which you can spray on your cat
tree to encourage appropriate scratching.

As for declawing, there are a few studies which show an increased
incidence of behavior problems in declawed cats, and long term
complications have been found in roughly 20% of cats declawed.
Inappropriate elimination is a common problem. Having participated in
the surgery and been the primary aftercare provider for cats and
kittens undergoing the surgery, I could never, in good faith,
recommend declawing any cat, of any age. (Prior to my experiences as
a vet tech, I though declawing was a benign surgery. Not any more.)

Good luck, and I hope you can find a solution which works for you.

-L.

paste

SoftPaws

Some people were asking about SoftPaws. I work at a vet, and apply
these things every day, to all kinds of cats. Here is my take:

Description: A set of rubber nail covers which are glued to the nail,
after trimming, with a super-glue-like substance. They are used to
keep the kitty from scratching things that may be damaged by unaltered
nails.

****************

Pros:
They are really, really easy to apply if kitty cooperates, and will
let you trim her nails easily. They take about 5-8 minutes to apply,
once you get the hang of it.

They are relatively inexpensive (about $10-12/set, if applied at the
vet, and they last 1-3 months.) They are even less expensive if you
buy your own kit and apply them at home.

They do not interfere with normal claw usage, but protect things you
do not want scratched, fairly effectively.

Some cats do very, very well with them.

****************

Cons:

Some cats *detest* them, and will fight you tooth and nail (excuse the
pun) when you try to apply them.

Some cats pull them off easily.

The glue is very sticky, and will stick to and damage any surface it
encounters (including human skin).

If the glue touches any skin while wet (human or cat), it burns. It
is fairly caustic.

Some cats are allergic to the glue.

If the nail is trimmed too short, the glue can damage the nail bed,
which results in a crusty/ill formed nail, when the nail grows out.
They work best of the nail is trimmed fairly short, and if the glue is
applied in the inner 2/3 of the cap, before application.

The caps need to be fitted properly. Many technicians tend to use
caps that are too large, and then the cat is constantly fighting with
the caps, as they "feel" awkward. (Or they chew them off!) One cat
may need more than one size of caps to accomodate all nails on the
foot (e.g. mediums on all nails except 'pinky", which needs a small).

The caps need to be applied quickly after the glue is applied...the
glue dries very quickly. This can be tricky for beginners.

****************

Overall impression: I think trimming nails often (every 1-2 weeks) is
a better, more wholistic solution to scratching problems, than
Softpaws. If you are unable to do this, SoftPaws may be a solution
for you. Overall, it is a good product, but may not be good for every
cat.



  #16  
Old February 19th 04, 04:45 AM
frigamia
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

When we adopted Misha, we built her a cat tree... We used two kind of
surfaces but one is not so accessible. We were lucky enough though, She
loves her tree... I'll post a picture on alt.binaries.pictures.animals for
the ones who wish to see it. It was great fun to make, and Misha made it her
property. Since she arrived in the family 9 years after the others, it
wasn't necessarily easy for her to find a place that would belong to her. So
her tree helped with that. When she wants peace, she sleeps on the top
"shelf" ... The tree also has enough carpet and high enough for her to
stretch and scratch (which she does at times)

Mia

"Meghan Noecker" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 16 Feb 2004 08:11:32 GMT, (Mark Healey) wrote:


They have a cat stand that they ignore.


What surface does your cat prefer to scratch? It could be that you
need a different kind of cat tree for him.

In my house, Kira prefers rug; Maynard prefers bare wood, and Chase
prefers sisal rope and cardboard.

So, we have a tall cat tree with wood on the bottom and rug on top. We
have a cardboard scratcher toy on the floor. That takes care of
everybody. Recently, I bought my nephew a new cat tree for his bedroom
to encourage his cat to spend more time in there. It has rug and sisal
rope.

Also, something that is really important with cat scratchers. They
need to be tall enough for cats to stretch. Many of them ones sold in
stores are way too short. Some are not very sturdy, and some may be
2-3 feet high, but with the shelf design, there isn't a tall vertical
for them to stretch into when the scratch.

The best kinds are the ones that go all the way to the ceiling. They
tend to have a good 3 feet of vertical post before the first shelf, so
plenty of scratching space, and then the shelves are vert tempting
since cats like to be high up.

Other good cat trees are the ones with multiple posts. They don't have
to hook up the ceiling since they have a wide base and good weight to
be sturdy. And usually, one or two of the posts are a good 3-4 feet
high.

We used to have one of the 2 feet ones, and it moved when the cat
scratched. So, they just didn't like it.

You can entice them with catnip and other treats. And reward them for
good scratching. You can also take a water bottle to deter them from
the furniture.

I've had cats all my life, and we really haven't had a problem with
scratching. They love those cat trees and they don't have any interest
in the furniture, other than napping.


Meghan & the Zoo Crew
Equine and Pet Photography
http://www.zoocrewphoto.com



  #17  
Old February 19th 04, 05:16 AM
Mark Healey
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

I decided against declawing. It seems mean and they are really good
about peeing appropriately.

I decided to buy them. Not as easy as one would think. I checked the
web sites of pet(smart/co) to see if they carried them. They both
claimed to, at $2.00 more than you can get them from the manufacturer.
I went to the first store and it turns out that they only sell them
on-line, bummer. The second one only had clear ones. I bought them
anyway. $18.00 seems like a lot of money for $.50 worth of plastic
and two tubes of crazy glue. Hopefully they'll become popular enough
for someone to knock them off and drive the price down.

I'm not sure if I got the right size. I bought large because people
are always saying "gee, your cats are huge" and when they jump on me
from 6 feet off the ground I make a noticeable "oof" sound.

Applying them wasn't easy. It was no more difficult than trimming
their nails but they don't like that either. It's amazing how bendy
they are when they want to escape. I did manage to get them on.

I'm not sure about their choice of plastic. It looks and feels like
polyethylene which is pretty close to inert. Hell, that's what they
put crazy glue in.

The first thing they tried to do was chew them off, so far, without
success. I put some wet food down to distract them for a while to
give the glue a chance to really set.

I'll post the results after a whole day tomorrow.

One question fro Mia. Can vets buy them by the hundreds to get a
deal.

  #18  
Old February 19th 04, 04:50 PM
frigamia
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default


"Mark Healey" wrote in message

....

One question fro Mia. Can vets buy them by the hundreds to get a
deal.


I think this question goes to L

Mia


  #19  
Old February 19th 04, 04:55 PM
frigamia
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default


"frigamia" wrote in message
...

"Mark Healey" wrote in message


...

One question fro Mia. Can vets buy them by the hundreds to get a
deal.


I think this question goes to L


Or to your vet...

Mia


  #20  
Old February 19th 04, 05:25 PM
Mary
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default


"Mark Healey" wrote in message
...
I decided against declawing. It seems mean and they are really good
about peeing appropriately.


It is worse than mean, and you are a lovely person for understanding
that.



I decided to buy them. Not as easy as one would think. I checked

the
web sites of pet(smart/co) to see if they carried them. They both
claimed to, at $2.00 more than you can get them from the

manufacturer.
I went to the first store and it turns out that they only sell them
on-line, bummer. The second one only had clear ones. I bought them
anyway. $18.00 seems like a lot of money for $.50 worth of plastic
and two tubes of crazy glue. Hopefully they'll become popular

enough
for someone to knock them off and drive the price down.


I think training and trimming are easier. You do have to be patient
and persistent. A great deal of it lies in providing something they
would rather have at. I just bought my girl one of those $14.99 sisal
trays for the floor and she never goes near the couch any more.


 




Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Another cat saved by declawing. He Who Walks Cat health & behaviour 121 May 31st 04 09:11 PM
How declawing saved my cat's life and gave him 6 more years (and counting) He Who Walks Cat health & behaviour 292 January 7th 04 08:04 PM
Declawing: glad I took the time [email protected] Cat health & behaviour 247 November 10th 03 05:12 PM


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 06:24 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.6.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004-2024 CatBanter.
The comments are property of their posters.