Look what I just did to my kitten!

by rebel8 30 Replies latest social humour

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  rebel8

  In my layperson's opinion, it is not true. It is more like removing your fingernail than a joint, except not as bad because their nails extend past the muscle/bone (unlike our nails which are directly on top of them). After reading all the opinions on vets' websites, I concluded there is probably not much a risk of personality or behavior change, but again those are all opinions.

  Still risky, painful, and costly though. 2 overnights in the vet's after the surgery. I don't have the heart to do that until I've tried all alternatives.

  The tips grow off with the natural nail and must be reapplied every 6 weeks. She tolerated me touching her nails just fine, once I got her used to me touching her there. It was the sitting still that she had a problem with! I did 2 nails in the first sitting and the other 8 in the next. She was really good about it.
• 

  greendawn

  I can understand Rebel's dilemma, imagine if you have a brand new set of sofas and a cat goes and tears their fabric with its claws.
• 

  Nathan Natas

  Imagine having a cat that insists on cat values and not human values.

  If a person can't accept an animals normal behvior, they ought not have a pet. It's better for the pet.

  The best pet for some folks is a roomba vacuum cleaner.
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  rebel8

  She has done >hundreds of dollars of damage to my basement, not to mention the furniture and carpeting upstairs. I would have done this earlier had I realized what was going on in the basement.

  As I said earlier Nate, I have tried all the other alternatives. She couldn't care less about any scratching post I provided. I do accept her normal cat behavior. She is still going around clawing at everything like she always did. She just isn't doing damage. (The only thing she is no longer able to do is to climb the walls and curtains, and I think she'll survive being deprived of that.)

  I don't believe in 100% "natural"--if that was the case I would have put the kitten outside when she was an infant and hope she figures out how to fend for herself, because that is natural.

  G-o-l-l-y gee, I thought this was going to be a funny thread.
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  skyman

  I would never do that to my cat. He would hate me. I'll show this it my daughter and you know what will happen next. Here kitty, kitty, kitty,
• 

  jstalin

  Declawing is mutilation, plain and simple.

  And ripping out the uterus or testicles is not?
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  Bryan

  Rebel8,

  I like you kittie's new slip-ons!

  As far as de-clawing... I doubt it's worse than c ircumcision.

  I personally have never seen a cat ruined because he was declawed, and I'm not going to let my pet do what ever he/she wants. I don't let my children do that, why would I let me dog or cat!?

  Bryan

  Have You Seen My Mother
• 

  Effervescent

  I love your kitties new manicure! Good for you for trying to find a humane alternative that you and your kitty can both be happy with!

  I have actually never heard of those or seen them. I saw the picture before I read the post and I thought you painted your cats toenails. My first thought was "How did she get it to sit still long enough???" lol!
• 

  Abaddon

  Personally it's better than declawing; if you like cats, don't declaw them EVER if they go outside. If it is a house only pet then you might find it acceptable, but still...

  First of all your cat knows it's not allowed, it simply doesn't care. Our cat looks shifty when it's done something bad, will stop and lurk at the entrance to our bedroom if the door is open (she's not normally allowed in), even if she's unaware she's being watched, building up her courage. So what we have here is a failure to communicate.

  However, I don't know if you've tried cat.

  Cat is a language. Although cats can develop a largely intonation-based volcabulary and learn to respond to certain words (our cat knows 'down', 'out' and 'cat' and will respond even when not looking our direction), as we are the smart ones, we should learn to communicate with them.

  I would basically wail into that cat with a squirty bottle of water at first. When it scratches, chase the little shit and yell and spray. Escalate if required to an aerosol can of something benign enough to spray at the cat, preferably one that makes a loud noise. Believe me, cats associate unpleasent sounds and results with actions, and will change their actions.

  Our cat is a terror - it attacks people, literally. It only attacked me once. In such a situation I do not think poor widdle puddy tat. I 'kicked' her across the room (as in hooked my foot under her tummy, lifted her off the ground, and without actually hurting her, lofted her with my foot with sufficient velocity for her to land on a couch on the opposite end of the room). This REALLY impressed her, but THEN chasing her down, grabbing her scruff in me teeth, and holding her down on the floor for five minutes whilst growling (although not huting her in anyway) made it clear I was car not to be pissed around with.

  The cat thereafter decided I was boss, much to the chagrin of my fiance.

  So, now you have a sort-of-solution in place, just go ape-shit when she claws where she's not to. Don't hurt her, but don't be afraid to be terrorise the little shit. She'll respect you for it.
• 

  ButtLight

  OMG, thats funny. You should have made them green and red for xmas!