Help!!!!! Buddy's new owner wants to declaw him

[Randi]

Donna, I'm glad you're standing up for Buddy's claws! How about Hal learns to clip his nails? If I can clip Fister's, anyone can learn it!

[Taz_Zoee]

Ok, I guess I missed the thread about Buddy being adopted.

Of course scratching posts are a must. But Taz trained himself to scratch on an area rug. When I first moved in with Bruce I didn't bring it and he was scratching on other things. I brought down the rug as soon as I could and he will run back to the bedroom (we keep it back there because it is a tattered old rug) to sharpen his claws on it.
I am going through the training a cat to scratch phase as we speak. Paizly like to scratch on the carpet, and we have berber carpet. Her nails are not doing too much damage because she's still so small. But I need to redirect her starting NOW.

I'm glad he's not just going out and getting him declawed and that he's willing to work with your suggestions.

Good luck!

[moosmom]

Taz Zoe,

Good news is Buddy was adopted about a month or so ago. It's the perfect home except for this declawing issue. The guy is 79 years old and is afraid to do it himself cuz he doesn't want to hurt him. His former cat was declawed (by his wife when she had him neutered) so he didn't have to clip his nails.

Buddy has his original scratching post. I've told Hal that whenever he does scratch the rug, squirt him and bring him over to his scratching post.

The problem with using carpet remnants is the cats don't know the difference between the remnant and the carpeting. That's what my vet told me. I had a beat up old chair that I allowed my cats to scratch the heck out of. When I got new furniture, they started scratching it. That's when my vet told me that cats don't know the difference between and old chair and a new chair. Made sense, so I re-directed their scratching to a cat tree. Worked like a charm!!!

[catmandu]

I WOULD WAIT UNTIL YOU CAN GET BUDDY A NEW SCRATCHINGPOST , AND SEE IF HE WILL PLAY WITH THAT.
I HATE TO SAY THIS, BUT IF BUDDYS RUINING AN EXPENSIVE CARPET , THEN HIS NEW GUARDIIAN MAY HAVE A GOOD POINT.
WE ARE HOPING AND PRAYING THAT SOMEHOW A COMPROMISE CAN BE REACHED.

[Taz_Zoee]

That totally makes sense about the cat not knowing the difference. But for some reason Taz only scratches on that rug. It's an actual small area rug, not a carpet remnant. You know the ones with the fringe along the ends? Trust me I'm not going to go get a carpet for Paizly, LOL. I'll redirect her to her scratching thing. Actually I need to buy her a new one.

So Buddy has his scratching post already. Could it be possible that he is sorta "marking his territory"? I have no idea if cats do that or not, just a thought.

That is great that Buddy found such a good home.

[Catty1]

Donna, I think it is a very good sign that he phoned YOU first, instead of just getting it done. That tells me that maybe he was hoping there is another answer - and there is and are.

A couple of catnip cardboard posts would be inexpensive, and would give Buddy more variety.

I hope he trains out of it soon. As I mentioned before, just remind Hal that Buddy is still a teenager!

[moosmom]

I am NOT going to allow declawing. I'll pull the cat from the house, as I have the vet paperwork still.

One thing I noticed is it seems everytime he calls, he complains about him, saying "If he didn't have the same face of my other cat..."

He says that Buddy has become a lap cat and when he yells at him for being naughty (I told him yelling at a cat does nothing), he'll rub against his leg as if to say "I'm sorry".

I'm reserving my opinion right now. He doesn't want to give Buddy up. But, if he wants, and he's so worried about his carpeting, I'll find him an already declawed cat. Oh yeah, and in his living room he has a HUGE velvet portrait of a naked woman that shows EVERYTHING (and I do mean everything) that makes me very uncomfortable. To each his own, I guess.

[Medusa]

The problem with using carpet remnants is the cats don't know the difference between the remnant and the carpeting. That's what my vet told me. I had a beat up old chair that I allowed my cats to scratch the heck out of. When I got new furniture, they started scratching it. That's when my vet told me that cats don't know the difference between and old chair and a new chair. Made sense, so I re-directed their scratching to a cat tree. Worked like a charm!!!

You took the words right out of my mouth, Donna. Sisal or cardboard scratching posts are better for that very reason. Otherwise, Buddy will look at Hal and think "Why can I scratch on this carpet but not that one?" I do hope that he gives the soft claws a try.