cats and claws

[wolflady]

I had no intention on offending anyone about the claw cap issue. I actually thought it was a better alternative than declawing, which I will refuse to do. They naturally fall off, and I clip my cat's nails before reapplying the caps. Also, since they are indoors only, the claw caps meerly protect my husband's disadvantaged cat and the house since we're gone a lot. I love my cats dearly and wouldn't want anything to happen to them!

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"In a cat's eye, all things belong to cats." - English proverb

[Martin]

Right then, I'm glad we've got that sorted out without anyone getting too upset ! Getting back to the 'protecting the furniture' issue then; do you folks in the U.S. have cat scratching posts in your houses? it's a 2x2 wooden pole, wrapped in rope, on a flat base, sometimes with toys adorning it? My cats love theirs, and they always get a special cuddle when they use it!

[Fuzzy317]

From your desciption, we have the same type of scratching post. I recently bought another type, one with the same thistle rope that hangs on a door knob. I thought the cats would like that also, but I have not seen one of our cats use it. It may be the door moving that has cats leaving it alone, it may be used if it was on a door closed most of the time.

[lhg0962]

Wolflady,
You didn't offend anyone! We have just learned that we have some cultural differences between countries. Its ok. I think if your cats are indoors, the claw caps sound like a wonderful thing for them, and for your husband's cat! Not to mention your hands or furniture.
Don't worry.

[wolflady]

Thanks Logan
I actually have a question about scratching posts too. Is it true that if you have a scratching post with carpet covering it, will the cat associate that with the floor carpet? We have a carpeted cat tree, that my cat loves to sit on. But I notice that he likes to "dig" at the floors. I got a cardboard scratching pad with catnip sprinkled in, and they both seem to like those a lot. I was hoping that would deter him from using the floor So far it seems to be working

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"In a cat's eye, all things belong to cats." - English proverb

[Martin]

Wolflady; my scratching post had both rope and carpet on it when it was new, but the carpet was nowhere near tough enough and disintegrated fairly quickly, so now it's rope and bare wood. My cat's are fairly good at knowing the difference between the floor carpet and the scratching post.

[wolflady]

Spencer, I know what you mean about those urine marks...Yikes! We're still working with scooter on that one...

I might have to try a wood post. Those sound really good. Right now I have a plain ol' piece of firewood on the floor that my cat loves to get on and scratch at along with the cardboard scratching pads...

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"In a cat's eye, all things belong to cats." - English proverb

[Vi Co Bi]

Fuzzy and I have talked about moving the doorknob mounted scratching post, but so far we've just talked. I guess we're too busy being with the cats to think about it.

One of the things I do to keep our cats interested in their scratching post is to put kitty treats on top of it from time to time. Rosie and Fluffy love kitty treats, Jackson leaves them for someone else to enjoy. For Jackson, I freshen up the catnip scent on the post ever-so-often by rubbing catnip on the sisal and leaving some scattered on the carpet.

Of all the things I've used to get the cats to stop their inappropriate scratching, double stick tape works the best. Whether it's the back or edge of Fuzzy's Lazy-boy, a speaker cover, or whatever, the doublestick tape never attacks until attacked and always lets us know exactly who was up to tricks. Since two of our cats are long haired, it's sometimes a trick to get the tape off, but I've been so impressed with how well it works that it's been well worth the effort.

[Pam]

Thanks for clearing that up Spencer. I had never heard of the alternative procedure until visiting this site.

[wolflady]

Alternatives are always better, but people should definitely do a little more research before declawing...to find out the good and bad aspects. A negative result of tendonectomy that happens on occasion, is the claw will grow right through the cat's pawpad (since it can't extract)...Ouch!!! It is a little less traumatic than declawing however...

[pam_pesto]

http://homepage.mac.com/honeys718/CatPerch/

This website has information on the "ethics" of cat declawing.



We are on Pesto's second scratching post because she loves it so much. Except her new one she prefers to just hug it and lick it. Her old one is torn and tattered, but she loves it. The post's carpet is very close to colour to our own carpet, but she is never confused. And we have not had ANY trouble with her whatsoever scratching anything but her post. I guess we are lucky. Whenever we come home she runs over and attacks her scratching post, which is close to the door. It is her little ritual.
Not really all that relevant I suppose, but I love to tell stories about my baby. And now that I have figured out how to post pictures of her, I'm sorry but you might see more of her than you'd like!
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Personal servant for Pesto

[This message has been edited by pam_pesto (edited February 26, 2001).]

[wolflady]

I agree. It is sad that a lot of people just join in with everyone else when it comes to subjects such as this. It's mostly a matter of convenience, I think, for a lot of people. A lot of times they don't consider the alternatives to declawing type surgeries(claw caps...even better than either surgery).
At the no kill rescue where I do volunteer work, we have actually refused people who, right of the bat, said that they were going to declaw the cat. Even after talking about alternatives, they refused to consider it, so the adoption didn't go through...