Cats

[kittygrl]

i have two cats~

Benjyman has many names from fat cat to sir benjamin. hes fat and incredibly fluffy. recently he had an abscess on his ear and now it is forever bent down like a dog ear. its super cute but it does make it hard to resist when he begs at the supper table

 

and F.O.R.H.D which mean found on road half dead. hes skinny and little we found him on the road and we brought him in. he smart especially compared to benny (hes a dunce) he tries to be cute and loves to press buttons on my keyboard and disable things

Edited June 5, 2012 by kittygrl

[7Deadly$ins]

I'm being extremely cautious with it right now. It's no more than a pinch, and it's not given to him everyday, since he doesn't eat a whole bowl everyday. Darrow is to be an inside cat as well, but I'll be getting him a harness and leash and taking him outside from time to time, because you're not supposed to put or tie cats outside...

Yeah, I do that too. So far I haven't had a problem, but I suppose it is a possibility that it could happen. That said, if you aren't taking him out yet and it is a concern for you, he'll probably be okay in doors. I would stop with the garlic and wait to go outside with him until you an afford Frontline or something.

[7Deadly$ins]

He's old enough for both. Most do one shot round at eight weeks and then another at 12, and neutering can be done anytime from eight weeks on. I think the earlier the better.

 

Also, though $60 is a lot, I think that's enough for a year's worth for one animal... so it's really about $5 a month

[7Deadly$ins]

I'm not completely sure, so check the boxes and see what the dosage is and how much total is in there.

[kittygrl]

though, is it bad if youre cat can't meow right? (mines never really been able to any ways/ never has)

Edited June 5, 2012 by kittygrl

[7Deadly$ins]

It's just a part of their personality.

[UsagiKenjo]

I personally love cats with a passion. I will possibly end up being one of those old cat ladies when I grow old. Right now I have two cats a female mostly gray and white mixed breed with bule eyes named Snow and a male that we think is half bombay half something else for the fact he has white under his legs and near his privates. His name is Anubis but we call him Newbie for short. I wish we were able to have more cats but my husband and I live in an apartment that only allows a maximum of two pets. If I were to have more I would want a ragdoll, an american curl, a scotish fold, a sevanna (sp), a maine coon, a simiese(sp) and a sphinx.

 

There is one thing I do hate that people do to their pets weather there cat or dog and I understand some of them need this but its put clothes on them. I don't know why I hate it so much but I do. Also if its okay if I ask every ones opinion on de clawing because I am thinking about getting my cats declawed and it is only because I have a 8th month old son and I fear that the DHS might take him away if he get hurt by them.

[Zaney2121]

I love cats.I own 2 adorable cats

 

Teddy is my fixed male Himalayan,he is 4 years old and very grumpy...

 

Cleo is my fixed female Turkish Angora X she is about 10 months old now and she loves to break things...

[HollyTheColliegirl]

 

 

Here is my favorite cat named Shadow, named because he would follow us around like a shadow as a kitten. In this picture he is sitting on the headrest of an arm chair that was on our porch.

 

*Beware - Extremely Sad Story*

 

We adopted him and another male from a local horse barn that had tons of cats they wanted to get rid of. He quickly adapted to family life as opposed to barn cat life, and considered our neighborhood his kingdom. He was an annoying son of a gun for many years, until he finally matured and calmed down a bit. He used to scratch at doors, meow for attention, torture birds, come in soaking wet to jump on your lap, and poked his nose into EVERYTHING. Despite all that, we really loved that cat. I became very attached to him and started to pay more attention to him than the other cats (who didn't care much for me, either). We had this game where I would hold out turkey lunchmeat and he would jump and meow and lick my fingers for it. He really, really, REALLY liked turkey. Sometimes when I had the door cracked, he would push his way into my room and jump on my bed. Then he would walk over my back and sit next to me or sometimes even *on* my back. In his prime, he was a shiny, strong, beautiful cat with tons of energy.

 

Shadow had had several bouts of Pancreatitis over his life, and started losing weight. We couldn't figure out why, and had the vet check him from head to toe. He took blood tests and the whole thing. No expense was spared for this creature who had pushed his way into our family and our hearts. Nothing came back. He slowly deteriorated from a healthy 12 pounds, to 10, to 8, 7, 6, and finally got down to around 5 pounds. His face lost all happiness and he started staying inside all day, just sleeping. The other cats became very protective of him. We tried everything - high calorie food, giving him milk, helping him up and down stairs. He was so frail that one day his back legs gave out when he jumped off of my lap, and could barely walk after that. He had to drag himself up just to go to the litterbox. We finally decided that he had practically no quality of life. He was put down on February 2nd of this year. It just crushed me, and threw me into a spiral of depression. He was only 9 years old, and should have lived to at least 15-17 years old. He had been my best friend, the one I turned to for comfort.

I am still recovering from my loss 4 months later.

 

That is my story, I just thought I would share.

[Silence2]

Also if its okay if I ask every ones opinion on de clawing because I am thinking about getting my cats declawed and it is only because I have a 8th month old son and I fear that the DHS might take him away if he get hurt by them.

First, I think it is important to understand that declawing isn't just removing the claw. It is the amputation of the distal phalanges (the last segment of your finger). The procedure is not without potential complications as well (infections for example). The procedure can also be harder on cats when they are older than six to eight months. The bigger the cat, the more bleeding during the procedure. They often seem more painful than younger kittens too. I would also suspect that, with the change in how the cat stands, there are possible consequences, but I'd have to research that. One last thing that I have experienced is that some declawed cats become biters.

 

I am not against declawing for medical reasons. But, for scratching issues, I really don't like it when other options are available. Trimming the nails can help prevent injuries. I've never tried Soft Paws, but that is also an option.

Edited June 6, 2012 by Silence2

[hazeh]

 

I am not against declawing for medical reasons. But, for scratching issues, I really don't like when other options are available. Trimming the nails can help prevent injuries. I've never tried Soft Paws, but that is also an option.

I agree with you.

 

FOr my two cats, we use Soft Claws. It's a little difficult to get used to at first for both you and the cat (having to wrestle the animal into a position that you can keep their paws still enough to cap the claw), plus you have to trim the nail and keep up with the caps the cat has on. For the first few weeks they'll be chewing and biting them off, but after a while they get used to them and the caps stay on longer. But you still have to keep up with them.

I only do the front paws though and trim the back nails.

[cavygirl12]

I've always loved kitties!

 

Right now, I have a feisty orange tabby cat named Mac. He just turned two last month, and has a lot of mellowing out to do. When he is tired, he loves crawling under the blankets with me and putting his head on the pillow.

My last cat was named Barney. He died a few years ago at the age of 19 from a rare type of cancer. He was so sweet and calm. When I was really little, I would sit on him and pull his fur but he never bit. He was very good about standing up to our dog though, and wouldn't let any animal boss him around. I miss him, but he'll always be in my heart.

 

By the way, I've never really agreed with declawing. There are definitely good alternatives. With Mac, we use Soft Claws, but with Barney, we never had to since he didn't scratch people or furniture.

Edited June 6, 2012 by cavygirl12

[HollyTheColliegirl]

My younger cat likes to scratch the couch when nobody is home, and there is a big gouge in the side. I'm thinking of getting her Soft Claws, but I'm not even considering declawing (for various reasons). I don't know how well she would adjust to them though, since she likes her toes to be perfect. Any ideas on how to get a cat used to them without traumatizing?

[lizardtail]

my dad used to have a hairless cat. my neighbor currently has a young tortoiseshell/tabby that comes to visit a lot, she's really sweet. i've never owned a cat though, but i've always wanted one.

[TikindiDragon]

Also if its okay if I ask every ones opinion on de clawing because I am thinking about getting my cats declawed and it is only because I have a 8th month old son and I fear that the DHS might take him away if he get hurt by them.

Declawing is an illegal procedure in the UK. It's considered cruel. that should probably tell you what my opinion on it is.

 

Keep their claws clipped, and you'll be fine. Also make sure to teach your son the right way to approach cats, because toddling up to them and pulling tails is not going to make for happy moggies.

[hazeh]

My younger cat likes to scratch the couch when nobody is home, and there is a big gouge in the side. I'm thinking of getting her Soft Claws, but I'm not even considering declawing (for various reasons). I don't know how well she would adjust to them though, since she likes her toes to be perfect. Any ideas on how to get a cat used to them without traumatizing?

With my cats, I give them a lot of attention and petting before hand. Try to get your cat used to you touching and handling his paws first and reward him with praise, affection, and/or treats when he responds well to continued handling.

However, both of my cats really detest the Soft Paws, to a point where they've bitten me and growled because it makes them uncomfortable during the time it takes to get the cap onto their nail. They hate it. For us it's a two-person job. But we just hold the cat securely so they can't squirm away and do it as fast as we can, and then we hold and reassure the animal for about 5 minutes afterwards to ensure that the glue dries. It's not something you can really prepare or lessen the anxiety of, not many cats will take easily to things getting stuck on their claws. But if you do it often enough (when necessary, of course), she should get used to it.

[Biancathewolf]

Some years back (I was 20-something) I had 8 cats. Now I'm down to 1. She's a common house cat; most people think she's black when they see her in the picture, but she's realy very dark brown-bronze colored, with a bit of white on her belly and her head is black. (will add a picture later, since she's asleep atm, outside on the balcony) Love her to death, tho she can be annoying at times. I was there when she was born (owned her mom as well), so I consider her as one of family members. As for non-domestic ones, I love cheetahs. Oh, and I prefer shorthairs over any longhairs.

[Rachel72]

Lydia, guarding my bedroom door

 

 

BooBear.. my lap cat!!

[Kelkelen]

My younger cat likes to scratch the couch when nobody is home, and there is a big gouge in the side. I'm thinking of getting her Soft Claws, but I'm not even considering declawing (for various reasons). I don't know how well she would adjust to them though, since she likes her toes to be perfect. Any ideas on how to get a cat used to them without traumatizing?

Have you considered just trimming the claws? I've always trimmed my cat's, and while he's not fond of it, I can sneak up to him when he's napping and get in a few at a time. It takes a few ninja-naptimes to get it done, but hey -- there's no rush. You can easily see through the sheer claw, and can see the pink part to avoid when cutting (I leave a fair amount of leeway and trim often, but when I took him to the vet to be neutered, they also trimmed his claws for me about twice as far as I normally do with no problem). The best thing is to just use normal human toenail clippers, since cats' claws are flat.

 

For cats who obsess over their toes (mine sure does!), I think trimming might work better than Soft Paws. At least that way, they can lick and fret over the claws and fur afterwards, and there's not a foreign object stuck between their toes.

 

I'm also coming down firmly in the camp of "do not declaw." It's outlawed as cruel to animals in almost all of Europe, by now. It's literally cutting off the first joint of the cat's toes. Surely a nail trim, plus providing a good quality scratching post (one with nice coarse sisal or burlap -- *not* fluffy carpet material, unless you happen to own the rare cat who likes that) is a better option than amputating part of the cat's feet. No one goes around cutting off the toes of dogs who scratch at doors. Also, cats who are declawed tend to be more skittish, and quicker to bite or flee, because they're aware of their own lack of front-line defense. All the declawed cats I knew became rather bitey.

 

I've also never known a cat to aggressively attack a child -- one good swat to gain its freedom, maybe, but most cats won't fight if they have the option to get away from the danger zone.

[chee]

My favorite animal is a Cheetah(hence my forum name). I own two cats, one is my moms the other is mine. Mine is named Garfield and he's a fat orange striped cat whose afraid of anything but me. Garfield is totally my cat because I'm the only one who can pick him up or cuddle with him or even walk up to him on some days. Garfield has an extra toe on his two front paws, his extra tow is shaped like a human thumb and he likes to hold my hand.

[hazeh]

Also, declawing depends heavily on the personality of the cat.

My first cat was declawed, and she was the best animal ever. She was sweet and never had any issues whatsoever.

 

So, while I'm not the least condoning or advocating for declawing, those negative behavioral symptoms are not guaranteed.

[kittygrl]

i declawed my cats and well i've seen no change in personality, actually they just pretend to claw things now. (dorks)

[7Deadly$ins]

i declawed my cats and well i've seen no change in personality, actually they just pretend to claw things now. (dorks)

They pretend to claw things because cats have an instinctive urge to scratch that declawed cats can basically never fulfill now.

 

I can not even begin to start on what I think about declawing. It's an absolutely terrible, unnecessary, selfish mutilation. I wish we in the States were a little more on board with the UK and Europe on this one, even if I don't agree with everything cat related between the Atlantic.

[kittygrl]

well we had to declaw them because well we have a toddler around that loves to abuse our cats. we got it for safety reason but we only declawed them half way. they still have their hind claws.

(and they hurt a lot if they decide to run off of your lap and youre wearing Pjs)

[7Deadly$ins]

Maybe we should amputate the toddler's arms so that he can't abuse the cats.

 

I cannot envision a single situation where I think it's acceptable or in the cats best interest to have parts of its feet amputated. It isn't just the claw... it's as if the top digit where your fingernails are was completely removed. Barbaric, and even though I dislike people who rehome their animals without much thought, I'd rather see animals rehomed than mutilated.