Quote:
Originally Posted by Hack&Lube
My friend has a female cat named Barley that just doesn't like most people and runs away from you. I miss Barley even though she treats me like dirt. I guess that's why I like cats. They are like girls.  |
HAH! I don't know how many times I've said this to people. The more they act like they hate me, the more I want them to love me!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by BuzzardsWife
I don't have a problem with cats being declawed, I think of it as surgery, and we all recover from it. If it meant destroying a cat from a shelter or bringing it home and declawing it, the cat would probably rather be declawed. I can understand why some people have an issue though, we all have our different views. I think the idea of getting a bit older cat is a great idea, kittens are cute but not for long, and they destroy your house!
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I''m going to agree that when you compare it to death, de-clawing "isn't as bad".
However, to compare it to surgery is naive and "human-centric". The closest surgery you could compare it to is having your ten fingers and ten toes all cut off at the first knuckle at the same time without your permission or you knowing it's going to happen. You just wake up, and they're gone.
- It will mess up their balance for the rest of their lives (do I have to explain why this is important?).
- It will give them an inferiority complex as they know they can't defend themselves (even if they never have to) and this will make them more nervous and sketchy around other people/pets/and you.
Also, cats aren't just scratching things cause they want to rip them up or sharpen their claws or whatever. Watch them.... they are stretching. That's why if they are de-clawed they continue to make the scratching motions... they are trying to stretch. This stretching is hugely important to their overall health, especially if they are indoors all the time.
FTR, my mother de-clawed every cat she ever had when I was younger (until she learned what she was really doing). She has since stopped and I have never done it to mine. You CAN tell the difference.
Anyway, sorry to pick on you but this is just not a matter of "differing views"... one is quite clearly correct, and one is quite clearly cruel.
Get a spray bottle. Cats aren't stupid. They'll learn what they can scratch and what they can't. Please, please, please do not de-claw them. And if you do, even after learning the truth, don't you ever tell anyone you love your pet, because quite simply, you do not.
Oh, one more benefit, a cat with no claws could never have posed for this picture:
And FTR, this was an old chair that was designated her "scratching chair". At this age (~8 months old) she knew enough to bring any toy (or TP) she wanted to play with onto that chair and not the nic(er) couch right next to it. This was also taken at 4am on my way to the bathroom.... man did I laugh. BUSTED!!
Also, I wanted to add that a cheap, widely available and still healthy cat food is IAMS. Was recommended to me by a vet. My little girl (in the picture) had an awful hairball problem when she was really young as she is quite preoccupied with having beautiful fur. I switched from the regular IAMS to the hairball preventing IAMS and no more hairballs. The stuff is only like 6 bucks at friggin' Wal-mart and as such people lump it in with the Meow-Mixes and that other crap but it is actually very good for them. Food quality is often overlooked by new cat owners. You can't just feed them garbage and expect them to be healthy.
And with that, I will wrap up the most edited post in Cal-puck history.