New kitty training:

[Eddie]

I am thinking about getting a new kitten to replace my 21 YO Tigger who was put down several weeks ago. Tigger had front paws declawed before I got him at about 1 year old. Is it easy to train a cat to use a clawing post? I don't want to have my house cat declawed but, I also don't want claw marks and furniture rips either. What do experienced cat owners think?

Ed

 

[Nick1994]

You can try to teach them to use scratch posts, but if doesn't work you can get it declawed before there's too much damage.

 

[CT8]

When my daughter brings a cat home the first thing I do is throw it out the door. If it sticks around it is a keeper if not there will always be another cat.

 

[SatinSilver]

They're smart and will figure it out quickly. The carpeted ones are nice and Walmart has some cardboard ones you hang from a door knob along with catnip. Many of the cat trees have built in scratching posts. Remember you don't pick the cat, they pick you.

http://www.walmart.com/search/?query=cat scratching post&typeahead=cat scratching post

 

[John_K]

Last time we adopted a kitten, the person called me a barbarian and wouldn't let me have a kitten because we declaw. Our vet says it's no big deal but I am feeling cruel about it. So next time we may try the scratching post thing.

 

[SatinSilver]

I had my last cat declawed and wouldn't do it again. One of the bones in her paw became exposed after a few weeks so I had to take her back for them to do a procedure. She was an indoor cat and it was probably because of her rough housing. This was done at a top notch vet. But still I learned my lesson. Don't forget the vets that minimize it are the ones making the money off the procedure.

 

[OneEyeJack]

Recently we rescued a wild kitty with a badly infected leg that was living out in the wild. I enticed her in with food after a week of trying. I threw a large beach towel over her and it looked like a bomb going off, a noisy bomb. After a strong sedative, some careful clean up work and 2 courses of antibiotics later we had one healthy, noisy kitty. My wife and I can pet her and carefully pick her up but she'll make a blood donor of anyone else that tries. Right now that little kitty is teaching our many dogs the correct way to show respect to a superior being. She always comes back after her outside adventures, many times with a mouse, a bird or other creatures that she presents to me in my home office. She goes her own way and does her own thing but is finally after 6 months is becoming a domestic cat and loves to be petted but only by us. We named her Little Orphan Annie and we pretend we don't know where her various secret sleeping hide outs around the house are.

 

[Lyman]

I would never declaw a cat just for the fact that if it were to run away it wouldn't be able to defend itself. We have two house cats and a few scratching posts around the house, They use them everyday.

 

[JimPghPA]

I made a great scratching post 27 inches high, rectangular and wrapped in carpet with a big base for our cat. She uses it about 1/2 the time and was trying to use the carpet going up the stairs to the second floor the other 1/2 the time. We just now (within the last hour) added a barricade to the bottom of the stairs so she can no longer get to the stairs.

You can train a dog, but usually, a cat does what it want to do.

Putting catnip on the scratching post helps if you cat likes catnip, But some cats are not affected by catnip.

 

[Bottom_Feeder]

Declawing a cat is cruel and unnecessary, a procedure done simply for a cat owner's convenience. It should be outlawed here like it is in many other parts of the world.

 

[dlayman]

Cats are such individual and unique animals I think it's hard to generalize about scratching activity. I declawed my first cat as it was a choice between that and not being allowed to have her (rental agreement). She seemed to have no problems with it. I never declawed any of the three I've had after that. One did scratch things a little bit, the other two, not at all. I've heard that if they have access to something wooden, such as an old 2 x 4 they won't bother with anything else, but I can't vouch for that, and a door frame might also fit that bill, which wouldn't be good. Declawing a cat is actually amputation of their toes, so a vet that says it's no big deal isn't a vet I'd care to use. Still there may be circumstances where it's the least bad alternative,but I think that would be rare.

 

[Eddie]

Some parts of the world eats dogs and cats and consider it normal.

 

[2cool]

Wait! You can actually train a cat?! Won't wonders ever cease?

 

[Eddie]

While I don't necessary want to have a kitty declawed, which is like removing fingernails, it might be a better option than not adopting and knowing that the cat will be put down which is what will happen.

 

[JennyHemi]

OP - yes, cats can be trained. Especially if you start when they're kittens. Scratching posts and cardboard scratching beds are great - just gently take the cat's paw and run it along the surface - they'll get the idea pretty quickly. If the cat goes for the sofa, gently discipline him/her by voice command and bring him/her to the scratching post and show them again.

If you treat them well and take care of them like a responsible person, you'll have a happy animal. Having a pet means your home is not going to stay pristine. They get sick, they have accidents, they knock stuff over. Stuff happens. Pets cost money - in feeding and regular health care. If you don't want this and can't handle it - don't get a pet. If you can provide a safe, loving home and would benefit from having a pet, then get (rescue- don't buy) a pet.

Do not declaw your cat. It's cruel and puts the animal at risk in several ways. If you have to have an animal without claws, get a turtle.

PS - Some people shouldn't even be allowed to own pets or even be near them - ever. Don't get pets and then refuse to care for them. Don't be that [censored].

 

[Bottom_Feeder]

Originally Posted By: Eddie
While I don't necessary want to have a kitty declawed, which is like removing fingernails, it might be a better option than not adopting and knowing that the cat will be put down which is what will happen.

Declawing a cat is NOT just like removing its fingernails, it's more like removing their fingertips at the first knuckle. Look at your hand and tell me you'd wish that on any animal.

I do appreciate that you really don't want to do it, but that option should not even be on the table.

 

[SatinSilver]

Originally Posted By: Eddie
While I don't necessary want to have a kitty declawed, which is like removing fingernails, it might be a better option than not adopting and knowing that the cat will be put down which is what will happen.


Simple, adopt a declawed cat. There's plenty of them available at the shelters/rescues. There's even a search parameter for it on petfinder.com.

 

[Chris142]

My rexicat was declawed before I got him.he has always had foot issues ever since

I would not wish that on any kitty. What he lacks in claws he Makes up for with teeth. He sees the other cats climb trees and he tries

. They really like the cardboard scratchers I bought.

 

[Kuato]

Originally Posted By: Eddie
I am thinking about getting a new kitten to replace my 21 YO Tigger who was put down several weeks ago. Tigger had front paws declawed before I got him at about 1 year old. Is it easy to train a cat to use a clawing post? I don't want to have my house cat declawed but, I also don't want claw marks and furniture rips either. What do experienced cat owners think?

Ed


Scratching post = good idea.

Had some friends that had "Kitty Love" - it was the label of a squirt bottle used to discourage their young cat when it was misbehaving. Works great and causes no harm.

 

[aquariuscsm]

Originally Posted By: Bottom_Feeder
Declawing a cat is cruel and unnecessary, a procedure done simply for a cat owner's convenience. It should be outlawed here like it is in many other parts of the world.


I agree. NEVER declaw a cat. It'd be like removing someone's fingernails or toenails from the root,or even worse like the previous poster said. And I agree that it should be outlawed.