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Cat Forum / Health and Behavior / July 2003Dog lover turned kitten mother, LOTS of questions..
Hi all! Yes, I have converted. I still love my great dane, but the newest love of my life (Hailey the supposed maine coon) has me stressed. In all 21 of my years, I've never owned a feline, so perhaps having rescued a 4 week old kitten that insists that I'm her mommie from which she can nurse. While I'm crazy that she has fallen in love with me, I'm terrified that I'm going to do something wrong and kill her. So I'm going to start out slowly and ask a LOT of questions! 1. I've learned that milk causes diarreah (I can't spell), but are there special nutrients that are in a cat mother's milk that she is missing in her kitten chow? 2. Longhair beauty that she is, we're having a.emm...pooping problem. Yeah, it sticks. I've trimmed the hair down around the "area" but it still gets stuck. I've been using baby wipes after she's gone (god, thank you for baby wipes) and they work well...takes away the smell and gets ride of the doodie....but is there any way to keep from having to wipe her? 3. Declawing...Yeah, I'm sure you are all going to hate me for it, but it's getting done. She's an indoor cat and I'm afraid that she's going to scratch the babies. What age do vets usually recommend the procedure? 4. Spaying..what age? I have more questions, but I'll let ya'll get to these!! Everyone's expertise would help! Thanks, Momma-Kittenhead > Hi all! Yes, I have converted. I still love my great dane, but the newest > love of my life (Hailey the supposed maine coon) has me stressed. In all 21 [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > special nutrients that are in a cat mother's milk that she is missing in her > kitten chow? KMR "Kitten Milk Replacement". Available from vet and pet stores. > 2. Longhair beauty that she is, we're having a.emm...pooping problem. Yeah, > it sticks. I've trimmed the hair down around the "area" but it still gets > stuck. I've been using baby wipes after she's gone (god, thank you for baby > wipes) and they work well...takes away the smell and gets ride of the > doodie....but is there any way to keep from having to wipe her? She'll grow out of it, although, you might consider keeping a poop shoot shaved as she gets older. But, once she figures things out and learns to groom herself, you'll be fine except for the occassional dingle. > 3. Declawing...Yeah, I'm sure you are all going to hate me for it, but it's > getting done. She's an indoor cat and I'm afraid that she's going to scratch > the babies. What age do vets usually recommend the procedure? Are you prepared for what could happen? Early arthritis, urinating, biting? Millions of babies are raised everyday with cats with claws and survive just fine. I did. Your fear is totally unjustified and so is the procedure. Consider, if you must, or if a problem (highly doubtful) would crop up, Soft Paws. Getting her used to claw trimming now would make her very easy to keep trimmed. There is NO need to declaw. That's all there is to that. Have you even considered these options??? > 4. Spaying..what age? Most people do it between 4 and 6 months. > I have more questions, but I'll let ya'll get to these!! Everyone's > expertise would help! > Thanks, > Momma-Kittenhead Really consider your options (THERE **ARE** OPTIONS) to declawing. It is terribly inhumane. I'd suggest you rehome her before doing it. It's terribly selfish of you when claws won't be a problem if you just trim regularly. Karen In response - Yes, I've looked at the alternatives. Soft Paws (they even come in cute colors!!), training, sprays, the other procedure that starts with a T that I can't spell (tendenoniton or something), laser surgery, nail clipping, living with it.....so I asked a breeder in the area, because I didn't want to do something that would hurt her....she told me this... "if Hailey is an inside cat, she doesn't need to protect herself (she's an only child). If declawing was so inhumane, no vet would declaw any animal." It took a lot of convincing, and my vet even let me watch a procedure...so we're going to go through with it. I realize that it's a VERY controversial topic, but I appreciate your advice! :) I'll keep ya posted! Momma-Kittenhead > > Hi all! Yes, I have converted. I still love my great dane, but the newest > > love of my life (Hailey the supposed maine coon) has me stressed. In all 21 [quoted text clipped - 45 lines] > > Karen > In response - Yes, I've looked at the alternatives. Soft Paws (they even > come in cute colors!!), training, sprays, the other procedure that starts [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > "if Hailey is an inside cat, she doesn't need to protect herself (she's an > only child). If declawing was so inhumane, no vet would declaw any animal." It's illegal in many countries. Animal cruelty. > It took a lot of convincing, and my vet even let me watch a procedure...so > we're going to go through with it. I realize that it's a VERY controversial > topic, but I appreciate your advice! :) I'll keep ya posted! > Momma-Kittenhead Oh, please don't. I don't want to hear about how you're mutilating your poor kitten. Don't you understand that you're cutting off its toes? That it's likely it'll have trouble balancing? It'll be in pain, possibly for the rest of its life? How anyone could do that to a creature they claim to love is beyond me, but then human parents main and mutilate their children. We have laws to take their children away from them. I'm just sorry no-one can take that poor kitten away from you before you do this to it. Priscilla  SignatureMinutus cantorum, minutus balorum, minutus carborata descendum pantorum. (thanks be to topfive.com) Yes, I'm aware that it is illegal in several countries....as a matter of fact, I bet I could name you several of the countries (such as those on Great britian, Spain, portgual, brazil, Italy for sure, england, australia). You know, I bet there are other people on here who aren't against declawing, but I think I'm probably one of the only ones with the balls enough to say "yeah, I've weighed the alternatives and have decided to declaw". When I got Hailey I wasn't doing a jig to the thought of declawing her. I didn't look at her and smile at the thought of taking off the nails. But I feel confident in the trained PROFESSIONAL vets., I feel confident enough in research and the experience of others that I'm doing the right thing. With that said, I am basically saying, if you don't want to answer my questions or hear about my kitty, then don't read my posts. Instead of writing posts intended only to show your "passion" about declawation and to stir up trouble, perhaps you could channel that energy into something less upsetting like, grooming your cat or responding to someone else's post who is anti-declawing. Thanks to those who responded and gave me their advice! :) > > In response - Yes, I've looked at the alternatives. Soft Paws (they even > > come in cute colors!!), training, sprays, the other procedure that starts [quoted text clipped - 22 lines] > > Priscilla > Yes, I'm aware that it is illegal in several countries....as a matter of > fact, I bet I could name you several of the countries (such as those on [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > got Hailey I wasn't doing a jig to the thought of declawing her. I didn't > look at her and smile at the thought of taking off the nails. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ You claim to have thought this through but that statement shows your ignorance or denial. It is AMPUTATING the toe to the FIRST JOINT. Not "taking off the nails." >But I feel > confident in the trained PROFESSIONAL vets., I feel confident enough in [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > upsetting like, grooming your cat or responding to someone else's post who > is anti-declawing. If you ask for advice in a cat group, this is going to come up. Karen | I think I'm probably one of the only ones with the balls enough to say | "yeah, I've weighed the alternatives and have decided to declaw". Do you have the balls to say: "Declawing is the amputation of the toe bones that cats walk on. The bone has to come off because the claw grows out of it. The result is an unnatural posture as the cat turns its wrists to distribute the pressure of walking over the other bones in its paws. The procedure is reliably painful enough that declaw post-ops are routinely used to study the effectiveness of painkilling medications and pain treatment protocols. I will ignore the evidence that declawing can make a biter or couch wetter out of my cat. There is no medical or health benefit to the cat whatsoever but still I will have this done, and I am very glad that I live somewhere where neither the prevailing laws nor the professional ethics of veterinarians stand in the way of my desire to mutilate an innocent kitten." Well, do you have the balls? I do have the balls to say that my husband has had cats before which were declawed and they were in great health. As a matter of fact, Dolly lived to be 17 years old. Do you people really think that you are going to get your point across by BASHING and being ignorant?? If you wanted to change my mind or convince me to NOT declaw Hailey - you have definately NOT succeeded. Instead you've made yourselves look like idiots and discredited all advice that you may have given. > | I think I'm probably one of the only ones with the balls enough to say > | "yeah, I've weighed the alternatives and have decided to declaw". [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > > Well, do you have the balls? > I do have the balls to say that my husband has had cats before which were > declawed and they were in great health. As a matter of fact, Dolly lived to [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > made yourselves look like idiots and discredited all advice that you may > have given. There speaks the voice of guilt since we've presented only facts. Karen > > I do have the balls to say that my husband has had cats before which were > > declawed and they were in great health. As a matter of fact, Dolly lived to [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > > Karen Well, some - at least one person (I haven't read the whole thread thoroughly), was really quite nasty & insulting, IMO. The facts were dispensed in a way that would create a reverse-psychology sort of deal. Cathy -- "Staccato signals of constant information..." ("The Boy in the Bubble") Paul Simon >>> I do have the balls to say that my husband has had cats before which > were [quoted text clipped - 24 lines] > "Staccato signals of constant information..." > ("The Boy in the Bubble") Paul Simon I tried presenting it in a kindly manner in my first response but got the "Oh, la! Ah just think I'll have it done anyway." attitude. Didn't sound well thought out to me and I HIGHLY doubt she actually watched the procedure. Karen |> "Karen Chuplis" <kchuplis@earthlink.net> wrote in message |>> There speaks the voice of guilt since we've presented only facts. |> Well, some - at least one person (I haven't read the whole thread |> thoroughly), was really quite nasty & insulting, IMO. That, of course, would be me. |> The facts were dispensed in a way that would create a reverse- |> psychology sort of deal. | I tried presenting it in a kindly manner in my first response but got | the "Oh, la! Ah just think I'll have it done anyway." attitude. Yeah, as in "I realize that it's a VERY controversial topic, but I appreciate your advice! :)". Controversial? If only it were just a matter of "opinions". Anything to evade the facts, of course. | Didn't sound well thought out to me and I HIGHLY doubt she actually | watched the procedure. There's got to be a special circle in hell reserved for people who have seen the procedure and still go for it. Likely, they only watch the procedure clinically - noticing only, for example, the speed with which it's done, the lack of blood, etc. etc - as if all that mattered was the surgeon's skill. Not a thought to the bone that came off to remove the claw, or what the lack of that bone will do to the cat. Makes me wonder what Nicole has done to her dogs. circa Mon, 07 Jul 2003 23:27:27 GMT, in rec.pets.cats.health+behav, Nicole (nikanddawg@earthlink.net) said, > I do have the balls to say that my husband has had cats before which were > declawed and they were in great health. As a matter of fact, Dolly lived to [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > made yourselves look like idiots and discredited all advice that you may > have given. Nicole, in my very first response to you, I presented you with links and genuinely offered advice. Your response was to liken yourself to a Jew being attacked by a bible-thumping Baptist when I responded to one of your other posts. Perhaps you need to read a bit more carefully, because several of us have tried to have a rational conversation with you on the subject and your responses have been uneducated and ignorant. And before you take "ignorant" as a personal attack, I would encourage you to look up the word, as I mean it in its textbook definition. Nobody's advice has been discredited. However, your claimed concern for the welfare of your cat has been. Not because you consider declawing, but because you refuse to consider any other option or provide reason as to why you've dismissed other options. Laura circa Mon, 07 Jul 2003 23:27:27 GMT, in rec.pets.cats.health+behav, Nicole (nikanddawg@earthlink.net) said, > I do have the balls to say that my husband has had cats before which were > declawed and they were in great health. As a matter of fact, Dolly lived to > be 17 years old. People with amputated limbs have lived to be ninety. Would that make it acceptable to amputate people's limbs so that they couldn't do damage with them? Laura [De-jeopardied] |> Do you have the balls to say: |> [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] |> |> Well, do you have the balls? | I do have the balls to say Wrong answer. You've been given the chance the show that you have the balls to acknowledge FACTS. Here you are changing the subject again. | that my husband has had cats before which were declawed and they were | in great health. Then ask your husband to have the balls on your behalf and post an acknowledgement of the FACTS. | Do you people really think that you are going to get your point across | by BASHING and being ignorant?? You're the one claiming to have the balls to acknowledge FACTS. Put up or shut up. circa Mon, 07 Jul 2003 03:39:12 GMT, in rec.pets.cats.health+behav, Nicole (nikanddawg@earthlink.net) said, > But I feel > confident in the trained PROFESSIONAL vets., I feel confident enough in > research and the experience of others that I'm doing the right thing. Like these vets? http://www.declawing.com/ http://tinyurl.com/gaex http://www.littleshelter.com/library/declaw_cat.htm http://www.vetinfo.com/cdeclaw.html Read the research, Nicole. Read what veterinarians have to say. Look at the video that Arjun posted. Look at it. Laura > In response - Yes, I've looked at the alternatives. Soft Paws (they even > come in cute colors!!), training, sprays, the other procedure that starts [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > topic, but I appreciate your advice! :) I'll keep ya posted! > Momma-Kittenhead Uh-oh... though thinking yourself prepared, you have no *idea* the can of worms you've probably opened yourself up to w/ this one, I'm afraid. The declawing issue has got to be the biggest source of arguments & flame wars on cat ngs, w/ the indoor-outdoor issue probably in 2nd place. I'm not pro-declaw, but otoh I'm not vehemently against it, either. Two of my cats have been front-declaws (one was my decision back in '86, & the other came that way when I adopted her in '93) - w/ no resultant problems that I can tell. Although, I assume as w/ any surgery, there must *sometimes* be adverse after-effects. Cathy -- "Staccato signals of constant information..." ("The Boy in the Bubble") Paul Simon circa Sun, 6 Jul 2003 23:15:11 -0400, in rec.pets.cats.health+behav, Cathy Friedmann (clfr@adelphia.net) said, > Two of my cats > have been front-declaws (one was my decision back in '86, & the other came > that way when I adopted her in '93) - w/ no resultant problems that I can > tell. Although, I assume as w/ any surgery, there must *sometimes* be > adverse after-effects. Alex, my aforementioned biter, came to me declawed. Guess how he compensates for his lack of claws? Laura > circa Sun, 6 Jul 2003 23:15:11 -0400, in rec.pets.cats.health+behav, > Cathy Friedmann (clfr@adelphia.net) said, [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > > Laura Otoh, my biter cat is Mr. Fully-Clawed (aka Herrie). Cathy -- "Staccato signals of constant information..." ("The Boy in the Bubble") Paul Simon circa Mon, 7 Jul 2003 01:00:27 -0400, in rec.pets.cats.health+behav, Cathy Friedmann (clfr@adelphia.net) said, > > > tell. Although, I assume as w/ any surgery, there must *sometimes* be > > > adverse after-effects. [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > > Otoh, my biter cat is Mr. Fully-Clawed (aka Herrie). Oh, I'm sure that there are lots of clawed biters out there. But I'd rather not contribute to the possibility of making a cat a biter by declawing it. For me, the key question to anybody considering declawing is this- *why* is it necessary to declaw? I have yet to see somebody give a reason why declawing is the only option, or even the best option. So, if it's not the only option, isn't the best option and if the other options don't hurt the cat, then why declaw? Declawing does not do one single positive thing for a cat. Period. Laura SignatureSuccessful men follow the same advice they prescribe for others. > In response - Yes, I've looked at the alternatives. Soft Paws (they even > come in cute colors!!), training, sprays, the other procedure that starts [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > "if Hailey is an inside cat, she doesn't need to protect herself (she's an > only child). If declawing was so inhumane, no vet would declaw any animal." Actually, in many countries no vet will... Do look into this a *lot* before you decide to do it. It's such a controversial procedure that many countries (incl UK, Australia and most of Europe) in the world have declared it illegal or "extremely inhumane" and wont perform the procedure except in extreme *medical* situations. http://www.declawing.com/list.html Indeed, it's taken for granted to such a degree in Aus that declawing is inhumane (and outright illegal in a number of states) that I didn't even realise it was still a regular procedure anywhere else in the world. There are several million pet cats in Australia. Their owners have all coped just fine with their kitty's claws. Give it a go. :) Purplecat PS If you're interested in getting a number of different opinions, perhaps e-mail vets from other countries and see what they say. I know there are a number of vets online that will happily answer questions. The impression I get is that a lot of countries/international vet associations feel the US is behind the times on the declawing issue... circa Mon, 07 Jul 2003 03:04:48 GMT, in rec.pets.cats.health+behav, Nicole (nikanddawg@earthlink.net) said, > In response - Yes, I've looked at the alternatives. Soft Paws (they even > come in cute colors!!), Okay, and why have you rejected SoftPaws? > training, sprays, the other procedure that starts > with a T that I can't spell (tendenoniton or something), Tendonectomy. It's like cutting the tendon that controls the first joint in your fingers. Imagine your fingers with floppy tips and you have a rough idea of what a tendonectomy does. > laser surgery, Which is simply declawing using a laser instead of the usual device, which pretty much looks like an industrial strength nail cutter, but cuts off the cat's first joint instead of just the nail. > nail > clipping, living with it.....so I asked a breeder in the area, because I > didn't want to do something that would hurt her....she told me this... > "if Hailey is an inside cat, she doesn't need to protect herself (she's an > only child). So that justifies mutilating her? > If declawing was so inhumane, no vet would declaw any animal." Now, *that* is a crock. Ask any veterinarian if they think declawing is humane. 99% of them will tell you that it is not, but that they do it because their clients who request it would get rid of the cat if the vet didn't declaw. > It took a lot of convincing, and my vet even let me watch a procedure... How much of it did you watch? Did you see exactly what it consists of? It is *cutting off the cat's first joint*. What if your toes were cut off at the first joint? How agile would you be? Would you feel that it was "humane"? > so > we're going to go through with it. WHY??? Why are you so willing to declaw but so unwilling to try the other methods???? > I realize that it's a VERY controversial > topic, Yes, because it is inhumane. It is cruel. It is barbaric. There is a reason that it is outlawed in many countries outside the United States, and there is a reason that there is a push for similar legislation in the United States. > but I appreciate your advice! :) I'll keep ya posted! > Momma-Kittenhead Well, frankly, every bit of love that you claim to feel for your new kitten just became suspect to me. Would you cut off your baby's fingers at the first joint so that the baby wouldn't accidentally scratch you with his/her nail? You have not given a single reason *why* you feel that you have to declaw your cat instead of trying something humane. Laura SignatureDon't try to make children grow up to be like you, or they may do it. -Russell Baker If you would like to talk about inhumane then perhaps we should talk about your eating habits...such as, killing an animal simply so that YOU can survive. Part of me wants to leave this argument alone but the other part feels that I should defend the other point of view. I feel like a Jew being Bible Thumped by a baptist! > circa Mon, 07 Jul 2003 03:04:48 GMT, in rec.pets.cats.health+behav, > Nicole (nikanddawg@earthlink.net) said, [quoted text clipped - 64 lines] > > Laura circa Mon, 07 Jul 2003 03:54:07 GMT, in rec.pets.cats.health+behav, Nicole (nikanddawg@earthlink.net) said, > If you would like to talk about inhumane then perhaps we should talk about > your eating habits... Um, Nicole, what do you know of my eating habits? Not much, it would seem. > such as, killing an animal simply so that YOU can > survive. Part of me wants to leave this argument alone but the other part > feels that I should defend the other point of view. I feel like a Jew being > Bible Thumped by a baptist! Just as you are entitled to express your intent to have your cat's joints amputated, I'm entitled to express my opinion that it is barbaric, cruel and unnecessary. And I'm pretty sure you don't have the slightest idea what a Jew feels like, and I certainly don't know how a Bible thumping Baptist feels. If you feel persecuted, that's your own guilt speaking. And IMO, you should feel guilty for what you intend to do. Laura SignatureAnybody who wants religion is welcome to it, as far as I'm concerned- I support your right to enjoy it. However, I would appreciate it if you exhibited more respect for the rights of those people who do not wish to share your dogma, rapture or necrodestination. - Frank Zappa circa Mon, 07 Jul 2003 03:54:07 GMT, in rec.pets.cats.health+behav, Nicole (nikanddawg@earthlink.net) said, > If you would like to talk about inhumane then perhaps we should talk about > your eating habits...such as, killing an animal simply so that YOU can > survive. Part of me wants to leave this argument alone but the other part > feels that I should defend the other point of view. I feel like a Jew being > Bible Thumped by a baptist! And Nicole, you've still not answered the question of why you refuse to try SoftPaws. Laura SignatureYou can't teach an old dogma new tricks. -Dorothy Parker [De-joepardied] | > circa Mon, 07 Jul 2003 03:04:48 GMT, in rec.pets.cats.health+behav, | > Nicole (nikanddawg@earthlink.net) said, |>> It took a lot of convincing, and my vet even let me watch a procedure... |> |> How much of it did you watch? Did you see exactly what it consists |> of? It is *cutting off the cat's first joint*. What if your toes were |> cut off at the first joint? How agile would you be? Would you feel |> that it was "humane"? | If you would like to talk about inhumane then perhaps we should talk about | your eating habits Changing the subject, as usual. I think you're lying. You have *not* seen the procedure. Here's your chance to prove me wrong. Describe what you saw. I'll even make it easy for you to make things up: http://community-2.webtv.net/stopdeclaw/declawpics/ See those bones on the towel? Did you pick one up to see how much came off? Here's a page with diagrams so that you can be absolutely sure of the anatomy: http://www.maxshouse.com/facts_about_declawing.htm Bonus points for answering this: what about the bleeding during the procedure? Haven't a clue, eh? circa 8 Jul 2003 15:11:14 -0500, in rec.pets.cats.health+behav, Arjun Ray (aray@nmds.com.invalid) said, > http://www.maxshouse.com/facts_about_declawing.htm The pictures at the very bottom of the page would certainly seem to indicate that declawing is *not* a humane or safe procedure. I wonder if those cats' owners felt as horrible as they deserve to feel for doing that to their cats. Laura | circa 8 Jul 2003 15:11:14 -0500, in rec.pets.cats.health+behav, Arjun | Ray (aray@nmds.com.invalid) said, |> http://www.maxshouse.com/facts_about_declawing.htm | The pictures at the very bottom of the page would certainly seem to | indicate that declawing is *not* a humane or safe procedure. I wonder | if those cats' owners felt as horrible as they deserve to feel for | doing that to their cats. Sure they do - once they know. The guilt is unavoidable, but with rational people, this usually passes. For one thing, what's done is done - they can't go back and undo it. For another, the knowledge is liberating - it's better to know than to be ignorant or deluded and then defensively go into denial. That's what happened in another newsgroup recently. Someone who had declawed her cats insisted that it wasn't abuse, just routine surgery. She didn't believe that declawing was amputation ("Where did you get toes being cut off?? Get real!"), or that the pain is so reliable that declaw post-ops are used to test painkillers. But when presented with the facts, she had the *balls* to say that the knowledge was better than continuing in denial: "I have had a couple cats over the years that were declawed. You giving me the facts like that was like a slap in the face. You think I want to ADMIT I did something barbaric and painful to my cherished and beloved cats? My babies? When you posted those links yesterday, I refused to read them. I was sticking by my guns. I did NOT abuse my babies, no way, no how, no way. Well I did read them today. Thanks a lot!" and signed her name with the comment: "eyes opened a little more and feeling guilty as hell". For someone with as fundmentally healthy attitude as she, the guilt will pass. The knowledge will now allow her to say with conviction, "Never again." circa Mon, 07 Jul 2003 03:04:48 GMT, in rec.pets.cats.health+behav, Nicole (nikanddawg@earthlink.net) said, > I realize that it's a VERY controversial > topic, but I appreciate your advice! :) I BTW, *please* read these links: http://www.wholecat.com/articles/claws.htm http://community-2.webtv.net/zuzu22/STOPDECLAWCOM/ Laura > Hi all! Yes, I have converted. I still love my great dane, but the newest > love of my life (Hailey the supposed maine coon) has me stressed. In all 21 [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > special nutrients that are in a cat mother's milk that she is missing in her > kitten chow? Milk causes diarrhea only if a cat's lactose-intolerant. Of 4 cats, none of mine has ever shown a problem w/ milk, so far. (Given to them as small treats; not a lot at any given time.) Her kitten food should be fine. There is a product (or two) - KMR (or is it KRM??) - Kitten Milk Replacement that's available at pet supply stores if you want to try & see if she'd like her food supplemented. > 2. Longhair beauty that she is, we're having a.emm...pooping problem. Yeah, > it sticks. I've trimmed the hair down around the "area" but it still gets > stuck. I've been using baby wipes after she's gone (god, thank you for baby > wipes) and they work well...takes away the smell and gets ride of the > doodie....but is there any way to keep from having to wipe her? I'd say just keep wiping & keep her hair trimmed back there. Eventually she'll (hopefully) clean herself, although you may have to come to the rescue now & then - forever after. <g> > 3. Declawing...Yeah, I'm sure you are all going to hate me for it, but it's > getting done. She's an indoor cat and I'm afraid that she's going to scratch > the babies. What age do vets usually recommend the procedure? I don't know. > 4. Spaying..what age? Two months at the earliest, up to about 5 months. That's probably early enough to catch her before her first heat. > I have more questions, but I'll let ya'll get to these!! Everyone's > expertise would help! Good luck, & may she have a long life! :-) Cathy -- "Staccato signals of constant information..." ("The Boy in the Bubble") Paul Simon > Thanks, > Momma-Kittenhead (Hailey the supposed maine coon) has me stressed. In all 21 > of my years, I've never owned a feline, so perhaps having rescued a 4 week > old kitten that insists that I'm her mommie from which she can nurse. > While I'm crazy that she has fallen in love with me, I'm terrified that I'm > going to do something wrong and kill her. So I'm going to start out slowly > and ask a LOT of questions! Natural to be stressed when you aren't familiar with an animal. Natural for the kitten to treat you like "mom". I've got a 12 year old that still thinks I'm her mom. No point in trying to tell her differently now... Probably yours will outgrow it. 4 weeks is WAY too young to be away from mom. Generally they don't leave mom till about 10 weeks, so you are going to have to be mom for now. > 1. I've learned that milk causes diarreah (I can't spell), but are there > special nutrients that are in a cat mother's milk that she is missing in her > kitten chow? Besides the kitten replacement formula that you can get at vets, or feed supply stores, goats milk is very good for kittens. Closest to its mom's nutrient-wise. Some grocery stores have it in quarts with regular milk. Some have it in cans. Call around. > 2. Longhair beauty that she is, we're having a.emm...pooping problem. Yeah, > it sticks. Shaving the rear area is the way to go. So your cat looks a bit like a baboon. This one is young, too young to be expected to be able to take care of herself. Shaving lasts for months. Easiest on the person and the cat. Takes the vet two or three minutes to accomplish. > 3. Declawing...Yeah, I'm sure you are all going to hate me for it, but it's > getting done. She's an indoor cat and I'm afraid that she's going to scratch > the babies. What age do vets usually recommend the procedure? Perhaps it is your unfamiliarity with cats that leads you to think this is necessary. I've got six, and from baby days to age 12, they've never scratched me. Ok, a rare time jumping off my lap I got a scratch on a bare leg, but so what. You definitely are underestimating the "biting problem" -- that declawed cats frequently become very! hard biters, and can't be controlled. Teach kids and kitten to play nice with each other. Simple. As far as breeder's comments. I would never bother to ask a "breeder". As with the one you asked, too often these so-called breeders are out in left field with the info they give out. And that one vet doesn't care about it means nothing. Just because someone is a vet, doesn't mean they are a good vet. And some vets just are detached. Having had six, I would never declaw a cat. There's no need in the world. > 4. Spaying..what age? They are doing it at just a few weeks this age. I'd definitely plan to make sure it was done by 6 months. Yours is young, and has enough to adjust to. Let it grow for a few months. circa 7 Jul 2003 20:23:54 -0700, in rec.pets.cats.health+behav, k (OrangeFluffyCat@hotmail.com) said, > > 3. Declawing...Yeah, I'm sure you are all going to hate me for it, but it's > > getting done. She's an indoor cat and I'm afraid that she's going to scratch [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] > Having had six, I would never declaw a cat. > There's no need in the world. Aside from all that, the babies are more likely to be scratched by the *dog* than the cat. Dogs can't retract their claws. Trimming the kitten's claws and/or using softpaws makes the cat's claws exactly that- soft paws. Oh, and note that *responsible* breeders do not advocate declawing. Example: http://www.hdw-inc.com/declaw.htm Laura |
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