Furniture

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James Marz - 08 May 2004 19:04 GMT

Gray asphalt wrote;

> I'm afraid I'm going to have to give
> up my cats if there isn't a way to keep
> them from clawing the new furniture.
> We've got way too many cats, to most
> people's ideas, but I love them all.
> Does the citrus spray work to keep them
> off of furniture? Is there any material
> that they can't claw through? What's the
> best way to clip their nails? I've heard
> that you can hit a vein if not very careful?
> How long does the clipping last? Is there
> a tool for clipping? What do vets use?
> Thanks.

Declawing is a tried and true method for solving this problem. It is
also safe and beneficial for an indoors cat. Furniture costs lots of
money and declawing is relativly inexpensive in comparison.

James Marz

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Todd Copeland - 08 May 2004 20:25 GMT

While I'm not 100% against declawing cats (as most pet owners are), I really
have a problem with the statement "It is also safe and beneficial for an
indoors cat:. How does surgically cutting out the nail and part of the cats
paw, "beneficial" to the cat?

> Declawing is a tried and true method for solving this problem. It is
> also safe and beneficial for an indoors cat. Furniture costs lots of
> money and declawing is relativly inexpensive in comparison.

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Amy Gray - 08 May 2004 22:24 GMT

|>Declawing is a tried and true method for solving this problem. It is
>also safe and beneficial for an indoors cat. Furniture costs lots of
>money and declawing is relativly inexpensive in comparison.

And declawing is the equivalant of slicing off a finger. Lets slice
off your finger and see how much you like it.

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Gray asphalt - 09 May 2004 01:28 GMT

: Gray asphalt wrote;
: > I'm afraid I'm going to have to give
[quoted text clipped - 16 lines]
:
: James Marz

That is not really an option for me.

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~*Connie*~ - 09 May 2004 04:06 GMT

> : Gray asphalt wrote;
> : > I'm afraid I'm going to have to give
[quoted text clipped - 18 lines]
>
> That is not really an option for me.

Im happy to hear that James. My first question to you is do you have a
scratching post for your cats that is taller than your hip? Im going to
assume you do not since the cats are clawing up the furniture. Cats like a
tall stable item to claw at. The cats are not sharpening their claws, but
more often are stretching and marking the item with their scent glands in
their paws, and removing the outer sheath of the claw. Invest in a tall cat
tree. Every time your cat starts to claw the furniture, move the cat over
to the tree and praise him. Make it his, give him treats there.. your cat
will get the hint and leave your furniture alone for the most part. I have
five cats, and from time to time they will scent my furniture to mark it as
theirs, but on the whole it is in very good condition... the tree however..
Its getting time to buy a new one.

I have no experience with citrus sprays, but I can't imagine they would
leave a very nice looking mark on the furniture over time.

They can't claw through steel. Claws will go through pretty much everything
in the house if the cats are determined.

there are a lot of people who clip with just human nail clippers. On most
cats - except black cats - it is real easy to see where you can clip to.
Don't clip where it is pink. If you do hit the pink, it will bleed, but it
will stop. very much like if you clip yours too far back. How long do they
last? well in kittens about two days. In my 13 yr old inactive log of a
cat, it lasts about a month. I do a weekly grooming session - I call it
their day of beauty - where I clip nails, brush teeth and coats and do a
general all over physical. Most often I only need to clip one or two claws
per cat. The claws grow from the inside out... this is why you will find
what looks like to be a whole claw laying around. the cats claw to take the
outer sheaths off.

There are special tools. I personally prefer the little nail clipping
scissors I get at the pet stores and even Wal-Mart sells them. The vet I
work for uses something very similar. There is another woman who works
there, and she keeps a pair of human nail clippers to clip cat nails.

http://www.petedge.com/shopping/product/detailmain.jsp?itemID=2127&itemType=
PRODUCT&iMainCat=12&iSubCat=27&iSubSubCat=34&iProductID=2127
the product is similar to what I use.
http://www.petedge.com/shopping/product/detailmain.jsp?itemID=338&itemType=P
RODUCT&iMainCat=12&iSubCat=27&iSubSubCat=34&iProductID=338
is similar to what the vet I work for uses

http://www.petedge.com/shopping/product/detailmain.jsp?itemID=1372&itemType=
PRODUCT&iMainCat=12&iSubCat=27&iSubSubCat=34&iProductID=1372
is a product I highly recommend for problem cats.

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rpl - 09 May 2004 06:50 GMT

Connie,

from your posts, you're pretty much a homegrown expert on the subject...
why do you clip their nails at all? (Excepting of course broken or
ingrown ones)

The vet did one cat, all I noticed is that they were chopped off 1/8"
down from the point; I can't imagine there's any advantage to the cat,
and they know better than to scratch me or the furniture so I don't get it.

pat

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dd - 09 May 2004 13:18 GMT

In article
<1Fjnc.469358$2oI1.163552@twister01.bloor.is.net.cable.rogers.com>, rpl
<plinnane3NO@SPAMyahoo.com> wrote:

> Connie,
>
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
>
> pat

I can tell you from personal experience with my three cats that weekly
claw trimming reduces the cats' desire to scratch.

The original poster should have tall scratching posts, trim her
kitties' claws, and as an additional deterrent, buy some Sticky Paws to
put on her furniture. Sticky Paws are available from the Drs. Foster
and Smith catalogue (online too), and they work.

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