You need to have things for her scratch on, like a scratching post.  Stores
like PetSmart have all kinds of things for them to scratch on, and it's not
too hard to train them.  Putting catnip on the scratching post or other
scratching material is very helpful.

With an indoor cat it's also a good idea to clip their nails about once a
month.  It's easy to do and a vet or groomer can show you how.  Indoor cats
don't wear their nails down like outside cats, so it's really better for
them.

A good and harmless discipline tool to use when you cat does something you
don't want her to do is a spray bottle with plain water in it.  If you
spray her everytime she doesn't something you don't want her to do, she
will soon learn not to do it.

True, there's absolutely nothing wrong with adopting a cat that's already
declawed, especially since you plan to keep her inside all the time.  All
of our cats are inside cats 100% of the time.  Only one, our oldest, is
declawed.  That was done when I didn't know better.  There's a lot of
information on the effects of declawing.  If you're interested, you should
search on something like "to declaw or not to declaw".  Here's an excerpt
of one such article:

"It Is A Surgery"
Your cat is not merely having his toenails removed. Unlike our own nails
which are merely embedded within the flesh, a cat’s nails are rigidly
attached to the first joint in the toe. Thus, the procedure requires the
ten separate amputations of this first joint or distal phalanx. If you feel
the three sections of bone in your own fingers and imagine that our nails
were attached to the first section. This first section is what would need
to be removed. The procedure is a drastic and causes severe pain and many
lasting effects, not to mention the possible complications that can occur
due to the procedure. Nerve damage, hemorrhaging and severe infection are
some of the discomforting possibilities. Also, the section of bone is
sometimes incompletely removed. Hidden under the healed tissue a deformed
claw can begin to emerge, called an abscess, causing your cat great pain
and discomfort.

Nothing wrong in playing devil's advocate, Peter.

I'm certainly not an expert by any means, but I have had at least one cat
in my life continuously since 1965, and they have all lived to a ripe old
age and exhibited a good and playful spirit and good health.

First let me say that I believe cats are very smart animals, but that they
are not intellectuals in the sense that they ponder their lot in life.  
They view the world as they know it, and if they know it as boudaried by
the walls of an apartment or house, then they perceive that as their
"world".  Much of it is conditioning.

That is not to say that my cats never see the light of day.  We take our
cats out on our patio when we can be with them, and they enjoy basking in
the sun on the floor or in the nearby grass.  They seldom if ever are wont
to wander off.  In fact, it is usually they who tell us when they want to
go back inside.

We had an interesting occurence last year when the latch on our front door
malfunctioned and the door popped open during a weekday while we were at
work.  I was horrified when I drove in the driveway and saw the door
standing wide open.  My first thought was that the cats are probably gone.  
When I searched for them, I found 3 of them sleeping on the bed, 1 of them
eating, and the 5th one curled up on a chair on the patio.  They knew where
home was and wanted to be there.

I think having more than one cat is healthy, but not necessarily a
requirement.  Our cats watch television, play furiously at times, either
alone with a toy or with each other.  They sleep a great deal, as is normal
for a cat.  Our cats follow us around in the house and, in spite of there
being 5 of them, seek our attention.  They know we love them and provide
for them.

Any cat that is unhappy will usually not exhibit good health.  They may not
eat well, they cease to groom themselves, and their physical condition
becmes obvious.  A few years ago when we had only 2 cats, our oldest became
ill and died of old age.  After a few days when our remaining cat realized
that her companion wasn't coming back, she showed clear signs of
despondency.  She wasn't eating well, and would keep to herself much of the
time, no matter how we tried to draw her out.  We soon adopted another cat,
and all was right with the world for her.

I don't know if I've made a convincing argument, but I do know that it
works for us, and that our cats are very happy to be here.

Cheers!  

PeteCresswell <x@y.z.invalid.USA> wrote:

Apartment living is not cruel, especially if a cat is raised that way
(an adult already used to outdoors may find the adjustment difficult,
maybe those with experience can comment on that).

However, I am of teh view that access to outdoors is better *if* your
surroundings are safe enough. That is a big if in much of America. Cars
and mean strangers in urban areas, and wild life in rural areas are
cited as biggest dangers.

Fortunately my own surroundings are safe enough to let her go out into
the back porch and yard as she wishes. Her personality helps: she never
strays beyond our property and actually prefers the porch to indoors or
the lawn. In any event, there is little traffic, few strangers, and
neighbors are ok with each other's pets. You should judge your own
circumstances carefully. The fact that your immediate neighbor had a
string of bad experiences is a serious warning sign.

This is just a theory but I think that cats seem to want
to get out because they are looking to eliminate enemies
and mark their territory which instinct lessens when they
realize they are safe inside. There is no doubt that the
birds still get their attention. Ours seem happier since we
put up blocks so they don't see the outside as much. If
this is a bad idea, let me know. It seems to help.