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From: scott@hou2g.UUCP (N. Ersha)
Newsgroups: net.pets
Subject: Re: claws
Message-ID: <551@hou2g.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 16-Jul-85 08:44:11 EDT
Article-I.D.: hou2g.551
Posted: Tue Jul 16 08:44:11 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 18-Jul-85 04:14:10 EDT
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[...some comments about having cats declawed...]


> And why do you believe that it is cruel?  

Fine.  I'll be right over with my Doctor and we'll remove 
your fingernails.  Don't worry, though; he'll use plenty
of anasthetic.

> The operation is no more cruel than spaying or neutering.

This is probably true, but I know of no instance where anyone
has trained a cat NOT to have kittens, or spray smelly
urine all over the house.

> The cats are perfectly able to climb, as they have
> their back claws.  

According to vets, scratching is one of the best, and the most natural
exercises for the cat.  Now, unless you can get the cat to stand on
its head to use the back claws, you've removed (sic) this option.

> And I can testify, from the experience of trying to restrain
> a spooked declawed cat, that they can also defend themselves 
> QUITE WELL with teeth and back claws alone.

But what about other cats, or larger mammals?  I don't know for
sure if a declawed cat is in any REAL danger, but I do know the
way they kill an opponent is by GRASPING with the front claws,
and gutting with the back ones.  A declawed cat can't "get a grip".

> Since we work during the day, and live in a good-sized house, 
> there is no way that we could watch all kittens all of the time 
> in order to train them.  I have never had a cat show any interest 
> in a scratching post (and I have tried, with "care and diligence").  

I was hardly ever home with my two.  Perhaps we just have different
training methods (and obviously different cats--that CAN make a 
difference).  I used a plant spritzer to spray them with water
each time I caught them "attempting" something.  No warning, just
water--they soon began to associate the spray with the "object of
their desire".  As for the post, I recommend denim material, and
spray it with catnip extract.

> But climbing the drapes was one of the first things our 3 smaller 
> kittens discovered.

Actually, the first thing both my kittens discovered was my legs :-).

Seriously, while there are always going to be cases where the cat is
untrainable, I feel the best thing is to leave them to their claws.

>                       Sue Brezden
                                     
			Scott Berry