I just adopted a declawed cat
Posted By: sm on 2008-03-12
In Reply to: One drawback - Me
who was abandoned. she looks like she has no toes, with floppy little hair tufts and going the wrong directions. Like other poster said, she does not cover her stuff in the litter box (maybe feels she cannot manage it) and her attitude is so defensive to the other cats, even after a month, and i wonder if it isn't because she feels so defenseless. I sure would not do it to a cat.
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I declawed one and not another.
I took in a kitten back in 1985. She was a big-time scratcher and ruined all my drapes, tore up two sofas, and a door jam. Nothing I did, no alternative scratching areas kept her from tearing up my furniture and climbing up my draperies. I was on the verge of giving her up. Instead, when she was about a year old, I had her declawed. I could tell that it was a different feeling for her, but she adjusted very quickly. She ended up living to the ripe old age of 20 in our house, doing no damage and very loved.
After she died, we took in another kitten from a rescue organization. This one is not declawed, but she has a totally different personality. She is very submissive, very sweet. She never puts out her claws for anything other than stretching briefly in sunspots on the floor. I keep her claws trimmed, and she is satisfied with that. Had she been an incorrigible scratcher like her predecessor, I would have had this cat declawed, too. I can offer a lifetime safe and loving home to cats, but I don't want my things torn up. So I really don't have any problem with declawing when necessary.
My first cat was declawed (sm)
because I lived at home with my mom and he was tearing up her 2-year-old custom-made curtains.
I had it done, stayed at home with him and babied him for a few days, and once he healed, did not seem to realize he didn't have them. He "scratched" the rest of his life with his nubs.
I wasn't going to declaw the second cat, but the first one was "scratching" everything and I guess she couldn't figure out why he could and she couldn't. I did notice, however, that her recovery time was longer (Cat #1 had it done pretty young).
Many years later, we got a kitten when cat #2 was about 11 years old. Cat #2 didn't do much scratching by then, and we were able to train Cat #3 not to scratch. We now have another clawed cat, adopted at age 5. He's a bit of a nuisance with his scratching, but it's not to the point where I'd have to do something. If it gets worse, I'll try the nail caps.
IMO it's a very individual thing between cat and owner. And I agree, I think it's better to do that than to subject the cat to abandonment, if that's the only negative behavior involved.
I declawed a cat and wish I hadn't.
Got new couch. Got new cat. Cat scratched couch. Declawed cat. DH out of work 4 months on disability, made sense to get a puppy, right? Not to the declawed cat, who lost her mind and started urinating in our bed. Also, she could not exercise properly when she couldn't hook those claws to climb, grab toys, etc.
Had to have mine declawed..
I have a Siamese who is very, very...did I mention very stubborn. She started destroying my couch, chairs, etc. I tried all the tricks mentioned below, spray bottle, stomping feet, yelling, double-sided tape, etc., and nothing worked. It just made her more determined to go after my furniture.
So, I eventually broke down and made an appointment for her to be declawed. It did not make her anymore aggressive, mean, etc. She got over the procedure within a couple of days and was fine after that. In fact, she still makes the scratching movements or tries to scratch the furniture years later except she's not ruining anything anymore.
I only got the front paws declawed, and it wasn't too terribly expensive (a lot cheaper than replacing furniture for sure). She is an inside only cat obviously, so we don't have to worry about her needing to defend herself outside or I obviously wouldn't have had this done.
She has had no problems either with behavior or medically since having this done 5-6 years ago. She is a spoiled and quite content cat who still thinks she rules the house front claws or not. So, basically she's happy, and we are happy to not have our house trashed.
And I think cats would rather be declawed than
x
Maybe she is defensive because she was declawed
And being approached by possibly feral cats, no wonder she is wary of your other cat. I wonder if she just doesnt have litter box issues, regardless of being declawed. Maybe bad litter habits are what got her put out. I just think her being declawed may not have anything to do with her issues. Maybe, but, IMO, pobably not.
Getting your cats declawed in my opinion
is inhumane. I would really reconsider it. They have caps that you can buy, relatively inexpensive and last for awhile, that you put on their nails. You glue them on over the nails. You can even do a color scheme in them if you like, pink, etc.
There are too many alternate ways out there to deter cats than declawing
We had our 2 indoor cats declawed, too.
They never go outside either and they both have done fine since.
I have mine declawed, never again. I had leather
furniture that he was ruining (he had 32 claws) so I had him declawed. He went outside to sit on the front porch in the sun occasionally. Two dogs killed him because he couldn't climb a tree. He was the sweetest, beautiful Himalayan mix, talked to me all the time.
All the vets I ever worked with had their cats declawed.
adf
Never declawed any of the dozen cats I have had over my lifetime - sm
It is rare, in my opinion, that a cat cannot be trained to claw in appropriate places and not on furniture, etc. Are you providing good places for the kitty to claw, such as a nice scratch post (mine really love the sisal rope kind)? They also love those simple cardboard inserts that are in the Turbo Trackers and the Alpine Scratcher. When I get a new kitty I direct them to the appropriate places to claw and lavish praise. These acceptable places need to be some place you pass by often because the kitty wants you to be there when they are good. Mine run to the scratching posts because they know I am going to lavish praise on them. :-) If they claw somewhere they are not supposed to I immediatly squirt them with a water bottle set to stream. Something called a Scat Mat also keeps them away from the inappropriate places should they want to test you further. I have had young kittens, adult cats, you name it, and not a single one of them could not be trained to scratch where appropriate. I also have nice furniture (even leather). I would only declaw after I had exhausted all other options and it was a choice between that and giving up the cat. Just my two cents, for what it is worth. :-) Let us know what you decide. Best of luck!!
Cats declawed front only can still climb trees and
x
My brother's declawed cats have a great life
They stay indoors, they are spoiled rotten, they are happy cats. There are 4 of them, all adopted at different times, and you couldn't ask for more sociable content kittehs.
I was adopted
and didn't find out until 2 years ago!
Adopted Kids......
I know somebody who has 2 kids who are adopted. The kids are 9 and 11 years old. Should I tell the kids they are adopted? Everybody knows and someday somebody will slip up and the kids will resent the parents.
As a parent of an adopted
child, I would definitely say the answer is 'no" and it is for this very reason that my husband and I have from the beginning talked to our son about the fact that he is special because he is adopted - we wanted to be the ones to tell him the truth rather than him hear it from someone else. This is definitely something that the parents should do and should do so when they feel comfortable talking about it with their children...My son is 6 and he knows he is adopted. He understands that he came from someone elses belly (he's my heart baby as we have told him. We answer his questions when he asks them and tell him just want he asked for - divulging nothing else to confuse him - take for instance at 4 is when he noticed my SIL's pregnant belly and knew the baby was there - he at that point put 2-n-2 together and realized something was up - which prompted us to talk about him being from someone else's belly. Then a few months ago he asked about this other person - why she didn't keep him, what was her name....(yes we were very surprised as our social worker said little boys are usually much older before they really inquire!)...but we answered his questions reinforcing the positives of being adopted because he had brought us so much happiness and that this other woman did love him enough to know she couldn't raise him and loved him enough to give him to us -making us a family! Sorry for rambling....adoption issues usually get me on a soap box sometimes!! Either way the answer to your question is definitely not your place to tell - leave it up to the parents.
I recently adopted a cat
from a rescue facility. She is a total sweetheart and so petite! I named her Tinkerbell. She shed like crazy at first but I think it was nerves because now a couple weeks later she has stopped shedding and seems to have settled in nicely, plays with my other cat (male) and loves my dog!
The only thing I've noticed is she is a bit gassy - not a lot but at times worse than others. My question is, is there something I can give her otc to help with her "problem"? 
She looks just like my adopted dog, Brandy!
Brandy also is a notorious snorer. But she's such a good dog.
Here's the kitty I just adopted!
She's an 8 year old Exotic Shorthair Persian named Charlotte. Her little tongue sticks out all the time, 'cuz her face is so flat & her mouth is so small. She's tiny - and only weighs about 5-1/4 lbs. right now. Needs to gain a pound or two.) She's a total cuddle-bug!
(She just came out to say hi to me - she was annoyed with me earlier because I had to give her a pill. Not easy with that tiny little mouth!) Whenever I'm on the computer, she sits on the back of my chair and "helps".
Ditto this!! If you adopted me, then you
could be the greatest grandma that I wished my kids had now. Mom and did don't live too far from us (couple of hours) but don't make any extra efforts to spend time with the grandkids. Apparently, their idea of grandparents and mine are different. I remember spending nights at my grandparents and tooling around in their garden, building train sets, going for walks and adventures and even walking down to the corner donut shop with my g'pa for donuts and coffee(hot chocolate) every saturday morning. I practically beg for my parents to come down - I send them schedules of the kids activities, special school events, everything but there is always a reason they can't come (mainly they don't want to leave any of their critters alone for any length of time - but they are willing to animal sit for their neighbors all the time). At Christmas, the kids get one outfit and a book. If you ask me - to all the grandparents on this board - spoil them with your time, hug them, kiss them, and keep on creating memories.
Sorry, didn't mean to rattle on but this is always a touchy subject in my household because I had such fond memories growing up but my kids will have none of that.
I have some friends who adopted 2 of them;
The more I see them, the more I like them. If I had room for a dog, I'd consider a retired racing greyhound!
We have adopted several pets from shelters
nm
Don't laugh, but we also adopted a rooster
A rogue rooster was hanging around the back of a convenience store my husband goes past every day and we knew he must have gotten off a truck or got lost somehow, because there is no place around here to keep a chicken. Anyhoo, he was determined to catch that rooster and he and my son went and rounded him up with a net... he is now sitting on our deck in the back yard crowing every morning around 6, as soon as he sees a touch of light. I know our neighbors think we are now the Beverly Hillbillies. I have named him Elvis and he is already spoiled. We have a friend who owns a miniature horse farm and she is going to come and pick him up. She has only one hen and now Elvis will have a lady in his life. Thank goodness!!!
Here is our Becky (recently adopted)
Becky loves to cuddle and loves to get her belly rubbed. She would rather be in your lap, but is content to lay at your feet if that's where you prefer her. Becky enjoys her toys and will even carry them around the house and toss them for herself. She knows commands like "sit" and "come", and she comes when called 100% of the time. If you lay on the floor with her while you watch TV and scratch her ears or stroke her fur, she will go right to sleep. Just be sure to have the remote handy so you can turn up the volume once the snoring starts. :)
This is my other kitty, adopted 10 months ago.
This is Xanadu - a 2-year-old calico Persian. When I first got her (both came from Persian & Himalayan Cat Rescue in Mill Valley), I figured she'd be happiest as an only cat. But after 10 months of careful observation and getting to know her really well, I decided she needed a companion. She had a pretty traumatic history with other cats at her original home, one of whom scratched her cornea, so her new friend had to be exactly the right cat. And as always, the people at rescue matched me up with the PERFECT kitty-companion in Charlotte, the one posted below.
Some adopted kids have a lot of issues
I had a friend who adopted 2 kids and she said you had to walk a fine line between making their birth mother a saint who selflessly gave them up, or a villain who didn't want them. Unfortunately a lot of these kids think of their mother in one of those two categories. So they find themselves longing for the childhood they didn't have (if they think she was a saint) or struggle with feelings of worthlessness (if they think she didn't want them.)
Personally, I think it is a noble and selfless thing to give up a child who you know you cannot raise and I admire you. I'm sure it was not an easy thing to do. Hopefully your child will find a way to resolve their own issues because they have put you in an untenable position.
At the rescue where I adopted my cats, they have - sm
volunteers to clean cages & feed kitties, and one day when I was there they had a girl (about 12 years old) who was actually getting some kind of school credit for coming every day to socialize and play with a large litter of kittens so that they'd be adoptable. It was so cute to see her in the kitten-room playing with the little feather-wand with them. They were jumping all over the place, climbing in her lap, etc. They LOVED her! They ALL got adopted, (and they were all BLACK kitties, too!) So that girl did a wonderful service to all the kittens.
My children have adopted a baby pig - sm
My ex-husband went to the feed store and a man was there talking about how his hog had only had one baby and that it would "not be worth the trouble to let her raise it". My ex-husband asked him what he was going to do with the little one, and he said if he couldn't get rid of it that he would just kill it. My ex-husband told the man he would take the little pig. Long story short, our kids are feeding the baby pig with a bottle. Her name is Pinkie. They are in love, LOL. I asked him what made him decide to take this little pig, and he said, "We watched Charlotte's Web the night before, and I just couldn't stand the thought of him killing that little pig." I am praying that Pinkie makes it.
Oh, the chows and the rott are right in there with not being able to be adopted
as they also fall into that same category, aggressive and just was at the animal shelter this morning (run by police department at this particular place) and lots of pits there and they are not adopted out. That is the bottom line so must hold some truth in it whether people believe or not. There was a case of a 60 something year old man recently killed by his son's pit, family dog, he had been around for a long time, knew well, just the breed.
Gracie has been adopted with a good person
Dobermans are misunderstood. They love their people, they are protective and noble. They love to follow you around the house and be with you. They need patience in training. They love to run. Please, if anyone knows of an abusive case, get invovled. Visit Doberman Rescue.
I hope you get him! I just adopted a 2nd rescue kitty - sm
on Thursday. She's a 7-year-old Exotic Shortnair Persian with the cutest little personality and face! Her tongue sticks out all the time (VERY flat face!), and she's tiny, only weighs about 5 or 6 pounds. She looks a little bit like "Yoda" from Star Wars. My other Persian is interested, but still feeling threatened and hissing a lot. But today, only 2 days later, they're at least coexisting peacefully. Hopefully in a few weeks they'll be FRIENDS.
I have adopted older cats for just that reason.
Kittens are cute as a button but they can destroy in no time flat. I had 1 kitten who grew into a wonderful loving cat, but vowed never to get a kitten again. I adopt cats who are a year old or better, declawed, fixed, and thoroughly enjoy the heck out of them and, yes, they enjoy being lazy sometimes just like their mom!
Why hasn't that hospital adopted the *Time Out*
The entire surgical team is involved in the *Time Out* and *Pause for the Cause* (called different things in different states). All involved in the surgery standing in the OR at that moment must be in agreement on confirming the correct patient, correct procedure, correct site of procedure, correct position of the patient, etc.
I went in for surgery and they asked me multiple times to repeat my name and the procedure I was coming in for as I went through multiple rooms on the gurney.
That is really scary that these types of errors are still going on.
Obviously, that is a hospital I wouldn't even take my dog to.
AW he is soooo cute. We just adopted Chip last week - sm
He is what the shelter called a beagle mix, but if he is mixed with anything I will eat my hat... Okay I do not have a hat, but I would be surprised...LOL.
Here is a pic of him..
[IMG]http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o182/mamahawn/chip3.jpg[/IMG].
I hope your transition is as easy as ours was. We have 2 other rescue doggies, both lab mixes and female and the three of them were fast friends. Of course we have no diningroom left with 3 creats in it, but who cares...
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