Author Topic: Freaking Cat people,.. pretty messed up. (Read 4733 times)

Hangtime · « **Reply #15 on:** July 13, 2005, 10:05:23 AM »

LOL Chairboy.. but, be advised; Karma being what it is, how you treat a housecat in this life will doubtless impact the breed of mouse you show up as in the next.

Chairboy · « **Reply #16 on:** July 13, 2005, 10:11:24 AM »

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Originally posted by Gunthr
I thought that was was you did when you get a cat. They rejected me for that. I said, "Hey wait a minute, I didn't know it was wrong. Now I know. I won't declaw it. Let me re-apply. " They refused - "Once you are rejected you cannot re-appy."

Well, declawing is considered by most to be cruelty, and most of the people who would declaw a cat are the type that have such little regard for the animal that they would gladly lie on their re-application, then proceed to declaw the animal anyhow.

Once you have the animal, there's little in terms of followup or enforcement that they can do, and the shelters are run by people who love animals. They don't have the time or resources to call or visit every household that adopts to see how the pets are doing, they have to make the judgement then and there and hope it's the right one. When you said 'yes', you marked yourself as a potential risk to animals in their minds, and they're within their rights to deny your application.

You may be the statistical minority that just 'didn't realize' that it was bad and won't do it now that you've found out, but if you want to adopt a cat, just go somewhere else. It's not as if there's a shortage of cats.

Hangtime · « **Reply #17 on:** July 13, 2005, 10:17:10 AM »

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Originally posted by Gunthr
I recently got two rescued kittens from an old lady. They're for my daughters. Never had cats before. One, I like. ... she's a hunter, very curious, looks abyssian. The other one is different, it meows all the time and constantly trips me up and touches me with his tail all the time, which drives me nuts.

I originally tried to adopt kittens from the Humane Society but they rejected me as an adopter because I answered a questionnaire wrong:

Will your cat be kept indoors? Yes.
Will your cat be given necessary shots? Yes.
Will your cat recieve regular vetinary care? Yes.
Will your cat be declawed? Yes. (WRONG ANSWER)

I thought that was was you did when you get a cat. They rejected me for that. I said, "Hey wait a minute, I didn't know it was wrong. Now I know. I won't declaw it. Let me re-apply. " They refused - "Once you are rejected you cannot re-appy."

Gun, most cat folks regard de-clawing as cruel. It's no doubt extremely unpleasant for the cat. As long as you train 'em young with a squirt gun not to claw furniture and provide a big scratching post, leaving the critter with it's tool kit intact is a better way to go.

Watching how they use those tools can be an eyeopener too.. every cat I've ever been owned by has been exceedingly polite about deployment; they keep 'em sheathed when I pick 'em up or when they climb over me on the way to something they are interested in.

On the other hand, if they don't like somebody, they hesitate not an instant with the fillet knifes when handled 'without approval'. Seems they are better judges of character than I am... nobody ever got slashed that didn't deserve it.

Gunthr · « **Reply #18 on:** July 13, 2005, 10:33:15 AM »

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Watching how they use those tools can be an eyeopener too.. every cat I've ever been owned by has been exceedingly polite about deployment; they keep 'em sheathed when I pick 'em up or when they climb over me on the way to something they are interested in.

I noticed that right away... both of mine seem to know that they can injure you with the claws and they are careful and considerate. One of them bites me all the time, the clingy, vocal one. But its never hard enough to hurt.

I wanted to get a Savannah breed cat, but couldn't affort the 3-5 thousand $ for one.

http://www.savannahcat.com/

Mustaine · « **Reply #19 on:** July 13, 2005, 10:43:52 AM »

yeah, declawing a cat makes it walk on it's "kunckles" the rest of it's life.

my old cat was awsome, she would "play fight" with you and wrestle around like a dog, but never brought the claws out.. every now and then the play bite, but never hard....
a few times she would accidently nip you, and if you said "OW" she would stop what she is doing, hold on to you, and lick your hand as to heal it. it was the cutest thing in the world.

i would LOVE to have a cat, but my landloard only allows cats with proof of de-clawing.

i miss having a kitty cat

Hangtime · « **Reply #20 on:** July 13, 2005, 10:46:32 AM »

Yep.. there's a whiney lil vocal pain in the bellybutton here too. I trained it to stay out from underfoot by stepping on it. Only had to do it once.

Best training tool is a little palm sized squirt gun. If it's annoying you just pick it up.. wallah.. cat vanishes. Don't even need the squirt gun anymore.. I just point at it and hiss.. cat vanishes.

If you haven't gotten 'em fixed yet DO IT NOW. Costs more when they mature.. and after I got the winey lil pain in the bellybutton fixed she became a bit more sedentary and less demanding.

I tried this with my wife some years back.. couldn't fit her in the transporter. I feel certain that it woulda worked and the vet was willing if I got her in there. I understand that in some states, it could be illeagal. You'll have to check local ordanances.

lasersailor184 · « **Reply #21 on:** July 13, 2005, 10:47:31 AM »

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Gun, most cat folks regard de-clawing as cruel. It's no doubt extremely unpleasant for the cat. As long as you train 'em young with a squirt gun not to claw furniture and provide a big scratching post

If you've ever owned a cat you'd know that they will always scratch the furniture, no matter how you think you have them trained.

AKS\/\/ulfe · « **Reply #22 on:** July 13, 2005, 10:52:59 AM »

They don't after various objects get flung at them.
-SW

Chairboy · « **Reply #23 on:** July 13, 2005, 10:53:22 AM »

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Originally posted by lasersailor184
If you've ever owned a cat you'd know that they will always scratch the furniture, no matter how you think you have them trained.

...and kids will occasionally get busted for shoplifting or neglect to do their homework.

The key to cats, as with children, is being vigilant, creating a good base for decision making through training, and accepting the trade off of an occasional 'whoopsie' for the non-tangible benefits of having the kid/cat.

We used to have two cats, and after training them, we rarely had to worry about furniture. Giving them a good claw post really helped, not to mention keeping an ear open.

Mustaine · « **Reply #24 on:** July 13, 2005, 10:54:07 AM »

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Originally posted by lasersailor184
If you've ever owned a cat you'd know that they will always scratch the furniture, no matter how you think you have them trained.

my cat never scratched a single piece of furniture in the house.

you must have a STABLE scratching post, preferablly 2, that are taller than the cat is long at full stretch. that's the key. if they wobble the cat wont like using them, and if the cat can not stretch out fully they don't like it either. back at home we have a beam in the basement wrapped in carpet. the cat follows you if you head that way then runs up the pole to the top to "pounce" on you, and play.

the other post is in the living room, it is about 5 feet tall, one of those things with the perch on the top. heck i can barly make it tip.

Hangtime · « **Reply #25 on:** July 13, 2005, 10:56:26 AM »

Have had cats in the house for 40 years. No furniture damage. They CAN be trained.. even older cats can be trained. You just have to know how to get the message across. First few times, a squirt gun does it. It's the equivelent of scolding a child. If it contines to be a problem, cat punting is an option... the equivelent of the well deserved beating you never got as a kid.

Skydancer · « **Reply #26 on:** July 13, 2005, 11:23:32 AM »

Blimey this Board is full of cat lovers!

Being a Dog person I don't get cats at all. Me And my dog see em as vermin that kill birds and basicaly use humans for a bit of food and a warm sleeping place. No loyalty no connection no point. Unless you have a mouse problem.

(Actualy this explains a lot!)

BlueJ1 · « **Reply #27 on:** July 13, 2005, 11:31:10 AM »

Would 50 cats be considered a herd of cats ?

My two dogs firmly believe the only use for cats is for making big piles of fur in the yard when the spit gets scared out of em.

Hangtime · « **Reply #28 on:** July 13, 2005, 11:31:19 AM »

Cats are smarter than dogs. You'll never see 8 cats dragging a sled thru the snow.

Skydancer · « **Reply #29 on:** July 13, 2005, 11:33:37 AM »

Smarter maybe better pets? no

They are just like any other critter that uses human habitation as its easier than going it alone.

BlueJ my dog would definately agree with your two.