Conference misery::feline

    Carol,
    
    I am sorry to hear you had such a difficult time trying to place
    Butterscotch, but happy to learn you wish to integrate him into your
    household!
    
    First of all, the correct term for a male cat is to have him
    neutered... females are spayed!  :^)  Secondly, your best bet is to
    contact the vet and make an appointment for Butterscotch to have a
    complete tune-up... full set of vaccines, neuter, and declaw.  However,
    before any of this is done, have Butterscotch tested for the Feline
    Leukemia Virus (FeLV).  If it is negative, proceed with all of the
    above; if the results are positive, you have two options:  1) Have him
    put down (the disease is contagious to other cats and is species
    specific... your dog can't catch it), or 2) Try to place him in a home
    or shelter with other FeLV+ cats.
    
    Assuming he is negative, it is best to have the declaw performed while
    the cat is already under anesthesia for the neuter... it is less taxing
    to the immune system.  Most vets will only declaw the front paws, as
    they do the most damage to furniture and such, plus the cat will still
    have his back claws for defense purposes.
    
    It can take a long time for cats and dogs to coexist peacefully
    together.  Best to confine Butterscotch to one area of the house if at
    all possible and begin the introduction process slowly (i.e.:  allowing
    them to sniff each other from under the door).  I am no expert in this
    area having never been exposed to it before, so perhaps another Feliner
    can answer (there is probably even a note on it somewhere).
    
    This is a start anyway!  Good luck, and welcome to Feline notes!
    
    
    -Roberta
    

    actually, if Buttersctch is positive for feline lukemia (and not
    showing symptoms; the test just indicates that the cat has beenexposed),
    if you don't have any other cats, there would be no reason to put him down
    or look for a shelter/home as neither yuor dog nor you could catch it.
    
    Congrats on the new family member
    Deb

    
    Also, please give serious consideration to *not* declawing him.
    
    len.
    

    Also, if you ARE going to declaw him, please keep him indoors only.  If
    he is let outside when he has no claws, he will not have any way of
    protecting himself.
    
    If you plan on having him an indoor/outdoor cat, please do not declaw
    him.  Cats can be taught to scratch on a scratching post and not on the
    furniture.
    
    Holly
    

    I do not want to start again the declawing debate, so mods purge me if
    needed - but please NO declawing!
    
    Nat

	I have 2 (maybe 3) cats, they don't scratch my furnature, but LOVE
	to scratch the scratching post.

	If you give them something better to scratch, they won't bother with the
	furnature.

	Why not start him off right, by buying a scratching post and putting it
	the garage, and encouraging him to use that to scratch - you may be
	pleasantly surprised at how he takes to it.

	Heather

    I'm happy to hear you are considering providing a home for this
    kitty.  There are so many "unwanted" cats around that all shelters
    are totally maxed out and it can be difficult to find homes for them.
    
    I've been in your situation too MANY times and ended up keeping the
    cats myself. (I won't tell you how many I have..ha!)   What I would
    suggest is to first take the cats to the vets for the "works".
    Definitely get him neutered, tested for FELV/FIV, and shots. Before
    you do make a decision about "declawing" give the kitty a chance in
    your home to see what happens.  Many cats do not have a tendency to
    scratch furniture...or if you buy him a scratching post..Most cats
    can be trained to use that.  Your decision to declaw should be your
    last resort if kitty continues to scratch the furniture.  
    
    You will find loads of information in this file on declawing,
    neutering, feeding, scratching, behavior changes, and introducing
    dogs and cats.....enjoy reading.  We will be hear to give you moral 
    support and try to answer some of your specific questions!!!!
    
    Cats are wondeful pets....and I think you'll truly enjoy his company!
    Keep us posted.
    
    Sandy

    Welcome to the wonderful world of cats! ;-) As the saying goes, "You're
    nobody until you've been ignored by a cat!" SO TRUE!!! ;-)
    
    Anyway, I hope all the quick responses didn't frighten you! ;-) We are
    a very responsive group here, to say the least!
    
    I think it is wonderful that you are willing to take this little guy
    into your household. This notes file can be VERY helpful to a new cat
    person. (I'd say 'owner', but we all know the cats own us! 8-)  )
    
    Yes, get him tested for FELV/FIV to see where he stands in this area,
    but if he tests positive, and shows no symptoms, he can still live a
    long happy healthy life with you. You stated you know about the shots
    and stuff, so I won't go into that. 
    
    A scratching post in the garage may be just the thing to train him away
    from the furniture. I'm not an advocate of declawing, but I've come to
    take the view of, "If it means the difference between a warm happy
    home, and being out in the cold and hungry, then do what needs to be
    done to keep the peace." If you decide to declaw though, definitely
    have it done when he is neutered. That way he only has to be put under
    one time. You already said he would be an indoor kitty, so..... ;-)
    
    As far as the dog goes, slow is probably the key word here, as has been
    mentioned. If you let the dog know that the cat is off limits, (somehow
    dogs seem to listen better then cats 8-} ) and they slowly get used to
    the smells of one another, who knows, you may find them curled up
    together one day! 8-)
    
    I think you are wonderful to take on the care of this furface! But, I
    think ALL FELINErs are great, and you are now, or soon will be, one of
    us! 
    
    Please feel free to ask absolutely anything in this file. I feel that
    no question is small or dumb, if one doesn't know the answer! You may
    get more answers than you bargained for thogh! ;-)
    
    Love,
    
    Yonee

    One more small point (I think the previous responses have covered just
    about everything), invest in a spray bottle.  Filled with water, and 
    kept handy, it can be used to help train the cat out of undesired 
    behavior.  Mine now *see* the bottle, and hear the word *no*, and they 
    run!  This really helps with the scratching.  It also teaches them the
    word *no* itself.
    
    Linda

    
    
    
    
    
    My 2 cents worth:
    
    
    Be aware that if you declaw, the cat will be in pain every day of it's
    life.  I don't think it's worth it myself.  Not all cats claw the
    furniture, only 2 of my 5 did and I cured it by keeping a sheet over
    their favorite piece of furniture until they forgot about it--that
    usually takes about 2 to 4 weeks.  My experience is that cats don't
    spray until their space is invaded by another cat, mostly another tom
    cat, so that problem may not exist.  If it does, keep the area clean
    with a special water soluble compound that alters the chemical compound 
    of the urine.  In AMerica it's called Odormute.  That will completely 
    remove the smell of the urine (it works very well on skunk smell also).
    
    I have never introduced a cat into a dog world but have intro'ed many
    cats.  They do spit and hide for a while, until they work out their
    place in the pecking order, then they settle down.
    
    Hope you keep the cat, they are very loving and rewarding friends--not 
    that dogs are any slouches at giving love either. 

    I am a little skepitcal about why the cat would be in pain every day of
    it's life if declawed.  I know of several declawed cats who do just
    fine without their claws, and do not appear to be in any pain at all.
    
    I do agree, though, that many vets botch the procedure which results in
    infection and other complications which is painful for the cat.  I have
    nothing against a declawed cat but will echo both Yonee and Holly's
    advice to 1) keep the cat indoors only, and 2) it is better to declaw
    and see the cat in a happy, safe home, versus suffering some other horrible
    plight elsewhere.
    
    My advice is that if you do choose to declaw, use a vet highly skilled
    in the technique.  They can be found by recommendation in this very
    notesfile!
    

    
    
    Being new to cat ownership myself I opted for softpaws instead of 
    declawing.  I will have to replace them about every 4-6 weeks but
    it has taken care of my worries about the furniture.  I would check
    into that with the vet also.
    In case you are not familiar with softpaws, they are kind of like a 
    lee press on nail for cats.  They put some superglue on them and slip
    them over the claws.  They have rounded ends so they cant scratch.
    I think it is a great invention.
    
    
    MikeR

    ...again, congratulations on having been the "chosen" one by your new
    cat.
    
    The oldest, Tiffany was declawed, if I had to make that decision
    again - I would not do it for reasons that I won't go into here.  
    Otis still has his "weapons" (as does Abigail) and I will admit it 
    is a chore to train them right.  I love the idea of the water bottle 
    but I never took the time to buy one.  The problem I had with Otis and 
    Abigail (as kittens) as they thought my legs were tree trunks ... 
    clawing the furniture was never as big an issue as explaining to people
    why my legs looked like I had walked through the jungle for weeks.
    
    Because I work all day I couldn't be there when they decided to exercise
    on the furniture - but when I was home (and I heard them scratch the
    chair) I didn't say a word, I would simply remove them from the room.  
    I have an old chair in the den that they are allowed to scratch and Otis 
    now takes out his aggression there.
    
    Patience is the key - and by showing your animals what you will
    and will not tolerate is not as difficult as it might sound.  I live
    on a busy street and all three are indoor only cats.  Obviously, when
    I open the door (with groceries, bags, friends) they could run out
    the door and into the street.  From the beginning I would say "BAD"
    as they approached the door.  A couple of times Abigail managed to
    squeek through but now I can literally stand there with the door
    wide open and all three will just stand there and look out - they 
    don't go near the threshhold.
    
    Best of luck to you and keep us posted.
    
    Marilyn
    
    P.S.  Growing up we had a "mutt" and three siamese cats.  There
          was hissing and spitting from the cats and dirty looks
          and depressive eyes from the dog but eventually they all
          slept together during the night!  It took about 3 months.
    

    I had aja 8 years before I had her de-clawed. 
    
    Since I live alone, I couldn't spend the time to train her properly.
    When she attacked a brand new chair 1 week after it arrived, (in spite
    of repellant sprays and C.A.T.s) she left me with no choice. 
    
    It really wasn't an easy decision, but I made it and don't regret it.
    She was understandably sore for awhile, but now there's absolutely no
    evidence she's in any sort of pain. And she STILL "scratches" the 
    furniture...
    
    Edd

    Cats who are declawed, if it is done properly, DO NOT KNOW they don't
    have claws.  They ARE NOT in pain every day of their lives!  That's
    garbage!!!  Whoever told you that should have their head examined!!!

    My cats have always been declawed... since spending several hundreds of
    dollars to get one of my cats faces fixed, after he was clawed in a
    rough-and-tumble with one of my other cats (they were both kittens, and
    it was in play... they never fought for real).  My vet, who at the time
    was the Pres. of the Vet Assoc. of Colorado, suggested it!  I would
    have trusted this man with MY life, not just my cats lives!!!

    I have one that is 10 years old and one 9 years old, they were both
    done when they were spayed, so they were only knocked out one time....
    I have a cat tree in my bedroom that is floor to ceiling, over 6 feet
    tall... and they both climb it like there is no tomorrow.  They have
    never had any problems, either right after the surgery or up to this
    morning... when we had a race through the house to see who could climb
    the highest and jump on the bed the fastest, just to wake us up!!  They
    were done at 6 months old.

    So.. please, unless you have proof that *all* cats "are in pain for the 
    rest of their lives", PLEASE don't make those comments.  It's
    prejudiced against those of us who are good to the pets who own us, and
    yet we have declawed our cats!  I object!!!!


    Very sincerely,

    M-L
                                                

    Welcome to the wonderful world of cats! It's a great experience! I
    wouldn't give mine up for anything. The way I look at it - I do
    occasional damage to my house (spill a drink, scratch something), so I
    can't expect them to be any better.
    
    About the furniture issue - we have 2 cats, both fully armed. They have
    several places where they are allowed to scratch (a cat tree made out
    of real wood, with the bark still on it and 2 pieces of unfinished
    furniture).  However, when I introduce a new piece of furniture, I
    watch them closely and if they even start to claw it - they find out they
    are doing something wrong... I use water, I yell, I clap my hands
    (anything to make noise) - basically act like a crazy woman for a few
    seconds. Once they are somewhere else, I pick them up and cuddle. They
    seem to realize that it was the activity that was unwanted, not them. It
    seems to have worked. So far, the new couch, chair, dining room table
    and chairs are all fine. (how come as I write this I feel like they
    know what I just said and are plotting :^) ....)
    
    Also - declawing doesn't necessarily stop damage. If they still have
    the "paw itchies" they can damage cloth furniture with repeated
    attacks. I've seen chairs with worse damage than anything we have, done
    by cats without claws. But, it is harder to sway from the drapes
    without those claws  :^)
    
    Anyway - good luck and have lots of fun!
    
    janetb.
    owned by Merlin and Rascal

    I'm not singling out anyone in particular here but I do want
    to remind everyone that 1) this is not the place to discuss
    declawing vs. not declawing, 2) the base noter did not ask
    for everyone's opinions on whether declawing was good or bad
    he/she asked if there were other options, 3) attacks on fellow 
    noters will not be tolerated...please be sure to temper your 
    responses.
    
    Jan
    Moderator, FELINE
    
    

    I am pleased to say that a fellow Digital employee has taken 
    Butterscotch the Cat to live on his farm.    For a variety 
    of reasons, I doubt I could have assimilated the cat into 
    my very dog-oriented existence, so this is best.  Thanks 
    to everyone who provided information. 
    
    
    Carol,
    The base Noter