23 Days till Christmas

Declawing a Cat is no big deal?

Big Fat Evil MYTH

DECLAWING A CAT IS MUTILATION  

You can tell your self any lie you want to but the reality is - you are declawing your cat because of your precious furniture.

Or fear your tiny humans will get hurt. 

Chances are your kid is going to get scratched. 

Hell, I have accidentally scratched a kid!

Your cat may scratch your perfect child because...

•  The kid is a jerk.
• The cat is a jerk.
• The kid scared the cat.
• The cat scared the kid which in turn scared the cat.
• The kid was holding the cat when you turned on the evil vacuum.
• The cat had one to many pulls of the tail.
• The cat is sick.
• The cat is in pain.
• Your kid smells funny.
• Your kid stuck its hand in a cage.
• Your kid stuck its hand in a cage after eating pizza.
• Your cat asked for space but the kid did not understand.
• Your cat asked for space but the parent was busy on the phone and did not tell the kid to back off.
• The cat got freaked out and the kid was in the way.
• The cat got freaked out and the kid looked like a good target.
• The cat jumped out of your kids arms.. Or into your kids arms.
• You have a kitten.( I am not listing reasons kittens scratch. They are kittens. Don't be stupid)

My point.

You all need to learn the proper behaviours. 

If your child was scratching its sibling- you would not rip out its nails.

I am not suggesting you do, are you really that dumb?

I honestly think people believe I am suggesting it's the same thing.

Seriously, I may be crazy but I'm not stupid or evil.

I am simply stating that if this were happening you would have to change the behavior.
You can't just eliminate the nails. 

When thinking about a cat that scratches furniture .. what comes to mind?
Do you think that Fluffy is just pissed off and taking it out on your couch or chair?

Nope.

Kitty uses scratching as a means to stretch, mark its territory, leave its scent, condition its claws, and as a stress reliever.

So again.. no your kitty is not scratching your furniture just to annoy you.. that may just be an added bonus.

An interesting, and sorta fun in an evil mwhahaha sort of way - Sniper Spray Bottle - The idea is to catch the cat scratching something you do not want it to, then from a distance away.. or maybe hiding behind something..you spray it with the water.

Don't be a jackass and use something that has a strong spray - use a water bottle. 
Don't be a jerk and aim for the head - aim for the back or side.
The idea is to startle them, not harm then in any way.

You do not want Fluffy to know you are the source of the evil water.
You want kitty to correlate scratching furniture with mysterious sniper water.

The most difficult part of this is trying not to laugh at your very confused kitty when it looks around the room going WTF? where did that come from????

You have to be vigilant and try to catch Fluffy when ever possible.

While doing this you may also want to provide kitty with a scratching post that is sturdy and tall enough for it to stretch up on.
Maybe buy some catnip spray...same effect, less mess.
You can allow your cat to see you do this.

Cats are not stupid, if the options are -
1. Evil Sniper Water Couch
or
2.Fabulous drug covered scratching post.

Kitty will pick the nip.

Other options

• Removable double sided sticky tape ( test furniture in small spot first to make sure you don't destroy it by trying to save it)
• Sticky Paws - you can find them at most pet food stores. 
• Tinfoil - bonus also stops alien mind control. - You only need to use this for awhile, once the cat stops you can try and remove the tinfoil. 
• Citrus scents - kitty no like. You can use actual things like lemons or orange peals, or maybe one of those car hangy things...technical term...
• Trim your cats nails! Less pointy daggers.  
• SoftPaws - available at most pet food stores. 

Check out cat sites and forums as well - there are hundreds of ideas people have found.

If you are an idiot, jackass, asshat, stupid jerkface who thinks hitting your animal will help change it's behaviour?
I hope your cat pees on your head, then someone who loves the cat removes it from you and keeps it.
HURTING AN ANIMAL TO TRY AND CHANGE A BEHAVIOUR WILL NOT WORK.
Though if you like, I can test the theory on you?

Yelling, swearing, scolding, writing mean stories, posting embarrassing pictures - none of that works either.. Though I will not try and stop you from swearing or posting pictures...
Skip the yelling  - it only scares them and probably makes them want to do the behaviour more.. just not when you are looking. 

You can not say - at all - that you are going to declaw your cat for its benefit.
You can not say that it's is no big deal.

If by chance your cats paw became infected after you had the procedure done..
If by horrible chance your cat lost a limb due to this infection..
How could you look at your cat and think.. well I had to do it?

Image from PETA website. 



In my opinion declawing should be banned. 



Still want to Declaw?
Watch this film.
You owe it to your cat to watch this.
It's not an expose style in your face movie.. It is not meant to shock and horrify you.

The Paw Project 

12 Kitties of Christmas - Day 9

........8 Elaborate Cat Trees
.......7 Singers Kitties
......6 Odd things cats play with
.....5 Furry Meows
....4 Piles of Barf
...3 Ferocious Felines
..2am Howling
and a not so lively mousey

**************
9 of the most annoying behaviour issues..counting down to the most frustrating

9. The Wake Up
If you are lucky you get a sweet meow asking you nicely to please wake up..ha!
Sebby likes to sit on my head and lick my eyelids.
This is more annoying than anything.
I can shut the door so it's the lowest on the list.
Unless it's a wake up call.. then you may need ear plugs. 

8. The Fake Starvation Meow
Feed me... feed me now.
I have not eaten in like 30 minutes .. I am starving.
or
I see you have walked into the kitchen.. this must mean it is time for my dinner.. I shall meow my face off and look at you like I have not had any food in a week.
Again this is more annoying than anything.

7.The I love you pillow. 
When the cat seems to think of you as its personal pillow.
Butt in face - Pillow wouldn't care...
Needing on legs...Pillow has no feelings..
Random paw on shoulder or head..Pillow is also arm rest.
Laying on arms..Pillow does not need arms..
Launch pad..Sometimes Pillow can be a Launch Pad as well..

6. Weirdo Reactions
When I whistle - Sebby wants to bite my face
When I sing certain songs - Sebby needs to get in my face.. at times biting my head?
Using Icy Cool for back pain...fantastic ..if I want to add Sebby Claw marks all down my back - He freaks out over the smell.
I knew a cat that went ape shit when it heard Geese.
Willow will chase any light or reflection - any...mirror ...sun...flashlight...lamp.

5. Bowl Flippers 
Why?? why do you feel the need to do this??
Water bowl flippers are the worst. Good morning.. great I need new socks.
Actually the combined flippers are the worst... First water.. then Dry Food..Soggy waste of money.

4. The Pusher
No not drug pusher...
The cat that seemingly takes its paw and purposely knocks things off the table.
Or shelf
Or hutch
Or any area that contains things where it should only contain cat?
Mine do this with books. Luckily they are books and not breakables.
Wait.. speaking of breakables... I bought this cat picture - from a fundraising auction - it was on a beautiful frame with stand. It was hand embroidered.
I wanted to display it.. silly me... It did not fit in the glass cabinets.
I put it on top of my tall TV stand. That's right I am a dumbass.
I was thrilled when I came home and it was still there. Thinking that since I left the area where Willow and Onyx like to lay, and removing other items as to not take up more space- they had accepted this new item in 'their' space.
It was beautiful...for 2 days. Onyx knocked it down.
My own fault.

3. The Jekyll & Hyde
Hello, I love you..
You evil human die!
You are purrfect.
I want to rip you to shreds.
Can I cuddle with you?
I could kill you in your sleep.
Pet me?
Touch me and die.
Thank you for the treats.
Give me your lunch or the other cat gets his ass kicked.

2. The Scratcher.
These last 2 are the big problems.. the ones that cause many to throw away their once beloved kitty.
Or mutilate them.
Can I scratch that? Of course I can.. isn't it a big scratching post? Looks like one.
Carpet on the floor and carpet on the scratching post... scratch scratch scratch.
Leather couch? I have always wanted to fight a cow.
Corner of wall?..Looked like it needed my personal touch.
So did your mattress, and chair.
While I am at it.. your arm and chest looked like it needed my signature. You are mine.
So is that.. and that .. and that.. and this thingy right here.
People think the only solution is to declaw...That is a horrible solution! Mutilating an animal because it does what it thinks it should be doing is wrong.
Your house, your rules. Teach them.
Here are some tricks
Here is what they do when they declaw Fluffy &
Here is what can happen as a result. 

1. The pee monster or marker. 
Worst problem in regards to annoyance.
After ruling out medical issues - like these
We are left with behaviour and sometimes confusion.
I get a lot of confused kittens. They instinctively know how to use the litter box - and they do.. they just also use other areas at times. Jerks.
Hate this.
The good thing is - these babies are not doing this as a behaviour response....most of the time.
Think about a toddler - it uses a diaper then gets potty trained. Yet at times they find other places to go...maybe because it looked like fun, or they did not want to miss out on something so they just went where they were.
Most of the time they just miss the cue from the body that they need to make their way to the bathroom.
I think some of these reasons apply to kittens.
So the 5 Furry Meows have been caged. It's a big roll away cage so no need to feel bad. If I am in the room they are out. If I am not in the room - they are in their room. They sleep in there as well.
This is temporary... Till I can trust them not to use my bed as a bathroom. Tiny Jerks.

• Adult cats are another story - unless they have always lived outdoors... Then they may just not fully grasp the idea that they can not go anywhere they want to. They need to be re trained.. Putting them in a room with their litter box for a few weeks ( obviously give them lots and lots of attention and spend time with them. Make the room comfortable - set it up all nice and cat friendly... You may want to limit the bed like spots - or what the cat has been targeting in the house ( Clothing, beds, baskets, bags )

This is a behaviour modification - ask Google.... 

• The jerkfaces that use urinating on humans clothing or beds to make a point. 

They are pissed off. 

Yeah well now so are we!
They do not like change or challenge.
Try to think of what has changed.
Be aware of cats that may be hanging out around your windows.. this creates a need for territory - but it can also stress out your feline - stressed kitty is upset kitty... upset kitty blames you. 

• Some adult cats pee from fear - another cat corners them. Or I chase them around the room trying to catch them for a trip to the vet.. they love that. 

• Senior cats may forget where the litter box is, or just can not make it to the box - get more boxes.. 

• Multicat households tend have territorial issues. 

I tend to stick with kittens to make sure my fostering does not tick off my adults.
They seem to not be threatened by the kittens.
Marking is the cats way of saying ..mine.
Some cats want to own more territory than others.
Males tend to do this more than females - but females do it as well.
An unfixed cat = trouble.

• A cat in heat throws your meows into a frenzy - think about a woman who is PMS'ing  - now imagine if both males and females had PMS issues ( yes I know it seems like they already do )

How would a male respond to these hormonal changes?
What about those wonderful insecurity feelings?
Chances are he would turn into a big jerk baby.
The big jerk baby version in cat = Wanna fight? Lets fight. I think we need to fight.
I am gonna kick your ass.
Meet me at the couch in 2 minutes...the one marked Tom.. come alone..

• Speaking of Toms.. You may have recently neutered your male cat - he is still full of testosterone - give it time to calm down. 

There is no 100% that says a male that use to mark will continue to do so after being fixed
There is no 100% that says he wont.
You took away the drive - but not the behaviour associated with it.

Each household has its own issues.
Every cat is different.
If your child or partner started having bathroom issues - would you leave them at the Fire Station to find a new home?
Hopefully not..Yet every day people dump their cats at the shelter - or some random place - because the cat is peeing on the persons clothing.
There are so many ways to deal with this issue.
If you do not know what to do - ask your vet - make sure it isn't medical.
Ask Google.. Google knows...
There are behaviour modification tricks and suggestions.
There is medication.
There are pheromones.
Your cat would not give up on you.. so don't give up on them so quickly.

I love this sites slogan - Save Them All

If you have never had a cat before...they can be jerks.
But...
Their awesomeness makes up for that.

They are more than worth it.
I love these furry jackasses.
Would not want to live in a world without them.
That's the problem.. they know this!  

*These are just my top 9 annoying cat behaviours