I saw this today and thought of your Mama cats. I hope you can open it.
Oh, I KNOW Kate and Khaleesi can relate to that!
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My turn to ask for the collective kitty wisdom of Love and Hisses!
As I assume everyone here knows, declawing really is not humane and normally entails chopping off the last knuckle of each toe. It causes all kinds of problems and just isn’t a good or kind thing to do. Well, a friend of mine mentioned that her vet has a method of declawing that I had never heard of. He leaves the paws intact and just cuts the tendon on each toe that allows them to extend the claw. According to her, the cat was a little sore but recovered within 24 hours and had no litterbox issues or behavioral changes at all.
I’m not entirely sold – I still think that declawing a cat still removes their natural defenses and leaves them vulnerable and I still wouldn’t do that to any of my furbabies – but what do people here think? Legit or crap?
Severing tendons sounds painful to me! But honestly, I don’t know anything about this kind of declawing, so I’m posting this so anyone who’s ever heard of it can tell us what’s what.
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Speaking of never staying on the blanket: This one made me laugh my head off … and think of all your kittens.
Those kittens are driving me crazy. I went up there yesterday and they’d pushed the bed away from the barrier and were all curled up between the bed and the barrier, on the hard wood floor. At this point they’re mobile enough that if they WANT to be in the bed they can get up and GET in the bed, but it still bugs me!
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You guys are the only cat people I know, so here’s more in the continuing saga of Pumpkin, the spayed cat who went into heat. I took her to the vet school emergency room last night because there is a pretty obvious bulge right at her incision site. Incision itself was clean, dry, no swelling or redness, blah blah blah. Vet couldn’t tell over the phone or in person when we took her in if it was inflammation or a hernia. So she had xrays which show everything is in place, but her kidneys looked enlarged (pre-op bloodwork was normal). So anyway, she’s just hanging out at home now and we’re watching her. In the 7 weeks we’ve had her, she’s had a rabies shot, fecal exam, vet visit for being in heat, 2nd spay, and an emergency vet visit. I’m renaming her Money Pit.
As the owner of a Money Pit cat myself (that would be Miz Poo)(though the last few years have been relatively calm), I feel your pain. Hopefully Pumpkin will decide to STOP THAT and calm down!
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possibly the cutest cat video ever:
That’s no kitten! That’s a baby kangeroo! (What a CUTIE!)
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Please don’t bring the Royals to Petsmart before we have seen inter-litter snuggling. I’m curious how the 2 mamas would be together. And how would Khaleesi react if you were to bring a Royal in her room? Would she feel threatened since it’s a kitten and not an adult cat?
The two mamas won’t be together – I’ve seen enough of their behavior when they glimpse each other as I’m opening or closing the door to know that I don’t even want to try it. I might introduce a Royal or two to the Dragons when the Dragons get older, but the Royals tend to be a bit… DRAMATIC, so I’m going to be careful with that.
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Also
The googly eyes on the second one just kill me.
Love it!
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Do any of the permanent residents ever make it over the barrier into the foster room, or are they all “oh, another wee baby kitten, so what?”
When there’s not a mama kitty present, Jake will climb over the barrier to visit with the kittens (and to partake of the kitten food). But with a protective mama around, he keeps his distance. It’s too bad Elwood isn’t still with us – he’d climb over that barrier to get to the kitten food if there was a mama around or not!
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With all that cute sweetness in the house, it’s a wonder you’re not on insulin. Do the kittens ramrod around like that at night?
I rarely hear them running around at night – but we close them in the foster room at bedtime, so even if they’re running around like crazy, their room is over the front room and I wouldn’t hear them. Fred occasionally hears them playing, but they’re not so loud that they keep him awake, luckily.
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Did we already discuss that Puff is the perfect name for a kitten with a head that looks like a dandelion when it’s all blown to seed? I feel like I picked that up from one of y’all.
I actually think we had that discussion about Dandelion – that it was the perfect name for her, because she looked so much like a dandelion gone to seed. It’s possible we’ve also had that discussion about Puff, and I’m just not remembering it.
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Without the pigs who will eat the leftover sweets or DCEP recipe fails?
Between the chickens and George and Gracie, all the kitchen waste is pretty well taken care of.
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Also, in the Corbie picture is that a new cat tree his highness is perched on?
No, we’ve had that cat tree for… I don’t know. Nine months, a year? Something like that. I don’t remember where we had it before (we tend to move the cat trees around from time to time), but it’s in my room now. The kittens have started hanging out on it, so I’m sure you’ll see much more of it.
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Stinkerbelle is apparently thrilled to have kittens roaming around her. Or is that just her standard reaction to any cat or kitten (except Tommy) that gets too close?
Stinkerbelle will hiss at any cat or kitten who gets too close – and if they don’t heed her warning, she’ll smack them. She has zero use for any cat other than her beloved Tommy.
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What do you think happened to that pretty blonde rooster? and where is ARNOLD? how are the freezer camp chickens doing, how big are they now? or are they already off to camp? I love that rock star chicken. he is so awesome.
That blonde rooster is actually a hen – and I’m not sure what happened to her. Her leg is definitely not broken, but it’s entirely possible she sprained or pulled something. She’s one of our oldest hens (she’s five years old, one of our original twelve), so maybe she broke a hip. We’ll keep her confined and hope that the issue resolves itself. Arnold’s out in the back forty with the other chickens – I will do my best to get a picture of him, soon! The freezer camp chickens went off to freezer camp about a month ago, and were all between 2 1/2 and 4 1/2 pounds.
The rock star is probably my favorite chicken. She is so so so pretty!
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Ember always reminds me of Shiro except I don’t think she is as laid back.
Ember is a little on the nervous side, but she’s coming around. Yesterday she climbed into my lap and took a nap and it was all I could do not to squoosh her.
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I thought Kate got spayed…am I wrong? If so, shouldn’t she stop producing milk rather quickly?
No, you’re right – she was spayed last week. But she’ll produce milk as long as she keeps letting those little monsters nurse. As far as I know, spaying won’t stop her milk production, she could probably produce milk forever!
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Norbert cracks me up when he walks across the wood floor; he looks like he’s ice skating.
Bed full o’ kittens.
“Ruth is laying on my ARM, and my ARM fell ASLEEP and I don’t want to move ’cause it might wake her up!”
Norbert likes to tussle with his Mama.
Basket full o’ Norbs.
Is that Ruth not the MOST beautiful little girl?
I put that stupid crown-looking toy on him and he just sat there and sat there with it on his head like he couldn’t feel it through all the floof, but the INSTANT I got the camera pointed at him, he fell over on his side and started chewing on his toes. BRAT.
Mama, keeping an eye on Puff.
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Is there anything sweeter than a sleepy kitten?
“We was sleepin’, lady.”
Leia, staring up into the light.
Pretty, floofy (and also pretty floofy!) girl.
Pile o’ CUTE.
Aslan, sound asleep.
They are SO over me right now.
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“Lady, there appear to be KITTENS everywhere.”
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Previously
2012: Is it possible for tomatoes to ripen ANY more slowly?
2011: Miss Dorfy loves her some Jake.
2010: No entry.
2009: She’s got a lot to say and BOY does she say it.
2008: No entry.
2007: So the dog has a safe and happy home, and since it ain’t with ME, I am thrilled beyond belief.
2006: No entry.
2005: No entry.
Robyn, your namesake went to his new family yesterday–the first of the litter to be adopted. Everyone wanted him, he’s so pretty. The family that he’s going to has an 8-yr-old girl, and the woman who did the home check said the family seemed very ‘sensible’. I wonder if he’ll give them the same dirty looks he gave us whenever we started petting him! The other kittens were very subdued the rest of the evening. I know it’s not a tragedy, but it does seem awfully sad seeing the family split up!
Oh, I know – I hate splitting them up, but I’m glad to hear that Robin went off to his forever home! 🙂
In regards to the kittens refusing to use a “comfortable” place to sleep? I am forever finding Norman on wooden shelves (under the fish tank, in the office). He clears them off to sleep on the hard wood shelf. If I put a cat bed on it, he refuses to sit there until it is moved again. Cats are mental. The sooner we just accept it and let them be weird, the better for all concerned.
I’m going to have to cross-stitch “Cats are mental” for one of my foster rooms. SO true!
Loved the “cats are mental” comment!!!! Maybe Robyn can make some CafePress goodies for us with that saying on them. It reminded me of the famous Robert Heinlein quote:
“Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea.”
I’m guessing I need to go copyright “Cats are mental” someplace now 😉
Ruth is the most beautiful kitten and she should be MINE!!!!
Mine will refuse beds and blankets and sleep on the hardwood floor in the summertime. Winter they love beds and love to sleep up high.
Best thing I’ve read today: “Cats are mental. The sooner we just accept it and let them be weird, the better for all concerned.”
Because it’s so true!
I have decided that I would like to see Norbert & Ember adopted together. I think they are the most adorablest pair of dragon babies. 😀
They’re also the littlest! Norbert is bigger than Ember, but just by the tiniest margin.
“declaw via cutting the tendons”… http://www.paw-rescue.org/declaw_paper.php
There is another procedure you may hear mentioned called a flexor tenectomy. In the flexor tenectomy surgery, the tendon that enables a cat to extend its claws is severed. The cat is then prevented from extending its claws, which dramatically decreased the amount of damage the cat can inflict, as long as the owner keeps the cat’s claws trimmed. However, similar to the declaw surgery, the tendon surgery has serious side-affects. In 1998, a study conducted by the Veterinary Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and VCA Newark Animal Hospital compared 38 cats that received either a declaw or a tenectomy. Twenty-five percent of the cats in both groups developed infections. In addition, many of the tenectomy cats were still able to scratch, and they developed unattractive, thick claws (Marder)
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not to mention if you do not pay close enough attention the claw will grow into the paw pad and cause other problems. If the claws are there, then they can get caught in carpets or other fabrics. Again with the claws there unintentional scratching will occur.
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as for Pumpkin.. I so hope that someone went back to the original vet who did the spay and asked for an explaination and compensation for secondary surgery.
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too many comments on too many cute pictures and adorableness on this post.. so I’m just going to sum it up with
“MAN Robyn, you sure do make those kittens look good!”
With the tendons cut, I was thinking that you would have a nail growth issue. I am going to put my neck out on a chopping block and risk being skewered by everyone….but I do declaw my cats. I pay extra $$$ for the laser surgery and (praise God) have never had any trouble with it. My cats are strictly indoors, micro-chipped…everything. They are spoiled rotten…none have ever had behavioral issues (biting or such) and are totally lovebugs!!! They all love to snuggle with me and they all play nicely. I think the most important thing with any surgery is the vet. Get a highly competent one. Please do not blast me about this. Having three Freddy Krugers in my home destroying my furniture (which has happened) was just not an option. (Leather shoes and jackets were prized items, also).
My cats did the same thing to the SoftPaws, GD. Lasted less than 5 minutes. All my furniture is crap, though, so I don’t really care so much about the clawing, and all my cats have all their claws.
However, a few years ago, my parents declawed the kitten they’d recently acquired. My father had just had a major surgery; he developed blood clots and had to be put on Coumadin, a blood thinner. He would wake up at night with a pool of blood soaking the sheets because the kitten (adopted as a post-surgical depression preventative) had nicked him as it tried to find a comfortable spot, and the bleeding wouldn’t stop. The options were to rehome the cat, put my father in a hotel for the 18 months he was told he’d be on Coumadin, or declaw the cat. They made their best call, and had no problems.
I won’t dispute official research, but I can say anecdotally that none of the cats *I* ever had declawed (back before I started feeling squeamish about it), nor any that my parents have had, ever developed ANY issues – AND not a single one of them displayed even the slightest sign of pain post-op. (And this was back in the days before most vets took pet pain control very seriously!)
I don’t blame you for ducking and covering, although you’ll get no blastings from me – (not) declawing is part of the trifecta of Responsible Pet Ownership that we currently have in most pet lovers’ circles. Failure to spay/neuter, having a cat declawed (or a dog’s tail or ears cropped/docked), and giving up (“getting rid of”) a pet seem to be the three things that bring out the sharpest jabs and the most strongly-worded abuse, judgment, and vitriol. I like to think Robyn’s community’s much more civilized than that, so even if you’re in the minority, I will be surprised if you take much flak.
Ya know, I sat here and watched that 15 minute editing window tick down, and never even realized I had posted under the wrong comment! *EPIC FACEPALM* I intended this comment to go underneath GD’s comment below, about Soft Paws.
Good Lord. Serves me right. And no more Down Home Punch for me tonight.
Sending huge healing hugs to your dad!
Pumpkin – we don’t know who the original vet was, she was taken to the shelter by previous owners and they didn’t leave vet records. Plus, my vet (very experienced) didn’t find much else to remove – just some fatty tissue in the area where the ovaries had been. I’m just crossing my fingers that takes care of it.
Whoa, Ruth has the most amazing blue eyes. Practically Fremen blue. How lovely.
I think her father was a White Walker. 😀
LOL
I agree with Connie – any type of declaw isn’t right….cutting the tendon just keeps them from being able to flex their toes – the nails still grow and need maintenance. I will never understand why people would rather put their animals through this than learn to trim toenails…..
Ahh – kitteny cuteness. Norbert on the floor made me laugh – there is a cat at our local rescue with a neurological issue who walks kind of stiff legged and I often wonder if he spends his days thinking “stupid linoleum”…..
We have actually put caps on Tommy’s claws, and they work amazingly well. I trim the kittens’ claws regularly so they’ll be accustomed to it, too.
I tried SoftPaws but my cat just pulled them off with her teeth! I trim claws (back claws) all the time.
I used soft paws for a while with Jack when he was nursing on my ear. No matter how close I trimmed his claws it still hurt me when he kneeded while he nursed so I put them on. He too would pull them off, but I simply kept glueing them back on, and eventually he just got used to it I made him wear them for a month or two till he got older and had better control of his claws.
I am not a fan of soft paws for a long term use either. (People who have declawed, please do not take this as an attack on you, I’m simply sharing what I’ve learned while trying to learn as much as I could after the vet I was working for told me that side effects were bunk and there was no reason to tell people about them and all his cats were declawed and were fine)
cats need to claw for many reasons. they mark territory physically (claws digging into what ever they are clawing) and with scent. They have scent glands in their paws and when they claw they leave scent (which is why declawed cats still ‘scratch” stuff) they do it to make themselves at home in their territory and tell everyone else ‘this is mine!” They also do it for mental and physical stimulation. Clawing is exercise, and it gives them a good full body stretch they can’t get otherwise. so cats that are in soft paws their whole life miss out on a great deal of those benefits of clawing.
as to side effects, everyone who posts that their cat was declawed and did just fine are right. Many cats do just fine being declawed. Many don’t though. Every time I hear someone say their cat is fine and using that for justification and even promotion of declawing – well it makes me cringe. Just as you might when you hear about someone who drinks too much and drives home and is fine. It happens more often then you think, most drunk drivers don’t get into accidents, but those who do case major problems. Cats who are declawed who have issues often have major issues. Litter box avoidance, a tendency to bite more because they know their first line of defense is gone, etc. Then there are the long term side effects.. a lot of declawed cats end up with arthritis because their gate is thrown off. some have urinary issues because it hurts to use the box and they hold on to their urine longer then they should.
I would never try to make anyone who has a declawed cat feel bad or belittle them or ‘yell’ at them for having it done. I often do try to offer alternatives for them for future kitties.. and I try to do it in an informative and non accusatory way, but often no matter what you say it is taken as an attack and there can not be a reasonable discussion, probably because owners of declawed cats are defensive to begin with because of so many people attacking them. It is just sad, because it closes down the lines of communication.
Is Norbert a tabby? He has looked black in all the other pictures but in this one he looks like he has tabby markings…maybe it is just the light.
He does have very subtle tabby stripes – especially on that one side. I hope that as he gets older his stripes become more apparent (but I’m not holding my breath, as it doesn’t tend to work that way!)
Aslan’s coat is really cool. He looks like he starts out all Tabby in the front, but more of a mix without stripes in the back. Is that right? I’ve never seen a cat look like that before.
It is called “Ticked Tabby”
Yes, if you just saw his face you’d think he was a regular brown tabby, and then you see his coat and he’s a ticked tabby. It’s very neat!
I’d love to have one, but my husband would keel me if I brought home Aslan… 🙂 You’d think he’d have a tolerance for more than 2 cats and one dog, but NOoOOoOoOo….
Declawing creeps me out whatever way they do it. IMHO – it is mutilation. When I adopted my CJ from FosterCats I had to sign a contract stating I would not declaw him.
Norbert’s walking picture reminds me of someone crawling across the desert, but in this case he’s saying “must…find…milk…” :p
That kickin’ kitten is the cutest thing I’ve seen in a while!!
I remember Tabitha would pull all her kittens off the blanket or catbed and put them on the hardwood floor. I bet it’s temperature related and we just don’t understand because we aren’t wearing fur coats in 80 degree weather!
Kate loves to lay belly-down on the hardwood floor. I’m sure she’s trying to cool her belly off! Seeing them lay directly on the floor only really bothers me when they’re tiny and can’t really move to a more comfortable place (not that they’d necessarily want to!) But once they’re mobile I let them do what they want, even though *I* wouldn’t find it comfortable!
I oppose ANY type of declawing. I have known declawed cats that were biters. I don’t know if the biting was a direct result of being declawed, but it seems reasonable that if one defense system is removed the other would become more pronounced.
My advice is always the same: start clipping their claws as early as possible, provide plenty of appropriate scratching things and train them to use them!
None of my five have ever bit (even if I am trying to work out a fur mat under an armpit (which he hates hates hates)). I think it is what their personalities would have been.
Little Rusty the kangaroo kitten is one of Kimberly Jennery’s fosters. Several years ago she also fostered Captain Pugwash the broccoli kitten (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JIFNEddeZI4) recently featured on the Animal Planet’s “America’s Cutest Pets”. I’m a catless catlover and people like you and Kimberly help to satisfy my cat cravings. Thank you.
Ruth IS beautiful! Cats ARE mental! and declawing IS mean! Any other questions?
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again… If your furniture is more important than your cat, then DON”T GET A CAT IN THE FIRST PLACE.
Sorry, but I get a bit angry on the subject of declawing.
AMEN.
My response to this new, “humane” method of declawing is to reverse doctor and patient and envision the cat severing the vet’s tendons. Hmm, not so humane now, is it? And the vet doesn’t even have to scrabble about in a litter box with wounded paws afterwards. But back to Crooked Acres, land of fully clawed cats, dogs, and chickens: everyone is looking sublimely cute today. Thanks as always, Robyn!
I would prefer people work with their cats to avoid declawing. Having said that, I adopted two cats that were already declawed. One of the two was still a notorious furniture scratcher but obviously caused no damage. I just let her go for it 🙂
Same here…my youngest would shred the world if she could. I just smile as she “rips” away!
There is nothing cuter than seeing a kitten or cat sleeping with their head upside down. Am I the only one who has to tilt their head whenever they see a tilted or upside down kitty head?? ‘Cause I can’t seem to help it!
Sorry but de-clawing in any way, shape, or form is just plain crap! Did enjoy the “Cat’s are Mental” though even after we read about this so called new less painful way to remove us kitty cats claws!