Cat without claws

[menou lover]

PROLOG:  It seems we just can't stop from feeding the stray and feral cats in my neighborhood.  My husband and I have 6 cats in the house we have saved from death or worse (neglect & abuse).  The last one we took in, is a long hair, adult male, tuxedo, that is deaf (after having him tested and shots updated) we slowly introduced him into the pack.  There can always be problems bringing in another cat, we try very hard to make it as smooth as possible on both the new cat and existing ones in the home.

*BIG SIGH* one of our females (Shiela) got an abses on her eye.  It turned out to be the herpies virus.  Which the vet told us it is in all cats but the stress of a new cat in the house brought it out.  To make a long story short the Shiela kept her eye (by the grace of god) but it cost us hundreds of dollars in medicine and vet bills.

This brings me to Cat without claws:  We named her Smokey  A purebred russian blue, fixed, with no front claws    My husband and I believe this is the worse thing you can do to a cat that lives outside.  It took me 6 months to be able to get near her.  She is scheduled to see our vet on (sat 1/19/13) if i can get a hold of her.  My husband asked me to keep an eye on Shila's eye to see if she was getting stressed by having a female cat outside.  So far so good.

We called animal control to come check to see if she had a chip.  Hoping that if someone spent so much money on this kitty a chip would be included.  No such luck

The police man told us Smokey had it pretty made living in our back yard.  (another story of how much we love animals and the lengths we will go to keep them safe and secure).

So do we try to introduce her to the pack and get her an inside bed? or leave well enough alone and leave her outside?

thanks for reading

Menou Lover

 

[Draco]

Considering she's declawed, I would try to get her inside. She no longer has her defense against the dangers outside. She'll be safer indoors.

As for Shiela's stress.. have you tried Feliway diffuser? It's supposed to help calm cats and reduce their stress and anxiety. There's also some remedy that you can put in her food too.. I forget what it's called (Someone can come along and tell us!)

In addition, do you have a lot of vertical space for Shiela to get away from the other cats so she can have time to herself?

 

[StefanZ]

There's also some remedy that you can put in her food too.. I forget what it's called (Someone can come along and tell us!)

Are you thinking on Dr Bachs drops, where the Rescue Remedy is most often used among cats?

Another tip is soft, calm, relaxing music.

Yeah, I agree with all your comments Draco.

Menou, may I ask how do you know Smokey is a pure bred russian blue if she doesnt has chip?  With chip it would be easier to decide.

Good luck!

 

[Draco]

Dr Bach's Rescue Remedy is what I was thinking! Thanks

 

[fastnoc]

yeah I'd definitely want the cat indoors.

A cat without front claws getting attacked by another cat would be like two men fighting, but one had a set of brass knuckles on each hand. Other guy would have no chance

 

[Willowy]

yeah I'd definitely want the cat indoors.

A cat without front claws getting attacked by another cat would be like two men fighting, but one had a set of brass knuckles on each hand. Other guy would have no chance

Eh, I've found that cats don't really fight each other with their front claws. There may be some minor facial scratches but the most damage is done by their teeth and, in a really bad fight, their back claws. The biggest danger for a de-clawed cat outdoors isn't other cats, but being unable to climb a tree quickly if threatened by a dog or wild animal.

Yeah, I agree she should be brought indoors if at all possible.

 

[menou lover]

Thank you for your comments

We took smokey to the vet on (1/18/13) and the vet was so surprised that she is soooooooooooo healthy, all her tests came back NEGATIVE. He also  agreed that she is pretty close to being a purebred, she has all the traits and markings.  We  figure someone lost their home and let her go hoping she would find a home.  There is so much of that going on in my neighborhood it saddens me to no end.  He figures she is between 2-5 years old. 

You would not have thought that when she first came into the back yard she was so skinny and dirty.  We fattened her up because it can get cold here in the winters and we wanted her to have a fighting chance.  We also made her a home where she has a hot pad on low at all times, and is covered by a tarp.  She can't see out and the wind scares her very bad when the tarp starts to shake.  But it is the males that come in the yard to feed also that scare me.  They have left her alone so far, I think she runs them off.  We have heard a few altercations in the back yard but not sure who started what.

When we took her to the vet, it was like something snapped in her mind and she remembered living in a home.  She didn't fight or hiss the whole time we were there.  I carried her in my arms all the way home and she was very calm and didn't meow once.  She just cuddled up to me and i swear she smiled. 

We have tried feliway in the past (at great expense) but it didn't seem to calm down my high strung male (LittleFoot) he still marks all over the house and acts agresive towards the other cats.  Another problem with trying to bring in a new kitty.

My husband left the decision up to me whether to bring her in or not.  But he also stated that if anything happened to the other cats it was all on me.

Oh also she hisses at all our cats when she see's them on the back porch and tries to paw (claw) at them.  So this is not an easy decision.

thanks

Menou Lover

 

[fastnoc]

Ugh.. people abandoning their indoor pets. that just kills me.

I honestly don't see how people could be so cruel. Honestly, I'm not just saying that. When I read the reply, I thought to myself 'how would I feel if I moved and just put my cats outside and drove away', and it sent a pain down my stomach that literally made me feel ill.

I honestly don't know how I would live with myself if I ever did that.

I think back to when I was a kid, at 21 I was a bartender. I had a nice little place with a beautiful dog. but I had to move to a new area for a new job. I had to give my dog away. So I found a farm that wanted him.

I remember driving him over there in my car. he sat looking straight ahead, almost like he knew I was leaving him. When i arrived I put him in this pen area that had a wire fence around it. he almost cut his ears off trying to get through the fence to get back to me.

That was a great home for him with a loving family and a farm to run around on, and to this day it literally makes me tear up thinking about how I left him there.

Abandon a pet? I'd sooner die.

 

[ritz]

Yes, it is a tough decision; but having no claws, I agree she needs to come inside.

I've used Feliway and Rescue Remedy with success; depends on the cat though.

If you decide to take her in--I agree, lots of vertical space (I assume declawed cats can climb....) and if possible, a permanent safe room for her, where she can always go to knowing no other cats would bother her.

Have you thought about trying to adopt her out, much as you love her.   In this case I'd definitely charge a fee to weed out the weirdos (you can always donate the fee to a rescue group).  If there is a rescue group for pure breed cats, I'd contact them for advice.  Who knows, maybe she is lost and her owner is looking for her.