When clipping your kitty's nails... do you clip both the front and back paws... or only the front paws? I remember vaguely reading somewhere that one doesn't have to clip the front paws... and I can't recall why.
You may have the best intentions, but somehow I do not consider squirting a cat with water (which most cats truely HATE) and doing it for 60 years "cat-loving experience". Its an alternative to beat your cat in with a boot, but we don't do that either around here.Originally Posted by winwin
I shudder when I think of declawing or even clipping, for it denies the cat of being able to live as nature intended.
I know there is a large body of thought about cats tearing up the furniture, but I have NEVER had any problem in quickly training my cats to use their "scratching posts/items" only.
My training tool is a garden sprayer jug filled with water, kept handy, and set for a long, narrow stream, rather than a mist.
It takes very few squirts, applied when the cat is "in the act" and accompanied with a strong "NO !", to teach the cat, and even Tico, who is as pigheaded and strongwilled as a headstrong child will approach a piece of furniture, stop, turn and look at me, and I just tell her, "Go ahead, make my day", and either she understands or doesn't care to try me.
Apparently new cats are trained by established residents (cats), as we have had new ones that NEVER tried to use the furniture, going instead to the "toys" provided for such.
Tico is a notable exception to this rule, but we all know about headstrong women, don't we ? ?
I am not really critical of those who choose to declaw or clip, but believe me, the IS an alternative, and I speak with better than 60 years of cat-loving experience behind me.
Leonard