about my cat; two part question?

Question

This is a two part question. 1) My cat seemed to young when she was given to me, felt like skin and bones, they said mom wasnt feeding them correctly and she was not litter box trained. She seems small for her age. How will this affect her when she gets older. 2) Is it ok to declaw cats and how old it ok to do it - or anyway to prevent her from scratching on my cabinets and leather couches.

Answer 1

First of all it's not going to affect her when she's older but you need to make sure that she is getting all the vitamins and nutrients that she needs if you think she was too young when you got her. It's possible that the mother was sick, or that your kitten was just the runt of the litter and was pushed away by the other kittens when it was time for them to be fed. Make sure to feed her a consistent amount of food. There are great vitamin supplements out there--one of them is called Linatone. You can get it at pet supply stores.

I'm sorry but you really don't want to be giving her milk--cats LOVE it, but it will give her diarrhea. Cats do not have the enzyme in their bodies needed to break up lactose in milk--you've heard of people that are lactose intolerant? Well, cats are lactose intolerant so instead of digesting the milk it just sort of rots in their stomachs, which is why they have diarrhea. You can give her very small amounts when she is older, but for now I would advise strongly against it!

One thing that you should know about cats is that a lot of owners are content to just leave their pet's food dish out all the time, but I would recommend that you make a schedule for feeding your cat and stick to it. This establishes your role in the cat's mind as being the protector. Otherwise the cat will not associate you with being the "food giver". It makes for a better relationship between the two of you.

As for declawing of your cat, I would recommend that you not do this. There are easier ways of managing your cat's tendencies to claw and scratch, and personally I just feel it's cruel to declaw. It is healthy for cats to scratch as it helps them shed their nail sheaths and is actually a form of grooming for them.

You can trim your kitten's claws very easily--start this when she is younger and she won't have any problems with you doing this as she gets older. It should be done every 2 or 3 weeks. You only want to snip off the top part, and not go too deeply or it will hurt your kitten. You will notice as you look at her claws that she has a little dark brown or black something or other in there--I don't know exactly what it is but it is not meant to be trimmed. Just make sure you trim the clear part of the claw, never anything else.

As another poster mentioned, your best bet to keep her from clawing things is getting a spray bottle and teaching her through its application that she may not scratch on the couch. I don't think she is going to be too inclined to scratch on a leather couch or wooden cabinets, as cats prefer something with more resistance like upholstered furniture. A leather couch or cabinets are just not very scratchable. You can also buy other products such as Sticky Paws or Bitter Apple, and you should get them a scratching post which aren't very expensive.

Answer 2

1. If she is being well nourished now, she will be fine - I hope she is litter box trained now!

2. Some people declaw their cats- it is safe at any age but very nasty. Also, never declaw the back - they need some defence and ability to grip things - especially if they get outside - even by accident. It is exactly as if you had you nails cut off at the first knuckle - seriously! They don't just remove the nail bed, but bone as well. A better idea is to either make or buy a cat scratching post (a log completely wrapped in carped and nailed upright on a wooden base will do). If she is scratching something forbidden, immediately take her to the scratching post. A spray bottle of water helps deter to, although don't get nasty with it! She will eventually learn what is okay to scratch and what isn't.

Good luck.

Answer 3

1)My cat was also too young to be away from the mother when I got him... and he is fine now that he's older. Different cats have different problems though just as people do. If she's still very young and small make sure she's getting the proper nutrition... there are formulas and mixes made for hand feeding kittens too small to eat regular food. The one I used was a simple grule like mix that mixed with water, as my cat got older I started mixing less water with it making it thicker, eventually adding in crushed food, then whole food, then just giving him straight food.
2) I'm not sure of the proper age for declawing cats, but I have heard it's best to do it at the same time you get them fixed... only because that way they only go under anesthesia once (I've heard cats don't always do well with that). If you're cat has any chance of accidentally getting outside I wouldn't declaw her. You can get one of those cardboard scratching pads at any WalMart or Target, they have cat nip in them which most cats love and usually thay'll be drawn to that instead of your furniture or walls. (My cat actually sleeps on top of his he loves it so much!)

Answer 4

1) Your cat could end up being smaller than most. Maybe she was too young when weaned ... but if you make sure she is well fed, she should be fine now. Litter box training usually comes naturally, if you see her starting to squat in the inappropriate palce, pick her up quickly and put her in the box.

2)Dont'declaw your cat!! Use a water bottle and spray her when she claws things she shouldn't. Declawing your cat will take away her only defence. If she ever goes outside she will be completely helpless. Claws are kind of like fingers to you... how would you feel without your fingers?

Answer 5

Have you taken the kitten to the vet? The mother may have not been feeding the kitten because it is a runt. Nature has its own way of selection you see. I would get the kitten checked out. You may need a special diet or bottle feeding to make sure she/he gets the nutrition needed to survive. Yes, just because they are runts doesn't mean they cant live long healthy lives.

Also...I have never declawed any of my cats. Just imagine going to the doctor and having your fingernails surgically removed from the root. I think its, well, kind of inhumane. Not only that but if you have a dog...or you either let the cat outside or the cat escapes it will have no way to defend itself. I find that if you clip your cats nails and provide scratch boxes or poles that things work out just fine. I have no damaged furniture at all.

Answer 6

1) Could be just fine. Depends on how you raise her. She probably will turn out more 'human' than catlike. We have

2) I think declawing should be punishable with 1 -5 hard labor. Clipping their nails is more work but will also save your wallpaper and furniture.

Our cats have a scratchinpole and a mat. They never use the furniture and only scratch the wallpaper when hunting a moth or fly.

Specially because you got her this young and.. unimpressioned you probably can train her not to uses furniture.... no bad example is the best training. By actually getting her paws on the scratchpole she will use that.. Trust me it works.

Answer 7

I rescued 3 cats when I lived in AL that hadn't been properly cared for as kittens. As they grew and I gave them proper attention and feeding, as well as vet care, they were very healthy. They were however, very small compared to other cats.

As for the declawing...both of my cats now are declawed. I'm sure the surgery hurt, but they both seem to care less now and are very happy and healthy. My furniture is happy and healthy too. In my opinion, do what you feel you need to do. I'd never have a cat with claws inside.

Answer 8

The spray bottle works great. All you have to do after a while is shake it and the cat will bail out of any situation. Ive had claws removed on some cats , but i like to keep there claws. I let them go outside every once in a while and they need claws for protection and covering up turds and stuff like that

Answer 9

She should be fine when she is older. Make sure she is checked out by a vet. I had one brought to me late one night and I was asked to be her foster mother until she died. She was weak, bony, tiny, and her back legs did not work. Nine years later, here she sits on my computer desk, and she jumped on her own. She is just fine!

Declawing: I'm on the fence on that one. I have two that are decalwed. One came to me that way. The other I had done out of desperation as she was hooking fish out of my 55 gallon tank (through the tiny spaces). My other three all have claws, and yes, I do have some wrecked furniture. If your cat is going to be indoor only, and you feel you must, then do it.

Answer 10

You may have to give her cat milk from a pet store and be sure to use the best quality kitten food. My breeder told me to use Iams kitten wet food and dry food and mix them. Nuke for 5-10 seconds to make it easier on the kitten. If you feed her right, it probably will not affect her later.

Some people use plastic covers on claws for cats. Ask your vet about when he would recommend declawing and neutering.

Good luck pet daddy.