HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: lewism@jmb2.jmb.com (Mike Lewis)
Subject: Re: declawing?
Organization: JMB Realty Corporation
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1 PL5
Date: Thu, 17 Dec 1992 20:02:30 GMT

Jack Webb (Jack_Webb@mindlink.bc.ca) wrote:
: PLEASE--- please don't have your pet declawed.  Just a quick sermon, and then
: suggestions to get him to stop doing it.
: 
: Declawing is not the removal of the claw, but the actual amputation of the
: first joint of the finger, to ensure the whole nail bed is removed.  It's not
: fun for them, just as it would be no fun for you.
: 
: There are ways to get your meow to stop scratching the furniture...
: 
: 1) on a day you'll be home most of the day, buy some fine netting to cover
: your furniture.  Put it all over your furniture, and stack beer or soda cans
: precariously on top of the netting and the furniture.  When your cat goes to
: scratch the couch, he'll pull the netting, and the cans will come crashing
: down!!  Yoicks!  Replace the cans, and be ready for the next crash.
: Eventually, he'll associate the crash with the couch.
: 
: 2) buy a water pistol, and surreptitiously squirt him whenever he goes to
: scratch the furniture.  Eventually he will associate the squirt with the
: scratching.
: 
: Make sure you have a place where he CAN scratch available, and encourage the
: crap out of him when he scratches there.  Rub catnip all over it, and he will
: hopefully be okay.  The less he associates the "punishment" for scratching
: with you personally, the faster he'll stop... you know how spiteful they can
: be when they know you don't like their behaviour.
: 
: hope that helps!! :)

I just moved from a high-rise apartment.  The owner would not have allowed me
to move in with un-declawed cats.  The furniture's not the only problem; what
do you do about the carpet?  They have never been outside (still haven't
figured out how to use the elevator ;-), so being declawed does not deprive
them of any needed defenses.

I guess I don't understand why everyone gets all emotional about declawing.  I
will never own an un-declawed cat.  We had the procedure done on our newest
and, while I will agree that he didn't enjoy it, he came out of it none the
worse for wear.  I know that my cats will not be able to damage my furniture
or carpet, and they don't seem to miss their first joints.

BTW, how do you feel about neutering?  Doesn't that also involve a painful
surgical procedure also?  Couldn't you just train a male cat not to spray?  (I
know it would be difficult, but wouldn't it be worth it to spare the cat the
pain and suffering?)

I believe that if you've got a moral problem with inflicting this procedure on
your cat, fine.  Don't have it done.  It's your prerogative.  What I don't
necessarily appreciate is hearing that I am a cruel, uncaring person unworthy
of cat-ownership because I have them declawed.  No offense intended, BTW.

Flame all you want, we'll "n" more!
From: maillet@ug.cs.dal.ca (Andre' Maillet)
Subject: Re: alternative disciplinary measures?
Organization: Math, Stats & CS, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
Date: Mon, 14 Dec 1992 01:27:23 GMT

In article <1992Dec13.194338.3409@murdoch.acc.Virginia.EDU>, ses3n@fermi.clas.Virginia.EDU (Sharon Elizabeth Silverman) writes:
|> Help! Alexei doesn't mind being squirted with a water pistol!

     (a bit deleted to save space)

|> 	She knows exactly where the water is coming from, and thinks
|> it's cool - she runs over to play with the pistol! I don't want to hit her.
|> Is there another way to discipline her?
|> 						Sharon

     I've read that another effective technique is to drop or toss a key chain
near them. Now mind you, don't throw it AT them! 8^) It's a bit more practical
than a water pistol, you always have a key chain. And if they don't see you 
toss it (like when they are busy scratching the furniture) they have no way 
of connecting it to you. It's not as "gentle" as the nasty pistol, but it'll 
work.
     
     I've also read (same source) that tossing a rolled up newspaper into their
legs to trip them up also works. But it seems to me there is a greater chance of
them connecting paper with you IMHO.

Dray and Furball (7 days to go!)
-- 
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|Andre M. Maillet     | "Wouldn't it be nice if Education got all the money |
|maillet@ug.cs.dal.ca | it needed and the Air Force had to hold a bake sale |
|djtas@ac.dal.ca      | to buy a new bomber." - from a bumper sticker       |
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------+
DISCLAIMER: The views of Dalhousie University are not necessarily those 
expressed by myself. Therefore, I will completely ignore the university 
and say whatever the hell I want to.
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: mary@zmax.com (Mary Papp)
Subject: Re:    declawing?
Organization: Z/Max Computer Solutions, Inc.
Date: Fri, 18 Dec 1992 16:54:24 GMT

 
>    My cat has been declawed.  It really did not bother him, as far as 
>pain.  It took some getting use to the shaved paws though.  (Since 
>they had to shave the paws to do the declawing)  He was jumping up and 

When I had my cat declawed, he didn't have shaved paws.  They put little red
bandages on his front paws and he looked like a cat boxer!!  I wonder what the
difference is between your cat's declaw and mine?

>He does not even miss his claws anymore.

Neither does mine, though he still tries to claw the sofa.  Its funny to see
him stretch out and try and hook into the sofa, he just slides down the side
and then gets this look like "I meant to do that"

Mary and Slash

-- 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mary Papp:  Z/Max Computer Solutions 8287 Loop Road Baldwinsville, NY 13027
                              mary@zmax.com                  
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: jshouman@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu (Joan-Marie Shouman)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: Do your cats know their names?
Date: 18 Dec 92 00:19:46 GMT
Organization: The University of Texas at Austin, Austin TX

In article <1992Dec17.190159.1703@radian.uucp> kathrynw%radian@natinst.com (Kathryn Whitworth) writes:
>Of Course cats know their names!

How can you be so sure?

One of my cats definitely knows her name and even responds occasionally.

I don't think my other darling knows his name.  Or if he does, he is not
happy with it.  Ari (short for "Aristophanes") will respond to "Kitty,"
"Tasha" (the OTHER CAT'S name), "Dorkmeister," and "Hey, Stupid."  If you call
him "Ari" or "Aristophanes" you'll get no sign of recognition.




-- 
___________________________________________________    	      
Joan-Marie Shouman	      |non cogito ergo	   
(jshouman@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu) |non sum :)	   
___________________________________________________
From: rmilner@zia.aoc.nrao.edu (Ruth Milner)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: Kitty toys for the poor of pocket
Date: 17 Dec 92 22:54:38 GMT
Reply-To: rmilner@zia.aoc.nrao.edu (Ruth Milner)
Organization: National Radio Astronomy Observatory, Socorro NM

In article <85231@ut-emx.uucp> jshouman@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu (Joan-Marie Shouman) writes:
>My more playful kitty loves various trash items.  When she's bored, I can just
>reach in my wastepaper basket and pull out some crumpled paper.  Hours and
>hours of fun.

Wooden clothespegs. Boots will entertain herself for hours with one (of course,
this is a cat who will stare at the bathtub drain for 20 minutes straight). 
Abby used them most when she was teething last year (she demolished quite a 
number), but she also plays with them. I used to worry about splinters, but it 
doesn't seem to be a problem. 

BTW, we moved on Thanksgiving Day, into my boss' house (he's on sabbatical for
9 months) with their 2 cats left behind. Lots of interesting developments in
our girls adjusting to the move, the cats getting to know each other, etc.
I'll post a kind of summary sometime soon (it's fiscal year-end around here 
so I just don't have time at the moment).
-- 
Ruth Milner                          NRAO/VLA                  Socorro NM
Computing Division Head      rmilner@zia.aoc.nrao.edu
Organization: University of Illinois at Chicago
Date: Thursday, 17 Dec 1992 15:29:25 CST
From: <U15289@uicvm.uic.edu>
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Rate of personality change in neutered cat

My male cat, approximately six months old, was neutered a week ago.  His old
habits of biting and clawing have lessened somewhat, but still remain to a
substantial extent.  His overall activity level remains relatively high.  Are
additional personality changes likely in the foreseeable future?

Also, is there any significant chance that he'll become overweight if I contin-
ue to feed him as I'd been doing before the surgery?  He had been working it
off pretty well; what's likely to happen in the future?

                                                          Mitch Pravatiner
                                                          U15289@uicvm.uic.edu
From: ren@Turing.ORG (Karen Prestemon)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: Declawing surgery
Date: 12 Dec 92 00:41:34 GMT
Organization: The Turing Project, Public Access Internet Host

In article <1992Dec11.141610.9331@iscsvax.uni.edu> klier@iscsvax.uni.edu writes:
>
>Jeff, I don't know if this will help you or not, but I'm missing a portion
>of my left index finger, due to chopping newspaper with a papercutter for
>animal bedding... (my fingers are skinny enough that I managed to get one
>stuck under the finger guard).  It hurt like ^&*!@ for a couple of months,
>but soon after that I was able to get back to full use of the finger,
>even playing guitar without pain.  (That's the finger that gets the
>most abuse on the frets...)
>
>Friends who are missing entire distal portions of fingers at various
>joints report similar non-painful recoveries.
>
Yes, but the question really is, would you voluntarily submit to losing
the tips of all ten of your digits in a similar manner?  Accidents
happen, and I'm glad you are fully recovered, but there is a bit of
adifference, don't you think?

I can't declaw my cats.  Well, one of the kittens is an SPCA animal,
and I signed an agreement not to declaw him.  And if he can't be
declawed, it doesn't seem fair to do the other one.  Does anyone
have a mutliple cat situation where one cat may be declawed, but
the others are not?
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: vicki@steam.atd.ucar.edu (Vicki Holzhauer)
Subject: Re: where are all the cat people
Organization: Atmospheric Technology Division/NCAR Boulder, CO
Date: Thu, 17 Dec 1992 16:42:57 GMT

In article <n3m2w6d@rpi.edu> petitc@nuge111.its.rpi.edu (Christopher Jon Petit) writes:
>  Oh God!  Isn't chocolate FATAL to cats?!?  Or maybe this kitty has a
>resistance to that poison?

Abigail has been licking the bowl after my chocolate yogurt and ice
cream for 16-1/2 years, and she's just fine.  Granted, this isn't a
great quantity of chocolate, but if it were FATAL, she would have had
*some* problem by now ...

--
Vicki Holzhauer, National Center for Atmospheric Research
Boulder, Colorado / / / /  vicki@ncar.ucar.edu
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: jgraham@bronze.ucs.indiana.edu (the End)
Subject: Wheezing, hack in 15 yr. Siamese
Organization: Indiana University
Date: Wed, 16 Dec 1992 22:21:10 GMT


Please help us.

My moms 15 yr. old Siamese-Burmese cross breaks into a heavy wheeze, then kind
of scrunches down trying to hack up something every coulpe of hours for a 
minute or so. He seems partially successful as he swallows, and then stops for
some time.

The vet is clueless, but showed us that he has an enlarged heart.

Is this an allergy ? Hairball ? If hairball, does anything work ? He has
been given cortizone, but it doesn't seem to help. It may have at first
(allergy) but not any more. Antibiotics are not helpful either.

thanks much,
Jim

Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: lhuffman@stsci.edu
Subject: Re: declawing?
Organization: Space Telescope Science Institute
Distribution: na
Date: Sat, 12 Dec 1992 06:03:08 GMT

In article <15890014@hpnmdla.sr.hp.com>, peggyv@hpnmdla.sr.hp.com (Peggy Vincent) writes:
> With a little patience and a water bottle or water pistol you can 
> train a cat not to claw your furniture.  Declawing is really
> amputation of the first section of your animals "fingers".  I would
> feel bad about doing that to someone I loved.  The water pistol
> training usually lasts for only a couple months.  My cats got to
> the point that they recognized the water pistol and would run.  They
> are very smart and eventually learn the desired behavior.

Having had a lot of cats, I found them all different ( silly statement ).
But two of mine just could not be trained. They acted like addicts - they
just had to scratch no matter what tricks I tried with them.  Even now, 
after they have been de-clawed, they go through the motions. My other one
who was not declawed scratches very little.

And yes, I had been trimming all their nails on a weekly basis.
From: jav@rhiannon.sitka.sun.com (Joyce Vanderpoorten)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: Is Christmas Tree Water Dangerous?
Date: 14 Dec 1992 23:44:11 GMT
Organization: Sun Microsystems
Distribution: world
Reply-To: jav@rhiannon.sitka.sun.com
NNTP-Posting-Host: rhiannon.sitka.sun.com


I am sure it is not good for the cat but I have had several
cats early on in my life that lived good long lives and 
we could not get to stop drinking from the toilet, xmas tree,
puddles, draining bowl of plants... and it never seemed to 
get them sick.  I really think animals have that sixth sense to
know what is good and bad for them - you don't see them eat
rat poison or snail pellets.

Joyce
From: klier@iscsvax.uni.edu
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: Shelter cats
Date: 18 Dec 92 19:19:01 -0600
Organization: University of Northern Iowa

In article <BzEy6s.7vG@news.cso.uiuc.edu>, levine@symcom.math.uiuc.edu (Lenore Levine) writes:
> klier@iscsvax.uni.edu writes:
>>Alas, that golden spell seems to have been broken, and I just made my
>>very first trip to an animal shelter today to pick up a flame point
>>siamese -- a very nice gabby cat with all the earmarks of a great
>>lap fungus.  Nameless is at the vet's tonight, losing an important
>>portion of his anatomy and getting his FeLeuk shots.
> 
> Please tell us more about this beautiful cat, as you get to know him.

The friend who first spotted him at the shelter said, "This is a 
_wonderful cat_!"  The cleaning lady whose bucket he turned over when
I had him out in the hall playing with him said, "This is a great cat!
So playful!".  The vet tech at the shelter said, "This guy is a 
real lover!".  The vet who neutered him said he sailed through the
surgery with flying colors and woke up purring.

I've been around him for only about an hour, since he went from the
shelter to the vet directly.  He parked himself in the front seat of
the car (like an idiot, I hadn't brought a carrier), then hastily went
to the back and sat on the floor behind my seat for the entire trip
to the vet.  We had to wait for a few minutes while they handled
an emergency-- I was crouched in front of a display of all the mysterious
potions sold by vets for ridding a house of fleas, etc., etc... and
he was in my lap purring, when he reached over and calmly pulled down
a bunch of 8 oz plastic bottles... definitely a streak of the devil
in that cat!

My last glimpse of him was a pair of _blue_ eyes and a silver and flame
paw leaking out from under one of the treatment room doors...

I get to pick him up at 8am tomorrow, then he'll be on his way to
Indiana Sunday morning...  :-(  Gonna have to wangle an invitation
to come see him!  8-) 8-)

Kay
From: berthiau@iro.umontreal.ca Reply-To: bunny@gnu.ai.mit.edu (Eva Chan)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: When will people learn???
Keywords: kitten, SPCA,
Date: 18 Dec 92 06:02:27 GMT
Organization: Universite de Montreal

Well, need I say more?  An acquaintance has decided to take the 
kitten he and his girlfriend got at a pet store to the SPCA. *SIGH*
Reasons?  He says that it's always getting into trouble.  He's
rampaged and just about destroyed the Christmas tree.  The kitten steals
his pens and hides them in his little room.  He gets on the kitchen table,
etc.  Now, his girlfriend is pregnant and can't or rather, doesn't want
to keep the kitten around since his girlfriend will be moving in with 
him.  He's tried to find a home for the kitten amongst the co-workers
at work, but people say that either they already have cats or they're
not interested.  We would take in the kitten ourselves if it weren't for 
the fact that our town has an ordinance restricting the number of cats
and dogs in a household and that our roommate might not be able to 
tolerate a third kitty.

WHEN will people learn that when you take in a pet it's going to be
a lifelong responsibility and commitment to the pet?

Just recently the local CBC station did a special report on our local 
SPCA and how people bring their pets in for one reason or another.  And
when a n animal does not get adopted, it is euthanized.  For dramatics
they shoed a pretty orange tabby being euthanized.  It was quite sad. :(

PLEASE!!!  I know most of you are already familiar with this, but DO
urge any friends who plan on getting their first pet (cat, dog or otherwise)
that it's a commitment and that pets are not meant to be tossed aside
like out-dated fashions.

Well,  I've managed to let off some steam here on this subject.  Now I 
will bite this guy's head off when I see him at my SO's company
Xmas party.



- Eva and FInster (pet store kitty) and Kinski (SPCA kitty)



-- 
= Eva Chan 		| Never lose my youth, I hope it never ends. =
= bunny@gnu.ai.mit.edu	| Hope I never lose my wallet!               =
= on IRC: bunny 	|	- Bosstones			     =
=			| 					     =
--
	Andre Berthiaume 	 |  "Sometimes you're the windshield,
				 |   Sometimes you're the bug"
    berthiau@iro.umontreal.ca    |			
				 |	       Dire Straits, The Bug
From: bonnie@rat3.njit.edu (Bonnie MacKellar)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Christmas tree is attacked
Date: 17 Dec 92 17:06:37 GMT
Organization: New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, N.J.

Hi,
I need advice on how to keep my cat off the Christams tree.
She likes to climb it - right to the top!  We have already
tried yelling at her and spritzing her with a squirt gun.
From that, she has learned that if one of us is in the
room, she can't climb the tree.  But as soon as both of us
are out of the room, she is right back up the tree.
We've been keeping her shut into a bedroom for the last
2 days while we are at work, but I don't really
want to have to do this for the entire Christmas season.
Is there any good way to keep a cat out of a tree?
Are there any repellants that work?

                                     Bonnie MacKellar
                                     mackella@wcsud.ctstateu.edu
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: dauphin@adobe.com (Kimberly Dauphin)
Subject: Re: Sisal and scratching posts
Organization: Adobe Systems Incorporated
Date: Tue, 15 Dec 1992 20:36:36 GMT

klier@iscsvax.uni.edu writes:
>lianne@bcarh17e.BNR.CA (Lianne Barre) writes:
>> 
>> I've heard many times that sisal rope is good for scratching posts.
>> Now...just what is sisal? And where can I get some? Is it sold in the
>> usual hardware stores or do I need to go somewhere special to find it.
>
>...at hardware stores, home centers and Walmart/Kmart type places.
>
>Kay

Just a quick followup to Kay's good answer:  I recovered a
tattered, previously carpet-covered scratching post with sisal
rope, after much great advice from the net.  :-)

We used 3/8" u-shaped nails, which we pounded in with a hammer.  They
didn't hold.  Fezzik, at 17+ pounds, pulled the rope right back out
when he scratched.  Instead, use a staple gun with at least 1/2"
staples.  (I've heard that strong glue works, but I haven't tried
it, and Fezzik's strength doesn't convince me that it would work.)

Good luck!

-- 
__________________________________________________________
Kimberly Dauphin	  	Adobe Systems Incorporated
dauphin@mv.us.adobe.com	  	Mountain View, CA
*********All these opinions are mine, not Adobe's.********
From: HF.CLN@forsythe.stanford.edu (Cynthia Ng)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: Can cats sense a pregnancy in women?
Date: 16 Dec 1992 15:56:54 -0800
Organization: Stanford University
Distribution: usa
NNTP-Posting-Host: morrow.stanford.edu

In article <7DEC199213504975@lims02.lerc.nasa.gov>,
prkenne@lims02.lerc.nasa.gov (CAROL SHARP) writes:
>In article <1992Dec5.202652.24286@ncsu.edu>, odkahn@eos.ncsu.edu (OPHER DANIEL KAHN) writes...
>>Has anyone experienced behaviour changes in cats when a woman in the house
>>became pregnant? Can they tell, and if so how?
>
>When I was in the later stages of pregnancy my cat used to run ahead of me
>every time I went up or down stair.  He would stay a few steps above or
>below me and look back at me every few steps.  I've no idea why he did it,
>at the time I assumed he thought he was taking care of his mommy!
>
>Carol
>
>My cat would sleep on my belly and stopped when I was no longer
pregnant.
>
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: Jack_Webb@mindlink.bc.ca (Jack Webb)
Subject: Re: declawing?
Organization: MIND LINK! - British Columbia, Canada
Date: Sat, 12 Dec 1992 18:56:47 GMT

Just an addenda to my previous information on declawing...

Another easy way to keep your cats from damaging the furniture is to clip
their claws.  It only takes a couple times of trying to get the hang of it,
and it keeps their claws too short to do any damage.  If you don't like doing
it yourself, most vets will happily clip your cats claws for you for free, if
it keeps you from declawing your animal. :)

My guys allow me to clip their claws... they aren't thrilled about it, but
they give in because they love the attention no matter what! :)

*j*

--
WE SAIL TONIGHT FOR SINGAPORE - WE'RE ALL AS MAD AS HATTERS HERE!!

*******************Jack_Webb@mindlink.bc.ca***********************
****VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA...HOME OF THE NEUROTIC****
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: botman@ccrs.emr.ca (Anne Botman)
Subject: Re: miscellany / Raisins
Organization: Canada Centre for Remote Sensing, Ottawa
Date: Fri, 11 Dec 1992 18:11:37 GMT



What is it about raisins?  My aby cat Duncan absolutely
adores them... above and beyond anything else and he is
know to want everything and anything (I sometimes call him
The Mouth :) ).  If I have a handfullof raisins he will 
stop at nothing to have his share.  Sabrina on the other
hand could care less.  She'd rather have a pounce or
other cat treat.

Anybody else have a puddy-tat who loves raisins?

Happy Holidays All !!!

Anne

Mattress and Masseuse and Keeper of the Cat Nip for:
Duncan Connor Thunderpaws (1yr old Aby Cat) and
Sabrina (10months DSH B&W Tux), both sweetie pies :)
From: dan@msen.com (Dan Sugalski)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: What does DSH stand for??
Date: 14 Dec 1992 06:08:50 GMT
Organization: Msen, Inc. -- Ann Arbor, Michigan
Distribution: usa,na
NNTP-Posting-Host: garnet.msen.com
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL8]

lhuffman@stsci.edu wrote:

: You already have 2 Domestic ShortHair felines, most likely. 

: 50 buck, huh...

: They probably come with nothing else but their Domestic Short Hair.. Why 
: don't you try a shelter, most times they come with shots and neutering. 
: And, you're not supporting the animal supermarket trade. 

One of our shelters ion this area discovered cost cutting.  They aren't
giving shots until the animal is adopted, so lots of the cute puppies and
kitties are coming with their very own diseases.
 
Not a good situation.

Karen

Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats,rec.pets