[newlywed801]

I am a new owner of a kitten my husband found her at a local hwy! We have taken her in and love her:)! She is a good cat but is a little subburn.. we are not sure how to make her mind. She scratches a lot andbites on our computer wire and we are trying to handle it with moving her away each time but she just runs to want ever it is ? Should I spank her softly so she will get the point?

[hheath541]

Spray her with a squirt bottle. When she's doing something you don't want her to do, like eating wires, just squirt her. It doesn't hurt, but cats don't like getting hit with water.

[newlywed801]

I have not even thought of that thank great advice!

[hheath541]

no problem. You learn a thing or two when you live with 9 cats ^_^

[newlywed801]

I have also wondered about declawing her.. someone said we should but I have heard it could make them mean what is your advice I'm am a begin at this

[Alty]

i have also wondered about declawing her .. someone said we should but i have heard it could make them mean what is your advice im am a begin at this

Here is some info on declawing. The choice is yours.

Declawing is an excruciatingly painful surgery that can permanently disable a cat, as well as putting it at risk for medical problems and severe psychological trauma.
A Serious Surgery

Declawing a cat is not the same as trimming its nails. Because the claw is tightly attached to the bone, some bone in the cat’s paw actually has to be removed. Basically, removing a claw requires an operation similar to amputating the third digit of a human finger.

A declawed cat, which has basically suffered ten amputations, will not be able to lie still or sit in a wheelchair for its recuperation. It must walk around on its severely injured and painful feet in order to eat, groom and use the litterbox. Although cats tend to be stoic about pain and suffer in silence, they certainly suffer. Pain experienced when trying to dig in kitty litter may cause the cat to go on the floor or the furniture instead.

If a declawed cat ever manages to get outside, it is vulnerable to attack. It cannot defend itself or even climb a tree to escape. Thus, the declawed cat is permanently vulnerable and endangered.

Declawing can cause secondary tendon contracture, which makes walking uncomfortable. Additionally, because they are missing the third joints of their paws, declawed cats tend to shift their weight to their hindquarters, which can create balance problems and lead to atrophy of frontquarter muscles. The lack of balance is extremely upsetting for a cat, which relies on balance in everything it does. Some cats also suffer nerve damage or even permanent paralysis as a result of the procedure.

That and more info found here;

Pros and Cons of Declawing Cats: From a Non-Biased Point of View | Suite101.com

[hheath541]

I think it's just mean. In order to declaw a cat they amputate the first joint of their toes. That's like having someone cut off your fingertips.

It can make some cats mean. Since they lose their natural defense they become skittish and temperamental and will be quicker to defend themselves if they perceive a threat.

As long as clawing doesn't become a major issue with her you shouldn't even worry about it. Teach her to use a scratching post. If she doesn't seem inclined to use it, sprinkle some catnip on it or smear catnip oil on it. However, ONLY use catnip if she's at least a year old, and don't use it more than once every month or two.

The scratching posts you get in stores are OK, but if you can get a hold of a log, it'll last longer. Just make sure you know what kind of wood it is, some types are toxic to cats.

[newlywed801]

Thanks you I was not informed in how declawing worked and now I would never want to put her through that! I will dif get a scraching post or log!

[TJ17]

Don't de-claw cats, that's just flaming cruel, all cats scratch things it's in there nature, the Scratching Post is the go and a few little cat toys.

[morgaine300]

If a declawed cat ever manages to get outside, it is vulnerable to attack. It cannot defend itself or even climb a tree to escape. Thus, the declawed cat is permanently vulnerable and endangered.

Please bear in mind that this statement is not meant to condone declawing. I just wish if you're going to give reasons to be against it, that people would stop posting this false one. Declawed cats can defend themselves and they darn well can too climb trees, quite well in fact. (Well, once they re-learn how, which doesn't take long.)

[Alty]

Please bear in mind that this statement is not meant to condone declawing. I just wish if you're going to give reasons to be against it, that people would stop posting this false one. Declawed cats can defend themselves and they darn well can too climb trees, quite well in fact. (Well, once they re-learn how, which doesn't take long.)

Actually, I have to disagree with this being a false statement.

I do see your point, but I think you're basing your post on cats that only have their front claws removed. Yes, those cats can learn to climb again. As for defending themselves, they can do that as well, but not as easily as they could if they had their claws.

[newlywed801]

Haha at least you know what you are talking about but I think I will try other methods that are less extreme

[Alty]

haha at least yall know what yall are talking about but i think i will try other methods that are less extreme

There are many ways to get a kitten to stop scratching your furniture, it just takes time, patience and training.

You already got a lot of good suggestions, now you just have to implement them.

[morgaine300]

Now, newlywed - it's obvious you don't know anything about cats. You are not going to get a cat to mind you simply by moving them. You can't just take them away from wires and think they are not going to go back. They don't understand that wires are bad, or that they are hurting you with biting and scratching, or that you don't want the cloth on the furniture in shambles. Babies don't understand things either until you teach them.

This all takes training. The squirt bottle is a great idea and used by many people with cats. It doesn't hurt them, but they don't like it. A good firm "No!" along with it can help. You can also add specific commands. Kittens like to bite but I've trained nearly all kittens out of within a couples of months. (I have one current cat who thinks not biting is against his religion and he wouldn't stop if I smacked him with a 2 by 4.) You can teach "Don't bite" or whatever, saying it firmly, putting them away from you. They don't understand words they don't know, but they understand tone and attitude because cats are great at picking up on subtle things, and aren't likely to miss the obvious things.

As for scratching in particular, cats have a natural instinct to do this so you can't think of it as being "bad." i.e. the idea here isn't what you're saying, to punish - because they don't know they're doing something wrong until you teach that to them. So it's training, not punishment. Since scratching is just what cats do, you have to re-direct it. So the scratching post is a good idea - there are different kinds out there, make your own, logs do work. (They claw on trees outside.) Then when she scratches, you can squirt her if the squirt bottle is nearby, but also firmly tell her NO, and then move her to the scratching post to get the idea that it's the place to do that behavior. Putting catnip on the scratching post certainly doesn't hurt. :-)

There are other behaviors that will happen and don't be surprised by them. Like getting on the dinner table, the counters, into your food, other places you don't want them, etc. The squirt bottle can work quite well for all of these. Sometimes you have to just get lucky and catch them. A squirt bottle in every room helps.

Be consistent. If you have a stubborn cat that takes longer to learn, be diligent about also reinforce good behaviors. Like when she's just sitting on the floor, give her some attention and love. If she's allowed on the couch, do the same. That way she connects that nasty old squirt bottle with certain behaviors, and connects love and attention with good behaviors.

The computer cable thing concerns me. That isn't just a behavior you don't want - she can get hurt or killed. I have one cat who ignores all cables, plug cords and the like, as long as they reach the ground and are not dangling. That is, a cable coming from the back of the monitor going to the computer is OK as long as it hits the ground first and isn't just hanging above his head. (Cats love things dangling above their head.) Now, that's my one cat and not yours, but something to think about. You might have to shut the cat out of that room, or at least when someone isn't in there.

Don't freak if she doesn't get everything overnight. Some things they get quickly and some they're more stubborn about. It'll make you mad - try to keep in mind that most of it is probably normal behavior for a cat.

[morgaine300]

Actually, I have to disagree with this being a false statement.

I do see your point, but I think you're basing your post on cats that only have their front claws removed. Yes, those cats can learn to climb again. As for defending themselves, they can do that as well, but not as easily as they could if they had their claws.

Well, you're right if they're declawed both front and back. Is that what everyone is referring to? Because I don't think I've ever known a cat to get their back claws removed. I volunteered at a vet's for a couple of summers in high school - back before everyone started going against declawing (meaning we got a lot of them), and never did they do the back. So I didn't think about that, no.

[newlywed801]

Haha yeah my kitten has already found the table top I went out side for a minute and when I went back in my kitten was drinking my milk lol and when I told her no she just looked at me and then drank faster like she know that this was wrong I had to laugh al little

And yes you are right I don't know much about cats this is my first time having one I'm learning as I good! And I wasn't just moving her I was saying no to.. my husband put her in a basket when she kept doing it to her and she went wild "He said I wasn't there . And the computer is in a different pat of the houyse that we close of and she ius only in there we she comes with us! Thanks for your advice too morgaine300

[Alty]

Well, you're right if they're declawed both front and back. Is that what everyone is referring to? Because I don't think I've ever known a cat to get their back claws removed. I volunteered at a vet's for a couple of summers in high school - back before everyone started going against declawing (meaning we got a lot of them), and never did they do the back. So I didn't think about that, no.

Sadly I have seen it done. A lot of people request the back claws as well because cats will learn to use their back legs to do the things they used to do with the front. It's very sad to see a cat with all four paws declawed.

I should have been more clear when posting that statement about cats defending themselves and climbing. I did mean cats with all paws declawed. :)

[Griffindream]

Avoid declawing even if it is an indoor cat it might escape and not defend it self. Also my neighbors cat was declawed and he would bite people in the knee or other cats. I think he felt that he could not defend himself so his first response was to bite deep wounds. Apparently he was friendlier before the operation. I use to haft to be careful in my own yard and he bit me twice until he realized I was friendly then he was okay.

[spleenless9]

I know what you mean about the computer wires. They are one of my 2 year old cat's favorite chew toys. So far I've had to replace the mouse (twice), the keyboard, and the power cord for the modem. She's also done the power cord for the phone a couple times. I finally found Fooey at Petco, and it works better than anything.
Fooey Training Aid at PETCO
Just be careful you don't handle anything after you spray it, it is BITTER! :eek: and lasts quite a while.

[morgaine300]

Hmm.. might work great, but bet I could find a way to accomplish this for less than $10. Pretty expensive stuff.

(I keep meaning to just buy a small squirt bottle and mix together some stuff I know the cats hate. Some day I'll actually remember to do it.)