Anyone own a cat in a small apartment? - Blu-ray Forum

Rike255 · 11-03-2009, 08:02 PM

I'm looking to get one (possible two...although not likely) for mine and it's quite small (700 sqft). I have a few questions:

- How do you control odor from litter box?
- Where do you put the litter box(es)? And how many do you have?
- Is two cats better than one (for company, keeping cat from getting bored etc)?
- Did you spay/neuter, deworm, declaw? How much did it cost and are they actually beneficial (especially declawing...I know this is a touchy subject and I know very little about it)?

Thanks in advance!

donricouga · 11-03-2009, 08:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rike255

I'm looking to get one (possible two...although not likely) for mine and it's quite small (700 sqft). I have a few questions:

- How do you control odor from litter box?
- Where do you put the litter box(es)? And how many do you have?
- Is two cats better than one (for company, keeping cat from getting bored etc)?
- Did you spay/neuter, deworm, declaw? How much did it cost and are they actually beneficial (especially declawing...I know this is a touchy subject and I know very little about it)?

Thanks in advance!

I have a 900 sq ft condo i live with my gf. We have a small dog and a cat. To answer your questions
We use fresh scent litter and clean it at the very least once a day but usually do it when i see stuff in it. It's a clumping litter so the pee will clump up. It does help cover the smell but with enough poop it won't matter. That must be cleaned asap. The litter box is in the bathroom beside the toilet.
Typically it's a good idea to have two pets because they do like having animal companionship. The cat and dog do play with each other. Some organizations won't even let you adopt a cat if you don't have a pet already or adopt 2 animals together.

My cat was neutered, dewormed, vaccinated etc.. but not declawed. I think that is rather cruel and most people will recommend against it. Luckily my cat is not a cat that scratches us or the furniture but we do have a scratch post for him and he does use it often. Buy a scratch post made of rope and not carpet because if you do have carpet, he will think it's ok to scratch there. Luckily i have hardwood.

For a small apartment i would highly recommend, that if you do have carpet, get hardwood because alot of dander and hairs get stuck in there. Also, i have an air purifier which works very well. If you are going to have pets in your apartment i would recommend a good air purifier for dog and cat dander, though cat dander floats alot more than a dogs. This is more for other people that may come over even if you aren't alergic to cats.

Propellarhead9 · 11-03-2009, 08:20 PM

I'll ditto the above post and maybe recommend an automatic litterbox if you're out of the house a lot.

Rike255 · 11-03-2009, 08:26 PM

Ya I'm leaning towards not declawing...although in the research I've done so far, pretty much everyone says that there have been studies done saying it's a bad idea for the most part, but almost nobody explicitly cites these studies...

I'm worried that the cat will scratch my speakers or couch. Unfortunately, once it's been done the damage is already there. Is there any way to make sure the cat won't claw these things? I read that putting tape (sticky side out) on the speaker grills will stop it, but once I take it off I'm scared the cat will scratch it then...

When I was a kid my parents got our cats declawed...I remember that it wasn't pleasant for the cats at all, but with babies/little kids in the house and easy to damage furniture, they thought it was best.

Anyways, do you remember how much all the shots/deworming/neutering cost for a kitten?

EDIT: Oh, and how often do you trim your cats claws, if at all?

Uniquely · 11-03-2009, 08:39 PM

Cats don't need company. I have two and when they cross paths... it's a fight. If you got two at the same time that might not be an issue though.. but two cats on one litter box is never fun. I'm not sure where to keep a litter box in a small apt. I keep mine in my utility room. I do highly recomend the self cleaning boxes. Some cats won't use a dirty litter box and will instead go elsewhere in the house... so the self cleaning models help with that issue. I have the LitterMate model and it is really easy to do a full clean job on it, as the bottom pan is a separate piece from the electronic scooper part on top. You can take it apart and wipe down the top part and fully hose out the bottom part for those times when it needs a thorough cleaning.

I'm pretty iffy about the declawing. I'm sure it's painful, but OTOH I'm not sure it's the torture that many make it out to be. I had mine done and she was walking and jumping normally within 36 hours. When weighed against the possibility of repeated torn up sofas and speakers.... I think it may be the lesser of two evils... but it's definitely an individual choice.

donricouga · 11-03-2009, 08:46 PM

Like any pet, you have to have patience with the cat. Definitely get the scratch post and get him to climb it and scratch it. he will learn eventually that the post is for his claws. Neutering is cheaper then spaying for sure. Depending on where you go it can vary considerably. Non-profit veteranry clinics usually will be the cheapest. The deworming and vaccines and neutering and microchipping were included in my $115 adoption fee.

But typicall it's around

Neutering/Spaying $40 - $100/$60 - $250
Shots $22
Worming $12

I'd say be prepared to spend at least $200 for everything to get your cat off to a healthy start including all the routine veterinary shots and spay/neuter and food, litter etc..

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rike255

Ya I'm leaning towards not declawing...although in the research I've done so far, pretty much everyone says that there have been studies done saying it's a bad idea for the most part, but almost nobody explicitly cites these studies...

I'm worried that the cat will scratch my speakers or couch. Unfortunately, once it's been done the damage is already there. Is there any way to make sure the cat won't claw these things? I read that putting tape (sticky side out) on the speaker grills will stop it, but once I take it off I'm scared the cat will scratch it then...

When I was a kid my parents got our cats declawed...I remember that it wasn't pleasant for the cats at all, but with babies/little kids in the house and easy to damage furniture, they thought it was best.

Anyways, do you remember how much all the shots/deworming/neutering cost for a kitten?

EDIT: Oh, and how often do you trim your cats claws, if at all?

torres546 · 11-03-2009, 08:47 PM

Don't declaw, do all of the other things, but don't declaw. If you really have to, just get the front claws done, they can still fight well with their back claws. You can also look into caps that you put over the cat's claws, so no more scratching. I personally cut their nails about 1-2 a month. Sometimes I take them to a groomer for the quickness and ease ($6 a cat).

But neuter/spray, deworming and the usual shots are excellent things to do. You can sometimes find the local shelter (or the town itself), offering free or dirt cheap shots and spray/neuteirng at events they host. At the vet you are looking at $150 for shots and deworming (not the actual cost of the shot, by you pay for so many other things, like the VISIT itself). If you get a cat from the shelter they are usually spayed/neutered, and they also give you free vet visits for X amount of rime.

I say get 2 cats. You will start feeling bad when you are out, come home and realize the poor thing was by itself the whole time. Also with 2 cats they learn how to play with the correct amount of force (aka no deep scratches when you play with them).

For a litter box, just get one that is big enough to handle two cats wastes. Also for litter, Arm & Hammer makes a type that specifically blocks out ammonia (nothing pricey either, $12 for 24 litters at Target), so no cat pee smell, and it blocks the poo smell pretty well, but like don said, too much poo and the smell is not going to stay in there. I also second the automatic litter box.

Rike255 · 11-03-2009, 08:57 PM

All very good suggestions. Thanks guys (and girl)! That self-cleaning litter box + Arm and Hammer litter sounds like good ideas to me, I'll definitely look into both.
Still torn on the declawing, maybe I'll ask some local vets and pet shops for input as well. Like I said, my parents declawed our cats when they were young, it looked painful, but they also turned out to be great cats. I think we kept them in a pen for a total of 2 days to heal after the surgery. Definitely wouldn't do the back claws as cats won't do damage with their back paws.

I'm pretty surprised that the prices for shots/deworming/neutering are reasonable. Good thing!

Uniquely · 11-03-2009, 09:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rike255

All very good suggestions. Thanks guys (and girl)! That self-cleaning litter box + Arm and Hammer litter sounds like good ideas to me, I'll definitely look into both.
Still torn on the declawing, maybe I'll ask some local vets and pet shops for input as well. Like I said, my parents declawed our cats when they were young, it looked painful, but they also turned out to be great cats. I think we kept them in a pen for a total of 2 days to heal after the surgery. Definitely wouldn't do the back claws as cats won't do damage with their back paws.

I'm pretty surprised that the prices for shots/deworming/neutering are reasonable. Good thing!

As far as pain level goes... I'd say that declawing is probably on a par with spaying. It seems to take a very similarly short period of time for the cat to be 100% active again. Spaying is painful for our cats, but we do it for the greater good. Some could view declawing that way as well, as some people would not have the patience to keep a cat if it tore up your $3000 couch... again. Like I said... it's a really personal decision. Don't let anyone make you feel bad if you do decide to do it.... as it just isn't this life altering unjust thing that it can be made out to be. That being said... once it's done... that cat is an indoor cat for life. If you ever get a house.. you won't be able to convert your cat to an indoor/outdoor model

J. J. Hunsecker · 11-03-2009, 09:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rike255

EDIT: Oh, and how often do you trim your cats claws, if at all?

There are blood vessels in the cat's claws, so you have to be very careful if you trim them.

HERE'S some info about it.

Galley · 11-04-2009, 01:36 AM

I had a cat (Widget) for 7 months, and she was getting depressed from being left alone for 10 hours or more when I was at work. She was not eating. I got a rescued kitten (Gadget) from a friend on Twitter, and within a week Widget had gained five pounds! They like to "play-fight".

And de-clawing is inhumane. You should definitely get a female cat fixed, as they won't go through heat (which is very annoying), and will help to prevent certain types of cancer.

Psychonaut · 11-04-2009, 03:00 AM

Both of ours are spayed and declawed front and back. The back had to be done due to rules at a place I lived when I got transferred. No biggie, though. Now they're all fat and fur now. I used to trim their nails and yeah, you gotta be real careful. I felt so bad when they moved and I hit the raw part.

We have fairly expensive furniture that we know would be ruined right now so we really don't feel bad about taking their defenses.

LynxFX · 11-04-2009, 03:24 AM

I've always had two cats in small apartments. Purely indoor, declawed front. I've always had declawed cats (front only). The cruel patrol is a bit exagerated, especially when you get it done when they get spayed or neutered which is around 4-6 months. Of course do it at a reputable vet. I don't do it just to prevent shredding of furniture, but it is more so you can actually play with them. My cats love to touch my face, grab my fingers with their paws, and just plain roughhouse. Growing up my cats were indoor/outdoor and they still caught mice, climbed trees, defended themselves against dogs and other cats, all without claws. It is purely your decision, but don't let anyone guilt trip you into not doing it just because of their beliefs. Declawed cats can be the happiest cats you will ever see.

Anyway, the litterbox situation is the hardest for a small place. You want at least one box per cat, and if you can, an extra one. That is hard in an apartment. I usually put the litterbox in a closet, or cabinet. Make sure you line the area with some sort of cardboard box, tile, plastic, rug or whatever that you will want to change periodically. Cats will miss, and litter will be spilt.

I've used the automatic boxes before and they are good for about a month. They are extremely finicky, can only take a small amount of litter or they jam, and get dirty very fast. Urine and feces get clogged in the mechinism. The one that actually liquifies the droppings is probably the worst thing man has made. Good in theory, but you will discovery the most ungodly smell known to man. Best bet is to just do it by hand, and clean the box every day or 2.

I lucked out with my current place. I actually leave my door to my balcony open all the time and put the box out there. So now it is outside, no mess or smell in the apartment. Helps that I live in SoCal so temps are good year round.

Cats are pretty low maintenance but they can/do get lonely. I have always preferred having more than 1.

Enjoy the new members to your family!

jadedeath · 11-04-2009, 04:07 AM

No offense, but anyone that declaws a cat due to worrying about furniture or anything that will likely be removed or replaced at least once during the life of the cat anyway is a bit of a nitwit.

Just get it a scratching post, get some sour apple spray {ask folks at the pet food store about it, it works wonders} a spray bottle full of water and you should be fine.

The amount of damage that a cat will do is small compared to the damage that you do to it while declawing.

Oh yeah, and for those who think that studies aren't shown, after just googling for about 3 seconds I found this: http://cats.about.com/cs/declawing/a/declawing_2.htm

Logan

LynxFX · 11-04-2009, 04:50 AM

No offense, but I'll take the 30 years of happy cat ownership as proof that declawing has had no ill effects on my cats vs. a scare opinion piece on about.com.

jadedeath · 11-04-2009, 02:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LynxFX

No offense, but I'll take the 30 years of happy cat ownership as proof that declawing has had no ill effects on my cats vs. a scare opinion piece on about.com.

Luckily for you, people shouldn't ask for advice from random people on the internet and ask professionals.

Logan

Rike255 · 11-04-2009, 03:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jadedeath

No offense, but anyone that declaws a cat due to worrying about furniture or anything that will likely be removed or replaced at least once during the life of the cat anyway is a bit of a nitwit.

Just get it a scratching post, get some sour apple spray {ask folks at the pet food store about it, it works wonders} a spray bottle full of water and you should be fine.

The amount of damage that a cat will do is small compared to the damage that you do to it while declawing.

Oh yeah, and for those who think that studies aren't shown, after just googling for about 3 seconds I found this: http://cats.about.com/cs/declawing/a/declawing_2.htm

Logan

Like I said, everyone talks about these studies on cats, but nobody CITES them. I'm not alluding to anything by saying that, I just said I have to do some more research to get some valid/concrete information...not just a wikipedia type article on about.com written by a crazy cat lady (see her other articles about cats on about.com).

jadedeath · 11-04-2009, 03:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rike255

Like I said, everyone talks about these studies on cats, but nobody CITES them. I'm not alluding to anything by saying that, I just said I have to do some more research to get some valid/concrete information...not just a wikipedia type article on about.com written by a crazy cat lady (see her other articles about cats on about.com).

Seeing as how you want hand holding {or you're just being difficult and refusing to use Google by yourself} here you go:

http://www.declawing.com/

http://www.catscratching.com/

http://www.catsinfo.com/declaw.html

Now tell me... why would some vets choose to not do it unless ABSOLUTELY necessary if it were as simple as spaying or neutering?

Then again, I suppose you should feel fortunate that you don't live in San Fran, they don't have a choice in the matter.

http://www.sphere.com/2009/11/03/san...cat-declawing/

As mentioned before, this was after 3 seconds of googling 'cat declawing' and these are the first couple of articles that came up.

Logan

Uniquely · 11-04-2009, 05:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jadedeath

Seeing as how you want hand holding {or you're just being difficult and refusing to use Google by yourself} here you go:

http://www.declawing.com/

I read the first site in it's entirety, and honestly... there is not one single argument contained within it that could not be equally applied to spaying & neutering. It is a painful surgery that removes a part of the animal that it was born with JUST for the convenience of it's owner. If you know anything at all about anatomy... you know it is just as painful, if not moreseo, to move your body after internal surgery as it is to walk on your feet after a foot or leg injury.

Taken to it's logical conclusion.... any caring responsible owner would never spay or neuter their animal and they would simply train it to avoid instinctual sexual behaviors, superivse it or separate it 24 hours a day, and just live with menstrual blood stains in their house. In fact.... there IS a growing movement of animal owners who DO believe that very thing about spaying and neutering. There's a growing movement who believes that all animal vaccines are bad. There's a growing movement who believe that all manufactured foods are bad. And of course... let's NOT forget the people who believe just owning an animal is animal cruelty. And in reality... as long as you are caring for your animals in a responsible way... all of those beliefs are fine.... as it is YOUR animal... and it's YOUR business.

However, there is no reason to berate and call people nitwits if they don't view things the same way you do. There are others out there who would think you a nitwit for neutering your animal.... but hopefully they'd have enough couth and maturity to state their opinions without actually resorting to the name calling part.

jadedeath · 11-04-2009, 05:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by robinandtami

I read the first site in it's entirety, and honestly... there is not one single argument contained within it that could not be equally applied to spaying & neutering. It is a painful surgery that removes a part of the animal that it was born with JUST for the convenience of it's owner. If you know anything at all about anatomy... you know it is just as painful, if not moreseo, to move your body after internal surgery as it is to walk on your feet after a foot or leg injury.

I never said it wasn't.

That's not only a strawman argument, it's trying to make a field of strawmen and light them on fire.

Spaying and Neutering is also a means of helping to control the population of animals, controlling the population and protecting your not-so-important furniture are two entirely different things. If you think they're similar, then you're wrong.

Quote:

Taken to it's logical conclusion....

There was nothing that you said that was logical beyond that point...

Quote:

However, there is no reason to berate and call people nitwits if they don't view things the same way you do. There are others out there who would think you a nitwit for neutering your animal.... but hopefully they'd have enough couth and maturity to state their opinions without actually resorting to the name calling part.

Unless you fall into the 'nitwit who feels like lopping off the front toe of your animal' category, then it's not namecalling.

Tell you what, contact your doctor and tell them you want the section of your toes removed that have the toenail, see what he says.

Especially when he asks you 'why?' and you say because you just got a new floor put in and you don't want your toenails scratching it up.

Logan

11-03-2009, 08:02 PM	#1
Rike255 Blu-ray Ninja Top contributor Member since:Jul 2007 Location:AB, Canada PSNetwork: Rike255 Home Theater Gallery:44 Blu-ray collection:57	Anyone own a cat in a small apartment? I'm looking to get one (possible two...although not likely) for mine and it's quite small (700 sqft). I have a few questions: - How do you control odor from litter box? - Where do you put the litter box(es)? And how many do you have? - Is two cats better than one (for company, keeping cat from getting bored etc)? - Did you spay/neuter, deworm, declaw? How much did it cost and are they actually beneficial (especially declawing...I know this is a touchy subject and I know very little about it)? Thanks in advance!

11-03-2009, 08:39 PM	#5
Uniquely Blu-ray Samurai Member since:Sep 2008 Location:Mobile, AL Home Theater Gallery:14 Blu-ray collection:171	Cats don't need company. I have two and when they cross paths... it's a fight. If you got two at the same time that might not be an issue though.. but two cats on one litter box is never fun. I'm not sure where to keep a litter box in a small apt. I keep mine in my utility room. I do highly recomend the self cleaning boxes. Some cats won't use a dirty litter box and will instead go elsewhere in the house... so the self cleaning models help with that issue. I have the LitterMate model and it is really easy to do a full clean job on it, as the bottom pan is a separate piece from the electronic scooper part on top. You can take it apart and wipe down the top part and fully hose out the bottom part for those times when it needs a thorough cleaning. I'm pretty iffy about the declawing. I'm sure it's painful, but OTOH I'm not sure it's the torture that many make it out to be. I had mine done and she was walking and jumping normally within 36 hours. When weighed against the possibility of repeated torn up sofas and speakers.... I think it may be the lesser of two evils... but it's definitely an individual choice. Last edited by Uniquely; 11-03-2009 at 08:46 PM.

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11-03-2009, 08:20 PM	#3
Propellarhead9 Blu-ray Guru Member since:Jul 2009 Location:Clarksville, Indiana 4K collection:498 Blu-ray collection:1721 Blu-ray reviews: 1 Trading Score:9	I'll ditto the above post and maybe recommend an automatic litterbox if you're out of the house a lot.

11-03-2009, 08:26 PM	#4
Rike255 Blu-ray Ninja Top contributor Member since:Jul 2007 Location:AB, Canada PSNetwork: Rike255 Home Theater Gallery:44 Blu-ray collection:57	Ya I'm leaning towards not declawing...although in the research I've done so far, pretty much everyone says that there have been studies done saying it's a bad idea for the most part, but almost nobody explicitly cites these studies... I'm worried that the cat will scratch my speakers or couch. Unfortunately, once it's been done the damage is already there. Is there any way to make sure the cat won't claw these things? I read that putting tape (sticky side out) on the speaker grills will stop it, but once I take it off I'm scared the cat will scratch it then... When I was a kid my parents got our cats declawed...I remember that it wasn't pleasant for the cats at all, but with babies/little kids in the house and easy to damage furniture, they thought it was best. Anyways, do you remember how much all the shots/deworming/neutering cost for a kitten? EDIT: Oh, and how often do you trim your cats claws, if at all?

11-03-2009, 08:47 PM	#7
torres546 Active Member Member since:Jun 2009 Location:Brooklyn, NY Blu-ray collection:189 Trading Score:27	Don't declaw, do all of the other things, but don't declaw. If you really have to, just get the front claws done, they can still fight well with their back claws. You can also look into caps that you put over the cat's claws, so no more scratching. I personally cut their nails about 1-2 a month. Sometimes I take them to a groomer for the quickness and ease ($6 a cat). But neuter/spray, deworming and the usual shots are excellent things to do. You can sometimes find the local shelter (or the town itself), offering free or dirt cheap shots and spray/neuteirng at events they host. At the vet you are looking at $150 for shots and deworming (not the actual cost of the shot, by you pay for so many other things, like the VISIT itself). If you get a cat from the shelter they are usually spayed/neutered, and they also give you free vet visits for X amount of rime. I say get 2 cats. You will start feeling bad when you are out, come home and realize the poor thing was by itself the whole time. Also with 2 cats they learn how to play with the correct amount of force (aka no deep scratches when you play with them). For a litter box, just get one that is big enough to handle two cats wastes. Also for litter, Arm & Hammer makes a type that specifically blocks out ammonia (nothing pricey either, $12 for 24 litters at Target), so no cat pee smell, and it blocks the poo smell pretty well, but like don said, too much poo and the smell is not going to stay in there. I also second the automatic litter box.

11-03-2009, 08:57 PM	#8
Rike255 Blu-ray Ninja Top contributor Member since:Jul 2007 Location:AB, Canada PSNetwork: Rike255 Home Theater Gallery:44 Blu-ray collection:57	All very good suggestions. Thanks guys (and girl)! That self-cleaning litter box + Arm and Hammer litter sounds like good ideas to me, I'll definitely look into both. Still torn on the declawing, maybe I'll ask some local vets and pet shops for input as well. Like I said, my parents declawed our cats when they were young, it looked painful, but they also turned out to be great cats. I think we kept them in a pen for a total of 2 days to heal after the surgery. Definitely wouldn't do the back claws as cats won't do damage with their back paws. I'm pretty surprised that the prices for shots/deworming/neutering are reasonable. Good thing!

11-04-2009, 01:36 AM	#11
Galley Power Member Member since:Apr 2007 Location:Greenville, SC 4K collection:117 Blu-ray collection:634 DVD collection:41 Digital collection:1 Blu-ray reviews:4 Trading Score:7	I had a cat (Widget) for 7 months, and she was getting depressed from being left alone for 10 hours or more when I was at work. She was not eating. I got a rescued kitten (Gadget) from a friend on Twitter, and within a week Widget had gained five pounds! They like to "play-fight". And de-clawing is inhumane. You should definitely get a female cat fixed, as they won't go through heat (which is very annoying), and will help to prevent certain types of cancer.

11-04-2009, 03:00 AM	#12
Psychonaut Blu-ray Samurai Member since:Apr 2008 Location:Second left after Wal-Mart Blu-ray collection:111	Both of ours are spayed and declawed front and back. The back had to be done due to rules at a place I lived when I got transferred. No biggie, though. Now they're all fat and fur now. I used to trim their nails and yeah, you gotta be real careful. I felt so bad when they moved and I hit the raw part. We have fairly expensive furniture that we know would be ruined right now so we really don't feel bad about taking their defenses.

11-04-2009, 03:24 AM	#13
LynxFX Blu-ray Samurai Member since:Jul 2007	I've always had two cats in small apartments. Purely indoor, declawed front. I've always had declawed cats (front only). The cruel patrol is a bit exagerated, especially when you get it done when they get spayed or neutered which is around 4-6 months. Of course do it at a reputable vet. I don't do it just to prevent shredding of furniture, but it is more so you can actually play with them. My cats love to touch my face, grab my fingers with their paws, and just plain roughhouse. Growing up my cats were indoor/outdoor and they still caught mice, climbed trees, defended themselves against dogs and other cats, all without claws. It is purely your decision, but don't let anyone guilt trip you into not doing it just because of their beliefs. Declawed cats can be the happiest cats you will ever see. Anyway, the litterbox situation is the hardest for a small place. You want at least one box per cat, and if you can, an extra one. That is hard in an apartment. I usually put the litterbox in a closet, or cabinet. Make sure you line the area with some sort of cardboard box, tile, plastic, rug or whatever that you will want to change periodically. Cats will miss, and litter will be spilt. I've used the automatic boxes before and they are good for about a month. They are extremely finicky, can only take a small amount of litter or they jam, and get dirty very fast. Urine and feces get clogged in the mechinism. The one that actually liquifies the droppings is probably the worst thing man has made. Good in theory, but you will discovery the most ungodly smell known to man. Best bet is to just do it by hand, and clean the box every day or 2. I lucked out with my current place. I actually leave my door to my balcony open all the time and put the box out there. So now it is outside, no mess or smell in the apartment. Helps that I live in SoCal so temps are good year round. Cats are pretty low maintenance but they can/do get lonely. I have always preferred having more than 1. Enjoy the new members to your family!

11-04-2009, 04:07 AM	#14
jadedeath Blu-ray Knight Member since:Jun 2007	No offense, but anyone that declaws a cat due to worrying about furniture or anything that will likely be removed or replaced at least once during the life of the cat anyway is a bit of a nitwit. Just get it a scratching post, get some sour apple spray {ask folks at the pet food store about it, it works wonders} a spray bottle full of water and you should be fine. The amount of damage that a cat will do is small compared to the damage that you do to it while declawing. Oh yeah, and for those who think that studies aren't shown, after just googling for about 3 seconds I found this: http://cats.about.com/cs/declawing/a/declawing_2.htm Logan

11-04-2009, 04:50 AM	#15
LynxFX Blu-ray Samurai Member since:Jul 2007	No offense, but I'll take the 30 years of happy cat ownership as proof that declawing has had no ill effects on my cats vs. a scare opinion piece on about.com.

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