[geeks] OT: cat

[Dave McGuire]

On January 18, Joshua D Boyd wrote:
> I always thought that they way they declawed cats was similar to the way they
> removed toenails for for people who repeatedly get ingrown toenails.  Then I
> find out that the process is more like chopping someones fingers off at the
> knucle.  Ugh ughn. No way I'm sending a cat for that.

  It's a terrible procedure.  For the record, I didn't do this to
Ophelia.  Her previous owners did.  Actually, she still has her claws,
but they had her claw tendons cut so she can't "extend" them.  It's
supposed to be more "humane".  Yeah, right.

  But actually, it's even worse than that.  Their claws are their
primary weapon, and when they're gone, the cat KNOWS it.  Ophelia
knows she's nearly defenseless, and knows she'd lose bigtime in a
fight...so she's got very little confidence around strange people or
things, and is very skittish and defensive.

> I just use a finger nail clippers to keep the claws short.

  That's the best thing, but you have to be very careful...there's a
blood vessel in every claw that extends fairly far into the claw.  If
you cut the claw too short, the bleeding is difficult to stop, and
worse, it's quite painful for the cat.

      -Dave

-- 
Dave McGuire
St. Petersburg, FL         "Less talk.  More synthohol." --Lt. Worf