[Woody Taylor]

Spring in MN is much better than winter.

Annie today...almost 10 mos.

Favorite old pic. My toddler, Dog Whisperer. Pup is from Annie's litter.

Off-forum pic: Gracie (now 22 pounds :roll is not fat. She's just full of fight drive. Dare you to touch her tummy right now.

 

[Sarah Hall]

That second pic is priceless!
Oh, and being a cat owner myself, I'd rather stare down a fight-drive GSD than touch a cat's belly. :lol:
JK..

 

[Stacia Porter]

LOL I have a little Dog Whisperer, too!!!!!! My 2 1/2 year old, Elena, loves to give Achilles commands. If he doesn't understand her, she motors this big GSD through what she wants! He'll even listen to her if she gives the command in English. Watching her getting him to retrieve is priceless. She'll say, "Chilles, COME!" He'll go to her. She'll say, "SIT DOWN YOU." He'll sit. Then she throws the ball and says, "VAUS" (b/c she can't say voraus) He runs and grabs it. She yells, "Brrrrrrrrrrrring" whichh sounds something like a telephone ringing when she says it. He brings it back. She says "Aus!" He drops it in her hand. Then, for good measure, she says, "Good boy, Chilles." I need to get it on video sometime. Now she walks up to Andi and gives her commands and then tattles on her when she won't comply. "Moooooom, Andi won't SITZ!" Such is life, princess.

Annie is ust gorgeous!!! And what kind of kitty is that? A ragdoll? I wouldn't touch her belly either. My cat gutted me more than once and she was a 7 lb all black German barn cat! I'm still sporting scars from her...

 

[Woody Taylor]

LOL I have a little Dog Whisperer, too!!!!!! My 2 1/2 year old, Elena, loves to give Achilles commands. If he doesn't understand her, she motors this big GSD through what she wants! He'll even listen to her if she gives the command in English. Watching her getting him to retrieve is priceless. She'll say, "Chilles, COME!" He'll go to her. She'll say, "SIT DOWN YOU." He'll sit. Then she throws the ball and says, "VAUS" (b/c she can't say voraus) He runs and grabs it. She yells, "Brrrrrrrrrrrring" whichh sounds something like a telephone ringing when she says it. He brings it back. She says "Aus!" He drops it in her hand. Then, for good measure, she says, "Good boy, Chilles." I need to get it on video sometime. Now she walks up to Andi and gives her commands and then tattles on her when she won't comply. "Moooooom, Andi won't SITZ!" Such is life, princess.

Annie is ust gorgeous!!! And what kind of kitty is that? A ragdoll? I wouldn't touch her belly either. My cat gutted me more than once and she was a 7 lb all black German barn cat! I'm still sporting scars from her...

Your kid is much further along than mine with speech! My kid imprinted hard on Annie after he slipped her about 3/4 pounds of Solid Gold Turkey Jerky through the baby gates one day. :roll: I'm pretty sure most of last winter was me in the backyard chipping out frozen pudding with a spade shovel.

She's a pound cat, I think American and Siamese, really pretty but I cannot get the thing to lose weight. She's on Evo Cat right now, minimal amounts, I need to take her to the vet and get stuff checked out...it has been awhile as she does not travel well. (I'll actually take any advice here)

The size thing wasn't all bad...she's got a full deck of claws and we have a "live and let live" rule in the house so if any animal or kid gets popped messing with another animal or kid, the instigator loses arbitration with me (within reason). The kids give her a very wide berth, and Annie wasn't even her weight until she was about 3-4 months old.

 

[Sarah Hall]

I know it's off-topic, but you did ask for help with the kitty: How old is the cat? My mom's cat, Shadow, (mine when I was living there) is 18 and is pretty big (coming down slowly from a diet), but when he was 16 he was very obese (24 lbs) and was diagnosed with feline diabetes. This can happen when cats are overweight (like humans) and can make it quite hard to get them to lose weight because you have to make sure all their levels are ok. Normally, this means taking them to the vet every week to get glucose test, however I'm a vet tech so I just draw a little bit of his blood and test it on a glucose tester that was made for humans. Now Shadow is about 13lbs, and I don't think we'll get him lower than that (still has that pooch cats get when they get fat).
Edited to add: Try to run by your vet and pick up a perscription food called Feline DM (Diabetics Managment). It's a good, low-fat diet for larger cats (and dogs, sometimes). Or you can feed raw (that's what Shadow eats)

 

[Stacia Porter]

Your kid is much further along than mine with speech! My kid imprinted hard on Annie after he slipped her about 3/4 pounds of Solid Gold Turkey Jerky through the baby gates one day. :roll: I'm pretty sure most of last winter was me in the backyard chipping out frozen pudding with a spade shovel.

She's a pound cat, I think American and Siamese, really pretty but I cannot get the thing to lose weight. She's on Evo Cat right now, minimal amounts, I need to take her to the vet and get stuff checked out...it has been awhile as she does not travel well. (I'll actually take any advice here)

The size thing wasn't all bad...she's got a full deck of claws and we have a "live and let live" rule in the house so if any animal or kid gets popped messing with another animal or kid, the instigator loses arbitration with me (within reason). The kids give her a very wide berth, and Annie wasn't even her weight until she was about 3-4 months old.

Does she by chance have blue eyes? What happens when you pick her up and hold her? Will she defend herself with those claws? You must might ahve a Ragdoll mix on your hands! They look like really big Siamese with blue eyes and docile temperments (hence the name Ragdoll: go limp in your arms when you pick them up). I want to adopt one but DH says NO WAY.

My kitty wasn't declawed either. It's actually illegal in Germany! Achilles had to learn the hard way that kitty meant business...

 

[Sarah Hall]

I wish declawing was illegal here. It's really a disgusting thing to do. Believe me, I've helped with quite a few declaws as a tech, so I know all the different ways it's done, but cutting off the first digit of an animal's little toes is just gross.

 

[Stacia Porter]

I wish declawing was illegal here. It's really a disgusting thing to do. Believe me, I've helped with quite a few declaws as a tech, so I know all the different ways it's done, but cutting off the first digit of an animal's little toes is just gross.

AMEN to that, Sarah! We did use Soft Claws with a lot of luck on her. Hard part was getting them ON!!!!! I have some nice war wounds from those episodes.

Waaaay off topic: but have you ever seen those used for a dog? I'm considering therapy work for Andi and was thinking those would be good so she doesn't accidentally scratch during visits.

 

[Woody Taylor]

Does she by chance have blue eyes? What happens when you pick her up and hold her? Will she defend herself with those claws? You must might ahve a Ragdoll mix on your hands! They look like really big Siamese with blue eyes and docile temperments (hence the name Ragdoll: go limp in your arms when you pick them up). I want to adopt one but DH says NO WAY.

My kitty wasn't declawed either. It's actually illegal in Germany! Achilles had to learn the hard way that kitty meant business...

She'll unload on anyone that is messing with her in a way she does not want. She's pretty fair about it; she just likes her space. She will bring it to you...like, chase your a$$ down and hammer you...if she is teased (I found this out the hard way and have scars on my arms) although she is very tolerant of the boys. Everybody in my house understands live and let live. It's a good rule.

Yep, blue eyes. Usually when I pick her up (assuming I brace myself and left with my legs) she'll tolerate for a short bit...if Annie is around I'll get raked pretty good. She's a weird cat in that she's very aloof (not a cuddler) but likes to be near us and gets bad seperation anxiety (I guess Siamese do this?). Likes to have a nice grand mal seizure if severe stressors are introduced in the house (I think the boys rated one each, Annie two or three). Not one you want in a Ragdoll breeding program. She's also figured out Annie's reach through the baby gates and will stay just beyond that and paw at the air at Annie and basically drive my dog insane. Damn cat. :lol:

 

[Sarah Hall]

I've used nail caps for smaller therapy dogs and dogs that will "paws up" on someone's lap or bed for the sake of their skin. No matter how much I trimmed and filed the nails, they always had a sharp spot.
http://www.softpaws.net/
That's what I use. They're really easy to put on.

 

[Stacia Porter]

I've used nail caps for smaller therapy dogs and dogs that will "paws up" on someone's lap or bed for the sake of their skin. No matter how much I trimmed and filed the nails, they always had a sharp spot.
http://www.softpaws.net/
That's what I use. They're really easy to put on.

Thanks, Sarah! Those are exactly what I used for the cat, only they called them Soft Claws, I think (just glued on).

Woody, that kitty ain't no Ragdoll. Ragdolls are supposedly mixed with Siamese so maybe that's how your kitty got her markings? She's pretty at any rate!

 

[Selena van Leeuwen]

I wish declawing was illegal here. It's really a disgusting thing to do. Believe me, I've helped with quite a few declaws as a tech, so I know all the different ways it's done, but cutting off the first digit of an animal's little toes is just gross.

Please tell me I don´t understand the english...
Are you telling that cats in US haven´t have nails/claws?!?!? And that isn´t illegal..... :roll: :roll:
I think this is animalabuse and therefore punishable here in the Netherlands...same as removing the big teeth or the voice of dogs.....

 

[Selena van Leeuwen]

I wish declawing was illegal here. It's really a disgusting thing to do. Believe me, I've helped with quite a few declaws as a tech, so I know all the different ways it's done, but cutting off the first digit of an animal's little toes is just gross.

please tell me I don´t understand the english writing...

ARe you saying that cats don´t have their nails???????
That is for sure animall abuse here in holland and therefor punishable :roll: Same thing as removing the voice of a dog or their big teeth :?

 

[Woody Taylor]

I wish declawing was illegal here. It's really a disgusting thing to do. Believe me, I've helped with quite a few declaws as a tech, so I know all the different ways it's done, but cutting off the first digit of an animal's little toes is just gross.

please tell me I don´t understand the english writing...

ARe you saying that cats don´t have their nails???????
That is for sure animall abuse here in holland and therefor punishable :roll: Same thing as removing the voice of a dog or their big teeth :?

Yes, it is very common practice in the US to declaw cats. And it's brutal and dangerous to the cats. Illegal everywhere in Europe, right?

 

[Woody Taylor]

I know it's off-topic, but you did ask for help with the kitty: How old is the cat? My mom's cat, Shadow, (mine when I was living there) is 18 and is pretty big (coming down slowly from a diet), but when he was 16 he was very obese (24 lbs) and was diagnosed with feline diabetes. This can happen when cats are overweight (like humans) and can make it quite hard to get them to lose weight because you have to make sure all their levels are ok. Normally, this means taking them to the vet every week to get glucose test, however I'm a vet tech so I just draw a little bit of his blood and test it on a glucose tester that was made for humans. Now Shadow is about 13lbs, and I don't think we'll get him lower than that (still has that pooch cats get when they get fat).
Edited to add: Try to run by your vet and pick up a perscription food called Feline DM (Diabetics Managment). It's a good, low-fat diet for larger cats (and dogs, sometimes). Or you can feed raw (that's what Shadow eats)

Missed this post earlier.

Funny you should mention that, I know in the back of my head she's probably diabetic. Kind of dreading that because you probably remember my situation (the toddler's diabetic). It's some kind of mental block I have...needless to say I am pretty handy with the lancet and syringes on unwilling victims. What a PITA diabetes is, I know it would be a smaller deal for cats, but ugh. I get sick of looking at blood (and buckets of syringes before our kid went on the pump) as it is. Good think I have the leather welding gloves, Gracie will not put up with this gently. :lol:

I actually think the Evo Cat would be good? Low sugar high protein content? As close to raw as kibble will get? And that really is all she eats.

 

[Stacia Porter]

I wish declawing was illegal here. It's really a disgusting thing to do. Believe me, I've helped with quite a few declaws as a tech, so I know all the different ways it's done, but cutting off the first digit of an animal's little toes is just gross.

please tell me I don´t understand the english writing...

ARe you saying that cats don´t have their nails???????
That is for sure animall abuse here in holland and therefor punishable :roll: Same thing as removing the voice of a dog or their big teeth :?

Selena, many cats in the United States are "declawed." They have their claws surgically removed by a veterinarian under general anesthetic. I'm not sure of hte exact procedure, but I, too, think it's horribly cruel. My parents were on me to have my kitty declawed and would just shake my head and tell them it's illegal in Germany LOL. My aunt and uncle have her now and one of the conditions was that they NEVER declaw her. If they so much as scheduled the appt I'd drive the 7 hrs to Cincinnati to get her!

 

[Sarah Hall]

Do you want to know the actual procedure? (I can make it short and simple, or tell you in detail)
JK, I'm sure you really don't want to know. For some, ignorance is bliss. I wish I was still ignorant about the procedure :|

 

[Kristen Cabe]

One of my cats is front paw declawed. All the rest of my critters have their claws. We keep softclaws on Spook, the other cat, and I have some for the dogs too, but I've only ever used them once with Gypsy when we were testing for her to be a therapy dog. She failed. Long story.

I think they do help the dog to 'hold on' on slippery floors, and can reduce the chances of the dog 'spinning out' and falling, which might aggravate joint problems. They also do the same as cat softclaws, and keep the nails from scratching things.

Stacia, what size would you need for Andi? If the ones I have are the right size, I wouldn't mind sending them or bringing them to you at a discounted price. PM or call me if you're interested. They are the black ones.

 

[Selena van Leeuwen]

I wish declawing was illegal here. It's really a disgusting thing to do. Believe me, I've helped with quite a few declaws as a tech, so I know all the different ways it's done, but cutting off the first digit of an animal's little toes is just gross.

please tell me I don´t understand the english writing...

ARe you saying that cats don´t have their nails???????
That is for sure animall abuse here in holland and therefor punishable :roll: Same thing as removing the voice of a dog or their big teeth :?

Yes, it is very common practice in the US to declaw cats. And it's brutal and dangerous to the cats. Illegal everywhere in Europe, right?

For sure here in Holland, and Stacia says its in Germany too.
I have never heard it before, glad to, only reason I can imagine to do it is for a medical reason (if there could be one), but I suppose people don´t want to be schratched and thats why it is done?


Sorry to say so: Sometimes i getting to think Americans are insane...

 

[Woody Taylor]

From Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onychectomy