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Title: Tony the Tiger Post by Lizzie2 on Mar 14th, 2006, 8:06pm This morning, I dropped Tony (my 6 month old kitten) off at the vet to get neutered and declawed. Last night I was very nervous about it because this girl called me from the vet's office, and we sort of had a "discussion" over the fact that he was supposed to get his last vaccine in January. I'd called in January to see if they wanted me to bring him in, or if he could get the vaccine when he had the surgery this month. On two separate occasions they said he could get vaccinated t his month. Yesterday they told me that now he's older and doesn't need it. That's fine and all, but I would have brought him in January to get it if he couldn't get it now! Grr.... Then, they'd told me different instructions about him eating and drinking prior to the surgery and changed the story last nighit. I started second guessing their competency in my mind!! He couldn't have food after 8pm last night and couldn't drink past midnight. I brought him over there at about 8:45 this morning. Was hard to say goodbye to him! I had to open his cage to pet him one last time...haha The vet called at around 10am to say that they finished the surgery and everything went well! She said Tony was in "recovery." I told her to give him an extra pat for me!! Now I just hope he doesn't hate me when he gets home!!! Any of you cat owners know how much of the paper litter I'll need once he comes home Thursday? I was told he needs to use paper litter for a week after getting declawed. My mom is going to buy it because pet smart didn't have any, and I don't get the newspaper to shred it up myself. Did any of you have your cat declawed and need to give him any medicine for pain once he got home? I don't know if they give him anything that works like tylenol or whatever! Sometimes it seems like my apartment isn't big enough for my cat AND me because I've had to modify every single thing I do to accomodate him, but now that he's not here, I miss him!! haha He's crazy...chews on O2 tubing, wires (I think I've mostly broken that habit...), gets on the counter - loves to go in the sink and bathtub even if there's water in it...strange. I have to eat standing up holding my plate or else put him in his crate for a bit or go in my room and shut him out!! Today I had to stop at Acme after dropping him off at the vet, and I came home and left stuff on the counter - it was weird to be able to do that! haha... Matt, I know your cat just got neutered, right? What's it like after he came home? Carrie :) |
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Title: Re: Tony the Tiger Post by maffumatt on Mar 14th, 2006, 8:28pm For the first day he sat under a glass table and slept, after that he acted normal with Mary and the kids but since I am the one that dropped him off he steers clear of me, runs under the table and stares at me with one ear layed back. It won't take long and he will be his old self, just a little lacking in the manhood department. Mary wanted to have him declawed too but I was against it, sure it keeps them from tearing stuff up but what if they get lost or attacked by a dog? If I lived in an apartment complex or something where the cat never had the oppertunity to be outside I wouldn't have any problems with it though. Matt |
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Title: Re: Tony the Tiger Post by Lizzie2 on Mar 14th, 2006, 8:39pm Matt, Glad he's returned back to normal. I dropped Tony off - guess I'll see if he acts strange around me. My mom has to pick him up on Thursday because I have to work until 7pm. He likes her. :) Yeah, my apartment has inside entry. I do live on the first floor, and he's always trying to get out the door when I go in. I live alone though, so unless Joe or my family or someone is opening the door ahead of me, I'm always the one there and I know he tries to get out. It's habit for me now to put my foot there and my hand down so he backs up. The apartment has double doors going out both the back and front. If both double doors are shut (which I am constantly shutting...) then the only place he could go is potentially to try to go up the stairs to the next floor. He's never gone up stairs before, but I'm sure he could do it! Sometimes my neighbors prop doors open, so I constantly shut them so he doesn't run outside or down into the abyss of the basement, where then he could end up in a storage locker and I wouldn't be able to get him out. We'll see how he is on Thursday!! He actually clawed at the screen in the window yesterday. I had to pull him off it. Then had to shut the window when I went out for a walk with Joe so that he wouldn't claw through it and get out!! I'd never seen him do that.... trouble maker. ;) Carrie :) |
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Title: Re: Tony the Tiger Post by chewy on Mar 14th, 2006, 9:04pm He's a cat. He'll hate you until the next feeding time and then forget the whole thing. |
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Title: Re: Tony the Tiger Post by Lizzie2 on Mar 14th, 2006, 9:06pm LOL Guess I'm safe then. Feeding time is all the time because I just leave enough food out for him so he can eat when he's hungry. You'd think he hates me already because I have scars all over my hands and arms from his scratches and bite marks! I have a 5 inch long cut healing on my shin from his claws. He's vicious.... I'm hoping he'll be a leeeetle less aggressive after all this! |
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Title: Re: Tony the Tiger Post by cootie on Mar 14th, 2006, 11:24pm Dooooooon't give kitty tylonal.......cats can't tolerate most pain meds.....and that stuff will KILL them. I did give a female some years and years ago when I didn't know that and she survived but it is a big no no for cats. This cat had a high fever and became lathargic after being spayed that nite I brought her home.....but as a rule DON'T give him pain meds. They do the claws so differently these days and use glue to seal the nail area it heals pretty fast. Did you just have the front claws out or all 4 ? He'll be glad to be back home and probly stay groggy enuff he will forget alot of the prior stuff. Adults sumtimes don't get over it tho......seen that happen a few times but he is young enuff to get over it. Make sure you give him extra stuff like boiled chicken breast for a treat (or can'd food) and he will be so happy he may be racein thru the house before ya know it. I have brought alot of sick critters out or problems and issues 'thru food' like that. Had an adult male declawed one time and fixed and that cat could punch like a boxer.......he'd sit and growl at me and pop me in the face if I stared at him and got to close tryin to talk to him. Gave me a black eye once he hit me so hard. He became a SEMI outside kitty but kept in a nice pen up off the ground with cozy enclosed box at one end (only out when we could watch him) cuz he got so flippy after the surgery. He'd look at me and eyes dialate and start screaming and swatting at stuff or bite and completely flip out....guess he always thought I was plotting to send him back for more surgery every time I looked his way. Yours will be fine and alot happier. Tigers and cats RULE Pam |
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Title: Re: Tony the Tiger Post by Lizzie2 on Mar 14th, 2006, 11:43pm Oh yeah I would never give him tylenol without first asking the vet if cats can have tylenol - but figured it was on the "bad" list!! Like motrin for dogs - you can kill a dog with motrin!! I had a nursing instructor once give her dog motrin for pain, and then she realized she shouldn't have - luckily he survived!! Guess food may be a pretty good "pain reliever" for kitties - like it is for babies and seemingly most adults, too! I know I have at least one can of moist food around here! And he's never had it before. I have some treats, too - although when I give him those, he makes this vaccuum cleaner noise that my uncle says is cat growling - afraid I'm going to take it away, I guess!! He's a nut... My cat can punch, too!! Doesn't do that as often, though. He does swat at my hand if he's in a mood. Biting seems to be the worst problem, and I don't know how to change that. He'll pounce over to me while I'm sleeping and chomp my arm then pounce away. That's why he can't stay in here while I sleep anymore! He has a real thing with biting.... makes me so mad!! Know how to make a cat stop biting? I need advice for that, too! LOL I thought maybe he was more aggressive because of being a male that was growing closer to puberty and in a small-ish apartment, even though he has plenty room enough! I can't wait until Thursday when I get home from work because my mom will be here with him. I miss the little crazy cat!!! He does some funny funny stuff. :) Carrie :) |
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Title: Re: Tony the Tiger Post by Charlie on Mar 15th, 2006, 1:56am You'll be okay. We declawed cats weekly, sometimes several a week where I worked. Hurts like hell but not forever and we know animals deal with pain differently....at least we think so. Never gave animals pain killers where I was. The vet I worked for loved to declaw. He hated cats! Charlie |
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Title: Re: Tony the Tiger Post by sandie99 on Mar 15th, 2006, 2:13am Speed recovery to Tony! :) Carrie, I think that you'll be fine. If Tony is mad to you, he'll soon forgets it. My landlady's cat used to hate it when one us left for a while. When my flatmate was on a trip for a month, Kosh was angry at her for 3 weeks. After that it was like nothing had happened... I do recall how horrible it was to take my guinea pig to the vet... She had two operations and the vets were always certain that Olivia would not make it. But she did! Sanna |
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Title: Re: Tony the Tiger Post by fubar on Mar 15th, 2006, 10:39am We declawed one cat ( a mean-tempered stray that moved in uninvited). We called her Snowball. I never felt sooooo guilty over a cat... she never (I mean never) got over it. She would walk tenderly on all of her feet from then on, like it hurt her on every step. I'll never declaw a cat again. -Shawn |
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Title: Re: Tony the Tiger Post by cootie on Mar 15th, 2006, 11:13am I don't declaw either.....but if they are shredding expensive furniture and you aren't there all the time to stop them I guess it's an only option......verses a cage.....cages bein caged all day isn't the same as dogs....dogs are naturally den animals so they don't mind if they have a cozy spot and what they need and let out after so long. But cats don't do well. I had a snow shoe siamese declawed and spayed at the same time and she got VERY sick from the anesthetic and got a high fever and lathargic but I was with her round the clock and home.....of course that always happens after hours on a weekend. But she would not use regular cat litter.....her feet were way too tender and you could tell when she walked they were always tender. She had white feet and pink pads which can make a difference and more tender prone as it is. Some people have litter box problems and don't realize the cats feet get to rough and sore scrapeing in cat litter after declawed and they think the cat is being bad on purpose. So adjust the litter......if he seems too tender toed continue the newspaper litter longer or forever so you don't start a new bad habit of him goin elsewhere. I have small pillows all around my couch that match it to stop scratching on it.....and other things setup to avoid it. They have tall carpet'd cat climby trees too. (my cats have there own little attic room with sun window) Also biteing is a male trait.....I had a link to cat behavior I need to find to send you that explains some of that behavior you kitty shows cuz it can get worse......sum sort of "excitement of the hunt" traits that cause them to be so aggressive.....they love it or some they say are frustrated about sumthing or upset when they do that. They can have QUORKS just like us !! I think he'll be fine......small cans of cat food are cheap and ya won't need to treat him too often.....just the first week he is sore maybe to help him forget about it and have sumthin to look forward to. My cats LIVE for there can'd food....I mix it with a good brand dry cuz one cat can't eat just dry and throws up religiously and gets dehydrated. Cats are people too Pam 8) Yup....one motrin can cause a dogs stomach to bleed and kill it........makes ya WONDER about what it does to people that take alot of it all the time !!!??? |
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Title: Re: Tony the Tiger Post by Lizzie2 on Mar 15th, 2006, 1:13pm I do feel terribly guilty for getting him declawed... Especially since I think it was Pam who told me it gives him early arthritis. Or somebody told me that anyways! I'm not as worried about him getting outside because of the nature of where I live, but still...I just felt terrible about getting him declawed. He has destroyed some of my stuff, but he never has attacked the couch. I got him started with one of those cardboard catnip scratching posts from day 1, and he also has a California Cat Condo that he absolutely loves. The couch is old and hand-me-down, and I'm actually planning to buy a new one, but was waiting to get him declawed! haha... It's more how he is with people. He has given me so many evil scratches that are leaving scars and actually become a problem at work. I work around blood and am changing diapers constantly and suctioning, etc. Granted, I wear gloves when I come into contact with fluids, but there are some things in nursing that you just can't do with gloves on. I don't feed them with gloves on or take their temperature and all that. Retaping an ET tube when they're on a vent - can't do that with gloves on... Having the open sores on my hands from the cat is a little problematic! Can you imagine having a child in the NICU and looking at the nurses hands and seeing they're raw and occasionally bleed? Would make me nervous!! He isn't really a nice cat right now, but I'm hoping he'll settle a little as he gets older. My mom's friend keeps telling us that he's still little and being mischeivous. Plus I'm not here all day long when I work 12 hours... I'm constantly switching shifts which has to throw him off. He'll be nice when I first come home from work or when I open the door to my room in the morning...that lasts from 5-15 minutes. Then it starts with...I'll be holding him or he'll be sitting on my lap and all the sudden he turns and bites my hand. Just goes downhill from there!! That's when he gets put on the floor and I leave him be because he's insane. However, he wants to sit on my lap but keeps biting. I told him he can't sit next to people and bite them, but he doesn't get it. LOL If I ever figure out how to post pictures again now that I have a Mac with no "right click" mouse button, I'll post a bunch more I took of him. I have some pretty funny and cute ones!! Carrie :) |
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Title: Re: Tony the Tiger Post by sandie99 on Mar 15th, 2006, 2:10pm I hope that you'll find a way to post more pics of Tony. I just love to see pics of cats! :) Sanna |
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Title: Re: Tony the Tiger Post by Dragnlance on Mar 15th, 2006, 10:14pm Quote:
We have a 14 year old cat, declawed, no arthritis at this time. Still causes tons of trouble like all cats do...grrrrrrr |
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