This is my little polydactyl barn kitty, Homer. We adopted him from a farm this summer and he seems to have adapted to city life very well. I think being spoiled might have something to do with it though…
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We went to the Hemingway house on our visit–everyone loved the cats! When we unexpectedly returned to Key West 6 months later, the passers-by all chuckled at my 6-year-old’s constant badgering to go to the Hemingway house 1st–he didn’t let up until we got there! He just had to see the cats again!
Ginny–how precious! At this site, we’ve often discussed how most men who love cats are extra kind and loving. I think you have a charmer in the making.
(Comments wont nest below this level)
Comment by Rorye
2006-10-17 15:45:08
My boyfriend loves cats. It’s true.
Comment by janet
2006-10-18 04:06:52
it isn’t so much men who love cats, but men who aren’t threatened by the independence of cats. or anyone else.
Comment by The Herd Lady
2006-10-18 06:46:57
Amen to that. My Hubby loves our kits. He has plenty to choose from, too.
Comment by Ginny
2006-10-18 10:14:53
Dee–thanks! He is a cutie, and he knows it. He’s 10 now. He’s 1/2 Hispanic with olive skin and blond hair that’s just wasted on a male. He’s the kind of kid who’ll come into the kitchen while you’re cooking dinner, give you a big hug and kiss, and charm you to pieces–all while helping himself to the cookie jar! In Spanish, that’s all summed up in one word: “travieso.”
BTW: I used to live in Pinellas, but now live out of state in a community called “Cat Spring”!
Homer is absolutely adorable! I wish you both many happy years together. He looks like he has something up his furry, little sleeve. Thank you for sharing!
what a doll!!
he is already starting to get the FB’s
i saw some thing on here the other day about an alternative to declawing your cat, they mentioned that it burns the claw away instead of removing it . does anyone out there know more about this? i can’t seem to find anything about it on-line. thanks
Declawing is one of the cruelest things you can do to a cat. I’ve never heard of burning the claws but it doesn’t sound like a good thing. Please, please reconsider if you’re thinking of having your cat declawed.
DOWNEY, Calif. — Kobe the terrier is back with his family after a 1,400-mile trip.
The small white pooch vanished from his Bellflower home last month and was found by a stranger in Denton, Texas. A microchip implanted in his neck contained his owner’s information.
AVID, a Norco-based company that produced the chip, flew Kobe from Texas to California and on Thursday he was reunited with his owners, the Ontiveros family, at the Southeast Area Animal Control Authority in Downey.
“I’m really happy,” said Stephanie Ontiveros, 12.
“We’re glad that there were plenty of good, helpful people out there,” said her father, Jayson Ontiveros.
Kobe got the chip when the Ontiveros family adopted him from the SAACA.
How he got to Texas remains a mystery.
A driver may have spotted Kobe wandering, thought he was a stray and took him along, animal control authority spokesman Aaron Reyes said.
AVID Vice President Peter Troesch said his company’s chips are implanted in some 2 million cats and dogs in the country. Because to the chips, he said, an average of 1,200 stray animals a day are returned to their homes.
Anji, the procedure you’re thinking of uses a laser to remove the claws. Unlike the traditional de-clawing procedure, it results in less bleeding and a faster recovery time. I inquired about it for my own cats, but most vets don’t like to do it once a cat reaches a certain age…the same as for the old-fashioned method. The problem is that the equipment is very expensive and not all vets have it available, but I’d suggest you contact vets in your area and see if any of them do the procedure and they can give you more information about it. Like anything else, though, you may find there are mixed opinions about it, but it seems that it does have certain advantages of the standard de-clawing surgery.
We looked into the laser for our newest addition. Unfortunately it is still the same amputation procedure just performed with a laser rather than a scalpel. It had been presented to us as an almost painless procedure. When I researched the vet journal studies, complication rates were the same or worse than the traditional procedure. It was also 4 times the cost in our area. Our vet discouraged it as well saying kitties she had seen after it still had the same complications.
We found a combination of Sticky Paws tape for the furniture and and extra tall (2.5 foot) scratching post did the trick. She is a big kitty and the short scratchng posts tipped over. Her big one has a 2 foot base on it that she can sit on to scratch-no tipping, and she has used it enthusiatically since. Petsmart sells them for $45, but we bought ours from a retired man who makes them for $15 at a flea market. So shop around.
Gray AND Fluffy!! What better combination is there?
As for declawing, it is really quite traumatic for the cat. When I was young, my mom decided to have our two cats declawed. She thought it was just a simple procedure, like trimming a human’s nails. When the cats came home, we were shocked to find that their paws were all cut up and bleeding, with stitches holding the incisions closed. We felt very bad for the kitties. The vet hadn’t explained how traumatic the procedure was at all.
I’ve never declawed a cat since. I love my cats, and I prefer them hurting the furniture to my hurting them.
There are several products you can use to keep cats from scatching your furniture. There is a product called “sticky paws” which is basically wide two-sided tape that you put on the furniture. The cats don’t like the stickiness, and leave the furniture alone. I’ve tried it on some of my furniture, and it works. There are also plastic sleeves that you can put over the cat’s claws, so they can’t scratch. Trimming their claws regularly also can help.
I second that. I used to work as a vet tech, and declawing is possibly the most inhumane surgery a cat can have. I know that some young cats recover quickly, but it’s still a terrible procedure for most. It’s basically amputation. It would be different if it was a medically-necessary surgery, but it’s solely for the owner’s convenience. I’ll stop short of actually bashing people for having their cats declawed. But if everyone who wanted to have the surgery for their cats got to watch a procedure being done (and the horrible process of the cats waking up trying to shake the bandages off their paws), I think fewer people would actually go through it. Just wanted to raise some awareness.
Homer is a cutie pie. His face looks kinda like a bobcat with his fluffy cheeks.
I agree with Judy, don’t declaw your cat. Most vets will try to change your mind on this procedure (at least the good vets do). I have a cat now and he has learned to only use his scratching post. An alternative to declawing is Soft Paws. Its a cap that’s put over your cats nail. There are country’s that have declawing banned and I wish the US would do the same.
Homer has such a cute face. I want to snuggle and hug him. Too adorable.
*A Tangled Web: Halloween Product Contributes to a Real-Life Horror*
October 13, 2006
By Brian Sodergren
Patricia Wallace’s house on Long Island, New York looks like many others this time of the year: outfitted with the spooky Halloween decorations that seem as harmless and common as cobwebs in the basement.
Only now, Wallace associates these commercially sold frights with a true horror: the death of her cat, Tabitha.
One October day in 2003, Wallace’s one-and-a-half year old cat ate some fake sinewy cobwebs that were stretched across the homeowner’s bay window. Like something out of a bad horror flick, the bogus spiderweb ensnared a very real victim: Tabitha’s intestines became clogged after consuming the synthetic product.
Wallace was working one of her two jobs when Tabitha decided to take a bite out of the cobweb, but once she got home, she immediately noticed something was wrong with her kitty. What Wallace didn’t immediately know, however, was the cause.
“Tabitha used to follow me like a puppy dog,” Wallace said. But on this day, Wallace noticed the black-and-white polydactyl feline was acting “very funky.”
“Her whole demeanor changed,” she explained. Since the only alert listed on the packaging was a general asphyxiation and choking warning for the plastic spider that came with fake cobweb, Wallace never imagined the product could put her kitty’s life in jeopardy. About four days passed before Wallace realized that her cat’s problems weren’t going to pass on their own, and that she needed to take Tabitha to a veterinarian.
“She was very lethargic, throwing up, not eating, and not going to the bathroom,” Wallace said. “(But) I figured it could have been a hairball or something her system could have gotten rid of naturally.”
The veterinarian had to remove nearly 10 inches of Tabitha’s intestines to try and save her life. Unfortunately, the operation wasn’t enough. Shortly after the surgery, while recovering amid the comforts of home, Tabitha died in Wallace’s arms.
“I want people to know about the danger of this product,” said Wallace, who plans eventually to adopt another cat. “It killed my cat. It could have just as easily been a child.”
Wallace suspects there are many pet owners who have faced a similar problem, although she said her veterinarian had never before seen a case of a cat eating a fake spider web. Veterinarians typically see cats who eat string, yarn, and similar objects, which can cause the same intestinal damage. This is why The HSUS strongly urges cat owners to keep such objects, and even dental floss, away from their four-footed friends.
Halloween No Treat for Pets
Tabitha’s ordeal underscores just one of the many dangers pet owners face around Halloween. Or face year-round, depending on household habits. Chief among the dangers is chocolate, the sweet treat that some humans swear is better than love. To canines, though, the so-called elixir of the gods can be a one-way ticket to heaven’s gate.
According to the American Animal Hospital Association, “Even small amounts of theobromine, an ingredient in chocolate, can cause vomiting and restlessness in pets. Larger doses can be fatal.”
How much can kill? The AAHA says four to 10 ounces of milk chocolate, or one-half to an ounce of baking chocolate, can kill a small dog like a toy poodle. For medium-sized dogs, such as a cocker spaniel, one to one-and-a-half pounds of milk chocolate, or two to three ounces of baking chocolate, can be fatal. And for large breeds, two to four-and-a-half pounds of milk chocolate, or four to eight ounces of baking chocolate, can kill.
While cats are seldom poisoned by chocolate, felines do face other life-and-death issues around Halloween: pranksters who abuse or even kill black cats in some ritualistic way. Even cats of other colors may not be safe if left outdoors on October 31, when the line between tricks and animal cruelty gets horribly blurred in some people’s minds.
The bottom line: While it’s good to open the door for trick-or-treaters, it’s best to keep your pet behind a closed one on Halloween. The practice will not only keep the critters out of harm’s way, but will also lower their stress levels.
“Dogs and cats rely on daily routine,” said Nancy Peterson, companion animal issues specialist for The HSUS. “When that routine is disrupted by lots of noise and commotion, like trick-or-treaters ringing the doorbell and people in strange costumes, pets can become frightened or agitated. It’s best to keep pets at a safe distance from the festivities.”
“Keep your pet safe in an enclosed area with a toy and soothing music,” adds Peterson. “Resist the urge to include your pet in your Halloween activities, and everyone can enjoy the holiday.”
Brian Sodergren is a former Issues Specialist in The HSUS’ Companion Animal Outreach section.
The small patch of white fur on a cat’s chest is known as a “locket”.
Cats are the sleepiest of all mammals. If you total up all the cat naps, your cat sleeps about 16 hours a day!
Cats offer sandpaper kisses due to tiny knobs called papillae on the surface of their tongues. They are shaped like backward hooks and are designed to hold food and to provide the abrasiveness cats need for good grooming.
Cats do walk differently from dogs! Cats, along with giraffes and camels, are the only animals with a gait in which front and hind legs move together first on one side, then on the other. Cats also are the only clawed creatures that walk on their claws rather than their paw pads. Cats are frequently born with six or more toes on one paw.
Cats’ whiskers, so long and stiff, should never be trimmed. Cats use their whiskers to find their way in the dark, determine whether or not he/she can get into or out of a tight place, and a host of other navigation tasks.
Cats can’t really see in the dark and their daytime vision is best described as “fair” – but they can see better than their human families in semidarkness. Their eyes don’t really shine in the dark, either. Cats’ eyes contain highly reflective cells that collect light from very dim sources. When you flash a light on a cat in the darkness, these reflective cells make it appear that their eyes are glowing. Long thought to be color-blind, recent studies indicate that cats can distinguish between some basic colors when these colors are paired.
A cat’s hearing rates as one of the sharpest in all the animal kingdom. If you cat is always waiting for you at the door, the reason is that s/he can hear your footsteps from hundreds of feet away.
We who choose to surround ourselves with lives even more temporary
than our own live within a fragile circle, easily and often breached.
Unable to accept its awful gaps, we still would live no other way.
We cherish memory as the only certain immortality, never fully
understanding the necessary plan…
“THE ONCE AGAIN PRINCE”, from “Separate Life Times” Irving Townsend
To explain a little better what a previous poster mentioned about declawing being amputation…
It IS amputation quite literally. They don’t just remove the CLAWS, they remove up to the first joint in a cat’s toe. One of the technicians in my vet’s office told me that she will take a vacation day anytime there is a declaw scheduled because she can’t stand to hear the cat SCREAMING and throwing itself against the walls of it’s cage because it is in so much pain.
How any feeling human being can do anything so VILE to an animal ON PURPOSE is beyond my understanding.
Laura, I agree totally with everything you said. I can’t believe there are vets that still do that! In searching for a vet one of the things I ask is if they declaw cats. If they say yes, I leave. You CAN find a vet who does not declaw cats, they are out there.
Actually I thought it was against the law to declaw a cat now adays. If it isn’t, it should be. If I knew about the soft claws twelve years ago I certaintly would have gone for that instead of declawing.
Did you know that Petsmart’s in house vet Banfield promotes declawing in their Kitten Wellness Plan? I didn’t. I heard about it about 2 weeks ago when I visited one of my on-line groups. Don’t believe it, check this site….
I was shocked and outraged. I will boycott Banfield’s from now on. If Petsmart doesn’t do something about this, I will boycott them also.
I have no problem getting my cat’s food from his vet.
Oh dear, I have been taking my kitty to the local Banfields. I am disappointed that they would recommend this procedure.
Comment by Rob Ulmschneider, CVT
2006-12-14 06:47:31
Please read the Banfield site more carefully. It does not “promote” declawing. It offers it as an option under the Kitten Wellness Plan. Many animal hospitals offer declawing whether or not they feel a personal opposition to it. The hospital where I work (in case you’re curious, we are not a Banfield affiliate) is no exception. My personal feelings are that it is a sad procedure that I would never get for my cat, but I would rather see that happen then they be sentenced to a life in a shelter or, worse yet, killed.
The bottom line is, there is no “promoting” or “reccomending” of the procedure on the behalf of Banfield through that website - in fact, it notes that you should carefully discuss all options with your vet before proceeding with a declaw as a LAST RESORT.
Another alternative to declawing is a product called Soft Paws. Thay are little covers for claws. The website is http://www.SoftPaws.com or search soft paws on a search engine.
What an adorable fuzzy kitty. Look at all that fur around his ears! Partly Maine Coon perhaps? Don’t know, but he is a cutie. Love little gray fuzzie kitties I do!
Love this little Homer. As long as he gets lot’s of love and care, I’m sure he doesn’t care if he is on a farm or in the city. Love his coloring, very handsome little one.
Just another thought on declawing …don’t do it. No furniture is worth the pain and suffering they go through. Your couch or chair doesnt meet you at the door, or sleep with you when you are sick,or give you kisses to wake you up when you are snoring. Furniture can always be replaced, a loving heart that trusts you is not as easy to replace.
Aaaauh…He’s so cute! He looks just like my kitty who passed…His name was Mr. Bigglesworth. My daughter named him, can you guess after whom? Now the kitty has gone to katnip heaven and my daughter is serving in Afganistan.
Please dont declaw your cat. Use the vinigar water spray bottle or the loud noise like rocks in a tin can to scar the cat when he scratches the couch. Then pick up your kitty and show him the scratching post. Get a good scratching post with a heavy base so it dosnt wobble.
Homer is just a cute! I love the darker grey paws!
One of my first jobs ever was cleaning out the kennels in a vet’s office. One of the things I will never forget seeing was two kittens after their declawing. The blood spots were visible from their bandages and the were very vocal. It broke my heart at the age of 15 and I will never declaw a cat. Please reconsider.
I used to work for a vet and declawing cats is much less painful if it is done before they are a year old. If your vet knows what he is doing, they recover quickly and neither of my cats ever bled afterwards. I realize that some think this is very cruel, but the truth is that sometimes it is necessary. Especially if your cats will be around children. I think it is a personal choice and judging those who choose to do is really uncalled for.
Homer is fabulous! About declawing, I had a beautiful siamese cat as a teen. My mother had Sunshine declawed. Unfortunately, Sunshine was attacked by a pack of dogs and couldn’t climb a tree to get away. The dogs won and I lost my Sunshine. Needless to say, no one in my family declaws cats. It was a hard lesson to learn. I enjoy this site everyday. Thankyou to the Kitten Master.
Thankyou all for the wonderful comments In reply, I have no plans to declaw Homer. My spray bottle and routine clips have worked quite well. So no worries there! Thnks again, god bless, Kayla
This is my little polydactyl barn kitty, Homer. We adopted him from a farm this summer and he seems to have adapted to city life very well. I think being spoiled might have something to do with it though…
what a serious look homer has on his face?! - He’s a furrball
AWWWW he has such pretty blue eyes!!
he should be arrested for being so cuuuuuute!
He is soooo cute! I love him.
I had a cat just like him.
CUUUUTE!!! Are there any more like him at home??
Handsome Homer knows that a being a city kitty is a much more comfy life :))
Oh help, this kit is devastatingly cute.
KITTY WITH AN ATTITUDE
I think that would be “cattitude.”
Homer is gorgeous!
Oh! Extra toes! I’d love to get to Key West and see the Hemingway house with all the polys. What a handsome boy!
We went to the Hemingway house on our visit–everyone loved the cats! When we unexpectedly returned to Key West 6 months later, the passers-by all chuckled at my 6-year-old’s constant badgering to go to the Hemingway house 1st–he didn’t let up until we got there! He just had to see the cats again!
Ginny–how precious! At this site, we’ve often discussed how most men who love cats are extra kind and loving. I think you have a charmer in the making.
My boyfriend loves cats. It’s true.
it isn’t so much men who love cats, but men who aren’t threatened by the independence of cats. or anyone else.
Amen to that. My Hubby loves our kits. He has plenty to choose from, too.
Dee–thanks! He is a cutie, and he knows it. He’s 10 now. He’s 1/2 Hispanic with olive skin and blond hair that’s just wasted on a male. He’s the kind of kid who’ll come into the kitchen while you’re cooking dinner, give you a big hug and kiss, and charm you to pieces–all while helping himself to the cookie jar! In Spanish, that’s all summed up in one word: “travieso.”
BTW: I used to live in Pinellas, but now live out of state in a community called “Cat Spring”!
Homer is absolutely adorable! I wish you both many happy years together. He looks like he has something up his furry, little sleeve.
Thank you for sharing!
*Simpson FUZZ
Illead FUZZ
Breakout of the Barnyard FUZZ*
You beat me! I was going to say… Odyssey Fuzz!
What a cutie. I love polydactyls.
A six-toed soft little kissy face cutie pie! He needs lots of cuddles.
what a doll!!
he is already starting to get the FB’s
i saw some thing on here the other day about an alternative to declawing your cat, they mentioned that it burns the claw away instead of removing it . does anyone out there know more about this? i can’t seem to find anything about it on-line. thanks
Declawing is one of the cruelest things you can do to a cat. I’ve never heard of burning the claws but it doesn’t sound like a good thing. Please, please reconsider if you’re thinking of having your cat declawed.
Please, please de-clawing is cruel in any form or shape.
Consider soft paws, it really works.
http://www.safepetproducts.com/pilot.asp?pg=softpaws_info&gclid=CPmdqKabgYgCFURfFQod9xYD9Q
He is a cutie………….
What a beautiful kitty! Love his fluffy, smokey grey fur. All cats need to be spoiled. Sounds like he has you trained.
Great story!
*Dog Returns Home After 1,400-Mile Trip*
POSTED: 10:40 am PDT October 16, 2006
DOWNEY, Calif. — Kobe the terrier is back with his family after a 1,400-mile trip.
The small white pooch vanished from his Bellflower home last month and was found by a stranger in Denton, Texas. A microchip implanted in his neck contained his owner’s information.
AVID, a Norco-based company that produced the chip, flew Kobe from Texas to California and on Thursday he was reunited with his owners, the Ontiveros family, at the Southeast Area Animal Control Authority in Downey.
“I’m really happy,” said Stephanie Ontiveros, 12.
“We’re glad that there were plenty of good, helpful people out there,” said her father, Jayson Ontiveros.
Kobe got the chip when the Ontiveros family adopted him from the SAACA.
How he got to Texas remains a mystery.
A driver may have spotted Kobe wandering, thought he was a stray and took him along, animal control authority spokesman Aaron Reyes said.
AVID Vice President Peter Troesch said his company’s chips are implanted in some 2 million cats and dogs in the country. Because to the chips, he said, an average of 1,200 stray animals a day are returned to their homes.
Homer — he’s way out of the “ballpark” when it comes to cute! (bad pun, I know) I love smokey-colored kitties!
Cute grey fuzzy! All kittens should be spoiled!
Anji, the procedure you’re thinking of uses a laser to remove the claws. Unlike the traditional de-clawing procedure, it results in less bleeding and a faster recovery time. I inquired about it for my own cats, but most vets don’t like to do it once a cat reaches a certain age…the same as for the old-fashioned method. The problem is that the equipment is very expensive and not all vets have it available, but I’d suggest you contact vets in your area and see if any of them do the procedure and they can give you more information about it. Like anything else, though, you may find there are mixed opinions about it, but it seems that it does have certain advantages of the standard de-clawing surgery.
We looked into the laser for our newest addition. Unfortunately it is still the same amputation procedure just performed with a laser rather than a scalpel. It had been presented to us as an almost painless procedure. When I researched the vet journal studies, complication rates were the same or worse than the traditional procedure. It was also 4 times the cost in our area. Our vet discouraged it as well saying kitties she had seen after it still had the same complications.
We found a combination of Sticky Paws tape for the furniture and and extra tall (2.5 foot) scratching post did the trick. She is a big kitty and the short scratchng posts tipped over. Her big one has a 2 foot base on it that she can sit on to scratch-no tipping, and she has used it enthusiatically since. Petsmart sells them for $45, but we bought ours from a retired man who makes them for $15 at a flea market. So shop around.
Gray AND Fluffy!! What better combination is there?
All pets should be spoiled - possibly Homer is looking for his next doughnut?
D’OH! FUZZ
i’ll write the odyssey AFTER dinner…what a cutie!
Homer is quite dapper, eh? And his expression is almost human.
Cute little all-gray kitty!
As for declawing, it is really quite traumatic for the cat. When I was young, my mom decided to have our two cats declawed. She thought it was just a simple procedure, like trimming a human’s nails. When the cats came home, we were shocked to find that their paws were all cut up and bleeding, with stitches holding the incisions closed. We felt very bad for the kitties. The vet hadn’t explained how traumatic the procedure was at all.
I’ve never declawed a cat since. I love my cats, and I prefer them hurting the furniture to my hurting them.
There are several products you can use to keep cats from scatching your furniture. There is a product called “sticky paws” which is basically wide two-sided tape that you put on the furniture. The cats don’t like the stickiness, and leave the furniture alone. I’ve tried it on some of my furniture, and it works. There are also plastic sleeves that you can put over the cat’s claws, so they can’t scratch. Trimming their claws regularly also can help.
I second that. I used to work as a vet tech, and declawing is possibly the most inhumane surgery a cat can have. I know that some young cats recover quickly, but it’s still a terrible procedure for most. It’s basically amputation. It would be different if it was a medically-necessary surgery, but it’s solely for the owner’s convenience. I’ll stop short of actually bashing people for having their cats declawed. But if everyone who wanted to have the surgery for their cats got to watch a procedure being done (and the horrible process of the cats waking up trying to shake the bandages off their paws), I think fewer people would actually go through it. Just wanted to raise some awareness.
Homer is a cutie pie. His face looks kinda like a bobcat with his fluffy cheeks.
I agree with Judy, don’t declaw your cat. Most vets will try to change your mind on this procedure (at least the good vets do). I have a cat now and he has learned to only use his scratching post. An alternative to declawing is Soft Paws. Its a cap that’s put over your cats nail. There are country’s that have declawing banned and I wish the US would do the same.
Homer has such a cute face. I want to snuggle and hug him. Too adorable.
Cautionary article…
*A Tangled Web: Halloween Product Contributes to a Real-Life Horror*
October 13, 2006
By Brian Sodergren
Patricia Wallace’s house on Long Island, New York looks like many others this time of the year: outfitted with the spooky Halloween decorations that seem as harmless and common as cobwebs in the basement.
Only now, Wallace associates these commercially sold frights with a true horror: the death of her cat, Tabitha.
One October day in 2003, Wallace’s one-and-a-half year old cat ate some fake sinewy cobwebs that were stretched across the homeowner’s bay window. Like something out of a bad horror flick, the bogus spiderweb ensnared a very real victim: Tabitha’s intestines became clogged after consuming the synthetic product.
Wallace was working one of her two jobs when Tabitha decided to take a bite out of the cobweb, but once she got home, she immediately noticed something was wrong with her kitty. What Wallace didn’t immediately know, however, was the cause.
“Tabitha used to follow me like a puppy dog,” Wallace said. But on this day, Wallace noticed the black-and-white polydactyl feline was acting “very funky.”
“Her whole demeanor changed,” she explained. Since the only alert listed on the packaging was a general asphyxiation and choking warning for the plastic spider that came with fake cobweb, Wallace never imagined the product could put her kitty’s life in jeopardy. About four days passed before Wallace realized that her cat’s problems weren’t going to pass on their own, and that she needed to take Tabitha to a veterinarian.
“She was very lethargic, throwing up, not eating, and not going to the bathroom,” Wallace said. “(But) I figured it could have been a hairball or something her system could have gotten rid of naturally.”
The veterinarian had to remove nearly 10 inches of Tabitha’s intestines to try and save her life. Unfortunately, the operation wasn’t enough. Shortly after the surgery, while recovering amid the comforts of home, Tabitha died in Wallace’s arms.
“I want people to know about the danger of this product,” said Wallace, who plans eventually to adopt another cat. “It killed my cat. It could have just as easily been a child.”
Wallace suspects there are many pet owners who have faced a similar problem, although she said her veterinarian had never before seen a case of a cat eating a fake spider web. Veterinarians typically see cats who eat string, yarn, and similar objects, which can cause the same intestinal damage. This is why The HSUS strongly urges cat owners to keep such objects, and even dental floss, away from their four-footed friends.
Halloween No Treat for Pets
Tabitha’s ordeal underscores just one of the many dangers pet owners face around Halloween. Or face year-round, depending on household habits. Chief among the dangers is chocolate, the sweet treat that some humans swear is better than love. To canines, though, the so-called elixir of the gods can be a one-way ticket to heaven’s gate.
According to the American Animal Hospital Association, “Even small amounts of theobromine, an ingredient in chocolate, can cause vomiting and restlessness in pets. Larger doses can be fatal.”
How much can kill? The AAHA says four to 10 ounces of milk chocolate, or one-half to an ounce of baking chocolate, can kill a small dog like a toy poodle. For medium-sized dogs, such as a cocker spaniel, one to one-and-a-half pounds of milk chocolate, or two to three ounces of baking chocolate, can be fatal. And for large breeds, two to four-and-a-half pounds of milk chocolate, or four to eight ounces of baking chocolate, can kill.
While cats are seldom poisoned by chocolate, felines do face other life-and-death issues around Halloween: pranksters who abuse or even kill black cats in some ritualistic way. Even cats of other colors may not be safe if left outdoors on October 31, when the line between tricks and animal cruelty gets horribly blurred in some people’s minds.
The bottom line: While it’s good to open the door for trick-or-treaters, it’s best to keep your pet behind a closed one on Halloween. The practice will not only keep the critters out of harm’s way, but will also lower their stress levels.
“Dogs and cats rely on daily routine,” said Nancy Peterson, companion animal issues specialist for The HSUS. “When that routine is disrupted by lots of noise and commotion, like trick-or-treaters ringing the doorbell and people in strange costumes, pets can become frightened or agitated. It’s best to keep pets at a safe distance from the festivities.”
“Keep your pet safe in an enclosed area with a toy and soothing music,” adds Peterson. “Resist the urge to include your pet in your Halloween activities, and everyone can enjoy the holiday.”
Brian Sodergren is a former Issues Specialist in The HSUS’ Companion Animal Outreach section.
Just adorable!!
10 more seconds & Homer looks like he was going to get into some mischief. He has that you just interupted something important look on his face.
*Kitty Trivia*
The small patch of white fur on a cat’s chest is known as a “locket”.
Cats are the sleepiest of all mammals. If you total up all the cat naps, your cat sleeps about 16 hours a day!
Cats offer sandpaper kisses due to tiny knobs called papillae on the surface of their tongues. They are shaped like backward hooks and are designed to hold food and to provide the abrasiveness cats need for good grooming.
Cats do walk differently from dogs! Cats, along with giraffes and camels, are the only animals with a gait in which front and hind legs move together first on one side, then on the other. Cats also are the only clawed creatures that walk on their claws rather than their paw pads. Cats are frequently born with six or more toes on one paw.
Cats’ whiskers, so long and stiff, should never be trimmed. Cats use their whiskers to find their way in the dark, determine whether or not he/she can get into or out of a tight place, and a host of other navigation tasks.
Cats can’t really see in the dark and their daytime vision is best described as “fair” – but they can see better than their human families in semidarkness. Their eyes don’t really shine in the dark, either. Cats’ eyes contain highly reflective cells that collect light from very dim sources. When you flash a light on a cat in the darkness, these reflective cells make it appear that their eyes are glowing. Long thought to be color-blind, recent studies indicate that cats can distinguish between some basic colors when these colors are paired.
A cat’s hearing rates as one of the sharpest in all the animal kingdom. If you cat is always waiting for you at the door, the reason is that s/he can hear your footsteps from hundreds of feet away.
I love this…
We who choose to surround ourselves with lives even more temporary
than our own live within a fragile circle, easily and often breached.
Unable to accept its awful gaps, we still would live no other way.
We cherish memory as the only certain immortality, never fully
understanding the necessary plan…
“THE ONCE AGAIN PRINCE”, from “Separate Life Times” Irving Townsend
That is the face that, on my kitty, means “OOPS! I’m caught!”
What a pretty, fluffy boy he is!!
*Basketball Fuzz*
To explain a little better what a previous poster mentioned about declawing being amputation…
It IS amputation quite literally. They don’t just remove the CLAWS, they remove up to the first joint in a cat’s toe. One of the technicians in my vet’s office told me that she will take a vacation day anytime there is a declaw scheduled because she can’t stand to hear the cat SCREAMING and throwing itself against the walls of it’s cage because it is in so much pain.
How any feeling human being can do anything so VILE to an animal ON PURPOSE is beyond my understanding.
Laura, I agree totally with everything you said. I can’t believe there are vets that still do that! In searching for a vet one of the things I ask is if they declaw cats. If they say yes, I leave. You CAN find a vet who does not declaw cats, they are out there.
Actually I thought it was against the law to declaw a cat now adays. If it isn’t, it should be. If I knew about the soft claws twelve years ago I certaintly would have gone for that instead of declawing.
Did you know that Petsmart’s in house vet Banfield promotes declawing in their Kitten Wellness Plan? I didn’t. I heard about it about 2 weeks ago when I visited one of my on-line groups. Don’t believe it, check this site….
http://www.banfield.net/health/owp_kittens.asp
I was shocked and outraged. I will boycott Banfield’s from now on. If Petsmart doesn’t do something about this, I will boycott them also.
I have no problem getting my cat’s food from his vet.
I sent my complaint to this site….
http://www.petsmart.com/global/customerservice/contactUsForm.jsp
Oh dear, I have been taking my kitty to the local Banfields. I am disappointed that they would recommend this procedure.
Please read the Banfield site more carefully. It does not “promote” declawing. It offers it as an option under the Kitten Wellness Plan. Many animal hospitals offer declawing whether or not they feel a personal opposition to it. The hospital where I work (in case you’re curious, we are not a Banfield affiliate) is no exception. My personal feelings are that it is a sad procedure that I would never get for my cat, but I would rather see that happen then they be sentenced to a life in a shelter or, worse yet, killed.
The bottom line is, there is no “promoting” or “reccomending” of the procedure on the behalf of Banfield through that website - in fact, it notes that you should carefully discuss all options with your vet before proceeding with a declaw as a LAST RESORT.
Here is a link to an informative site about declawing cats and humane alternatives…
http://www.declawing.com/htmls/declawing.htm
Another alternative to declawing is a product called Soft Paws. Thay are little covers for claws. The website is http://www.SoftPaws.com or search soft paws on a search engine.
just look at those eyes!
This cat definately knows that they are in charge.
What an adorable fuzzy kitty. Look at all that fur around his ears! Partly Maine Coon perhaps? Don’t know, but he is a cutie. Love little gray fuzzie kitties I do!
Love this little Homer. As long as he gets lot’s of love and care, I’m sure he doesn’t care if he is on a farm or in the city. Love his coloring, very handsome little one.
HOMER HAS SUCH BEAUTIFUL BLUE EYES AND I LOVE THE COLORING CONGRATS ON YOUR NEW BABY HAVE FUN!!!
Very cute , and a very intense expression.
Does he have just one extra toe on each foot or a larger number?
What a cutie. That face is unforgetable. Got to love the little grey kitties.
What a handsome little sweetie! Love those blue eyes! God bless you and this baby always.
awww he’s so cute! love the polydactyls…and the greys….and all kitties
Just another thought on declawing …don’t do it. No furniture is worth the pain and suffering they go through. Your couch or chair doesnt meet you at the door, or sleep with you when you are sick,or give you kisses to wake you up when you are snoring. Furniture can always be replaced, a loving heart that trusts you is not as easy to replace.
Homer is a cutie pie, his name suits him well.
HE’S ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS!! I’ve always wanted a gray kitty!! Aren’t cats supposed to be spoiled?
Look at his dark little paws! how sweet!
Aaaauh…He’s so cute! He looks just like my kitty who passed…His name was Mr. Bigglesworth. My daughter named him, can you guess after whom? Now the kitty has gone to katnip heaven and my daughter is serving in Afganistan.
Please dont declaw your cat. Use the vinigar water spray bottle or the loud noise like rocks in a tin can to scar the cat when he scratches the couch. Then pick up your kitty and show him the scratching post. Get a good scratching post with a heavy base so it dosnt wobble.
Homer is just a cute! I love the darker grey paws!
One of my first jobs ever was cleaning out the kennels in a vet’s office. One of the things I will never forget seeing was two kittens after their declawing. The blood spots were visible from their bandages and the were very vocal. It broke my heart at the age of 15 and I will never declaw a cat. Please reconsider.
I used to work for a vet and declawing cats is much less painful if it is done before they are a year old. If your vet knows what he is doing, they recover quickly and neither of my cats ever bled afterwards. I realize that some think this is very cruel, but the truth is that sometimes it is necessary. Especially if your cats will be around children. I think it is a personal choice and judging those who choose to do is really uncalled for.
Oh, he is so cute! I love the eyes in contrast to the grey fur. Both you and he are lucky.
Oh what a cute little baby!!!
Homer is fabulous! About declawing, I had a beautiful siamese cat as a teen. My mother had Sunshine declawed. Unfortunately, Sunshine was attacked by a pack of dogs and couldn’t climb a tree to get away. The dogs won and I lost my Sunshine. Needless to say, no one in my family declaws cats. It was a hard lesson to learn. I enjoy this site everyday. Thankyou to the Kitten Master.
Tinafish from the birthplace of Elvis!
Thankyou all for the wonderful comments
In reply, I have no plans to declaw Homer. My spray bottle and routine clips have worked quite well. So no worries there! Thnks again, god bless, Kayla
Awww…… he is soooooo cute!!! He looks like a little gray ball of fluff. I”ve always wanted a kitty, but never recieved one!
:):):):):)
POLY WHAT? HOMER IS BEAUTIFUL BUT HE IS SO SERIOUS HE LOOKS KINDA stuffed? SORRY
oh i just looked up that poly thing more than normal toes or fingers ok!
sooo cute !
he is so adorable awe how cute he reminds me of my cat gigi
what a cute kitty.
Bown flatfaced FUZZ
ur kitten is so adorable!!!!!!
O MY GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HE IS THE CUTEST KITTY EVER!!!!! I WISH HE WAS MINE!!!!!!!!!
CUTE!!
is he part of the simpson family?