Bad case of cat scratch fever....

[AllAboutThe'O']

And no, it's not about Ted Nugent.

So I was getting ready to meet some friends for lunch and in the process of tying my shoes when Leah, my frisky cat, goes after the shoelaces. While doing that, she gashes a couple of my left fingers, which forces me to get them bandaged up on the spot. This a night after she leaves a deep claw mark on my right arm (which is sticking out like an eyesore right now as I'm typing this) while running around my house.
Which gives me a difficult decision to make: Declaw her or don't declaw her. One friend is all for declawing it, but my neighbor is against it, playing the "how will she fend herself?" card, although there are strong indications that she prefers to be an indoor cat. So, fellow SOers, what would you do in this situation?

[yermom]

clip her nails occaisionally

[JohnnyMack]

Kill it. Throw it in the river. /

[JohnnyMack]

I had a cat. Never had him declawed. Used a spray bottle to teach him not to use his claws when he was playing with me and not to claw up the furniture. It works. Cats CAN be disciplined.

[critical_phil]

Cats CAN be disciplined.

no man can tame a wild *****.


just my experience.

[SoonerInKCMO]

Declawing isn't exactly the nicest thing you can do to a cat... I think it's actually equivalent to amputating one's fingers at the first knuckle. Could be wrong though.

So, instead of doing that, I think the next time it scratches you, just grab it by the scruff of its neck and throw it up against the wall.

[yermom]

heh

it's hilarious how much they hate the water gun/spray bottle...

[sooneron]

A dog is very easy to break, but cats make you work for their affection.
- They don't sell out the way dogs do.

[Norm In Norman]

We didn't declaw our current cat. He doesn't scratch us. He does keep trying to scratch the chair that isn't "his" chair though. I've broken him of scratching anything else.

[AllAboutThe'O']

Hmmmmmm, maybe I should buy a squirt gun, instead.

[crawfish]

Stir-fry, serve with orange sauce.

Yeah, like that's not what you're getting with Chinese takeout anyhow.

[crawfish]

On a more serious note: you can get cat scratch fever from a young puppy (3-6 mos). Our middle child was scratched and ended up with a rare bone infection. Scared us to death for a while when we thought it might be bone cancer.

Trim them puppy nails.

[AlbqSooner]

no man can tame a wild *****.


just my experience.

Why would you want to? Wild is good!

[handcrafted]

That's what you get for being cat staff. Get some fish instead.

[NormanPride]

I clip mine's claws. He hated it the first few times, but he just kind of sits there now. I can tell he still doesn't like it, but he knows there's no getting away, and it doesn't hurt.

It makes things a lot easier on me when he decides to jump on my back when I'm getting dressed in the morning.

[JohnnyMack]

Get a water bottle.

Don't declaw her.