He cannot be Replaced, only succeeded

[darin]

Thursday we'll bring home these fellas.

We hope they eventually form a strong bond with our surviving cat, Bradlee.

We haven't picked out names yet, but we're leaning towards Matt (right) and Lofa (left).

[retiredman]

great looking kitties!

Lofa is an interesting name for a male cat. what is the background on it?

btw... are your cats declawed?

[Sitarro]

Thursday we'll bring home these fellas.

We hope they eventually form a strong bond with our surviving cat, Bradlee.

We haven't picked out names yet, but we're leaning towards Matt (right) and Lofa (left).

Good move..... 2 kittens will be able to wear each other out without bugging Bradlee too much(He will be able to watch, amused, at their childish antics). They are beautiful, Matt looks a lot like a Somali I once had. I'm sure they will be great fun.

[darin]

THANKS!

The Name Lofa(h) is a boy's name with the meaning(s) "Storm bird" and is Tongan in origin.

But our inspiration/ where we've heard the name: http://www.nfl.com/players/lofatatup...e?id=TAT743820



We're not fans of de-clawing. In fact, the (admittedly propaganda) stuff I've read makes me really not-like the practice.


We're VERY excited.

Good move..... 2 kittens will be able to wear each other out without bugging Bradlee too much(He will be able to watch, amused, at their childish antics). They are beautiful, Matt looks a lot like a Somali I once had. I'm sure they will be great fun.

They were the last pair of a litter - they way they moved around together in the visiting room - they were inseparable. We couldn't leave one. Their "personalities" were VERY much like our Brad and Mike when we got them. The lady at the Humane Society said they had one litter mate who looked full-Siamese; so, we know their dad is at least part 'other-than' Tabby.

[retiredman]

THANKS!

The Name Lofa(h) is a boy's name with the meaning(s) "Storm bird" and is Tongan in origin.

But our inspiration/ where we've heard the name: http://www.nfl.com/players/lofatatup...e?id=TAT743820



We're not fans of de-clawing. In fact, the (admittedly propaganda) stuff I've read makes me really not-like the practice.


We're VERY excited.

how is your furniture?

My wife and I are close (we hope) to moving to Mexico and we are planning on taking our cats with us...but we are also planning on getting new furniture. We asked our family vet about it just last month and he heartily recommended declawing (my wife and I HAD been against it). He said that the methods used today (by him) were really quite painless and that the cats quickly adjusted to it with little to no problem. We are going to have all four done prior to the move.

[darin]

Our furniture is torn-up just a little bit (really, only on the couch arms)...but here's what I read which leans me against de-clawing:

Unlike most mammals who walk on the soles of the paws or feet, cats are digitigrade, which means they walk on their toes. Their back, shoulder, paw and leg joints, muscles, tendons, ligaments and nerves are naturally designed to support and distribute the cat's weight across its toes as it walks, runs and climbs. A cat's claws are used for balance, for exercising, and for stretching the muscles in their legs, back, shoulders, and paws. They stretch these muscles by digging their claws into a surface and pulling back against their own clawhold - similar to isometric exercising for humans. This is the only way a cat can exercise, stretch and tone the muscles of its back and shoulders. The toes help the foot meet the ground at a precise angle to keep the leg, shoulder and back muscles and joints in proper alignment. Removal of the last digits of the toes drastically alters the conformation of their feet and causes the feet to meet the ground at an unnatural angle that can cause back pain similar to that in humans caused by wearing improper shoes.

http://www.maxshouse.com/Truth%20About%20Declawing.htm

[Sitarro]

how is your furniture?

My wife and I are close (we hope) to moving to Mexico and we are planning on taking our cats with us...but we are also planning on getting new furniture. We asked our family vet about it just last month and he heartily recommended declawing (my wife and I HAD been against it). He said that the methods used today (by him) were really quite painless and that the cats quickly adjusted to it with little to no problem. We are going to have all four done prior to the move.

My sister adopted her first house cat a few years ago. She has beautiful furniture and wasn't going to have a cat with claws. She had Sammy's front claws removed when he was a kitten and he doesn't miss them in the least. He still has his rear claws. I have spent a lot of time with him and I have had a lot of cats...... he draws my blood every time I play with him. He uses his front paws the same way as he would with claws but he seems to have much more strength in those arms to make up for the lack of claws. He jumps just as high and is very well balanced. He is also one of the most spoiled little shits on the planet. My sister and her family do take great care to not let him get out of the house....... I have clawed cats and do the same thing, there is nothing good for them outside.

[Sitarro]

Our furniture is torn-up just a little bit (really, only on the couch arms)...but here's what I read which leans me against de-clawing:



http://www.maxshouse.com/Truth%20About%20Declawing.htm

This seems like it would be very true in an outdoor environment but I have witnessed my sister's cat display all of the dexterity of my clawed cats. The claws being retracted make them more like fingernails until they come out, I don't see where, in a home environment, they would be needed. In fact, if not kept trimmed, I have seen my cats have problems with carpet.

I too was convinced that it wasn't a good idea until I saw how well Sammy adapted, he acts like he still has them and still stretches the same way. He is also one of the happiest cats I have ever met. He still can bite the ever loving crap out of you though and that is worse than any clawing I have ever had.

[darin]

I understand there are probably cats who don't miss their front claws. Still, that's something realized only after the procedure. I don't feel comfortable risking it. Plus, I like when they use their claws as we play with them - I don't mind a little blood; I want the cat to be a cat - not a puss.

I appreciate the comments, though - and the points of view on the issue.

[Kathianne]

Pretty kitties, dmp! I hope they and your family bond quickly.

[Sitarro]

I understand there are probably cats who don't miss their front claws. Still, that's something realized only after the procedure. I don't feel comfortable risking it. Plus, I like when they use their claws as we play with them - I don't mind a little blood; I want the cat to be a cat - not a puss.

I appreciate the comments, though - and the points of view on the issue.

I can understand that, my cat Amos has his favorite piece of driftwood that he will run to a couple times a day to sharpen his claws on(a root section of a small tree that I found in the Atchafalaya River 25 years ago)...... they are like razor blades. There is something very cool about having an animal which possesses the ability to rip the crap out of your face sleep next to it purring away.

[Abbey Marie]

Very pretty kitties, D.

I couldn't do that to a cat, but we adopted our cat from a shelter already declawed. She has trouble jumping up on a bed or couch, and often doesn't quite make it and falls back. She has smaller front paws, and we believe she has impaired balance due to the declawing.

Also, a friend of mine had her cat declawed and it almost died to due to infection from the surgery.

[darin]

Absolutely! Have you seen the little claw-condoms they have now? Basically it's a rubber 'thimble' thing which affixes over the cat's nails until the nail grows enough to push it off the claw.

With our other two (now one) cat, we'd just clip their nails every-so often. They'd still scratch the scratch mat okay, but they wouldn't tear-up the carpet as they walked.

[diuretic]

Beautiful kittens, they look a real pair of characters.

No way would I declaw. All my cats have been foundlings or from the shelter, none of them have ripped up my furniture, none have been declawed.

[glockmail]

I understand there are probably cats who don't miss their front claws. Still, that's something realized only after the procedure. I don't feel comfortable risking it. Plus, I like when they use their claws as we play with them - I don't mind a little blood; I want the cat to be a cat - not a puss.

I appreciate the comments, though - and the points of view on the issue.

The cat I have now was a stray and started to claw up shit. I kept a spray bottle of water handy, set it on stream, and could hit him with it accurately at 20'. Two or three times with that when he was "in the act" took care of the problem. That was several years ago and there hasn't been a problem since. Call it "water boarding" for cats- very effective.

Personally I think anyone who de-claws a cat should have thier own fingernails pulled out as part of the deal.