The Seven Deadly Cat Sins! 

The most important rule of all wasn't even mentioned and I'm both shocked and appalled. Never, never, never, NEVER throw away an empty cardboard box. These empty boxes are a sign of true love. Your cat will worship you as you do your cat.

When I initially adopted my cat, whenever she started scratching my couch or doorframe, I brought out the treats and held them against the scratching post, until she reached for it with her paws and started scratching. Very quickly she would start going for the scratching post immediately whenever she wanted to scratch! I kept reinforcing it with treats for a couple of weeks, and she has left my furniture alone since, I was surprised at how painless the redirect was 😸

I took my cat to the vet for a spay operation. They asked if I wanted a declaw and I said that I did not. That afternoon, I picked up my cat, and they gave me instructions to use shredded paper for litter. I was confused. This wasn’t discussed with me during the pre procedure visit. “It’s for the declaw.” I was livid! There was another cat that was to be spayed and declawed. They’d confused the cats because they had similar names and looked identical. I didn’t pay for the declawed, but my poor cat endured an unnecessary procedure. For years, she would bite. I didn’t blame her or correct her, because it wasn’t her fault. Eventually, she bit less.

From the moment I found out exactly what de-clawing actually is, I started to tell everyone! Anyone that has a pet, talks about pets, or even when I am just gushing about my cat, I tell them that it isn't just permanently pulling out the claws! It is literally removing the ends of their fingers essentially. You have no idea how many people had NO CLUE!

I'm still always mortified to hear that de-clawing is even legal anywhere. In Australia this has been illegal for ages. De-clawing outside of medical reasons just seems unthinkable. I really do think that if you are not prepared to work around the species you're bringing into your home, then don't do it. I have 3 Burmese and have found this isn't a problem. I trim their claws regularly and provide many other options for them to claw on. It'll be great to see some more progression towards more respect for animals and their adorable ways that cause us to love them. In Australia, there is no ear trimming, tail docking or de-barking of dogs either - c'mon guys, we can do better for our fur family.

The "don't force interaction" tip makes me think of seeing a friend while walking on a street. It's alright to invite them over to your place to hangout if you see them randomly, but don't grab your friend and stuff them into your car

My boy Kermit (in profile photo) is 17 years old and I feel sad reading these comments about declawing for a different reason. 17 years ago, when he was a kitten, I got him (front) declawed. I thought that since he was still very young that he'd easily adjust and never miss them. While this is true and he's always been an amazingly good and happy indoor boy, I'VE changed and will NEVER do this to another cat. I feel bad about his super small front paws in comparison to his big back paws. I feel bad when other cat lovers meet him for the first time and notice he's front declawed. Some even say something to try and make me feel bad or just turn colder toward me, and even though I told the local cat adoption agency that I will never do it again, they rudely denied me when I tried to adopt a kitten friend for him so he's not lonely when I work. I don't know how to explain that I already feel like sh*t and it would be nice if I could be given another chance -- because if I could do it all over again, I wouldn't have. People do change, grow up, and become less ignorant if they want to. Why condemn someone who loves all cats forever because they didn't know how inhumane it was over a decade and a half ago? If I could put Kermit's knuckles back on, I would, but I can't and I'm sorry. I just needed to say this here, even if people reply with more hate. Thank you for reading.

I had to correct my daughter on #3. I told her that her boy doesn't understand and it only makes him lose trust with her. If he scratches something, move a scratch post in front of it. If he's biting, turn away from him and wait until he settles down to play again... or use a wand toy so your hands are not close to him.

I’m a vet, and I’m going to start recommending this video to my new cat parent clients. This is gold. Thank you for your services to cats, my good sir.

I'm Swedish, where it is illegal to declaw cats, and I had never even heard of the word "declaw" until I started watching content from the US. It's absolutely horrifying and, just like docking the ears and tails of dogs, unnatural and ruins their options of communication, leaving almost only aggressive outcomes.

I am a tiny bit proud as a first time cat mom to say that I do NONE of these to my babies and the way they knead on me while I'm lying down, purring all the while and the way they chirp as soon as they see me...Tells me I am making my home a happy and safe space for them😊

Thank You! Back 25 years ago, my Vet just declawed the front paws. I picked him up, I was crying. I never did it again. I now clip or gently file. We make a relaxed experience. I’ve learned so much from you! Our new boy gets to experience what we learned.

Sabot, my 14 y.o. MaineCoon, had his front claws removed sometime in his early life. I'm the fourth caregiver Sabot has had and I see every day the disabilities he's lived with. Fortunately, Sabot is very intelligent and has managed to improvise for the loss and has taught me enough of his language to better assist him. He cant climb a tree but he can jump like a tiger. He's a good boy and I love him! *Updated - 11/7/22 - Sabot died in his sleep this morning. He was two months shy of 15 years of age. He was very much loved.

Wow. I'm from Germany and never realised what declaw really means. I thought it was just trimming and not complete removal of the claws - really sick. Absolutely disgusting and nobody should get a cat who does this. It's an animal with claws and teeth, if that's not your thing get a snail.

Wow I never even heard of declawing cats (I'm from The Netherlands). That's crazy really. I'm surprised that it's not banned in the US and Canada.

Wow, decloring a bit extreme. I never even heard of that. We do live in Australia 🇦🇺 so I'm super glad we are a country that doesn't allow this practice 😀 Thank you for your information. I appreciate it.

We received an adult male cat who was declawed and I tell you it was a horrible experience to witness for the 9 years we had coconut. Our other cats went about their daily routine and watching coconut struggle on the scratch pad and even catching a bug was difficult. DONT DECLAW YOUR CAT! Please 😢

I saw a cat up for adoption in a store and I happily played with his outstretched paws for a bit and I thought he was declawed since he batted my fingers with soft toe beans. I realized though he still had his claws! Cats know when is the right times, and this sweetie was happy and intact :)

Yes **please** never declaw your cat! My cat was basically feral when first rescued and i have plenty of scars from her, BUT shes lived with me for years now and is super sweet! She hates getting them trimmed but at least she is whole 💓

My last adoption organization required adopters to sign a contract prior to taking ownership. As a lifetime cat owner, complying wasn't even a consideration, however there were two points that stood out to me. The first was that the cat was to be indoors-only. The second, and far more important in my eyes, was the cat should never be declawed. Again, neither of these points required any contemplation, but I was very pleased that this was emphasized nonetheless.

7. :35 Don’t feed your cat milk 6. 1:25 Don’t skip vet visits 5. 2:50 Don’t dress your cat up 4. 4:10 Don’t force interactions 3. 6:30 Don’t punish your cat 2. 8:55. Don’t force your cat for content 1. 10:15. Don’t declaw your cat

Never Declaw Club Here. My oldest cat HATED having his claws clipped, but he would let them grow long enough they curled and we HAD to clip them. He would make the worst noises when we tried to clip them (even our neighbors came over one day because they thought we were abusing him). We tried the thundershirts and a claw clip bag, but he still was so difficult about it. Even our vet tried to show us the "right way" but after him and three vet techs held our kitty down and managed to clip ONE claw, the vet just said "I think he is a candidate for declawing." Absolutely NOT. I worked with our kitty. I started by massaging his paws. He fought for a bit and then relaxed after a few months. Then I started extending his claws during the massages. Again, it took months until he didn't fight it. Then I start clipping one nail during the paw massages. Then two and so on, again for months. After a year or two, he is now very good about getting his claws clipped. Cats take patience. If you don't have patience, then don't own a cat.

My cat seems to enjoy having a jacket or sweater on 😂 But we also go for walks on the leash and if its cold out, he likes his jacket. He purrs when getting dressed and ready to go for a walk.

My poor baby(17 years old) was declawed before we got her. It was very sad and she's only 5.6 pounds. She is the kindest little thing. She trusts me so much. Her name is Daisy but I call her my little 5-pound bag of potatoes. She currently lying on my bed, and more than 4 to 5 times a day she'll come up to me and just lay in my lap wanting attention and to be pet. I can't say no to her pretty much begging for attention. She likes to hang out in my room all day(I still live with my mom for now) she has a litter box, food, and water accessible to her in my bedroom in case she doesn't want to come out that day. I let her out of my room when I either go to my dad's or I go to school so that she can get some time to socialize with my other 2 cats. She's the newest addition to our family we rescued her in late December 2022. And she has been in my room for about 8 months. She loves hanging out with me even when I'm in the kitchen making dinner for myself. I will pet her but not give her any of my food because lots of the time I eat food that she can't eat because of her sensitie stomach. Lately, she's been having some problems neurological(that's what I think at least. I've been taking a class in my senior year of high school to get some college credits so I can become a veterinarian.) And I don't know how much longer she'll be with us. She is my little buddy. And i can't risk losing her. So I'm planning on getting a job at my local vet clinic so I can do 2 different things. A) so I can bring her to a vet that I can know and trust that my baby will be safe with and B) so I can afford to go to veterinary school after I get my general college education finished. I'm really hoping that my local vet can figure out what's wrong with her and we can help her. She is really old and in reality, we don't know how much longer she'll be with us. I'm hoping she has at least 3 more years left. I know it's a stretch but I want her i be there for me while I'm going through community college. But I also don't want her to suffer. If she passed away. I know shell be safe over the Rainbow Bridge with all of my other pets who have crossed over into the afterlife. I honestly don't know how this went from me talking about how my poor Daisy was declawed to me talking about her numbered days but I guess it was something I really needed to get off my chest. If you've made it this far into reading this, thank you for listening to a high school rant about their beloved elderly cat.

when declawing is the subject I always tell people this: "sooooo, then you think it's OK for dogs to have all their teeth pulled because they might bite??!" Cats need scratching places and dogs need chewing toys, it's that simple, just respect the animal.

About the declawing, I fought so hard to get my Cinna to not be declawed by my parents when I was in middle school. I highly suggest talking to your parents when they want to declaw your new kitten. I talked them out of it with good arguments and facts about how much it damages your cats. I’m a college graduate now and my kitten has gotten to enjoy his claws and no arthritis for years :)

Really fun and helpful information. Thank you. It opened my eyes to a couple of things that I need to change straight away. Happy New Year! To you and 😺your loved ones.😊💕

I could never declaw Beandip. What I found that worked (And I recommend this) when I'd see her scratching on leather furniture and stuff, I walked over, gently picked her up, and took her to her cat post. I micked the gesture of scratching the furniture. 6 years later, she's still using either her cat post or my wooden laundry basket. Of course she purrfurs the laundry basket but hey, still looks the same as when I got it

My cat taught me everything about himself. Everytime I did something he didn't like, he gently pushed my hand away with his paw and gave me grumpy look😂

I trim my cats claws from time to time and when you first started talking about declawing I thought this was what you talked about. I panicked. Everyone has told me that trimming their claws isn't hurtful as long as you only trim a little (never close to "the quick"). But I now understand that declawing is something entirely different. Never heard of it before, it's illegal in my country. As it should be.

MAN!! I had to put up signs all over the house to keep visitors from forced petting. Ava-Houdini only tolerates petting for about 5 seconds. Then she spins around and bites or scratches. Good site. We have been cat lovers for close to 50 years. All awesome. Ava-Houdini still freaks people out when we go for a walk in the park.

My cat actually loves going to vet lol She gets in her carrier and everything. The vet and the techs think it’s hilarious but she’s their favorite because she’s easy. She’s really smart so I think she understands even though it’s not fun they are trying to help.

I like the expression you used "deknuckling" instead of declawing. A lot of people do not understand the process and pain it causes to cats and the long term effect. I also appreciate that you pointed out that a cat may turn to urinating outside the litter box and using biting instead of scratching after being declawed. None of my cats are declawed and I don't support declawing (deknuckeling). It is wrong.

We got our first cat about 6 years and I mentioned to my dear cat loving friend that I wanted to declaw my new kitten and she strongly suggested not to and sent me your way. I’m happy to say we now have 2 cats that we love dearly. I’m grateful for my cat loving friend for telling me about your channel. Thank you, it truly is about educating the public.

I was raised by a very angry father. I used to threaten my cat by yelling and chucking my slipper at her. I'm so sorry to her. Now I speak in a tone that's assertive but fair and II think she gets it. We developed other effective things too like picking her up and placing things back that tought her to never throw things off.

I've never heard of declawing a cat. At first I thought it meant to cut the top of the claw but never thought of actually removing the whole claw. Thats just evil and should be illegal.

The squirt bottle thing backfired with my cats in a totally different way: they liked it. They realized it was like a little shower, a perfect way to jump start grooming. So, if I pulled out the water bottle, it would trigger the scratching so they'd get the squirts they wanted! 😹🍀

Thanks for addressing declawing. I’m immune compromised. I used nail caps when she was tiny, until she learned to control her claws. If she scratched me (the nail caps made this totally safe/painless) I gently put her down and ignored her for 2 min. Once she was 6 months old I didn’t need to use the caps anymore. I’ve never been scratched or had an infection. She’s 10.

My two cats kept clawing at our beautiful carpet in the hall. I placed a scratching post there, and they are enjoying that more than when it was in it's former spot!

There's these little silicone claw covers you can buy called Soft Paws. You just put them on in each claw on the front and they can scratch without doing damage. It's kinda like stick on nails

I had a friend with a declawed cat (that they inherited from a family member), and he had all the declaw issues: refusal to use his litter box, frequent biting, and early arthritis in his paws. When he passed away in his mid-teens, my friend and their spouse wanted to get another cat... and the spouse was determined that the new cat would also be declawed, to save their young kids and their furniture. It was a campaign of sending them digital pamphlets and videos, and drawing correlations from research to their own previous cat's behaviours, but eventually they decided not to declaw. Three years later, their new cat never bites, swats without extending her claws (and only if provoked beyond reason), uses her litter box and scratching posts, and is frequently described by both as "the perfect cat." Declawing is never the answer!

I had a cat, that the previous owner threw and kicked whenever he felt like it, and she was so fearfull that it took me almost 7 months to get her to let go of the past and relax. She was so afraid of everything and everyone, it really broke my heart. I had her for almost 5 years, before she died of old age, she just fell asleep one night in my arms and never woke up again. I miss my little Rosie T_T

We have 4 cats, and my husband orders stuff and as soon as that box is open(no matter the size) they wrestle to get in it, and it doesn’t matter if they don’t fit in the box, cuz they really try hard to fit! One dug out all the crayons in our granddaughter’s pencil box so he could sit in it, he didn’t fit at all! They love the crinkle paper and the packing peanuts. And when a delivery truck pulls up,well it’s cats Christmas AGAIN,they are right in the window at the ready, cuz it must be a box for them!

Thank you for informing cat owners of so many good things to do and not do for their pets. I especially think the cat declawing is one of the most important.

My friend had a cat that wouldn't let anyone touch him. When I visited I would greet him by name but never tried to touch him. I'll never forget the look on my friends face when she walked back into the room and he was letting me pet him. You definitely have to let the cat come to you in their own time. ❤️

I actually convinced my landlord to change their policies about requiring tenants to declaw their cats. They told me their policy when we were interviewing, and I told them about all the stuff I've seen on your show about what can happen when you declaw a cat. I also told them about everything I do to keep his nails trimmed, and how he hadn't scratched up anything in our old place. They allowed it, and I moved in without issues. I ended up having to move out, but then I moved back(long story). I brought it up and they said they no longer had that policy. It was a different person, and they actually hadn't even heard about the policy before.

I cannot imagine de-clawing a poor kitty! Thank you for the video, poor Atticus will now have no more milk, but at least his poo will smell better :)

Honestly I feel like she wouldn’t even be the same if i declawed her she likes to grab at my fingers with her claws and pull my hand to her mouth she never hurts me and when she wants something to scratch I’ll give her a scratching post. I decided to take her in and she is a blessing to me everyday and I hope that I can give her a good and happy life. Thanks for helping me understand her better

I’m actually super impressed and proud of myself for not doing any of these, my cats repay me with love, trust and throw up on my carpet, truly a blessing

My cat is hilariously confused about overstimulation. She begs for pets, gets overstimulated and runs away, only to turn around after five steps and come back begging for more 😹 It's a vicious, hilarious cycle.

I am so sorry that you are going thru this very painful time with Caroline. You will make the right decision regardless. I admire you so much for not making a hasty decision as so many people do with their furr babies. You, your wife, Caroline will be in my prayers. As well as all Caroline’s medical team.

My kitten thought she found a wonderful scratching post on my sofa and I immediately said No Lottie not there, picked her up and put her paws on her scratching post, gently pressed her nails onto it and showed her how it's done😂and that's where she does it now. Did that twice. They're super smart... Learn very quickly.. Just remain consistent.

I remember almost 30 years ago our vet tried to convince my parents to have our cat de-clawed, my parents basically dropped the f-bomb on the vet and took our cat and walked out of his office. They started taking our animals to a new vet after that. My parents logic besides the whole cruelty issue was that our cat would have been left defenseless.

As a non-native English speaker, when I first saw the word "declaw", I thought it was just another way to say cutting nails. But as Jackson expains it later, and I googled it, and I was like WTF? Why would anyone do that to their cat?!

Hi Jackson , I have listened to the section about not punishing your cat with a water bottle . You make some valid points. Can you provide a video of some healthier alternative methods, solutions to help your cat to stop unwanted behaviours like scratching on couch or climbing areas you dont want them to go . Im thinking perhaps a safe & healthy scent spray that deters them ? Or do you have other suggestions you can offer . Thank you !

Homeless, four kitten to grown two babies, you advice is priceless, we have home for them soon. I work hard enough. Princess lily bell, mama Heather, and the Lil. Ones nightshade and my Lil buddy moonstone. I only Waterspray when I open the back hatch for their box or laundry, ect. Your words are correct 100% Thanks bro... I will love my kittens and let them be the Lil guys they are❤

The rules if your lazy - 7. DONT FEED YOUR CAT MILK 0:35 (feed milk to the cat that google suggests) 6. Dont skip annual vet visits 1:22 5. Dont dress your cat 2:50 it may be uncomfortable yet maybe the cat ends ripping it 4. Dont force interactions 4:09 forcing interactions would irritate your cat so dont interact much unless they want to interact with you 3. Dont punish 6:30 Punishing would hurt your cat, maybe it'll run away.. 2.Dont do anything that your cat wouldn't like 8:58 This would make the cat uncomfortable/mad 1. Dont declaw your cat 10:20 And lastly. DONT ABUSE YOUR CAT! Edit: OMG thank you so much for 500 likes! Its awesome extra tip: Don't change furnitures because it'll mess up their routine and run away

I'm from Denmark, one of the countries where it's illegal, and I was HORRIFIED when I found out what declawing was. It's horrible and I don't get how it's still still legal in many places. A simple way to put it? If you don't want to deal with an animal with claws, don't get an animal with claws.

P.S. I only use squirter bottle to keep them from running out while I do kitty/human chores...

Theyre living things not toys for our entertainment. I agree with this ☺️thank you for spreading awareness amd doing what you do

The shelter where I got my current cat actually had a thing as part of the adoption agreement that said I'm not allowed to declaw the cat. I would never do it anyhow, but I'm glad they are spreading awareness.

Great advice. Long ago, I had a tortoiseshell named Joker. She was definitely particular about petting. She would make a little sound that meant stop when she'd had enough. One time, a friend of a friend came over and she was allowing the petting. Then, she made her noise. I warned him to stop petting her or she would nip his hand. He ignored me and she nipped him. Then he complained that my cat bit him.

I only put a jacket on my cat when we are going outside in winter!!!! not for being cute but to keep her warm 🫤

Hallelujah!!! A person who really understands cats. I have been preaching these issues for years. Thankfully, in my country, we are not allowed to declaw.

For anyone confused about #1, Declawing is AMPUTATION -- imagine if someone amputated all your fingers at the first joint...

Something that I have noticed works really well with cats and scratching behavior is this: When they scratch the couch, immediately remove them from said furniture and place them right on the scratching post. That is what we did consistently with my Sassy when she was a kitten and she hasn't scratched a piece of furniture in over 10 years.

Dont throw away tuna juice from the can. Cats are crazy about it because of the taste receptors (like us with Umami)

Hey man, I just got my kitten. She's so shy! I names her simba she's white with black delmatine dots all over her! She's unique! Ur videos are really helping me, I was starting to think she doesn't like me but after watching ur videos I gained some knowledge! It's a massive change from a dog but hey I got attacked and would probably be afraid of living with one. But hey me and Shimba got eachtoher

Getting my first cat ever in a week! She’s a shy beautiful two year old dilute calico girl who was rescued off a euthanasia list while pregnant. Super excited but a little nervous too! Thanks Jackson for all the help!!!

I'm from Germany and I didn't even know that there are people declawing cats. People I know either straight up say "I value my belongings more, so I don't get a cat" or they search for solutions that don't mutilate their cats. It's mindblowing to me, that there are people who claim to love their pets and then go ahead and do something as cruel as this.

So relieved ! I am a pretty good cat parent :). But, the “forced” kisses don’t count 🤭 and great reminder for vet visits. Thank you

I didn't even know what declawing was, I thought it was the trimming of nails which I'm preparing myself to do with my cat 😅 I'm shocked about declawing, I can't even believe it's a thing 😐

“Three pets and I’m out.” Perfectly describes my cat. He always wants to be in the same room, especially if two people are talking, but definitely not a lap cat.

There should also be a Number 8: Do NOT feed your cat vegan food. They require meat to thrive, and you should also avoid any pet food that lists a grain/plant as the first ingredient (the ingredient listed first is present in greater volume than the others). So, if the first ingredient listed is wheat or corn, it's trash food. Make sure you are giving your furbabies the nutrients they need to live long, healthy lives XD.

Thanks for that. Just found your channel and look forward to foraging through your content. Btw - About scratching posts - we have quite a tall one, which I think is more attractive for our cats, who like to really reach up and scratch. They don’t scratch the furniture but do have a bit of a go at the carpet. I have a feeling that shorter scratching posts go ignored.

Just got my kitty the other day. The scratching is good! It let me know when he was making biscuits or wanted to get down. Unless the goal is to have a completely captive cat...

Thank you for the “don’t force your cat for content” rule. I am so sick of what people do to cats and other animals for the internet. Truly the most horrific abuse I have seen has been done for that reason. I’ve had to argue with people why abuse is not okay and I’m constantly met with “I don’t care” “It’s cute” “It’s funny” and it just makes me so sad.

I can't believe people "declaw" their cats and think it's ok 😢 thank you for making that point no. 1

The double stick tape works very good

I made the mistake once when I was younger to declaw my cat and they botched it and she had a claw growing through her pads I felt horrible and will NEVER do that again

We adopted a cat that was abandoned. Since she had to live "wild", she'd learned to use her claws and bites at full strength. When adopted, she has adjusted to love bites and using the "approved" areas for her claws. She learned within 1-2 months! During that time, we had NO furniture or wall damage, just a cat who was learning her limits.

I have never encountered a person so passionate about cats like Jackson. You're right; it's criminal to still allow declawing!

I just recently adopted a cat and follow a lot of your tips. One of the biggest things of getting the family on board was being very transparent that she was not going to be declawed period, which we all agreed to. Along with the shelter had a requirement in the paperwork that you cannot declaw any cat adopted from them. I think thankfully more and more word is getting around about how terrible declawing is

I have a feral cat & have several rubber mats. Front door back door & kitchen. She uses the mats to scratch & has never scratched any thing else in my house. EVER

I was a little kid when my parents got my childhood cat declawed. He slept with his eyes open for weeks and it broke my heart. After that he bit. Seeing the poor guy like that made me as a kid realize how horrible it was, long before I ever learned about it.

Being honest, about 30 years ago with my first pair of cats,I had them declawed per our rental agreement. Only afterward did I learn what it actually meant. Although they are long passed (living into their late teens), I've felt deeply guilty ever since.

I had no idea people don’t do an annual Vet visit. However, I’m horrified that people would declaw a cat. Great rules and I was happy I’m not in trouble 😊

For scratching my technique were 3 simple ingredients, the sticky paws, a spray of heavy lemon and orange concentration, and catnip to put on toys and vioalh! furniture is now safe and my cats play with the toys only, even they stray kittens when they come for a visit know what not to scratch.

I had an ingrown toenail removed and some of my nail had to be cut too, the top of my toe hurt so bad anytime that exposed part was touched. I can't even begin to imagine what it's like for a cat who is declawed. Losing a part of one nail on one foot drove me nuts, I can't even imagine what it would be like for all of them to be gone. If you wouldn't want it done to you, dont do it to your pets.

I was at the vet with my own fur baby and was in the waiting room and I heard a lady that had just brought in 2 adopted cats and was in with the vet. She told the vet she wanted to have them declawed and I was pleased to hear the vet tell her all the things about declawing and she was really trying to discourage the owner from doing this from infection to additional behavioral issues. I couldn't help but cringe listening to the process she was explaining and the high chance of infection due to the cat box. I have had cats all of my life and I fundamentally disagree with declawing. DON'T GET A CAT! Cats are meant to have their claws...they serve a purpose for them. What if the cat gets out of the house and gets in a fight with another animal? They NEED those to defend themselves. I just don't understand the thought process.🙀

I carefully trim just the sharp tip of the claws but I don't really see my cat trying to scratch anything. I only trim her claws cause she likes to climb on me and it's pretty painful

I was raised on a farm. We used squirt milk to the barn cats straight from the teat

When I worked for a vet, he would hand out a pamphlet called "you can't declaw with love" One side of the paper had the medical issues with declawing, on the other side the psychological issues that occur! Thank you for stressing this! I ccan't believe that it's still legal in the states, hopefully we can ban this barbaric practice!

Michigan is currently working toward a ban on declawing cats. When i was 21 i had my cat declawed, i didnt know the truth about it and I regretted it immediately upon bringing him home. I never did that to another cat, and 20 years later i still feel terrible for declawing Mosier

I had a cat who wore clothes as a medical necessity. She had tumors all over her body that were very itchy. She wore a shirt to keep her from licking/scratching them raw. She wasnt a huge fan, but she also didnt seem to mind. She also got weekly baths with medicated shampoo to help with the itching. She hated it, but it kept her from scratching for a week or more. The most i can put on my other cat is a bandana, which i occasionally do for holidays. I tried putting her in other clothing once, poor baby hated it, so we never did it again.

I always learn so much from you. Thank you for all your great information. I have always absolutely loved cats since I was a young child. I just love all their different personalities, and especially their feline instincts. I have 4 cats and I just love watching them do their cat things. Cats are amazing. ❤❤

Imma add Number 8: Don't expect them to use a filthy litterbox! I am cleaning it 2-3 times every day, I knew people that just left them for days and then got mad at the cat for not wanting to go into it anymore ...

#8: do not “let” your cat experience one heat, one sexual encounter, or one litter before spay/neuter. Speuter early; vets can do them at a few weeks of age these days. Your cat will be healthier and happier for it. #9: if your cat has kittens, do not give them away as soon as they’re weaned. Wait until they are at least 8 weeks, preferably 12, before separating/rehoming them. There are things kittens learn from mom between weaning and 3 months that will make everyone’s life together happier and healthier. This Includes things like litter box training, using scratching posts, etc. #10: get your cat fully vaccinated. Follow through with boosters as needed. Even if they’re going to be “indoor only”, they can and will escape, even if only for short periods. It only takes one interaction with a sick cat to give yours a deadly disease.

My child hood cat learned from the small water squirt bottle.. never got on the couch or counters 🐾💕 never needed the squirt bottle ever again after a couple months.

Thank you, Jackson, for parting knowledge! I very much appreciate that you are out there putting forth the results of yours and others' research. It is incredibly helpful!