What pets do you have? Feel free to post pics!

[okarol]

Oh what a darling little baby! She looks like mink! 

[Wattle]

Oh what a darling little baby! She looks like mink! 

Hey.... What about calling her Mink 

[kitkatz]

That is one cute kitty.  Call her Catty!

[okarol]

Miss Catty Minx hehehehe

[Sluff]

Miss Marly Mink.  She is so pretty and cuddly looking. have you bonded yet? Tell us all the details, did she ride home on your lap? Is she a cuddly.

[jbeany]

Marleigh?

Congrats!

[angela515]

She is adorable! Congrats Susie, im happy for you. 

[charee]

i'm so happy for you Susie She looks a cutie

[RichardMEL]

Yay!! Mina!!! how adorable is she... I can see years of happiness and support between the two of you

I hope she's purring on your lap in no time

[Falkenbach]

WOW! You finally got your cat! 

Somebody suggested "Mink" - I like it.

[Amanda From OZ]

wow Congratulations Susie she is beautiful!!!

I am so happy you finally have a cat!!

Animals bring so much Love and joy into people lives.... i am so happy you get to experience this also.

Amanda xxoo

[anja]

Prissy                              What a sweetie that chose you!   
Venus
Cuddles
Tiddles
SamiSue
Shadow
Mollie
Synda
Tawny
Gigi
Chynna
Sydney

[Joe Paul]

Very nice kitty, congratulations!

[nextnoel]

Congratulations big time!   She looks sweet. 

[MyssAnne]

Nina!! She is sooo cute!!! I love her markings!   

[Hawkeye]

That is such a cute little cat.  She looks like a cross between a seal point and a torty.  Very cute indeed.

[goofynina]

Ok, this is a serious question,  How do you all feel about de-clawing a cat, i have already called to get prices and they said she has to be 6 monts or older so that gives me 2 months to decide.  I value all of your opinions,  let me tell you, right now, her claws are sharp as razors and when she walks her claws are getting caught in my carpet,  she does enjoy scratching her cat scratcher though and i want to make her a cat tree (dont know if she will be able to climb it with no claws,   i had a cat that i had declawed and he was a very normal cat, never had a problem or anything, Please advise, thank you. 

[nextnoel]

It's a personal decision, but "declawing" actually involves amputating the first digit of each toe (front paws only).  (Talk about "ouch").  It alters, in a slight but significant way, how they have to walk, although they get used to it. If you don't declaw them, you routinely clip their nails (which you have to do on the rear paws of the "declawed" cats, anyway).  This is not a big deal.  My 2 cats were both declawed before they came to me.  I clip their back claws about every 2 weeks - they don't like that, but I'm bigger than they are, and there are techniques that make it easier if they don't cooperate, and provide them with a scratching post.  Cats with no claws bite more than cats with claws - their main line of defense (claws) being unavailable, it's a natural response.  And, of course, cats with no front claws have to stay indoors for safety's sake (I believe you already mentioned she'd be an indoors-only kitty).  There are techniques to train them not to shred your furniture, if that's their inclination, although some of that's just plain unavoidable.  Also cats without claws sometimes are clumsier in their jumping/running/etc. than those with claws.

It's a personal decision, but if I had a choice, I would never declaw a cat unless I absolutely felt I had to.  Part of having a living thing in your life is dealing with its inherent physiology and needs.  Unless you have particularly valuable antique furniture, my advice would be to maintain your own kind personality and let the poor beast keep its claws!

[jbeany]

If you start with the claw clipping early and often, it stops being a problem for the kitty.  I wasn't going to declaw my last kitty - but had to in the end.  In spite of the claw clipping, she kept climbing the curtains and walking along the curtain rod.  I didn't care about the damage to the curtains, but she kept slipping off the rod, and then getting hung up by her back claws when she fell down.  If I wasn't home to rescue her, she would end up upside down for so long that she would vomit.  I was afraid I'd end up prying a dead kitty off the curtains.  I had a choice of no curtains or no claws.  She was pretty mad, but she got over it.

[Hawkeye]

I don't like declawing myself, but sometimes you really have no choice due to restriction by landlords and what not.  Like Nextnoel said declawing involves removing part of their toes.  Imagine chopping off each of your fingers at the knuckle below your fingernail, it's the same thing.  If like me you don't like the idea of this there is a product out there that you may be interested in that could solve that dilemma.

www.softpaws.com

This is just one option, I believe there are a few companies out there offering this same type product.  You should give these a try first before making the ultimate decision.  You can choose several different colors, almost kinda like it's nail polish for cats.  If after a while you find they are not working for you for some reason and you still find the nee for declawing at least you can say you tried first.

[glitter]

looking at my couch-which has bare wood showing where they have clawed it to the frame-if it is an indoor cat I would be in favor of de-clawing it.
One of my cats goes outdoors to poop-so I can't de-claw any of them, but i sure would like a new couch.......de-clawing it may make your husband happier, I know how angry mine gets when they claw the furniture.

[goofynina]

Thank you for all of your input, i still have 2 months to think about it.  Right now i am more worried for MY skin than my furniture, lol,  once i hold her and cuddle her and love her, i try to put her down, ohhhh hell no, she aint having it, she tries to climb on me and let me tell you those suckers hurt BAD,  so we will see what happens within the next couple of months, thanks again everyone 

[anja]

Goofynina, my grandchildren have 2 cats that are inside only.  They got their nails covered with plastic covers, does look like nail polish and may be what Hawkeye suggested, I don't know.  Those covers really work and save on the skin, furniture, and doors!  Best of luck- in the meantime can you just clip the sharp ends with a baby nail clipper?  That worked for me when I had 6 mouths to feed( kittens, that is)  and their nails were like little razors!  Don't want you scarred for life~ and it interrupts the bonding when there is blood everyday!

[kitkatz]

The cat will grow up and you can teach her not to claw you by putting her down whenever she does claw at you.  It takes time for them to adjust to the new house and to your rules.

[brenda]

Oh she's so cute Susie. I miss having a kitty but with Nelly, the dog, it would be a gong show. My daughter also has those plastic covers on her cat's claw's. They both walk around with pretty purple claws. They took some getting used to for them but now they don't seem to even notice them. Bruce, my friends cat, is declawed and has no problem getting up his tree fort. They didn't remove his the old way (which was really mean) they lasered his, he was home and running around in a few hours.