# Phlosphr submits to getting a CAT! The day of reckoning has arrived! **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 9, 2003, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phlosphr-submits-to-getting-a-cat-the-day-of-reckoning-has-arrived/180629 "2003-06-09T12:41:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Koffing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/898d66/32.png) [@Koffing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koffing)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2003, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phlosphr-submits-to-getting-a-cat-the-day-of-reckoning-has-arrived/180629/61 "2003-06-12T20:07:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Maureen \* > \*\*Nonono, I wasn’t talking about “factual cites.” I was talking about your horror story specifically. All the man needs is to be able to point and say: see!See!! I told you! NO CAT! \*\* I don’t think we need to worry about that. It sounds like the day of reckoning is inevitable; I just want to make it as comfortable as possible. As an aside, my family apparently had a cat when I was a toddler, and my cat allergy didn’t kick in until my friend’s stupid cat slept on my face in my teens. Unless kitty makes a habit of sleeping on the baby, I’d think that there won’t be a problem. ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2003, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phlosphr-submits-to-getting-a-cat-the-day-of-reckoning-has-arrived/180629/62 "2003-06-12T21:58:49Z")
Thanks **Maureen**. I’ll be fine. We have several more days cat;ess for me to think of a strategy of keeping kitty out of house, and for making the proper arrangements in the room. Our room is rather large, and I am a little worried about the balcany over the living room. There is no door separating the balcany from our bedroom…I may put up some saloon doors this week. I have to run it by the Boss (Mrs.Phlosphr) first. **Koffing** - We have several HEPA filters around the house. One large one in the living area, one in the basement, and one in my Den. I’m going to take that one and possibly put it into our room. Again I have to ask the boss. But we have actually been thinking about that for a while… Ok the Kitty Box/toilet on steroids… Thats the best way I can describe this thing. I turned the damn thing on last night in front of my better half and we both looked at each other and started laughing histerically. It sounds like your dishwasher at home…It’s freaky to say the least… All this for a damn cat…I mean cute little kitty. Anyway the cycle isn’t long and the box is really really really clean after it cycles through. Basically, it has these granules in it, that are to be … Ahem … shat on. Then the box cycles through a washing mode where the granules are washed, then dried… The solution can be bought at Pet-Co and only needs to be changed every two months… Plus I never have to see cat poop…ever, because it is washed right out with the draining water and into our sewer system… I am chuckling right now as I type this… I would have never thought there would be such an invention. Well Mrs. Phlosphr is due back soon so I had better get some dinner cooking… I’m off all summer so it’s Chef Phlosphr most of the summer. I’ll check back in when the ‘_ **IT** _’ arrives… Just kidding… I’ll check back tomorrow. ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2003, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phlosphr-submits-to-getting-a-cat-the-day-of-reckoning-has-arrived/180629/63 "2003-06-12T22:02:02Z")
Good God looking at that first line I must have been paying attention to something else when I wrote it… It should read: We have Several more days _ **CATLESS** _ for me to think of a strategy for keeping kitty out of our room… :smack: kitty sickness already… ---
**Author:** ![Peg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b38774/32.png) [@Peg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peg)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2003, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phlosphr-submits-to-getting-a-cat-the-day-of-reckoning-has-arrived/180629/64 "2003-06-13T00:28:57Z")
Let us know when you catch yourself baby talking to the kitten! ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2003, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phlosphr-submits-to-getting-a-cat-the-day-of-reckoning-has-arrived/180629/65 "2003-06-13T13:04:17Z")
I’ll admit the commercial where the stay-at-home mom is talking to the baby and saying “Is Daddy Waddy home from Worky Jerky” But thats not me. 😉 I’ll admit the little puff balls pretty cute. ---
**Author:** ![Contrary](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/db5fbb/32.png) [@Contrary](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrary)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2003, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phlosphr-submits-to-getting-a-cat-the-day-of-reckoning-has-arrived/180629/66 "2003-06-13T13:08:53Z")
So your new kitty is at home with you now? Male, female, details please. ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2003, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phlosphr-submits-to-getting-a-cat-the-day-of-reckoning-has-arrived/180629/67 "2003-06-13T13:54:03Z")
No not yet, but we have been to the breeder to pick her out. She’ll be home in a few days. I thought it was going to be three weeks, but it’s actually more like mid next week. ---
**Author:** ![Cobalt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8491ac/32.png) [@Cobalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cobalt)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phlosphr-submits-to-getting-a-cat-the-day-of-reckoning-has-arrived/180629/68 "2003-06-17T15:09:33Z")
There is another option for dealing with kitty claws. I agree with those who say you shouldn’t declaw the cat, but even with a scratching post and with your trimming the cat’s claws regularly, you might not like kitty having bare claws (e.g., when giving a bath). Once the kitten gets to be a certain age (maybe 3 or 4 months?), try using [Soft Paws](http://www.softpaws.com/). They are great. They’re basically little plastic caps that you glue onto your cat’s claws. They fall off after 4-6 weeks, at which point you trim the talon and put on a new cap. With these things, we don’t care much at all when our cat stretches out on (and incidentally scratches at) some of the woodwork. And giving them a bath is no problem – they can claw at our arms all they want, and it doesn’t hurt a bit – we mostly laugh at their scrabbling. Side note: Training kitty to get used to baths very young (again, not until they’re ~4 months old, I think) by bathing them once per week is a good idea. As adults, ours still don’t like baths, but they’re relatively calm about the whole thing. Oh, and I’d recommend looking up some books on cat training & psychology. You’ll get a better idea of how to train the cat as a kitten so that it’s relatively well-behaved as an adult. Cobalt ---
**Author:** ![mcms\_cricket](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@mcms\_cricket](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mcms_cricket)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phlosphr-submits-to-getting-a-cat-the-day-of-reckoning-has-arrived/180629/69 "2003-06-17T15:25:00Z")
I’ll second the SoftPaws suggestion -we use them for one of our cats and they work really well. We started using them when he was still a kitten and the judicious application of Kitty Treats whenever new caps needed to be attached kept it from becoming a fight. Now, a few years later, it only takes about 10 minutes every few weeks to trim any cap-less claws and add a new cap. Cricket ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phlosphr-submits-to-getting-a-cat-the-day-of-reckoning-has-arrived/180629/70 "2003-06-17T18:43:29Z")
_ **IT’S COMING TOMORROW!!!** _ ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phlosphr-submits-to-getting-a-cat-the-day-of-reckoning-has-arrived/180629/71 "2003-06-17T19:01:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Phlosphr \* > _ **IT’S COMING TOMORROW!!!** _ Is it just me, or does this look like a “screamer” ad for a bad horror flick? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![lachesis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@lachesis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lachesis)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phlosphr-submits-to-getting-a-cat-the-day-of-reckoning-has-arrived/180629/72 "2003-06-17T19:12:36Z")
_DA_-Da-da- **dhummm**. \< end portentious entrance music \> ---
**Author:** ![Syntropy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/65b543/32.png) [@Syntropy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Syntropy)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phlosphr-submits-to-getting-a-cat-the-day-of-reckoning-has-arrived/180629/73 "2003-06-17T19:54:46Z")
Hooray!! One question, **Phlosphr** ; How did Mrs. Phlosphr work it so that she gets the cat, and you get to stay home with it for the summer? One talented woman, I must take notes! Also, if I could hijack your thread momentarily, can I get your professional opinion on [this thread?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&postid=3577645#post3577645) I was hoping you’d have some theories on behavioral science for **auntie em.** Pure speculation, no diagnosis expected… ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phlosphr-submits-to-getting-a-cat-the-day-of-reckoning-has-arrived/180629/74 "2003-06-17T19:58:50Z")
Have you gotten pussy yet? 🙂 And Will there be pictures? ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phlosphr-submits-to-getting-a-cat-the-day-of-reckoning-has-arrived/180629/75 "2003-06-17T21:15:14Z")
Well **Maureen** - Actually, Mrs.Phlosphr is home quite often, she has a home office but is only here 50% of the time. So I woll certainly have to do some of the raising. I got a blanket from the breeder yesterday, one the kitten has been sleeping on for a while. I put it near my dogs bed. He’s completely oblivious of it. Doesn’t look like he cares much. Then again he’s pretty well trained and doesn’t really do much without say so. My wife on the other hand thinks I am very well trained as well, but much to her chagrin I have some tricks of my sleeve when it comes to kitty… Yes, there will be pictures!! Yesd, I will look into the other thread. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phlosphr-submits-to-getting-a-cat-the-day-of-reckoning-has-arrived/180629.md?page=3)