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From: eu.kvp@dukee.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.pets
Subject: Re: re: unniceness
Message-ID: <233@dukee.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 25-Jan-85 18:00:57 EST
Article-I.D.: dukee.233
Posted: Fri Jan 25 18:00:57 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 28-Jan-85 05:12:05 EST
References: <133@magic.ARPA>
Sender: eu.kvp@dukee.UUCP
Distribution: net
Organization: Duke Univ. Engineering, Durham, NC
Lines: 46

> Scolding is verbal.  Shooting with a water pistol is physical violence.
> 
> >	3.  Water is harmless to the cat.  On the other hand, cats have
> >	VERY sensitive ears, and careless scolding when you're angry about
> >	something can be loud enough to be painful to the cat.
> 
> Water is not harmless, ref previous messages.  I said scolding, not
> shouting.  It sounds like you're envisioning someone in a fit of temper
> screaming at a cowering cat.  Try envisioning someone saying, "No, no", in
> a quiet, disapproving tone of voice, like civilized folks use.
> 
> >Please don't inflict your ethical judgments on other people, especially by
> >innuendo, if you don't know anything about the issue.
> 
> I sure will, if I think they're about to cause unnecessary discomfort or
> worse to an animal.  As for innuendo, I thought my opinion was pretty
> obvious.....
> 

*** REPLACE THIS LINE WITH YOUR MESSAGE ***

To whom it may concern:
     You know, I'm getting sick and tired of this debate as to
whether or not spraying cats with water is harmful to them or not.
Shall we call a truce?  I thought not.  So, as the owner of two
(very well-trained) cats and the daughter of a family with four,
I'd like to put my two cents in.
     Number one:  you should really assume that the people who care
enough to debate about this issue also care enough about their cats
that they are not going to intentionally hurt them.  I.e., they
should not be so stupid that they will hurt the cats!  Secondly, from
personal experience, almost any cat will "laugh" at you behind your
back if you tell it "No" in a "reasonable" tone of voice -- if he's
stopped anything, it's probably because you're looming over him while
speaking in this reasonable tone.
     As per spraying the cats with water, remember that almost everyone
has talked about spraying with a plant mister, for heaven's sake.  Just
how painful could that be to a cat?!  And, if you accompany the spraying
with a "No," he also learns to associate the water with "No," thus
preventing you from having to spray him many more times.
     Now, please, stop judging each other!  We all have our ways of
raising our animals, and as long as we exercise a modicum of
intelligence, we should all do a good job.  When will this debate stop?

                              Kathy Van Putte
                             @ Duke University Engineering