Declawing your cat (excessive, adoption, litterbox, training)

[axinom07]

HI, PLEASE, PLEASE DONT DECLAW YOUR KITTEN. iT IS THE MOST PAINFUL, CRUEL, INHUMANE THING A PERSON COULD DO TO THE ANIMAL THEY LOVE. pLEASE LOOK INTO SOMETHING CALLED SOFT PAWS AND SOFT CLAWS. THEY RETAIL FOR $20 AND YOU GET 40 CAPS. YOU CAN GET THEM ON EBAY MUCH CHEAPER AND THEY MAKE THEM IN KITTEN, SM, MED, AND LARGE. MY VET EXPLAINED DECLAWING LIKE THIS. TAKE A PAIR OF PRUNING SHEARS AND SNIP OFF THE END OF YOUR FINGER. i HAVE SEVERAL INDOOR CATS AND HAVE USED THESE PRODUCTS FOR OVER 13 YEARS. AND THEY WORK GREAT!!!!!

[atpeck]

Saying that this is the most inhumane thing you can do to a cat is a load of BS. I've worked with rescued animals and I've seen cats dragged by cars, set on fire, and mutilated (Missing entire limbs), so please, save me the drama that declawing them, even if it removes the first digit of each finger, is the the most painful and cruel thing you can do to a cat.

I have 3 cats at my place and my mother has 4. All but two of the cats were declawed. Of the declawed cats, they all use the litter box just fine. In fact, when I bring my cats to Phoenix to visit my mother, one of my cats Reno will even use the kitty litter when it's in the back seat of the car.

My cats run around, play, and pur just like any cat with claws. They are so friendly that they will come to anyone (even strangers) when their names are called.

Now I haven't experienced having a cat with a botched declawing surgery, so maybe I haven't been as affected as others. However, I could understand how horrible it was if there was no numbing agent involved and no pain medication. The way you portray this is that they take your cat into the back, strap it down and cut off it's fingers. If you go to a vet with experience, they can make it as painless as possible and the cat is running around and playing within a few days.




One of the reasons I had my cat Reno declawed is because when I would roll over in my sleep, Reno would think my hand was a toy and would pounce on it, biting and clawing me. I had long deep claw marks on my hands every week or so due to this and no amount of scolding (which was pretty loud if you can understand being woken up this way) or spraying with a bottle stopped this. When I tried to close my door and keep Reno out of my room, she ripped holes in my carpet.

I had Reno both spayed and declawed at the same time, and since then, she has actually been more friendly. She used to hiss and try to bite strangers when they tried to pet her, but now she snuggles up with everyone and acts like the perfect lap cat. Maybe if I saw some sign that any of my cats were actually in pain, but they had the operations done years ago and they've been happy, playful cats since.

[atpeck]

Also, I've tried scratching posts, the boxes on the ground for them to scratch, spraying them with water, scolding, etc. When I used the scratching posts, they either ignored them or scratched them AND my furniture. When I sprayed them, they ran away from being sprayed, and then an hour later were back at it. I was pretty patient with my cat for nearly 8 months of this. Two of them ripped a hole through the bottom of a $1800 sofa set, there were numerous holes in the carpet near doors, and they seemed to REALLY like my old wooden furniture. I've adopted all of these cats from the wild. Most of them were skinny, malnurished, and had worms when I found them. When choosing between just letting them starvation and possibly die of malnutrition or taking them in and declawing them, I think they are living happier lives now than they would have with the alternative.

[catman]

Well, sure, if it means almost certain death for the cat otherwise, by all means declaw them. (If those are the only two choices available, of course.) And declawing a cat certainly isn't the worst thing imaginable one can do to a cat. That being said, I have never had any of my cats declawed and never will.

[barb 321]

I had numerous cats one in particular had his front claws removed and he adapted fine.
If not done he would have blinded my daughter for while she slept in her bed he got her twice inside the ear and then way too close to her eye.
He adapted fine and learned to make a fist to punch which beleive me he was fresh and learned well to make up for the missing claws.
He was an indoor cat and lived a very long life.
As far as funiture beleive me if not for my dog charging them when they starting ripping I would have had a mess.
Once my daughter moved out and took them and didn't have the dog to guard the furniture they destoyed her living room chair to shreds , also did the carpeting all the way up the stairway to her bedroom.
Sorry some cats are very damaging ..............

[GregW]

We considered it until my wife asked me, "Would you let anyone take your knives away?"

I have been carrying a knife since I was five years old. I do not like to travel on airlines because they take my knife(s) away. Being armed is a personal freedom I consider nearly sacred. Same applies to my cat.

[Threestep]

Playing rough and tickling their bellies so kittens curl up is not so cute when you have a 15 pound tom who wants to hang on your fist or play pounce at night. Do not teach them bad manners.
We have always had cats, good furniture and antique rugs. They get along just fine. The cat trees allow our felines to stretch to the max and sharpen their claws appropriately.

[GregW]

I made a scratch box of strips of corrugated cardboard glued together with strips of medium sandpaper. I sprinkled catnip into the cardboard. The cat goes nuts scratching the catnip out of the holes in the cardboard and the sandpaper shortens the claws quite quickly.

[PantherPride]

Creative.. I like it.



That being said Declawing isnt a good idea in most cases. It could make things worse instead of better. There are TONS of cats in shelters that are already declawed most of which will be euthanized. Its cheaper to buy an already de clawed cat however the cat could be a biter from the declaw- for these reasons de clawed cats do not mix well with kids/immune compromized people on average. also litter box issues and house soiling is common among de claw cases. Many cats are dumped and go feral after de clawing their owners were not informed of the downside to the operation Some have their front paws or parts of their limbs cut off due to infection. Its also possible to bleed to death, rare, but happens

Based on personal experiences at cat shows and with de clawed cats. I'd rather see a tom or queen then a de clawed neutered male/ spayed female ... both don't please me

[taylor8191]

wow i seriously hate the people that get our there throwing people under the bus for declawing my cat is declawed and it is not scientifically proven they become biters thas not true at all get your facts right before you go telling me what will happen be honest for a change. I love my cat and our relationship hasnt changed one bit. it was either lets see give it away to a shelter to be euthanized or declawed. and they arent in really bad pain they give the mpain medication there just uncomfortable just like when you get them spayed or neutered.