Kitten declaw, now acting odd with the older cat

[CatLady13]

Let me start by asking you a question.If you had a two year old and that two year old got finger paint on the wall would you cut its fingers off?No,you wouldn't.You would wash its hands,clean the wall,and then put the paint up.You didn't have to declaw your cat.They make rubber covers for cat claws(I have an aunt that uses them for her cats).

This behavior will abate as the wound heals.But your cat will live a life full of pain and fear because you paid someone to cut off its toes.It will never be able to walk without pain again.It will never be able to defend itself against threats,such as other cats and dogs, again.

The entirtey of the issue is that your cat is not only in pain but is scared as well.It can't defend itself.It knows this,and it knows your other cat poses a very real risk to it.

[catdad7x]

This is an old thread and doesn't look like the OP ever returned to it. But anyway, glad you're against declawing... and welcome to the forum.

[Eazine]

So sad when people do this, it is a horrific practice. Soft claws can prevent furniture damage and doesn't require amputation, which is what declawing is.

[catdad7x]

Originally Posted by Eazine

So sad when people do this, it is a horrific practice. Soft claws can prevent furniture damage and doesn't require amputation, which is what declawing is.

But applying soft claws, or training the cat would require some effort/patience on the part of the human involved. It's much more convenient to have the vet handle the problem for you. I'm sure many people who have this done aren't fully aware of what it involves & the long term consequences for the cat, and I blame the vets for this. They perpetuate the myth that declawing really does no harm, and the 'cat will be fine'. The procedure has been banned in some other countries, but sadly not here in the U.S. Hopefully someday it will be.

[Annie1004]

Well, like having children, cats need to be taught what correct behavior is, and yes, it takes time and patience. I have never met a veterinarian who was for having cats declawed. It is a barbaric practice. Even our local humane society has a clause in its adoption agreement stating that the adopter will not have the cat declawed. More education of the general public is needed.

[Eazine]

Yes, and I admit as a teenager we had my cat declawed. We mistakenly thought they just removed the nail (this was before internet access was so available) I had no idea until our poor kitty came home what it entailed. I feel sick to my stomach to this day and horrified at what we had done to him and will never do it to another cat. He has since passed away but now we have three cats and use soft paws on each of them.

So you are right, most people still don't know and some vets don't care. After working with our local animal shelter I learned that a number of vets in our area will not do this surgery - so at least awareness is improving in some places.

[catdad7x]

Originally Posted by Annie1004

Well, like having children, cats need to be taught what correct behavior is, and yes, it takes time and patience. I have never met a veterinarian who was for having cats declawed. It is a barbaric practice. Even our local humane society has a clause in its adoption agreement stating that the adopter will not have the cat declawed. More education of the general public is needed.

That may be. But the problem is too many vets are still willing to do it, even if they don't agree with it. My vet is one of those. It would be helpful if vets would explain this procedure, in detail, to the cats' owner before doing it, and also inform them about possible long-term consequences down the road. I think many cat parents would change their mind once they understood what was going to happen.