Cats/Declawed

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  • troy_n
    troy_n Posts: 66
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    We have always declawed
    our cats and every time "Mocha" instinctively tries to sharpen her clawless paws
    on the couch I tell her just how lucky she is.
    It would be inhumane to not declaw them and then be
    upset at the mess they make. We also don't let her off the porch
    and she only gets supervised porch excursions. But she has her own bean bag chair
    with a blanket in it and she sits right in-between us on the couch
    when we eat there. She is a very happy cat. Greets us at the door when we come home.
    I think it is a minor surgery, do what's best for both of you!
  • Moofey
    Moofey Posts: 444
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    Lol, it was never an issue. Shes not even worried about him :) We are clear
  • Moofey
    Moofey Posts: 444
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    .........so, Tango keeps his nails? :smile:

    Mr.Tango keeps his nails, I was honestly just concerned for the baby and did not know what my cousin thought.
  • fteale
    fteale Posts: 5,310 Member
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    We had 8 cats when I had my oldest son, and in 6 years neither of my children has ever been scratched by any of them (I have 4 now). Cats are in general terrified of babies. They hate anything unpredictable. None of my cats go near the children through choice.

    I know many many people who have been attacked by dogs, but I have never heard of or seen anyone be attacked by a cat who wasn't doing something pretty drastic to it (like trying to manhandle it into a cat basket to go to the vet).
  • josies1981
    josies1981 Posts: 8
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    My dad has always had his cats declawed. Personally my cats aren't but it is illegal here in the UK. I did think about it though.
  • skywalker
    skywalker Posts: 1,533
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    Best scratch board ever.... I took a 1 X 8 pine board, cut about 12-14 inches, completely wrapped it with sisal rope (stapling it down in some places), then I rubbed a little dry catnip on it and showed it to them. I screwed it right into the wall in an inconspicuous place and they LOVE it. I refuse to declaw.
  • Ge0rgiana
    Ge0rgiana Posts: 1,649 Member
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    I would never declaw a cat. That's horrible. If the kid gets scratched, it will heal and will probably only happen once.
  • silvercreek21
    silvercreek21 Posts: 1
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    I personally think it's cruel.

    Maybe try something like SoftPaws?


    I use SoftPaws for my kitty. Did you know when they de-claw and cat the cut the top digit of their toe off? Its like cutting the fingertips off a human.
    Any ways, SoftPaws are awesome! And they come in lots of colors. easy to use. and cheap. And they don't hurt your kitty.
  • Lleldiranne
    Lleldiranne Posts: 5,516 Member
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    Didn't read everything, so sorry for any repeat advice...

    #1 When they declaw a cat, they actually amputate from the top knuckle. Imagine having all your fingers amputated like that ...

    #2 We have and have had many cats over the years. Some are(/were) scratchers, some aren't. One of our cats now can be an absolute sweetheart one second and take your hand off the next. And yet, when she got mad at my 2-year-old nephew, she smacked him no-claws. I've seen several of my cats do this over the years with little kids. Not saying that every cat is the same way. You have to know the temperament of the cat. Also of the child. But most cats will give a warning to a young child before a serious clawing. And, all of my kids have been clawed by one cat or another and learned when they were little to not pester kitty. The big thing is appropriate supervision (just like for any animal, cat, dog, hamster, or fish, with a little one).
  • MuffinMan25
    MuffinMan25 Posts: 110
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    My two cats have razor sharp claws and never hurt me....on purpose!!!! :wink:
  • i_love_vinegar
    i_love_vinegar Posts: 2,092 Member
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    just clip their nails. My mom clips our cats nails, and they don't care XD
  • asyouseefit
    asyouseefit Posts: 1,265 Member
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    We have always declawed
    our cats and every time "Mocha" instinctively tries to sharpen her clawless paws
    on the couch I tell her just how lucky she is.
    It would be inhumane to not declaw them and then be
    upset at the mess they make. We also don't let her off the porch
    and she only gets supervised porch excursions. But she has her own bean bag chair
    with a blanket in it and she sits right in-between us on the couch
    when we eat there. She is a very happy cat. Greets us at the door when we come home.
    I think it is a minor surgery, do what's best for both of you!

    Well sorry to be a bit harsh but when you adopt a cat, you know that there's a possibility it will make a mess! f you're not ready for the consequences, well, don't take a pet!!! My cat scratches the back of the couch constantly and even if I'm annoyed with it, I've never ever thought of declawing her. I love my cat more than I love my couch!
  • suzycreamcheese
    suzycreamcheese Posts: 1,766 Member
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    :noway: :frown:

    im shocked and saddened that people do this.

    Just dont get a cat if all you want to do is mutilate them
  • Jessamin
    Jessamin Posts: 338 Member
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    I had to do a presentation on declawing for my diploma. I am sure as tits glad it is illegal in New Zealand, because I want nothing to do with it.

    It is cruel and unnecessary. If you don't want a pet with claws, don't get a cat.
  • JoyceJoanne
    JoyceJoanne Posts: 760 Member
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    Here's a real problem with declawing. Suppose your sister's kitten gets out of the house? Cats use their claws for defense, without them they have no defense. Yes, they usually use their back claws for attacking, but they use their front claws for gripping. Without front claws, their back claws are useless. A declawed cat that gets outside has no defenses against any wild animal that may attack, and without front claws they are also hindered in their escape movements. Cats use their claws to help balance, they use them for a lot more than just "scratching."

    Oh, and Johnnysgirl, in other parts of the world outside of the USA, it can be spelled "defence."

    My cat is declawed in the front. Guess what. We took him to a vet that is a very respectable vet (my husband has been in the veterinary field for 30+ years) it was done properly AND, get this ....HUMANE. The cat is FINE. Just because a cat doesn't have front claws does NOT render him useless. He goes outside regularly. He catches lizards, birds, rodents etc -( and brings them home to me... I'm very lucky that way.. :-\). He DID get attacked by the neighbors boxer (who was off leash- which is against the law in CA). The cat kicked the dogs butt!! The cat had a small cut on his chin, the dog's face had several lacerations that required many stitches. Imagine the akwardness when we returned the dog (covered in and dripping blood) to the neighbor and told him that his dog just got in a fight with a cat and lost..... So YES they CAN defend themselves without their front claws. They can also jump fences and climb trees along with many other 'cat like' behaviors. I've seen too many cats die because people got their couches scratches by them (or were scratched by them or some other 'cat claw' issue). I'd MUCH rather see the cat live a nice life (indoors or out) than to be kiled because it has front claws and scratches.

    Ultimately, the decision is yours. Go into it informed. If you choose to have it done- don't just find the cheapest guy to do it. Find a vet that is responsible and knows what he's doing. Have it done properly. Yes, there ARE other options that do work for SOME people. These options don't work for everyone. Choose the BEST option for YOU and your family. Don't feel bad for your decision.

    Best of luck to you.

    FYI: If you trim a cat's nails, it will encourage them to scratch (scratching poles, couches, etc) because the reason they scratch them is to sharpen them...
  • Jessamin
    Jessamin Posts: 338 Member
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    Anecdotal evidence is totally relevant! Numerous countries consider it animal abuse, but my cat is fine so all is well!
  • Cait_Sidhe
    Cait_Sidhe Posts: 3,150 Member
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    Right now is the best age to do it. Kittens handle it much better then adult cats. and there is no need to do the back claws. You really only need the front ones done. That way if he ever does get out he can still climb a tree or a fence if something is after him.
    I worked a vet tech for almost 8 years, and most cats do just fine with the surgery and heal quickly. Make sure you use shredded paper for the litter box or the pine litter for atleast a week. so the paws do not get infected.
    Most vet will give you a pain killer to help with the pain make sure you ask the vet if they do or not before the procedure. If they do not then I would find a vet at does, or offer to pay more for some. Most vets will use Metacam (meloxicam) But in low doses. Pain meds are kinda hard on cats and should be given only prescription drugs straight from the vet. Anything we have as humans is highly toxic for them.
    All in all it is a painful surgery but it is well worth it when your kitty gets to stay in and does not tear your furniture or the kids up. if you have any questions please feel free to inbox me.
    And then in another post, this person claims their clinic only charges $55 for a declaw.

    Okay, first of all Meloxicam is off label for use in cats. It should never be used in cats with renal insufficiencies and can cause renal failure in cats. In my experience, it is not the most common pain med prescribed to cats for this reason. If your vet does prescribe this medication without first doing bloodwork to check kidney function, please go elsewhere.

    Does that $55 include bloodwork to check if the cat's kidneys can handle that meloxicam you always send them home on? I think not. Does it cover anesthesia monitoring (ECG, SpO2, BP, CO2)? Do you place IV catheters so you have venous access if something goes wrong during anesthesia, or give fluid boluses if the cat's blood pressure drops? Do you intubate? Do you give injectable anesthesia, or do you just gas the cat down? Do you give injectable pain medication intra-op and during recovery? Yeah, I'm pretty sure $55 covers none of that. And, what is your anesthesia induced mortality rate?

    And to claim that declawing has no health risks is ridiculous. I've seen them go horribly wrong. Some never fully healed. It is true that some cats will avoid the litterbox because the litter hurts their toes. Also, cat who are declawed are fully aware they are declawed. If they feel threatened or need to defend themselves, their first action will be to bite because they cannot scratch. Cat bites can be horrific. I've spent 5 days in the hospital due to a cat bite and have permanent nerve damage in my right hand (I'm right handed). They carry pastuerella bacteria and MRSA in their mouths. Personally, I'd rather be scratched.
  • Cait_Sidhe
    Cait_Sidhe Posts: 3,150 Member
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    FYI: If you trim a cat's nails, it will encourage them to scratch (scratching poles, couches, etc) because the reason they scratch them is to sharpen them...
    Please people. Don't just spout off beliefs as if they are facts. Cats scratch things to get rid of the outer sheath of their claws, not to sharpen them.
  • maria1113
    maria1113 Posts: 508 Member
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    It's actually illegal in my country to declaw cats (or any other animals). Just like it's illegal to amputate tails unless it's necessary for the animals health (broken tail etc). It's very cruel and inhumane to do something like that!
    I really like my country in this :wink:
  • crobinson53
    crobinson53 Posts: 164
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    Is getting your cat declawed on the same moral level as spaying or neutering? Really should we be modifying any animals without their consent?
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