Kitty advice, please

DWilbanks

My dad is a vet and we have had declawed cats as long as I can remember. #2. Do the front ones only. If your cat ever gets outside and has to fight, they use their back claws, not their front ones.

I have honestly NEVER seen a cat fight with it's back paws or in anyway lash out from the rear. I would love to see a video of this, if someone could provide it. I have had a lot of cats and they have done their share of swatting, especially at my dogs. But, never with their back paws. Then again, they were never declawed. I think this is garbage. Cats are like small lions. Has anyone ever seen a lion go after it's prey with it's back legs? Do they now kickbox zebras?

Ditto this - one of my previous male cats would constantly get into it (he was an outdoor kitty) and he used his front paws - I've witnessed it over and over... on birds, squirrels, other cats, etc. No front claws = your kitty is gonna get it's butt kicked if it ever gets out, and probably by a cat that still has claws.

WRONG

Cats do in fact claw and protect themselves with their back claws. I have a cat (declawed in front, leaving the back intact). Regular my dog and cat play until the cat gets tired of it. When he tires of it, he takes his back claws and swipes the dog. And I can testify that it's very useful by the way Daisy runs...lol

tattooedtwiin

I declawed my cat. It was the price I paid to keep the cat. Or I suppose I should say, it's the price the cat paid so that I could keep her. The cat has not suffered any long-term ill effects that I can tell, and it has been tremendously convenient. But I still feel guilty about it.

I can't really advise you on what to do. With my next cat, I will probably try the soft-paw things. But I don't think its the most horrible thing ever to declaw your cat. It's certainly no more brutal than cutting their uterus + ovaries or testicles out.

How can you possible compare declawing to spaying/neutering? Have you visted an animal shelter, EVER?
I have had dogs and cats(and many other animals) all my life. They all lived in and outdoors and lived 16+ years as healthy happy pets, with their claws and without their reproductive abilities. :grumble:

njean888

I have had a variety of animals throughout my lifetime. You can train cats just like you train dogs.

I personally wouldn't declaw the cat. If I was that attached to my furniture where I think I may "kill" the cat, I'd find the cat a new home.

Pets will have accidents, it's inevitable.

Are you going to freak out if the cat stops using the litter box because you didn't clean it one day? What are you going to do if the cat hurls up a fur ball?

These are serious questions you and your significant other should have considered before even getting a pet.

Moral of the story: Don't buy a pet as a gift.

Thank you for the lecture but save it. This is NOT my first cat or pet for that matter. This cat happens to be my 3rd cat in my lifetime. My first two were declawed but they came to me like that, this time I make the decision. But don't you dare to pressume how much I love my pets. I spent thousands keeping my first cat alive for as long as I did. Piss and **** can be cleaned off a floor, replacing $10,000 curtains may not be so simple. And again the purpose for the post was to hear alternatives to declawing.

LadyNeshoba

I have had a variety of animals throughout my lifetime. You can train cats just like you train dogs.

I personally wouldn't declaw the cat. If I was that attached to my furniture where I think I may "kill" the cat, I'd find the cat a new home.

Pets will have accidents, it's inevitable.

Are you going to freak out if the cat stops using the litter box because you didn't clean it one day? What are you going to do if the cat hurls up a fur ball?

These are serious questions you and your significant other should have considered before even getting a pet.

Moral of the story: Don't buy a pet as a gift.

Thank you for the lecture but save it. This is NOT my first cat or pet for that matter. This cat happens to be my 3rd cat in my lifetime. My first two were declawed but they came to me like that, this time I make the decision. But don't you dare to pressume how much I love my pets. I spent thousands keeping my first cat alive for as long as I did. Piss and **** can be cleaned off a floor, replacing $10,000 curtains may not be so simple. And again the purpose for the post was to hear alternatives to declawing.

Do what you have to do!

I had mine declawed cause I would rather have her here in the apartment with me then at my parents house where she was constantly getting out and was cornered by dogs that would love to rip her apart.

No one has any right to belittle you for anything you feel that you need to do. Yes there are always alternatives but they don't always work!

Bahet

We have 2 cats. Both are front declawed. Before them we had 2 other cats and we had both of them front declawed as well. I had a cat when I was growing up. She was front declawed. Now they have a laser declawing technique with is less painful and makes for a quicker recovery time. I wish I'd known about that when we got our current cats last year.

I won't have a cat with front claws. No way. Our cats are spoiled rotten, indoor only cats who live such a good life that I would gladly give up my first toe knuckle to trade places with them. LOL

Some people will tell you it's like having the first knuckle cut off your fingers. This is meant to make you sympathetic because there is a LOT a person uses that for (including typing these replies.) In actuality it's more like losing the first knuckle on your toes. Really, aside from having to bend over to pick up a pencil and not being able to wear flip flops, I can't think of anything long term bad about it.

Don't let the "Cats belong outside too!" crowd sway you either. Cats like to hunt. Give them toys. I bought some catnip in a bag, filled the toe portion of an old sock with it, tied a knot, looped it over the catnip part again and tied another know. We call it "sock toy" (creative huh? :laugh: ) and the cats LOVE it. They also hunt random pieces of lint and go absolutely bonkers for a laser pointer (keep it away from their eyes though.) Do that and they won't miss anything at all about being outside. Heck, every cat I've ever owned has slept on the heating vent, a sunbeam, the fireplace hearth when the fire is going, or on top of the DVR (current kitty) - all VERY warm places. A cat that is outside isn't getting any of hat. Unless you are in South FL, CA, TX, or AZ it's COLD out there. I've never seen a cat curl up for a nap on the vent when the AC is on. they like it very warm. I could open the front door right now and the most the cats will do is look at me like "Hey, in or out but shut that door, you are letting the cold air in!"

CorinaM84

I've been working as a vet tech for the past 8 years and I've discusses this topic with clients many times.

A lot of cat owners do like soft claws. They might be a little tricky to work with the first few times, but a good animal hospital will be able to give you a demo on applying them.

Keeping her nails short are another option if the soft claws don't work out, once again the vets office should be able to give you a free demo if needed.

Scratching post training is a great idea too. Cats scratch to mark their territory, you just have to teach them where it is appropriate to scratch. Declawed cats like to "scratch" posts as well, once again to mark their territory. Not all cats are the same so it may take a few tries to find a scratching post that she likes.

If you do end up having to declaw her, which I know you are against, please declaw her at the same time she is spayed. This way she does not have to be anesthetized twice which can potentially be dangerous for her. Also, cats rarely scratch with their back claws, they save those for pushing off of a tech holding them for a blood draw so a 4 paw declaw is probably unnecessary.

Make sure your vet uses a CO2 laser to declaw and make sure they have been using it for a while. It really does make a difference with recovery time. The animal hospital should also supply you with 2 weeks worth of litter appropriate for a recently declawed cat and thorough post op instructions (sorry, lazy animal hospitals are my pet peeve, no pun intended)

And finally, if you do declaw, get it done when she is 5-7 months and still small; the larger she gets the more painful she will be post op.

Hope this helps, and I hope I didn't repeat a lot of information.

LadyNeshoba

I had mine done the same time she was spayed. It helped A LOT and I'm sure it cut down on the behavior problems that could have developed.

I had an awesome vet that all of our animals see. I wouldn't have trusted anyone else to do it.

The younger they are when they are decalwed the easier it is for them to adjust to it.

amysj303

I have to point out, as someone who's mom worked at the humane society that a lot of cats develop behavioral issues after being declawed. The most common problem is they stop using their litterbox. It's possible that they associate the pain in their paws with covering in the box and start pooping on hard surfaces. Many cats were surrendered for this.
I have two cats that are indoor only and have all their claws. They have big scratching post and I trained them to use that, put catnip on it. I squirt bottle is good to deter them from scratching on the furniture.
I just have to throw in my vote for "let's not mutilate animals for our comfort and convenience".

Cilenia

I dont agree on declawing and im glad that in my country it isnt an option. Often the declawing ends up in some sort of pain.

Also if you are really worried about your furniture and 10.000 dollar curtains you might want to consider the fact that there are other ways you cat could destroy them too. Think of spraying your curtains / furniture or hairball accidents. A lot of those possible accidents will happen at least once, and if you cant accept them you might want to get a dog or other pet then a cat

Bentley2718

Softpaws short term, squirt-gun for the long term (every time they scratch). Also make sure that your cat has something they LIKE to scratch, some cats like scratching posts, others prefer a log.

Declawing is incredibly inhumane. It involves the removal of the ends of their toes at the first knuckle. I used to have a cat that had been badly declawed, his feet were mutilated, his nails that were left behind grew out of the side at weird angles. The irony is that someone ****ed up his paws, but they did such a bad job of it, he still occasionally damaged things with the remaining stubs of claws. According to my vet, such botched jobs are more common than you'd want to think about. If your husband is that worried about the furniture, he shouldn't have gotten you a kitten.

Bentley2718

Some people will tell you it's like having the first knuckle cut off your fingers. This is meant to make you sympathetic because there is a LOT a person uses that for (including typing these replies.) In actuality it's more like losing the first knuckle on your toes. Really, aside from having to bend over to pick up a pencil and not being able to wear flip flops, I can't think of anything long term bad about it.

Actually, it's hard to walk if your missing all or part of your toes.

jlc1243

Not sure if anyone else has mentioned it but double sided tape on the corners of the furniture works like a charm.

Not so pretty to look at but they get out of the habit of it an claw something else, like a scratching post. My cat loves those cardboard things the best.

tattooedtwiin

Piss and **** can be cleaned off a floor, replacing $10,000 curtains may not be so simple.

Really? 10K dollar curtains? So get the cat a nanny.....:noway:

LuckyLeprechaun

www.softpaws.com The directions are on the site

SOFTPAWS! They're temporary, and if you have any issues installing them, your vet or groomer can probably do it.

You're gonna go back to the vet every three days? Because those pieces of *kitten* fall off all.the.time.

I see TONS of people who say "oh ya those softpaws things are great...I think I want to try them" How do you know they're great if you haven't tried them? Here's the truth: They are a massive hassle, the cat is WAY more stressed out by your torture sessions trying to get the damn things in place, trying to keep the cat from licking or dislodging them while the glue dries, I used them because I fell for all this hype about declawing being a bad thing.

I get sick of the ongoing headache and I declawed the cat(s). Took all of their front claws, left their back ones in case anyone escapes and they need 'em for a fight. Now nobody gets scratched, nobody has to be held down, wrapped in a towel and yowling/hissing/spitting/biting through their "softpaws torture", and nobody has any pain or arthritis. My cats are all perfectly fine and happy.

To rebut some of the other bs claims: After the declaw, you're supposed to put shredded paper in the catbox so the sand doesn't irritate. None of my cats has ever bitten me.

PKempy

My opinion:

If you are even thinking about de-clawing a cat, you are not a cat lover and should not even contemplate cat ownership.

poisongirl6485

yeah I saw declaw the front claws, leave the back. Both ours are front declawed (done by someone else), and it was a nice perk when getting the cats to not have to worry about the claw issue. Especially with kids, I prefer it. I've had cats that weren't front declawed and no amount of training/discipline etc was worth dealing with that BS, even more so when one of them scratched my kids face. No thanks.

Marll

WRONG

Cats do in fact claw and protect themselves with their back claws. I have a cat (declawed in front, leaving the back intact). Regular my dog and cat play until the cat gets tired of it. When he tires of it, he takes his back claws and swipes the dog. And I can testify that it's very useful by the way Daisy runs...lol

So, wait just because the cat uses it's back claws means that it WOULDN'T use its fronts? The backs are mainsly for climbing, balance and to kick if they are pinned, the frings for climbing, gripping, swatting and hunting.

skylark94

Two of my three cats have front claws. The oldest one was done back when I was still ignorant of just how invasive the procedure was.

My two front clawed kitties are both very good about letting me trim their nails.

quacken58

I used to use soft paws on my older cat and they work great. She eventually quit cratching on my furniture so I didn't have to get them any more. They do have to be replaced and I think it was around 6 weeks, I can't remember. I had my vet do them for me but there are some you can do yourself. There was no way my would have let me do it.

Marll

yeah I saw declaw the front claws, leave the back. Both ours are front declawed (done by someone else), and it was a nice perk when getting the cats to not have to worry about the claw issue. Especially with kids, I prefer it. I've had cats that weren't front declawed and no amount of training/discipline etc was worth dealing with that BS, even more so when one of them scratched my kids face. No thanks.

Haha, I always find this argument funny, mutilate the cat's feet so your precious kids don't get scratched when they F with the cat...maybe the kids will learn something valuable by being scratched, like don't F with the cat LOL. I know that's how I learned, and also how my 2 year old learned as well. While I can't vouch for every cat on the planet, experience would lead me to believe that most cats don't attack kids for no reason.

I also feel that way about dogs, if a kid gets bit, most of the time it's their fault, not the dogs. While I am quite certain there are dogs that will attack for no good reason, most dogs give plenty of warning before biting, kids are just too dumb to pick up on it until they get bit once or twice. I can't stand seeing people beat their dogs because a kid got bit, maybe they should have a talk with the kid...