Kitty advice, please

njean888
njean888 Posts: 399 Member
edited October 6 in Chit-Chat
My husband surprised me with a new kitty for Christmas. I love this cat already. But my husband wants me to declaw her as we have very pricey furniture in the house. Now I realize declawing is very inhumane but I will kill this cat if it messes up my furniture. Can any of you cat owners offer me alternatives and do they really work? Ive heard about soft paws. Does anyone use them and more importantly do they work?

PS. This cat will be an indoor cat only!
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Replies

  • sunkisses
    sunkisses Posts: 2,365 Member
    www.softpaws.com The directions are on the site
  • VTXJOCKEY
    VTXJOCKEY Posts: 362 Member
    Since it will be an indoor cat, it won't need it's claws. I would de-claw the cat. You and the cat will be happier in the long run.
  • MikeM53082
    MikeM53082 Posts: 1,199 Member
    Honestly, I absolutely love cats and I would de-claw.

    I know some people might view that as being cruel, but in the long run, I don't think your kitty will hold it against you.
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    First, there are several ways to train cats not to claw furniture, and many never do, regardless.

    Second, WHY would you get a pet whose instinct is to claw if you're that worried about your furniture????

    Declawing is painful and cruel. That's like getting a dog and saying, "I love it to death, but the barking must go."
  • sunkisses
    sunkisses Posts: 2,365 Member
    Since it will be an indoor cat, it won't need it's claws. I would de-claw the cat. You and the cat will be happier in the long run.
    Way to skip the part about being inhumane. Would you be happier without your nails and nailbeds?
  • veganbaum
    veganbaum Posts: 1,865 Member
    My sister uses the nail covers on her two cats, can't remember which brand, and she really likes them. Please do not declaw your cat. Sometimes choosing to have animals means choosing to accept accidents, choosing to accept a less than perfectly clean house, choosing to accept the damage they sometimes do - much like having children. All furniture in my house is covered with tapestries because of animals, so I don't get to enjoy the furniture as is, but that doesn't bother me. If it becomes too much for you, please find the kitty a good home.
  • veganbaum
    veganbaum Posts: 1,865 Member
    First, there are several ways to train cats not to claw furniture, and many never do, regardless.

    Second, WHY would you get a pet whose instinct is to claw if you're that worried about your furniture????

    Declawing is painful and cruel. That's like getting a dog and saying, "I love it to death, but the barking must go."

    Second this.
  • corbinam
    corbinam Posts: 18 Member
    Train the kitten to use a scratching post. I have had many cats over the years and NEVER have any of them scratched anything but the post!
  • grrrlface
    grrrlface Posts: 1,204 Member
    When you choose to have an animal you must be prepared for little accidents and you furniture to be at the mercy of your pets. My dog chewed every wooden fitting in my house but I couldn't get his teeth pulled, I'd get him taken away from me. You can train them not to pull furniture or even buy her a scratch post and train her to use that. It's a basic instinct for a cat to claw, they need them more than you think, I find it cruel that vets even do this procedure.
  • Nactasha
    Nactasha Posts: 19 Member
    I have two cats and I have not had to declaw either of them. When I spoke to my vet he recommened working with the cat before determining it needed to be declawd. He had to declaw one of his cats, but not all of them. Personally, I was able to place small scratching posts in several places in my home and my cats will default to them. When they were little I would squirt them with a water gun to deter scratching. The behavioral risk of declawing is that it will cause some cats to bite instead of use their paws when playing or hunting.
  • Demwitted
    Demwitted Posts: 163
    Also important: Keep the claws taken care of. Get them clipped. Most groomers will do it. I had a kitty that kept getting caught on stuff and tearing it up more than just clawing at it. Taking her to the groomer helped a lot.
  • tiffanymariebrock
    tiffanymariebrock Posts: 47
    Soft paw is a great way to keep kitty from scratching! she keeps her claws and you keep your stuff safe! it takes some time for her to get used to having things glued to her claws but if you start as a kitten, in time she will see it as a way of spending time with you and will look forward to changing her softpaws. also they come in all kinds of different colors! please don't declaw your cat! also if you have enough scratch posts in the house you cat will stay away and stick to what she knows is hers. there is also tape you can get to keep them off things. my cat had a bad habit of scratching the wall! i have no idea why! so i put some double sided tape up and she hated the sticky feeling of it. eventually she wouldn't go near it! so i took the tape down and she hasn't touched it.
  • TheAnonGit
    TheAnonGit Posts: 123
    I don't believe declawing cats is inhumane at all. It doesn't cut off the toe or pad. Cats also do not use the last bone to walk. Your cat doesn't feel any irregular pain outside of the normal post operation pain. Do you plan on fixing your cat? I'm sure that won't feel too well either. It isn't even necessary for your cats to have their paws shaven or for them to bleed. Laser removal works great and minimizes the recovery time. I have never heard of a cat that was traumatized by the loss of their claws. I have owned many cats and they have all had their front and back claws removed.
  • cobracars
    cobracars Posts: 949 Member
    I would opt for the occasional nail trim. Its cheap and you can do it as needed.

    Surgery is not reversible.

    If the cat gets out of the house it would be unable to defend itself and difficult for it to hunt. Cats are not omnivores like dogs where they can eat anything they want, they are carnivores and need to eat meat to survive.
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    I don't believe declawing cats is inhumane at all. It doesn't cut off the toe or pad. Cats also do not use the last bone to walk. Your cat doesn't feel any irregular pain outside of the normal post operation pain. Do you plan on fixing your cat? I'm sure that won't feel too well either. It isn't even necessary for your cats to have their paws shaven or for them to bleed. Laser removal works great and minimizes the recovery time. I have never heard of a cat that was traumatized by the loss of their claws. I have owned many cats and they have all had their front and back claws removed.

    Spaying and neutering are done so that there arne't thousands upon thousands of homeless cats and dogs running around fending for themselves (many of which will die very young because they are domestic and nt able to properly care for themselves in the wild). Not to mention that male cats that are not neutered get injured in fights and female cats who have even one litter of kittens have an increased chance of getting cancer.

    Declawing is done simply because people care more about asthetics than the animals in their care. No comparison. If you don't want your furniture clawed, don't get a cat. Or work with the cat to ensure the best outcome.

    How do you know what kind of pain the cat feels from being declawed? How would you like a bone from each toe removed, plus every nail?
  • KimmieBrie
    KimmieBrie Posts: 825 Member
    We have a cat who is declawed... my husband did this before we met because an X GF was insistent it not destroy her Target furniture. If your priority is furniture above the animals well being do not get a cat. He will never do that again and not just because I won't allow it.

    Our cat still cringes if you try to touch her front paws and she is now like 16 years old. I have had cats all my life - none declawed, and none reacted the way she does. Also - she is an indoor cat but if she ever got out by mistake she has NO defense now - not like if she had claws. How would you like having your fingernails removed? I think it's unnecessary and cruel to declaw cats.
  • Marll
    Marll Posts: 904 Member
    Declawing is cruel. Look at your fingertip, and then go down to the first knuckle....now chop that off. That's what you've just done to the cat if you declaw it.

    Secondly, when looking at it from what I believe to a logical perspective, what happesn if your cat every gets loose? Seems to me it will be impaired from defending itself without claws.

    I personally believe anyone that is considering a cat needs to weigh out the pros and cons, and if your furniture is a major concern, maybe you shouldn't have a cat. Anyone that declaws is an ***hole IMO.

    Also here is a breakdown of the declawing, and you can see that it affects the cat's ability to stretch, exercise and can lead to back pain. You can also clearly see the procedure (Onychectomy) and see very clearly that it removes the last part of each toe.

    http://www.declawing.com/htmls/declawing.htm
  • dirtbikegirl5
    dirtbikegirl5 Posts: 391 Member
    Most of us view our pets as part of the family, so doing unnecessary operations feels wrong. Before I found that my children were allergic to cats, I had 4 of them. (they are all with good homes now) I would never think of declawing them but that is a personal choice. Three of the cats never clawed the furniture, one of them did, so you may get lucky and not have to deal with it. You can use a spray bottle to spray the cat if it does try to claw the furniture. That will reinforce it not to claw the furniture. I did this when my cats would get on the counters. It was gross finding cat hair on the counters so I sprayed them and it worked. I have also heard of people putting coins in a container and shaking it when the cat does something wrong.
    If you decide to declaw or not to declaw, it will be the right choice for you.
  • writtenINthestars
    writtenINthestars Posts: 1,933 Member
    My first cat was declawed...and he turned out to have a lot of behavioral issues with the litter box that started as soon as his paws healed.

    My current two cats do not have claws, only one has torn up some carpet on the stairs but in general, they don't go after any furniture and as long as I keep them entertained with appropriate places to scratch, they're pretty good...also agree to keep their nails trimmed. Soft paws is also a great option, one I am actually going to be trying soon myself.

    Declawing isn't necessary.
  • alohabrie
    alohabrie Posts: 204
    Declawing is cruel and should be a last resort. I have ALWAYS had indoor cats and I think the key is adequate scratching posts. Make them fun, play with them on it, give them kudos for using it - reinforce and you will have absolutely no problems. I have a gorgeous house and several scratching posts. Do not listen to the other people who obviously do not have cats.
  • katismiles
    katismiles Posts: 96 Member
    Cut it's nails and buy a TON of scratching posts and put cat nip in the scratching posts. I don't even trim my cat's nails and they never scratch anything but their posts.
  • lizdavis07
    lizdavis07 Posts: 766 Member
    I say do what you feel you should do. You're going to get mixed opinions here, which might make the decision tougher.
  • puggleperson
    puggleperson Posts: 740 Member
    ABSOLUTLEY NOT! I would rather see him declaw himself over the kitty. It is extremly cruel and painful and should be banned. If he can't handle what comes with a cat then he shouldn't have gotten one. I am really sorry to be harsh but how would you feel if someone pulled out all your finger nails? There are many options. One poster showed you soft paws which cover the nail, there are also sprays and good old fashion scratching posts... Cats need them anyways so it's a good idea to purchase one. Try Craigslist for cheap pre owned ones and then show them how to use it. cats are freakin smart amazing animals.. You can teach them anything and they will learn! Good luck and please don't go this inhumane route!
  • djkshdfd
    djkshdfd Posts: 443 Member
    Softpaws really work. My sister used them for years on her cats. Just make sure to replace any that fall off. She ended up giving in a declawing her cats but regrets it. Just some personal experience.

    Also, growing up I had a cat of my own and I would punish him anytime he laid his claws on the furniture. It really minimized how much he scratched at it. I would not hurt him, just push him off lightly and shoo him from a young age.
  • melizerd
    melizerd Posts: 870 Member
    I was a tech tech for 5 years and often worked in surgery. I have 4 cats and they have all their claws because I saw how horrible it was.

    Spaying/neutering is completely different than declawing.

    I also own fabulous furniture and have no clawing issues. We have several scratching posts throughout the house (2500 sq feet with 4 cats means I need a couple of them).

    Soft paws are also a great option for many cats!!

    Declawing would be my LAST option and something that I would have to really have no other option to do at this point. I have had cats in the past that we did it for but now I know better, and when we know better we do better.
  • Lleldiranne
    Lleldiranne Posts: 5,516 Member
    I agree with the soft nail-covers.

    Also, check out PetSmart, we found a spray there that discourages cats from scratching on the surfaces you spray it on (I can't tell you how well it works, we couldn't buy it because my husband was allergic to something in it - it uses natural ingredients like cloves). And a bit of catnip on the places you want kitty to scratch might help, too.
  • alohabrie
    alohabrie Posts: 204
    Also - we trim kitty claws every two weeks. Boyfriend holds, I cut. If you start while they are young - it helps keep the claws healthy and not get stuck on blankets etc.
  • Gratzi
    Gratzi Posts: 21 Member
    My friends have two cats indoors at all times and they do not claw the furniture. My friends provide them with lots of rough toys to scratch their claws on.

    I have three cats and all are declawed but I won't ever do it again.
  • peteb79
    peteb79 Posts: 386
    My wife fosters cats so we always have cats in the house, we only have one that is declawed and she came to us that way. None of them have ever ruined our furniture. As long as you have a scratching post they should be fine, ours have always naturally preferred the posts.
  • KyliAnnHobson
    KyliAnnHobson Posts: 551 Member
    I'm really not a fan of declawing. I think it's cruel and very unnecessary. We keep our cat's nails trimmed and he has scratching posts and boards, so he doesn't mess with the furniture. I know a lot of people who use the Soft Paws and love them!
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