De-Claw Questions

if they are still kittens, they are like kids, they will try to scratch other places but just say NO and take him to his scratchpost. Gabriel paws at the post eventhough he is declawed.
Sephie is almost 2 and he sometimes claws my rug ..not carpet, the rug ..we just tell him NO and he knows ..i mean they know they aren't supposed to do it.
When he was little, a water bottle did wonders for that kind of thing. I don't let them on the counters or the table. NOw all i have to say is GET DOWN and he knows what that means.

Smart and sneaky at the same time

I'd be interested to hear who your vet is, so that I can warn the adopters at our shelter against patronizing them. One of th above posters is right: the only reason a vet would ever recommend a declaw is to get his or her hands deep into your wallet. The procedure is gruesome and unecessary and has the potential to cause MANY more problems than it fixes. Unfortunately, unless you find a better vet to help you now, you might potentially also be looking at a future full of biting cats, shy and/or aggressive cats, cats with arthritis or phantom limb pain and cats who urinate and defecate outside of the litter box, all of which are unfortunately common side effects of a declaw I'd personally enlist the help of some better animal-professionals to help you deal with those problems as/before/if they happen to ensure a good relationship between you and your cats for the rest of their lives. Also, always feel free to consult with us here at TCS. A lot of us have experience with these side-effects and can help you deal with them, should they occur. We don't man hard feelings, but from now on, you can count on us to help you gather info before doing something that could cause problems later down the road.

As for the name of this vet (I'm also in Chicago and I'm staff at one of the rescues in the city), you can PM his or her name to me by clicking on "Private Messages" in the upper right of the forum navigation banner at the top of the page.

Hi Gizzie!!!

Welcome to TCS! We have a great bunch of cat lovers here, we are sorta like tcs family! Thank you for doing your research to make an educated decision! I know that I never knew about the whole declawing process,and how it affects cats before tcs..... I use soft claws on both of my kitties, they are very easy to put on and I have a great site that you can get them for like $14 a pack....now 1 pack lasts my calm 1yr old about 4-6 months, but it only lasts my rascally little boy about 1 month! I'd be happy to give you the site info, as well as tips to putting them on. They are like press on nails for kitties, and they are VERY fashionable! My LuckyGirl has red (to match her collar of course!) and Louie has blue. Just click on my screen name and then send me a private message if you'd like some more info on the soft claws....they are a blessing! No torn screens, no pulls in my bed spread, no jumping on my lap and missing and digging into my thighs.....

I hope to see you on the forums!!! And we love pics in the fur pics section!!!
ttyl, Heather

I forgot to mention one thing....PLEASE make sure your already declawed babies NEVER get outside.... my cat growing up was declawed (as that was the norm then), she snuck out 1 time....she came back badly attacked, her eye was clawed out badly, and her spirit was completely broken. Please keep them safe, never let them outside, they can't protect themselves anymore, it is now your job to keep them safe!

please don't have the kitty declawed. my guys are all front declawed but they were done by previous owners. i always encourage people who want to declaw, to look at adults who are already done and in need of a home. i have had good luck adopting adults who were declawed, so that's another reason i encourage it if that's a requirement for having a cat. alot of declawed cats end up in shelters for the same reasons as clawed cats---moving, allergies, etc. my current situation is renting, for that reason i haven't even thought about kittens for years--most places i've lived require cats to be declawed and i couldn't do that to a kitty.

in addition to the poster who mentioned they must be indoors only. i would like to add that they will also need a soft sandy litter for the rest of their lives. when cats are declawed, it changes how they walk from their toes (the natural way) to walking on their paw pads. so if the litter is rough it's like when you walk barefoot on a gravel road. (ouch!)

i also think the friend who is recommending a 4-paw declaw is just barbaric. at least a front declawed cat can still scratch his ears if he has an itch. when i was a kid we took in a 4-paw declaw cat, that poor cat had so many issues. he also couldn't scratch if he had an itch. it was so sad to watch. if we caught him trying to scratch we'd help him scratch his ear.

Don't beat yourself over your other kitties. Most people don't understand the concept of what declawing is. I think most people think of it as a permanent nail clip, which if that were true would be relatively painless and probably perfectly acceptable. I find one of the most effective ways to get people to think of what a declaw REALLY is is to point out where your own fingernails are, then emphasize that in order to remove the claws (the cat's nails) you actually have to remove the first part of their fingers.

I am so very very glad that you have changed your mind about declawing, though we all grieve that it took your poor baby's pain to do so. But now that you have your eyes opened, I hope you will share that message with your friends, and save other cats from going through what your boys have. While we all wish that he hadn't had to go through that, maybe your experience will change the lives of other cats, and that's a very good thing! Bless your heart, we're glad to have you here with us!

There's not much I can add, but THANK YOU for taking the time to do the research and look into this. I used to know many people who would get there cats declawed; unfortunatley, it's an all too common thing. It's great that you're looking into the alternatives now.

I have 2 leather couches and my cats have never tried to purposely scratch them. They do have some small scratches from when they cats slipped while playing on them, but the scratches aren't very visible, and you can always cover your couches with a nice blanket. In addition, trimming your kittens' claws at least once every couple of weeks can go a long way in helping to prevent scratches. These things, plus plenty of appropriate scratching posts (my cats personally love to scratch a material called sisal, which some scratching posts are made of) have been enough to prevent my cats from ruining furniture or carpets. If necessary, Soft Paws can also be purchased as another painless alternative.

Thanks again and good luck with your babies.

declawing is a fast and easy (though very inhumane and cruel) way to prevent cats from "scratching" furniture ...there's no frickin' way i'd amputate (because that's what declawing is) their claws just so i can rest easy knowing materialistic objects won't be damaged... to be able to see the cats i've had that died, i'd burn my whole room in a second with out even thinking twice about it...

so yeah, declawing sucks.

You can rest assured if they heal and no further damage is done.. but i'd change this vet... because this vet seems greedy and isn't putting the kitties best interest in mind.

But, don't declaw your third cat and please please please don't feel bad... we've all been there... tricked by the vet... the petstore owner....whoever was in it to make a profit... but you make mistakes, and you learn from them... it's great you came to seek advice, but don't feel bad because all you can do now... is rectify your mistake and make sure you don't do it again and raise awareness in your community about this.

good luck

Originally Posted by Gizzie

I bought two climbing trees with scratching posts and Twinkie always goes there to scratch I really have not seen her scratch anything in the house so far.

Click to expand...

Twinkie has probably checked out the Marbles' and Gizmos' paws and doesn't want to take any chances of being next! (just kidding, but couldn't resist)

Ever since she saw the tree, which had before I got her she has been scratching on the tree only. I have been cliping her claws only because she has been scratching me when sleeping. She moves her little toes during her sleep and scratches me. She loves to sleep right next to me that's how she ends-up scratching me but nothing big as she is not doing it on purpose. [/quote]

Asa tiffanyjbt mentioned, she is doing what is called kneading, mixing, making biscuits, etc. It is a sign of contentment in kitties that they do instinctively when nursing on their mom to help coax the milk forth. Mixing babies are just the cutest!

Don't feel bad about not knowing all the info about declawing. I used to think I was a little less than an "ideal" cat mom because I never had cats declawed. It seemed to me to be one of those luxury things that only the wealthy could afford for their kitties. I learned better after coming here.

Welcome to TCS. Stick around, there is much to learn about our little fur kids.

Don't feel bad about getting your two cats declawed. I have always gotten my cats declawed IF they are young. Cello & Buddy were the only two not declawed. Yes they ruin the rug and couch & hate scratching posts.

Many people in the US declaw their kitties and they live long healthy lives.
I am not condoning doing it or not doing it as I feel it is a very sensitive subject with many different thoughts.

*hugs*

I'm so sorry your vet did that to you and the cats. Please do not declaw your last kitty. You can learn to clip nails - its easy. Get a good sturdy scratching post/tree (no less then 4 feet tall). Use Soft Claws. But do not declaw.

I've raised several litters of pedigree cats - NONE were ever declawed and the babies were taught where to scratch (as well as had nails clipped on a routine basis) before they even left the house. You can not even tell we ever had cats with claws - none of the furniture is messed up.

My very first cat was declawed (by my parents order) and I cried when Mitten came home with paws bandaged up and he could not even walk right to use the litter pan. He was one of the VERY few cats that never had litter pan issues, biting issues, etc.

You are lucky so far your declawed cats don't have litter pan problems - but they may in the future - they may start using other places to eliminate. Also they could become fear biters.

You're clawed cat can live in the same house with the declawed ones. Declawing is not just cutting off nails - its amputating the first joint of the toe - like cutting your fingers in half at the joint. Use this as a lesson on what NOT to do. Wish you had come to the board and read about declawing first, but you have learned something very important for the future

Please dont de-claw your cat, i know im a new cat owner and all but its the equivalent of removing the first joints of your fingers in a human.. it's painful and to keep a good habit of clipping your cat's nails are a good idea. my cat somehow also allows me to file them after their done.. i didnt know better in the beginning and my cat tore shreds of my mattress. and i hear that they have those stick on alternatives that keep the cat's nails nice and blunt.

I also wanted to mention that in this area I still have not met a vet that doesn't declaw. It seems the common way to do things around here is to offer some sort of "discount" if a person gets the cat spayed/neutered and declawed at the same time.

I think that like so many things in this country is that the government bends to the revenue end and will always avoid making declawing cats illegal.

I believe that at the very least a vet should have to tell and show a cat owner exactly what a declaw means and I'm sure many would change their mind. Of course that would mean a lot less $$$ for those vets.

It's really sad the way it is pushed without giving honest information.

Originally Posted by littleraven7726

my current situation is renting, most places i've lived require cats to be declawed and i couldn't do that to a kitty.

Click to expand...

that is terrible...... .....why cant landloards just say NO CATS ALLOWED.........

Originally Posted by mooficat

that is terrible......

.....why cant landloards just say NO CATS ALLOWED.........

Click to expand...

my experience is they either say NO CATS ALLOWED or declawed cats only. and the ones who don't care, well those apartments were run by what could be called "slum lords". i've lived in all 3 types of housing (the first before i had cats). i like having cats, so "no cats allowed" doesn't really work for me.

Originally Posted by littleraven7726

my experience is they either say NO CATS ALLOWED or declawed cats only. and the ones who don't care, well those apartments were run by what could be called "slum lords". i've lived in all 3 types of housing (the first before i had cats). i like having cats, so "no cats allowed" doesn't really work for me.

Click to expand...

Actually the apartment I lived in (which was nice by the way) allowed cats that were not declawed, but you were only supposed to have one.

My apartment only allows one pet but I have 8 cats and 4 rats. There are a lot of nice apartments around here that allow cats with claws.

One of my co-workers that rides in to work on occasion with my mom and I was talking about getting a cat. She said it would have to be declawed though. I tried to explain to her what it was and how hard it often is for cats after that, and she told me she has friends that have all four paws declawed on their cats and they have no problems. I told her that it was entirely unecessary and that even though she didn't directly observe any 'problems' that cats are good at hiding it. I then asked her if the cat had litterbox problems. She said the cat used to have problems, but now the lady just lets her outside... She's also not altered. I then asked this co-worker why she wanted a cat. She owns an apartment building and wants the cat to take care of the rodent problem! At that point I told her that she didn't need a cat but a swift kick in the a... Nevermind... She doesn't even like cats! She told me she cares more about starving people than she does about cats. I told her I care more about cats than I do about her friends crappy furniture! This morning I e-mailed her a bunch of listings to some exterminators in her area (I still don't agree with rodent extermination, but I REALLY don't want her to get a cat!)

Anyway, my point to this (aside from wanting to vent) is that some people will just refuse to learn or to look at the declaw issue objectively from a cats point of view. This is SOOOO frustrating, but I'm glad that Gizzy is willing to listen!

Originally Posted by tiffanyjbt

Anyway, my point to this (aside from wanting to vent) is that some people will just refuse to learn or to look at the declaw issue objectively from a cats point of view. This is SOOOO frustrating, but I'm glad that Gizzy is willing to listen!

Click to expand...

Maybe she would enjoy some pictures of what a declaw is attached inline in email to her.