Scared of CLAWS.....

yosemite · Jun 6, 2007

We have no issues with Bijou and Mika. We clip their nails regularly, have a scratching post for them and in the early stages directed their scratching to the posts.

Your friend who de-clawed - what's going to happen to the cat if it starts having behavioural issues like not using the litterbox because the litter bothers it's de-clawed paws, or it starts biting because that is now it's only defense? I can only assume he'll take this poor kitty to a shelter to "get rid" of it. What a shame for the poor cat.

jellybella · Jun 6, 2007

My strategies are
1) clip 'um
2) provide alternative surfaces (ie posts, cardboard scratchers, sisal mats)
3) keep 'um busy playing when you can
4) use of sticky tape if necessary

We do not seem to have any problems with furnature scratching. If I see someone scratching with their nubs, I redirect their attention (clap, throw a toy, pick 'um up and move 'um to a post). Scratching is a form of kitty communication. Not just the scratch marks and the scent, but also the discarded nail bits. I have scratching posts next to some doorways that I know are the boundary between kitty territories.

One of the worst things people do is let them scratch "old" furnature and then expect them not to scratch the "new" furnature. How dumb is that? They don't know how important your new couch is, they just know it doesn't smell like the old one and scratching is the way to make it just the way they like it

Scratching preference is very individualized. One of my cats likes horizontal surfaces, the other likes verticality; one likes sisal rope, the other carpet and cardboard. Lots of people put up one tiny scratch post and then pronounce the cat untrainable because he didn't use it. If you get a post, get a nice tall one (at least 30") so that they can get a good stretch in when they scratch.

Claws are part of cats, if I couldn't deal with them, I would've stuck with fish. If you are that uncomfortable with the possibility of a clawed cat acting like a cat, then adopt one that is already declawed. You might also consider that an older cat is probably better than a kitten if you're worried about property damage.

laureen227 · Jun 6, 2007

if it really bothers you, adopt an already declawed cat. Chip came that way, no real litter issues except when he had the UTI. he does have a tendency to bite, but it's gone way down in the year that i've had him... i think he was somewhat mistreated in the past. most of the time he's fine, unless i'm doing something he doesn't like [like combing his nether regions]. i know to watch & avoid the teeth, & i've been training him not to bite me. like i said - it's working, albeit slowly from my POV. he still is very feisty with strangers touching him anywhere past the shoulder area, tho.

littleraven7726 · Jun 6, 2007

my cats were all already declawed by previous owners when i adopted them. we have no litterbox issues. the guys are all pretty well adjusted happy kitties. if you are truly worried, just adopt one that's already declawed. there are plenty who need homes.

slightly off-topic: not all kitties who are declawed and in shelters are there because of litterbox problems. i really wish people would stop spreading that misinformation. most are there for the same reasons as cats with claws: moving, too many, etc. when i worked in a shelter it was hard to get the already declawed cats adopted because so many people had been told that. then they would get a kitten and declaw it.

edited to add: it does happen with some cats. but not all. it's the generalizing to all or most declawed cats that gets me going.

my mom's cats all have their claws, they don't shred the furniture because she has a couple good scratching posts. before that they did go at her recliner, but they didn't shred it either.

her cats are generally very well behaved. they even leave her plants alone.

carrie640 · Jun 6, 2007

Originally Posted by littleraven7726

my cats were all already declawed by previous owners when i adopted them. we have no litterbox issues. the guys are all pretty well adjusted happy kitties. if you are truly worried, just adopt one that's already declawed. there are plenty who need homes.

slightly off-topic: not all kitties who are declawed and in shelters are there because of litterbox problems. i really wish people would stop spreading that misinformation. most are there for the same reasons as cats with claws: moving, too many, etc. when i worked in a shelter it was hard to get the already declawed cats adopted because so many people had been told that. then they would get a kitten and declaw it.

edited to add: it does happen with some cats. but not all. it's the generalizing to all or most declawed cats that gets me going.

my mom's cats all have their claws, they don't shred the furniture because she has a couple good scratching posts. before that they did go at her recliner, but they didn't shred it either.

her cats are generally very well behaved. they even leave her plants alone.

See, Ashie was declawed, as well, when I had gotten her...and I never had any issues with her at all....unless her box was full and she would only go "bad" potty in front of the human potty and that happened like twice.

trixie23 · Jun 6, 2007

Originally Posted by littleraven7726

my cats were all already declawed by previous owners when i adopted them. we have no litterbox issues. the guys are all pretty well adjusted happy kitties. if you are truly worried, just adopt one that's already declawed. there are plenty who need homes.

slightly off-topic: not all kitties who are declawed and in shelters are there because of litterbox problems. i really wish people would stop spreading that misinformation. most are there for the same reasons as cats with claws: moving, too many, etc. when i worked in a shelter it was hard to get the already declawed cats adopted because so many people had been told that. then they would get a kitten and declaw it.

edited to add: it does happen with some cats. but not all. it's the generalizing to all or most declawed cats that gets me going.

my mom's cats all have their claws, they don't shred the furniture because she has a couple good scratching posts. before that they did go at her recliner, but they didn't shred it either.

her cats are generally very well behaved. they even leave her plants alone.

Not sure if that was directed towards me, to clear the air I simply stated declawing MAY cause issues outside of the litterbox... I didn't point it out as a definite effect!

breal76 · Jun 6, 2007

most are there for the same reasons as cats with claws: moving, too many, etc. when i worked in a shelter it was hard to get the already declawed cats adopted because so many people had been told that. then they would get a kitten and declaw it

That's interesting because 90% of the declawed cats we get surrendered to our shelter are unadoptable. It's rare when we actually place one up for adoption. The number one reason why I get in a declawed cat is because it's started p***ing in the house.

I have never had a problem adopting out a declawed cat either.

carrie640 · Jun 6, 2007

Originally Posted by Breal76

That's interesting because 90% of the declawed cats we get surrendered to our shelter are unadoptable. It's rare when we actually place one up for adoption. The number one reason why I get in a declawed cat is because it's started p***ing in the house.

I have never had a problem adopting out a declawed cat either.

Hey....is it true that cats that are surrendered because of litter issues are put to sleep???

One of my friends told me she gave her two up for those reasons (I don't know if they were declawed or not, though) and told me that the shelter can't adopt out a cat with litter issues so more than likely, they were put to sleep.

If my cat had issues like that, there is no way I could surrender it knowing what its destiny would be. Hell, I don't think I could REGARDLESS.

But let me ask you this.....is that information a shelter would disclose on the info cards to a potential adopter? I always see reasons as "Too many cats", "Moving", etc...never ONCE have I seen "litter issues".

breal76 · Jun 6, 2007

Originally Posted by carrie640

Hey....is it true that cats that are surrendered because of litter issues are put to sleep???

One of my friends told me she gave her two up for those reasons (I don't know if they were declawed or not, though) and told me that the shelter can't adopt out a cat with litter issues so more than likely, they were put to sleep.

If my cat had issues like that, there is no way I could surrender it knowing what its destiny would be. Hell, I don't think I could REGARDLESS.

But let me ask you this.....is that information a shelter would disclose on the info cards to a potential adopter? I always see reasons as "Too many cats", "Moving", etc...never ONCE have I seen "litter issues".

Yes it is true. We don't adopt out cats that p in the house. I do disclose this to the surrenderer. I tell them that noone will want their cat for the same reason they are giving it up. It sounds harsh, but they seem okay with that. What can ya do? We euthanize for space though, so really any person bringing in a pet it can be destroyed the same day it comes in. They sign that surrender agreement without even blinking an eye. I don't get it. I really don't.

carrie640 · Jun 6, 2007

Originally Posted by Breal76

Yes it is true. We don't adopt out cats that p in the house. I do disclose this to the surrenderer. I tell them that noone will want their cat for the same reason they are giving it up. It sounds harsh, but they seem okay with that. What can ya do? We euthanize for space though, so really any person bringing in a pet it can be destroyed the same day it comes in. They sign that surrender agreement without even blinking an eye. I don't get it. I really don't.

DANG. That would break my heart to know that my cat was going to DIE and it is because I gave it up (regardless of the reason).

What about those cats that the truth isn't disclosed?? I mean, people LIE about their reasons, right??? They can say ANYTHING.

Do you guys notice if there is a litter issue?

eburgess · Jun 6, 2007

You need to train your new cat not to scratch the chairs. When I was training my Limerick, I put catnip on the scratching posts and it worked. I also trim his nails every other week or so and Limerick fights me everytime but it gets done. That prevents them from scratching, well Limerick anyway. Claws are really nothing to worry about. You just need to make sure they are taken care of.

breal76 · Jun 6, 2007

Originally Posted by carrie640

DANG. That would break my heart to know that my cat was going to DIE and it is because I gave it up (regardless of the reason).

What about those cats that the truth isn't disclosed?? I mean, people LIE about their reasons, right??? They can say ANYTHING.

Do you guys notice if there is a litter issue?

Well if they lie we can figure it out two ways. Either they don't use their litter box when they are at the shelter. Or the cat will be adopted and will come back. So there is no point in lying.

It's all really a sad state of affairs. I have work there for 2 years. I hate my job. It has made me a cynical person. I am depressed all the time. I can't stand to listen to peoples reasons for giving up animals. They litterally make my skin crawl. I secretly wish terrible things would happen to them. I really do.

The devestation of what I have personally seen in the past two years will haunt me for as long as I live.

yosemite · Jun 6, 2007

Originally Posted by trixie23

Not sure if that was directed towards me, to clear the air I simply stated declawing MAY cause issues outside of the litterbox... I didn't point it out as a definite effect!

It may well have been due to my comment about the fellow giving up his de-clawed cat if it started to have litterbox issues. I was hypothesizing but it was perhaps not perceived that way.

Unfortunately this isn't just a rumour that de-clawed cats can and often do have litterbox issues no matter now much we may try to deny it. They often become biters as well. Just because some folks have been lucky enough to not have this happen to them and their de-clawed kitty does not make it fallacy.

trixie23 · Jun 6, 2007

I know... I have read all about this on The Cat Site articles matter of fact

Love this site... Im going to copy some of the info and paste it here!

"Urine damage and property destruction are major ongoing results of de-clawing. They can't dig properly in their litter box so they will often find a more comfortable place to urinate like your living room carpet or they may spray against your kitchen cupboards or doors. Urine penetrates deeper than any claws do once it gets in your drywall and floorboards! You may also experience chewing damage to things like wood furniture and cords." - Under the articel Declawing is more than a manicure!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

carrie640 · Jun 6, 2007

Originally Posted by Breal76

Well if they lie we can figure it out two ways. Either they don't use their litter box when they are at the shelter. Or the cat will be adopted and will come back. So there is no point in lying.

It's all really a sad state of affairs. I have work there for 2 years. I hate my job. It has made me a cynical person. I am depressed all the time. I can't stand to listen to peoples reasons for giving up animals. They litterally make my skin crawl. I secretly wish terrible things would happen to them. I really do.

The devestation of what I have personally seen in the past two years will haunt me for as long as I live.

If the cat is brought back, what happens to the person that adopted it?? They are just out of luck on their money because someone may have lied or do you permit a new kitty to go home with them?

breal76 · Jun 6, 2007

Originally Posted by carrie640

If the cat is brought back, what happens to the person that adopted it?? They are just out of luck on their money because someone may have lied or do you permit a new kitty to go home with them?

We have a 30 day return policy. So they can get another cat or refund. However I have only had one return on a cat for not using a litter box. Which is pretty good.

They aer able to adopt again. Of course. I would not want to go to a shelter and get a cat that pees in the house. What a terrible way to start a relationship!

No..We stand behind the animals we adopt out. We always take them back.

laureen227 · Jun 6, 2007

Originally Posted by carrie640

Do you guys notice if there is a litter issue?

well, the only time Pixle or Chip, my declaws, ever peed outside of the litter box was due to UTIs, crystals, etc. Mouse, who was also declawed, did so right near the end, but she was also ill. Medley never did [1st cat]. Smoke pooed outside the box, & i was ignorant of that being a sign of disease. i rehomed her, & she didn't have a problem in her new home, so it was probably because i didn't keep the box clean enough for her [one of the reasons i now have automatic boxes]. so, that's 4 of 4 for me that really don't have issues, litter wise. however, Medley & Chip were/are both biters.

white cat lover · Jun 6, 2007

Here, cats surrendered for litterbox issues that are declawed are euthanized 99% of the time. If they have a UTI or another cause for spraying, we work with them as much as we can.

urbantigers · Jun 6, 2007

I've not had any problems with my cats scratching furniture. They have lots of scratching posts (4 activity centres ranging from a ceiling high one to one about 18 inches high, a scratch post that is nearly horizontal plus a few other toys/play things that can be used for scratching). I trim their nails regularly too. The only damage at all I've had is from Mosi accidentally catching his claws on the sofa arms during play when he was younger. But I have removable sofa covers so can replace if/when need be for little cost.

I agree that when you have a cat you need to accept that claws are part of the cat, and that just like having children it helps if you're not too houseproud. Sure you don't want kids to draw on the walls with their crayons but sometimes it happens and you just deal with it! Same with pets. Sometimes they vomit on the carpet, or wee on the bed because they have a UTI. And sometimes they scratch things they shouldn't because scratching is what they do. If they have alternatives that they are happy with they won't do that. If they're scratching your sofa it means that the alternatives provided aren't satisfactory from the cat's point of view (eg not tall enough, not stable enough, not in the right place, wrong fabric etc) so you may need to experiment a bit to find out what your cat likes.

I can't undrestand people who would declaw to save their sofa, no matter how much the sofa costs. How can you put a value on a cat like that? To say that an inanimate object costing a few hundred or even thousand pounds/dollars is more important than the living, breathing friend you share your life with? I just don't get it. I dont' buy expensive sofas because I know I couldn't afford to replace them if they got damaged. I have a cheap one from ikea and put a throw over it. That way I don't worry about it getting scratched, although as it happens that's not a problem I have.

littleraven7726 · Jun 6, 2007

Originally Posted by trixie23

Not sure if that was directed towards me, to clear the air I simply stated declawing MAY cause issues outside of the litterbox... I didn't point it out as a definite effect!

no not at you. just at the air. i've been in a mood today, i didn't mean for it to sound like it was directed at you. sorry.

Scared of CLAWS.....

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