When to neuter/declaw?

How old before I neuter and declaw my two kittens? The vet told me I could do it when they are 5 months, which is this week. But I don't want to put them through that right now. I was thinking when they are 7 months old. I really hate to do either to them, and maybe that is why I'm procrastinating.
What's your opinion?

I can only reiterate what others have said - please do not declaw - it is a terrible thing to do to your kittens - there are many links in TCS that will go into great detail on why you should not do this!

Neutering can be done now. I do not in any way support the cruel procedure of declawing. Look online to find out how cruel this procedure is. Please don't declaw. Learn how to clip the tips yourself instead.

You can spay/neuter anytime after 8 weeks or 2 pounds.

I have to agree with others about declawing. It's name is misleading as they are not declawing your kittens, they are amputing their fingers. In a human, that would be the same as removing your fingers from the finger joint on down.

It is very sad that many vets in the United States routinely do a neuter/declaw at the same time. The practice of declawing is illegal in almost every other country in the world as it is deemed inhumane. The U.S. hasn't caught up with everyone else yet.

Before you consider declawing, consider going through life without the ends of your fingers first.

Here are some links:

http://www.declawing.com/htmls/declawing.htm

http://community-2.webtv.net/zuzu22/...clawtemporary/

http://www.pawproject.com/html/faqs.asp

http://www.straypetadvocacy.org/html/declaw_detoe.html

Thanks for the links, but I have done a lot of reading about declawing. And let me say, I'm not 100% decided on the declawing. I am getting a lot of pressure from my husband to have it done. This is another reason I am waiting until they are 7 months. For health reasons in males cats, they need to be neutered. I seriously have done tons of reading about the declawing and from what I have read, yes it is amputation. So please no more lectures!! I can't bring myself to have the declawing done, so probably won't. I'm fine with putting the cute colored nail caps on them.

I clip my cats nails, and that works fine for me. You can buy clippers at a petstore, or just use people nail clippers, and you can cut back to the "red part" (can't remember what it's called...still a little early!)....so my cats have their claws, but they aren't reaking havoc by shredding everything in site. One of my friends had a declawed cat, and their mom made them surrender her to a shelter because she wouldn't use the litter box (because the litter didn't feel right underneath her claws), and she was biting people hard because she couldn't scratch. Maybe if you told your husband that it would cause more problems than it would solve he wouldn't be pressuring you as much??

I'm having the same debate myself on when to spay Sushi. I know they can do it when they're younger, but I don't know if I should do it now, or wait...


P.S. congrats on the two new additions to your family!

I would not wait for neutering. You don't want them to start spraying.

They are ready to be neutered at 5 months. You don't say whether they are male or female, but if male they may start spraying very soon if you don't get them neutered, and if female they could go into heat at any time and it's best to get them spayed before they have their first season. And if you have one of each - well, you'll have a litter of kittens on your hands if you don't get them done soon!

As to declawing - I agree with everyone else. The time to declaw is never. It's illegal where I live.

I would neuter them soon, before 6 months if possible.

Declawing is also illegal where I live, it's a criminal offence and counted as severe animal abuse.

With your husband I'd try to point out all the side effects that can happen. There's the danger of regrowing nails, lameness, arthritis when they're older, behavioural problems, depression, biting and last but not least litterbox problems. I know I'd much rather have a few scratches than a house smelling of cat pee.

Then to happily keep a clawed cat, most cats will use scratching posts if you provide the right one. My cat loves the cheap cardboard posts, she goes through them quickly but completely stopped going for my sofa, some cats like upright scratching posts with sisal or sisal fabric on them.

Then get into the habit of trimming the nails. That's easy to do, especially if you've gotten the cats used to having their paws touched. Cats can still do damage with their trimmed claws but it's much less. If you need more "safety" than that you can use the plastic sheathes - softpaws.

I sincerely wish you good luck in convincing your husband. I know he'll probably trot out examples of happy declawed cats when you're talking to him but the side effects can and do happen, not in every cat but you shouldn't take the risk with yours and often the side effects don't show until the cats get older too.

Thanks for all the replies. You know, I just talked to my husband and he actually said that I need to do what I want to do. I think if I showed him all the info on declawing he would think different. I have always grown up with declawed cats and so have never known anything different. When I adopted these two, I almost cry at the thought of declawing them. I think I should just listen to my gut and heart and not have it done.

Originally Posted by kicken74

I think I should just listen to my gut and heart and not have it done.

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I think that a VERY good idea.

Originally Posted by kicken74

Thanks for the links, but I have done a lot of reading about declawing. And let me say, I'm not 100% decided on the declawing. I am getting a lot of pressure from my husband to have it done. This is another reason I am waiting until they are 7 months. For health reasons in males cats, they need to be neutered. I seriously have done tons of reading about the declawing and from what I have read, yes it is amputation. So please no more lectures!! I can't bring myself to have the declawing done, so probably won't. I'm fine with putting the cute colored nail caps on them.

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Originally Posted by kicken74

Thanks for all the replies. You know, I just talked to my husband and he actually said that I need to do what I want to do. I think if I showed him all the info on declawing he would think different. I have always grown up with declawed cats and so have never known anything different. When I adopted these two, I almost cry at the thought of declawing them. I think I should just listen to my gut and heart and not have it done.

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First off - congratulations on the new members of your family!
I'm not going to lecture you on declawing at all, it seems you've done your research and know what's involved now. Just as a side note - growing up many of us either owned or knew declawed cats because it was simply a lack of knowledge at that time. We know a lot more now and the issues it causes. So, yes, years ago it was acceptable which is why most of your cats were probably declawed. As another side note - I have 6 cats of my own and not one scratch on any piece of furniture I have. I've got 2 large scratching posts/cat condos and 2 of the cardboard scratchers you put on the floor (from walmart). With the right stuff, they'll behave! I figured I'd be down to shreds on my furniture, but it still looks brand new and I never catch them even trying it. Just rub some catnip on the posts and get them started now. They'll love it!! (It's a great alternative to cat pee on your couch or bed. Declawed cats look for soft things cause they don't like the litter feel. I think I'd freak if mine started peeing on my couch! )
Good luck to you!

Hi...and congrats on your 2 new furbabies.
YEARS ago I used to have my cats declawed. I really thought they just pulled thier claws out (and a person can get along without fingernails...I do, cause I bite them so bad!)
When I found out that declawing a cat was actually amutation it made me just sick and I deeply regretted having had it done.)
We have 3 cats....2 of them are almost 3 years old, the other is just past 1 year. (We`ve only had him about 6 weeks and he`s still learning that it`s not OK to claw certain things...but he is learning)
I do not even clip their nails (not because I think it`s wrong....we just have`nt had any reason to do it)
If you decide not to declaw you CAN train them not to go after the things you don`t want them to bother (including YOU!)
Everytime one of ours tried to scratch where I did`nt want them to I`d say a really fiem "NO!" and pick the cat up, take him to one of the scratching posts and make his paws go up and down in a scratching fashion, all the while telling him what a good kitty he was. (Usually they don`t stay long when you put them there...but they do get the idea.)
Even tho they don`t respond in the same way as a dog does to praise...i do believe that they, for the most part, want to please their people. This will take persistance on your part at first...and do remember when they go to the post all by themselves to praise them.
As far as teaching them not to claw you, just be sure you don`t play with them with your hands...use a wand or other toy...people who grab into their cats to play rough with them, are,IMHO...JUST ASKING FOR IT!
If you watch kittens playing with each other you will notice that if one gets too rough, the one that got hurt will run away and not want to play with the offender right away.....and there`s not much you can do to a kitten that he`ll hate more (other than abusing him) than to not play with him.
I used this same idea when ours were kittens and they`d decide to attack my ankles or hands.....again a firm "NO!" and walk away...sometimes into another room and shut them out away from me for awhile if I needed to.
Often they`d cry outside the door...I`d just ignor it for a few minutes...then give them another chance....and repeat as neccessary. It really did`nt take them long to "get it" at all.
As far as getting them fixed ...I don`t think our Toby was even 5 months (Our vet likes to wait til they are at least 6 mo) But there was this pretty little gray and white female that kept coming around and sitting outside our window looking in at Toby. (It was winter, but somehow he could smell her even with the closed windows....and he was driving us nuts with his crying and trying to get out to her.) He`d stick his nose down to the bottom of the outside doors and just yowl. It was awful ! I called the vet and he agreed that if he was old enough to "get the idea" he was old enough to fix. It is NOT a big deal at all for a male cat, trust me.
I have also heard of people who waited until the cat started spraying (or tried to get fixed an older cat who`d been with females before) and had problems with spraying even after it was done....so I`d opt to get it done, and the sooner the better.
Females are OK to wait a bit longer as long if there is no way they can get out to get PG....and it is a bigger surgery for them. (= the same as with people for each sex)
Good luck with your kitties....and ENJOY!
Welcome to TCS !!! You`ll find a wealth of info on this site.
Linda

Neuter from 4 months (4-5 months old males CAN get a female in heat pregnant). If you wait till later, you risk them spraying in the house and other unwanted behaviors.

As far as when to declaw - NEVER! Declawing is not necessary - its cruel and inhumane and its like cutting your fingers off - not just the claw - its amputation.

Learn how to trim nails yourself, use Soft Claws (caps) and get a good sturdy tall treehouse for them to scratch on.

Declawing can create problems in the future - such as fear biting, hiding, or peeing in other places (not using the litter pan). Claws can grow back deformed. For the health and mental health of your cat DO NOT DECLAW.

I watch a program from toronto called Animal Housecalls and the vets on their say around 6 months to spay and neuter your cats. That's the time I usually did it.


About declawing, I think its very inhumane to do that as that is a cat's main weapon for defense. I have never declawed my cats. I have a sister in law that has done it to her cats but she is the fancy type with her furniture.

What I do when my cats claw furniture or the carpet is have a spray bottle of water at hand and when I see them in the act I give them a little squirt and say "NO" and then their name. It works.


Taffy & Misty I Love,

Anne

I agree that the neutering can be done now. More modern vets are now doing the neutering when the cat is 2 lbs. IMO waiting longer is old-fashioned and not necessary especially with male cats who may start spraying.

I won't go into the declawing debate as you already know about it. I will, however, relate an incident that happened recently at the shelter where I volunteer. A patron adopted a cat, signed the form that said they would NOT declaw, promptly went out and had the cat declawed, brought the cat back to the shelter because the cat would no longer use the litter and started doing its business anywhere else other than the litter.

We got our kitties used to having their claws clipped and it is now a regular part of care and maintenance for them. We played/stroked their paws when they were young to get them used to having their paws touched and now it's a very simple matter to clip the claws on a 10 day-2 week basis.

Originally Posted by kicken74

Thanks for all the replies. You know, I just talked to my husband and he actually said that I need to do what I want to do. I think if I showed him all the info on declawing he would think different. I have always grown up with declawed cats and so have never known anything different. When I adopted these two, I almost cry at the thought of declawing them. I think I should just listen to my gut and heart and not have it done.

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I'm very pleased to hear this!!! If you've always had declawed cats, you will need to be strict with the training of the current kitties since they will try to scratch at furniture. All we do is put double sided tape wherever they try to scratch and they don't scratch there anymore. A big cat tree helps as well - they sleep on it, play on it and scratch on it - best investment we made for the kitties! Save the declaw money and put it into a nice big cat tree!!

As for the neuters, I also echo everyone else and now is a great time to do it. They recover from the anaesthetic much faster when they're younger, and it's a very quick and easy operation for the boys. They'll be bouncing around again before you know it!