Declawing?????

pbsj_1988

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Hi I have a mother cat and four kittens I am keeping momma after the kittens are weined but I have a delima.
I have a dog and rabbit both indoors as is the cat. I am worried about her catching one of them with her nails.
So I am thinking about declawing her in the front only.

I have heard different things about declawing. One side its horrible it causes them pain. The other is if it is done by a good vet they are fine. Another is if you do it when there older its worse for them. Another if you do it when there older its better for them.

She is about 2 years old and I plan on keeping her for the rest of her life she is to sweet.
I see no point ot declaw her in the back as it wont be a issue.
Any advice would be a prciated.
Thank you
 

AbbysMom

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Ok, just to let you know this site's official stance on declawing -

3. This website considers declawing a drastic way to curb cat behavior. A painful ordeal for your kitty we would suggest that declawing never be considered for any behavioral issue. Health issues are entirely different. It is up to you as a responsible pet owner to explore all the different options available instead of declawing. Your cat is dependant on you to make wise choices for her, and not put her into any more stress or discomfort. Please be a responsible pet owner and research this subject thoroughly. Understand that if you are pro-declaw in your posts, you will encounter opposition. Please learn more about alternatives for declawing here in our forums as well as on our website itself. Declaw - More than Just a Manicure. Hopefully those of you with claw-related problems will find solutions by spending time in our Behavior Forum.
Please check out this thread for more information:

http://www.thecatsite.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=155451

Declawing threads tend to get quite heated, so I will ask everyone to please remain civil when responding.
 

yosemite

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This is an anti-declaw site so you won't get anyone here telling you to declaw. Declawing is inhumane and unnecessary except if an owner has an immune deficiency or other medical issue that a cat scratch could cause considerable harm.

Learning to trim kitties claws is the most humane thing to do. If you cannot do that, then there are things such as soft claws but I personally think teaching your cat to have it's claws clipped is better.

ETA: I doubt if your dog or rabbit are in a lot of danger from your cat's claws. Declawed cats often turn to biting and a cat bite would be more dangerous to your dog or rabbit than a claw. Also, declawed cats can stop using litter as it bothers their paws so your kitty may start doing her business elsewhere which would be unacceptable but if you declaw you would be responsible for that behaviour.

Unfortunately when some folks declaw and their cat starts biting or avoiding the litter pan, these once-loved pets are taken to a human society or pound as the owner doesn't want them any longer.
 

emmylou

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Plus the dog and rabbit have claws too, and you're not considering declawing them. Don't declaw any of the animals... it's not only painful, but unnecessary.
 

mews2much

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I will keep it nice.
Declawing is terrible.
My aunt made that mistake and her cat almost died because she fell and had nothing to grab on with.
Also I know people whose cats turned to biting.
We always had Rabbits with cats and never had a problem.
 

arlyn

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You've heard all the do not declaw stuff.
I have always had cats, I have always had dogs and I have had rabbits, I also have a parrot.

My cats have everything that they were born with except their ovaries and uterus.

My oldest cat's best friend was a bunny.
My cats do not bother my bird.
All of my dogs have learned very quickly that cat's claws hurt and so they respect the cats rather than face the claws.

There is never a need to declaw to protect your other animals, only a need to train with diligence.
I have never met a mammal that couldn't be trained.
 

StefanZ

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If you have issues with the claws, there are nails which can be glued on. Works OK they say, and kitty not as unhappy as when declawed too.


Dont remember the trade name, but the interested can surely find them.
 

proudmamiof4

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Declawing is horrible! it is an un needed surgery with risks! not to mention imagine having your fingertips cut off at the knuckle!!
 

going nova

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I agree with the others that you should not declaw. If there is problem behavior, you can probably fix it with training. In the meantime, you could try a product called SoftPaws or SoftClaws. They're soft caps that go on kitty's claws.
 

twstychik

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Originally Posted by StefanZ

If you have issues with the claws, there are nails which can be glued on. Works OK they say, and kitty not as unhappy as when declawed too.


Dont remember the trade name, but the interested can surely find them.
Soft Claws or Paws... one is for cats and one for dogs.

I have one declawed kitty (who does bite and has LB issues) and one intact kitty. They get along fine and even drring the occasional scuffle, Wickett knows better than to use his claws (most of the time) and I trim them weekly. I got him used to it early and he sits quietly next to me as I take 2 minutes to clip his front nails... and 2 minutes is probably an over estimation.
 

ut0pia

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I'm trying to be unbiased in my answer b/c i think it can be resolved without getting into the declawing issue...
Both a dog and a rabbit are not a cat's usual prey animals. Rabbits maybe when they are young but not as adults. They are not in danger IMO. Besides, if your animals get into a fight you don't want the dog to kill the cat because it's defenseless...
 
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pbsj_1988

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Thanks guys reading the information from the first post and the information every put makes my desision. Phoenix keeps her distance she has been raised around foster so she has had her share of cat stratches.

I wont even think about it again.
I am not worried about my furniture if I was I would not have pets they are part of the family. Which mean my couch there couch

I think she should be fne without the soft paws. I cut her nail every two weeks so they are short. I have not cut the kittens nail yet because they are less then two weeks old but they will need to be cut soon.
 

yosemite

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Originally Posted by PBSJ_1988

Thanks guys reading the information from the first post and the information every put makes my desision. Phoenix keeps her distance she has been raised around foster so she has had her share of cat stratches.

I wont even think about it again.
I am not worried about my furniture if I was I would not have pets they are part of the family. Which mean my couch there couch

I think she should be fne without the soft paws. I cut her nail every two weeks so they are short. I have not cut the kittens nail yet because they are less then two weeks old but they will need to be cut soon.
I'm so happy to see that you have made this decision. Hugs and much gratitude go out to you.

I used to play/touch/hold Bijou's paws to get him used to having them touched to make it easier to clip them. Now I don't even need to hold him to clip his claws.
 

cococat

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glad you made the decision not to declaw

I have a cat with claws and three dogs and have for years, they play and interact and my kitty never harms anyone, 2 or 4 legged.
 

zane's pal

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Zane is declawed, but it was not my decision, he was that way when he came to us. But I have decided that I will not have his successor declawed. If I find a declawed cat at the shelter who appeals to me, that's one thing, but I will not have it done.
 

hosman

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Don`t do it! First of all it is the definition of cruel(not that you are cruel or want to be cruel).Think if you had all your teeth ripped out of your head! eek!
You leave that animal almost completely defenseless and unable to protect itself or even climb properly to safety.My parents had their two pet cats completely de-clawed and all for some stupid leather furniture that is now out of style.Gimme a break! Dad is a chronic paranoid about the cats getting out and these fellows just don`t seem as active and happy as when they were sporting the claws.Besides,often the claws end up growing back. I think that if the "only way" you can own a cat is to have it de-clawed then you probably should not own a cat...at least at this time.

Sorry for the rant.

HosMan


Well,I see you opted to be a good human!
Arise,noble human.You are worthy.
De-clawed cat?? Why that`s like owning a bird because it matches the drapes!Crazy!
 

mrblanche

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My brother put this in a new light for me yesterday.

He said the question to ask is, "Would you cut off your children's fingers at the first joint, just so you wouldn't have to trim their finger nails any more?"
 

Willowy

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I just wanted to chime in, even though you've already made the right decision (but don't forget to have her spayed when the babies are old enough!). Check out the links in my signature for more info. They're very well-written websites and very informative.

I, too have rabbits, and my cats have never scratched them. They just ignore them usually. And I think that if a dog annoys a cat, the dog DESERVES to get scratched, it's just not fair to the cat to take the disadvantage, especially since dogs are usually bigger than cats.
 

yourbriness763

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Originally Posted by Willowy

I just wanted to chime in, even though you've already made the right decision (but don't forget to have her spayed when the babies are old enough!). Check out the links in my signature for more info. They're very well-written websites and very informative.

I, too have rabbits, and my cats have never scratched them. They just ignore them usually. And I think that if a dog annoys a cat, the dog DESERVES to get scratched, it's just not fair to the cat to take the disadvantage, especially since dogs are usually bigger than cats.
I agree, I had no idea what was involved in declawing a cat until I clicked on your link & I will never declaw another cat! Recently, a co-worker mentioned his son was coming home from college & bringing a kitten home with him...needless to say my co-worker told his son the cat had to be declawed 1st, once I heard that, I emailed him the information from your link but I guess this guy doesn't have a heart because he still insisted his son's cat get declawed...makes me sad, I thought I could make a difference...sorry didn't mean to go on & on...don't declaw!
 

neely

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No rabbits but we have a large dog and still knew we would never declaw our cats. We supervised the dog and taught him to respect the cats but somehow Neely, our female kitty, did not reciprocate. She's a little devil!
However, that being said we trim our cat's nails on a regular basis and there hasn't been any problem(s).
 
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