declaw or don't

i say don't. for a whole host of reasons, but ESPECIALLY if he'll be spending time outdoors.

in my opinion, there is just no valid reason to mutilate a cat's feet. none.

I'll strongly second that.

Declawing may solve the scratching problem, but result in a biting problem, litterbox issues, and a host of other problems
Please don't do this.
We are an anti declawing board. If you want to really do this to your cat, get your finger tips removed at the first joint as well.
It's mutilation, and if your cat is going to be outdoors, you have now removed it's first form of defence against predators.
I am sorry to be so harsh, but please do some research on this and know what you are going to do to your cat. It's aganst the law in many countries for a reason.

TheCatSite is an anti-declawing website due to the fact that it's cruel, unnecessary, and often results in more health problems.

Have a read of this website for more information: http://www.sniksnak.com/cathealth/declaw.html

PLEASE don't declaw. I have witnessed the "surgery" and it is horrifying. Bless you for adopting cats who have already been declawed. Teach your children how to properly care for the cats, and to respect them, and I have no doubt everyone will be fine.

And as was already stated, if he is going to be an indoor/outdoor cat it's especially cruel as he will have no way to defend himself from the dangers he may encounter.

Please, please, do not remove his claws.

You're not going to find anyone here condoning declawing. There is a reason it's illegal in so many countries. There's really no reason for it these days. There's this thing called soft claws, they are little vinyl caps you glue to the claw. I bet your vet or a groomer would even do it for you. Please don't declaw your kitty.

Welcome to TCS!

Before considering declawing, please read this thread: Bea begs you to never declaw. A cat I fostered came in a stray, already declawed - with her claws growing back in. She went through a "re-declaw", which was extremely painful & debilitating. She suffers from fairly severe arthritis, among other health issues now.

Also note the forum rules -


All that said - I have one declawed cat, and a lot of other cats who all have their claws. They co-exist just fine. The declawed one actually is also deaf & has no teeth, too. She still rules the house with an iron paw.

No declawed cat should be allowed outdoors, as they are lacking their primary line of defense. I have seen many severely injured strays come into the shelter here declawed....they were unable to defend themselves.

Never declaw a cat. I would be wary of declawed cats ESPECIALLY if there are small children in the house. A cat that has to bite in self-defense can inflict much worse damage than one who can scratch as a warning. I speak from experience.

Can't add anything else that wan't said already....but check out the links in my signature. It's NOT a nice thing to do to a cat, it should be illegal in the U.S. like it is in most of the world.

Please please don't do this horrible, cruel, inhumane act against your kitty... It is mutilation, and he can have many problems...
We just recently had another case of a kitty suffering horrible and unnecessary pain due to infection on the TOP of the pain of surgery, here is the link of the ordeal: http://www.thecatsite.com/forums/sho...light=declawed

There is a wonderful and very easy solution for declawing called soft paws these are little nail caps you put over the claws; they last about a month, and take care of your problems... No harm done to the kitty... The package lasts a while, as you replace the claws that falls off - 4 complete applications, so at least 4 months...

I hope you do rethink this

I concur. Thank you for posting here to ask. We are all against declawing. In a person, it would equivalent to having a part of each finger cut off. Please, please don't declaw your kitten. It leaves a cat without defenses, and IMO can make a cat mean. There is a declawed cat that lives in my vet's office and she bit the crap out of me.

I don't play with my cats by wiggling my fingers at them, etc. I do get scratched sometimes, but of my four adult cats, only Daisy scratches out of anger.

Never declaw unless it is medically necessary. It's an incredibly torturous procedure that I think should be completely abolished and illegal everywhere. No cat should ever have to go through that just to keep them from scratching.

I hope we have not scared you off here, I also am glad you asked about this.
A lot of people think declawing is an easy deal, just like cutting the nails, but the reality of it is quite different. I thought the same until I researched it and found out what it really is. It's just a matter of education on the procedure, so I hope we have not made you feel unwelcome.

Absolutely agree with the others. The answer is NO! NO way!

Read this and pay attention to the pictures: http://www.declawing.com/htmls/declawing.htm

Don't do it unless you don't give a crap about causing your cat completely unnecessary pain.

I'm glad you asked, don't feel bad about asking the question. Just understand that if you do it, it will be hard to find anyone here that will support your decision.

Actually it's their heels and toes that should be removed, that would be the equivalent in a human.

to the op

please look at these links, this will show you what those other declawed cats went through.

(warning, graphic)

http://declaw.lisaviolet.com/declawpics.html

Please, don't do it.

Declawing of cats is outlawed in 26 countries around the world, and 7 cities, so far, in the USA. I pray it becomes nationwide here, soon.

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

PS the kitten can be trained to not scratch the children, (and we can help you with that) but be sure to also train the children to treat the kitten (and all the cats) with respect and kindness.

It has been my experience that a cat will hiss first, as a warning, and then hold up a paw, again a warning, then if you have ignored all warning signs will then scratch you (would you touch a rattling rattle snake, a taratula reared up, heck no! Respect the hissing cat!)
Children learn this faster than us adults I think, they get the animal will bite, scratch them if they pull the tail, grab the ears, and so on.
Im not sure where I was going with this, carry on with the thread.

Oh, I have seen that site before and I HATE it so much because that cat looks so much like my Holland...

One thing I have learned from my cat is that they are very good at giving signs when they don't want to be petted, picked up, or held. As someone else mentioned, kids are good at picking up on those signs. It will benefit ANY child to learn how to treat an animal.

And, as others have said, I hope we haven't scared you off!! This is a great community with a lot of people who have a lot of good advice on owning a cat. Welcome, and please stick around!!!

Please do not UNLESS medically nescessary for the cat... I have an immune disorder that a basic scratch could be deadly but all five of mine have claws ( I do teach and take proper measures when scratched to avoid life threatening moments)

Please don't declaw your kitty. Both my cats aren't declawed but I use a toenail clipper and just clip the points off their claws at least once a week or every two weeks. I have a scratching post for them, which they use, and I have used double sided sticky tape on some of my furniture and they don't touch it.
It's so cruel and mean to do this to cats.

I hope she comes back!

I had to have one of mine 10 years ago declawed due to issues with her attacking full on claw severely enough that we(myself and my now ex-husband who was my boyfriend at the time) required stitches. We worked on this for around 2 YEARS trying everything before we ran out of options and it was either declaw her or have her put down. She was ok once declawed but she is the exception not the rule. Declawing most often makes all behavior worse and makes the cat more likely to bite, refuse to use the litterbox, not to mention causing the cat horrid pain. The vet made sure we knew every gory detail of what declawing was(even though we already know) and if there was any other choice Spaz(RB) wouldn't have been declawed but we were out of options.

It sounds like you haven't even thought about options or tried anything. Attitude and Nuts are not declawed and won't be unless they have issues like Spaz or some medical reason for it to be done. We have 4 different scratching posts(one works just fine, we just happen to have more since we had 3 clawed cats before Maude crossed the bridge) that they use and if there is an issue in the future with them scratching inappropriate things I'll get them some soft paws until they quit. I did that when they first came inside and turns out they didn't even need them, they knew where to scratch(and they both came in from living an entirely outside life where they could scratch anything they wanted to, I know because from 4 weeks on they and their siblings there were 9 kittens total lived on our front porch.)

There are too many options please don't declaw your kitty, it isn't worth it. If I had had any other option for Spaz I would have taken it. I agonized over having a cat that had to be declawed declawed.

Maude was a very large clawed very mean cat. It took over 2 years before she would even consider letting my son Bobby touch her without hissing and trying to strike him(she couldn't have scratch him her claws were kept clipped.) Trust me they learn quick to not mess with the cat when it doesn't want to be bothered. Just clip the nails and there will be no problems. Trust me I have had to bathe Attitude and Nuts and if their claws are clipped I don't get a scratch, they claws are too blunt to do anything. Also, never ever EVER declaw a cat that goes outside. I won't even clip my outside cats claws and wouldn't clip Attitude's and Nuts' if they went outside(they have no desire to.) I will say that I prolly wouldn't let a cat with soft claws out either but I saw Attitude climb a tree no problem wearing them(she door dashed on me.)

Taryn

Me too - I mean I can understand getting upset when posters come on and say "I'm GOING to declaw because XXX" but this poster just asked.

This is awesome, the awareness is there and I think Nat's post totally summed it up.

Thanks to the original poster for coming on and asking - you've recieved the facts regarding declawing so I wont harp on about that, instead I want to see photos of your little kitty

Yes! She definitely deserve credit for not just doing it, but looking for answers first. I just hope she takes our advice.