To declaw or not declaw

Hear so many different things to this...I've heard about caps, like fake finger nails, does this work ? And I heard you can clip...but I know I'm afraid to do this cause I may hurt her, the vet clipped once, but I can't take her in every week for that.  Help   She id def gonna be inside only except she can go on our screened in porch never outside, so she won't come in contact with other animals.

Hi and welcome to The Cat Site!

Just so you know, this site is very anti-declaw:

4. This website is anti-declawing. 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.

Click to expand...

You won't find anyone here that will suggest declawing is a good idea. Instead, you are about to get slammed with anti-declaw info. :lol3:

Before I joined this site, I didn't know that declawing was considered cruel. My childhood cat was declawed as part of a "spay and a declaw" because that was the norm back then. My first adult cat was never declawed because she showed up as a stray, with her claws and already spayed and we never saw a need to. When we went to a shelter to adopt Abby, we had to sign an agreement that she would never be declawed. I signed away, but didn't understand what the big deal was until I joined here and found out that declawing is fairly barbaric and that they don't just remove the claw, that they actually remove part of the cat's toe. While it isn't the case with all cats, many do have behavior issues afterward. Europe and other countries have banned declawing.

IMO, declawing should be reserved for situations where it is medically necessary for the cat.

It is actually pretty easy to learn to trim a cat's nails. I am fairly certain there is a thread on here describing how to do it and the best clippers for the job. I personally like the clippers that look like small seeing scissors.

I thought the declawing with spay/neuter was normal as well. Then my last one showed problems when she got older. I found the softest litter I could and she still had discomfort. She started pulling at her toes with her teeth like a cat with claws would, only she pulled off skin rather than an old claw sheath. I tried Cosequin, MSM, fish oil...ultimately Adequan worked the best but after watching the pain that I caused my faithful little companion I swore that I would never do it again.

I tried various scratchers with my new cats and took the ones they wouldn't use to the shelter.

I haven't used the caps and I don't trim their claws often. I just let them be and they and my furniture are fine.

TCS has several articles about declawing, listed under the topic "Claw Care and Declawing Issues". Please take the time to read them before doing anything irrevocable to your cat.

Ok people don't SHOOT me..never ever owned a cat that's why I joined this site....I would never ever do anything that was not good for 64...as I stated I LOVE HER with all my heart...I was asking cause I truly did not know..believe me if its wrong I would never ever do it..I am no way a cruel person.

karkel59 said:

Ok people don't SHOOT me..never ever owned a cat that's why I joined this site....I would never ever do anything that was not good for 64...as I stated I LOVE HER with all my heart...I was asking cause I truly did not know..believe me if its wrong I would never ever do it..I am no way a cruel person.

Click to expand...

Oh, don't worry, no one was saying you were. Like I said, I wasn't aware of what an issue it was until I joined here either. People can get very passionate here about this topic.

What the Vet DOESN"T tell you is that the word declawing is extremely inaccurate--the correct word is amputation.

It is a procedure which is exactly like taking the tips of all your fingers and toes and amputating them at the first joint in order to remove your fingernails permanently.   It is barbaric and inhumane, and as stated above--most first world countries have banned the procedure.

I use a scratch box--a very large box--make sure you check the size if you buy one.   It should be minimum of two feet long.  My Merlin uses his as his very own furniture--sleeps on it, does kitty yoga, and hangs out on it for hours--and NEVER touches my furniture.  As a matter of fact if I touch his box he runs over and scratches like crazy to re-mark it!

View media item 177003 to TCS!

This article describes how to clip your cat's claws: How to Best Take Care of Cat Claws There are several YouTube videos that show how to do it, including this one:

[VIDEO][/VIDEO]

You really don't have to clip all the claws at once. You can clip one or two, then do another couple the next day, etc.. It helps to wait until your cat is sleepy and to give a treat when you're finished.

There are also several videos showing how to apply the caps (Soft Paws/Soft Claws):

[VIDEO][/VIDEO]

Jackson Galaxy ("My Cat from Hell") on declawing:

[VIDEO][/VIDEO]

karkel59 said:

Ok people don't SHOOT me..never ever owned a cat that's why I joined this site....I would never ever do anything that was not good for 64...as I stated I LOVE HER with all my heart...I was asking cause I truly did not know..believe me if its wrong I would never ever do it..I am no way a cruel person.

Click to expand...

No worries, please. We are SOOOO glad you found the site and came here to ask about declawing. I wish others would be so willing to become knowledgeable on the subject before they went ahead with a declaw. Here are some of the articles that Goldy referred you to above in case you missed it. 64 is lucky to have you and that you care enough to do research first. :nod:

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/declawing-more-than-just-a-manicure

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/why-cats-should-not-be-declawed

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/declawing-and-alternatives

Also, it is very easy to learn to trim your cats own nails if you are willing. A groomer could show you how to do it or even your vet.

I'm sure I won't be declawing thanks for the infor and I will be reading up, 64 has such a good personality I'd never do anything to harm her or change that

karkel59 said:

Ok people don't SHOOT me..never ever owned a cat that's why I joined this site....I would never ever do anything that was not good for 64...as I stated I LOVE HER with all my heart...I was asking cause I truly did not know..believe me if its wrong I would never ever do it..I am no way a cruel person.

Click to expand...

I don't think anyone was insisting that you were cruel. . You're looking for information about cats and are being given it.

No I just wanted you guys to know, now that you told me..I will not do it..I thank you for the information...my husband said no way would we put 64 thru that...thank you thank you

I'm glad that you're here and that you're educating yourself on the declawing issue.  Before I knew any better, I adopted a cat that was declawed.  One of the side effects that most people don't discuss are the behavioral issues that come because the cat doesn't have a defense mechanism.  I had my kitty for 12 years and saw the behavior issues such as lack of self esteem, skittishness, fearfulness, among others her whole life.

I clip claws on the cats at our shelter where I volunteer.  I have done as many as 35 of them in less than an hour.  In all the years I've done it, I've been bitten once and I probably haven't had 5 cats that I didn't even attempt it on, usually those with known aggession problems.

That said, our little foster Delly is about as hard to clip as any I've dealt with, and our own Punkin hates it (but tolerates it).  If you use the right scissors, you can do it very quickly and safely.

I personally don't declaw my cats. The last time was when I was younger, and my parents completely declawed my new kitten. She escaped when she was three, and was killed by a feral cat. I trim my kitties claws once a week (started very, very early so they got used to it). If you're scared, just clip the very, very tip. But otherwise, the quick (the pink in the claw) is pretty easy to spot and avoid.

One thing that should be mentioned is that a lot of people don't clip their cat's claws at all. As long as 64 has plenty of places to scratch (boards, trees, mats), she should probably be able to attend to them herself. I only clipped one of our last cat's claws because he'd damaged it as a kitten and it grew in crooked. He didn't destroy our furnishings or deliberately use his claws on us. Our current cat also leaves most of the furniture alone, but I clip his claws on all four paws because he can still get carried away during play at times and pounce on you with his claws extended.

jcat said:

One thing that should be mentioned is that a lot of people don't clip their cat's claws at all. As long as 64 has plenty of places to scratch (boards, trees, mats), she should probably be able to attend to them herself. I only clipped one of our last cat's claws because he'd damaged it as a kitten and it grew in crooked. He didn't destroy our furnishings or deliberately use his claws on us. Our current cat also leaves most of the furniture alone, but I clip his claws on all four paws because he can still get carried away during play at times and pounce on you with his claws extended.

Click to expand...

I hear that too and it surprises me, :lol3:, that not all people clip their cats claws. I trim all of my cat's nails at least every 10 days. I have a rambunctious bunch whom play a lot, jumping up and off furniture and tables, and my lap!! Some sleep with us too so it helps to avoid those needle sharp nails. Pipsqueak is a little tyrant and it saves the others from getting scratched up. I have multiple scratching posts too which they use all the time but it does not keep my cat's nails short. I am all for clipping of the nails if you can learn to do it. Plus it gives me a way to look everyone over once a week and give a good brushing at the same time.

Feralvr said:

I hear that too and it surprises me, :lol3:, that not all people clip their cats claws. I trim all of my cat's nails at least every 10 days. I have a rambunctious bunch whom play a lot, jumping up and off furniture and tables, and my lap!! Some sleep with us too so it helps to avoid those needle sharp nails. Pipsqueak is a little tyrant and it saves the others from getting scratched up. I have multiple scratching posts too which they use all the time but it does not keep my cat's nails short. I am all for clipping of the nails if you can learn to do it. Plus it gives me a way to look everyone over once a week and give a good brushing at the same time.

Click to expand...

The reason I mentioned it is that many first-time cat owners, especially those used to dogs, don't know that cats pull the outer sheaths off themselves, so clipping isn't an absolute "must" like it is with those dogs that usually walk on soft surfaces.

We've had Mogli for six months now (as of today!), and I've only clipped his claws three times, taking the very tip off. If he calms down as he gets older, I may not continue to do so. He doesn't have contact with other cats, so we're the only ones who sometimes get scratched, and he usually behaves himself in bed. I keep throws over the backs of the leather sofas, so very little damage has been done by cats' claws. Mogli's chewing is another matter, but it's usually the tablecloth that suffers. :lol3:

jcat said:

One thing that should be mentioned is that a lot of people don't clip their cat's claws at all. As long as 64 has plenty of places to scratch (boards, trees, mats), she should probably be able to attend to them herself. I only clipped one of our last cat's claws because he'd damaged it as a kitten and it grew in crooked. He didn't destroy our furnishings or deliberately use his claws on us. Our current cat also leaves most of the furniture alone, but I clip his claws on all four paws because he can still get carried away during play at times and pounce on you with his claws extended.

Click to expand...

I don't clip my cats' claws. I do check them though, especially the polydactyls. Julie gets caught on stuff sometimes and her rear dewclaws came dangerously close to curling back into the toe.