People think I'm crazy for not declawing!

You're not crazy at all!

In all my childhood of cats my family owned, both indoors and out, never has one been declawed.  I felt it was inhumane before I ever even knew how it was done.  They were born with claws, so with owning a cat one must just deal with it.  As others have mentioned, training - or more importantly finding out 'how' they like to scratch - and purchasing appropriate scratching posts/boxes are key.  In our home I've said NO more times than I can imagine saying to a 3yr old child.

I could sit here and tell you that if I think about what our once pristine leather furniture in our RV looked like right now, under the multitude of covers strewn everywhere across them, after adopting a stray 8mo kitten this past March -- I could cry.  After 7mos of owning him he is just now getting the message the furniture is a no-no.  We wade over or through every shape and style of scratching boards or posts and most times he could care less about any one of them.  My ankles and arms stay nicked up from his hunting practices & rough play even though I trim his claws weekly -- BUT he will never, ever be de-clawed. 

hi,but those nice people from Boston are not correct; not everybody in the United States, by far, D–claws their cats. My family has had cats all their lives, and now my sister as an adult has cats, and I always did and now I have a nice run-up three-year-old Burmese who scratches my furniture. However, NONE of us have ever had are cats declawed. We were just too concerned for the, not being able to function well enough, without their claws. I think it's very cruel to de –claw your cat, and even if mine does scratch some of my furniture, I tried to find other things for her to scratch instead, and I tell her that. She does scratch ME once in a while by accident, but that is my fault because I have not taken her to the vet to have them trimmed, nor have I done it myself.

Also, I have not found a good "cat scratcher" device that she could scratch herself, to take down the claws sharpness.I got some clippers for her, but there is no way she will let me trim her claws.I guess the best thing is to go to the vet once in a while, and get them to trim her claws down.but it's not the cat's fault. And I really would rather put up with all these inconvenience, and a few scratches, then get her declawed. I just don't believe in it.so they may do it in some areas of Boston, but they don't do it much in Oregon.

Cats use their claws for balance, to climb and to defend themselves. Declawing doesn't just remove claws, but bone as well! There are so many alternatives to declawing. I would never go to a vet that encouraged declawing! Cats use their claws during play, too. They also use them when they stretch. Cats have a natural instinct to scratch. Before cats were domesticated, they used their claws to mark their scent on tree trunks. Cats still have a desire to claw, even though they've been domesticated. Any vet that recommends declawing is not a reputable vet and you should find a new one immediately! Declawing a cat involves 10 or 20 separate, painful amputations. It is a very serious surgery. Declawing requires general anesthesia. A declawing procedure can cause adverse reactions to anesthesia, gangrene, hemorrhaging, permanent nerve damage, persistent pain, reluctance to walk, scar tissue formation, bone chips and skin disorders. Sometimes the nails grow back inside the paw. A declawed cat will eventually develop weak legs. Declawed cats often develop behavior disorders, such as inappropriate urination (just like your sister's cats). They may also suffer from depression.

Put your kitten's scratching post right where he is scratching the furniture. You may need to experiment with different types of scratching posts to see what your cat prefers. Some cats prefer cardboard, others like wood and some like rugs to scratch on.

I do feel guilty when my declawed cat tries to jump up on something and loses her grip and slides off. I wish I would not have had her declawed, but I cannot change it now. I have always taken my cats to the same vet for so long, and I really trusted her and thought that she wanted what was best for my cats. I started taking one of my first cats (that has since passed) to her when I was about 12 years old. I am 38 years old now, and it really hurts to think that she only wanted my money and didn't really care about my cats. I am ashamed to admit that she has declawed 4 of my cats over the years. The three that have since passed on did live long lives, but did sometimes have problems with urinating outside the box (under my bed specifically). I never made the connection. This kitten will be the first one that I have not and will not have declawed, and I am very nervous about it. It is so ingrained in me to have this procedure done that it feels like I have been brainwashed all these years, if that makes any sense at all.

In this country (Scotland), you won't find any vet that will declaw a cat as it is illegal. I would never have declawed any of the cats I've had in the past 30 years. They are there for a reason and taking them away just for our convenience is just wrong!

doreet said:

 
hi,but those nice people from Boston are not correct; not everybody in the United States, by far, D–claws their cats.

Click to expand...

Yeah, am pretty sure it was a generalisation. Probably all their cat owning friends had them declawed but please don't think me as stupid to think that it's a requirement of being an American cat owner!  It was just the opinion of a young couple.  I  wrote about  it to highlight that the OP was saying that she was getting grief for not doing the nasty declawing whereas in the UK, where I am, you have a shift in attitude where people think it's very cruel - and it's illegal anyway.

It does seem common place in the USA tho. You can see just from posts here that quite a lot of people had their cats done in the past before they decided it was cruel.  I am just glad there are a few people strong enough to buck the trend and I hope it catches on!

This is a great article.

http://www.littlebigcat.com/declawing/declawing-a-rational-look/

Tabbysia said:

I'm sorry about your Siamese kitty. My kitten is supposedly a Siamese mix. I have a real phobia about clipping his nails myself. I am terrified that I will cut the quick while he is squirming. I have been having the vet do it, but I know that I need to start doing it myself to avoid unnecessary vet visits.
Start with touching paws and move up to trying clipping one at a time when your cat is very relaxed and you can sit beside him.  Have a bright light on, and  the clippers you are going to use close at hand.  Use a sharp pair of ordinary nail clippers you can get a good hold of and control if you don't have cat claw clippers. There are plenty videos on line that show you how.  

Click to expand...

Tabbysia said:

I do feel guilty when my declawed cat tries to jump up on something and loses her grip and slides off. I wish I would not have had her declawed, but I cannot change it now. I have always taken my cats to the same vet for so long, and I really trusted her and thought that she wanted what was best for my cats. I started taking one of my first cats (that has since passed) to her when I was about 12 years old. I am 38 years old now, and it really hurts to think that she only wanted my money and didn't really care about my cats. I am ashamed to admit that she has declawed 4 of my cats over the years. The three that have since passed on did live long lives, but did sometimes have problems with urinating outside the box (under my bed specifically). I never made the connection. This kitten will be the first one that I have not and will not have declawed, and I am very nervous about it. It is so ingrained in me to have this procedure done that it feels like I have been brainwashed all these years, if that makes any sense at all.

Click to expand...

Fleabags Mom said:

 
Yeah, am pretty sure it was a generalization. Probably all their cat owning friends had them declawed but please don't think me as stupid to think that it's a requirement of being an American cat owner!  It was just the opinion of a young couple.  I  wrote about  it to highlight that the OP was saying that she was getting grief for not doing the nasty declawing whereas in the UK, where I am, you have a shift in attitude where people think it's very cruel - and it's illegal anyway.

It does seem common place in the USA tho. You can see just from posts here that quite a lot of people had their cats done in the past before they decided it was cruel.  I am just glad there are a few people strong enough to buck the trend and I hope it catches on!

We are so lucky in Europe, and discussing openly on forums like TCS that can get accurate information to as many people in areas of the world where declawing is still done is great.  

Congratulations Tabbysia and all who are chatting here without being scary or making people feel like they can't admit to having done this.  If no one feels safe to admit having thought about declawing, or doing it to a cat in the past, then we risk alienating the very people we want to reach, the people who do not yet know or understand.  

I honestly think more people read and listen to information that challenges their beliefs when they don't feel like they are being scolded or lectured. On that basis, this is a pretty good, informative thread to start on, and there are a few really good links here. I think this has been the most readable thread I have come across on de-clawing and have learned a lot, keep it coming! 

  

Click to expand...

i have the same problem with my family, they can't believe we won't delcaw our cats(they hate cats very much so don't care about what the surgery does) and they say they will destroy our furniture and they were right // I'm still not going to get them declawed though even though i did consider putting them on craigs list..

the best thing to do if you have cats with claws is never buy new furniture and always get cheap things my mom got me leather couch and love seat as a wedding present and they have small holes now after 1 month totaly embarrassing because i told her i would not let them destroy the furniture and it still happend !!!!

Furniture can be replaced. The purring of a cat, her wet nose in your face, the way she looks at you when you feel sad or when something hurts, the way she makes you laugh when they bounce off the walls or when they meow for attention CAN NOT BE REPLACED. I understand the frustration of having nice things ruined, but I honestly believe that no object can be more important than a life.

My mother also dislikes cats. I love them and I love the way they make me laugh every day, even if I am sleep deprived for two months now because Harley meows from 4 to 6 in the morning. I love them even when I try to lock them out of my bedroom so I can sleep but Sophie opens the door by jumping on the handle. I love them even when Amelie chews through mobile chargers and knocks stuff over at 5 o clock in the morning. I have thousands of tiny holes in my velvet drapes and on my wannabe leather couch. But this is life with cats. And I wouldn't want it any other way.

And I do feel that every cat needs the best quality of life. If you feel that you can not provide them that, no matter the reason, it is only fair to you and to them to find them a home that can.

This thread is a month old, but if the OP comes back--

I live in the U.S., in Southern California, and there are several cities here that have outlawed declawing. We went to a big cat reservation and they showed us a cat that had to have surgery because it was declawed and couldn't walk years later as a result.

I found that the Cosmic Cat Alpine Scratcher was irresistible to my kitty. After a few weeks she forgot all about the furniture. Don't cheap out and buy the horizontal cardboard filler only. Get the full slanted scratcher.

I have 7 cats and none of them are de-clawed. My dogs have caused more damage to my furniture than the cats ever have. When I was young we had 13 cats, all with claws. Cats tend to play rough, but their fur protects them from claw injuries most of the time. If you're worried you can trim his nails or have nail caps put on.  If he scratches on something that you don't want him too make a loud noise to startle him or spray him with a water squirt bottle. Eventually he will learn what he can and can't scratch on. Your cat has claws for a reason, you made the right choice. Stick to your decision no matter what your family and friends say.

I live in the UK and routine declawing is illegal here. Since I hot a huge scratching post the furniture is far less attractive. Huge means just over 4 feet tall and 8 inches or so diameter. It is tall enough for even a tall cat to really reach right up.

My two 14 year old cats are declawed and no problems due to the declawing.  Front paws only.  It was not my decision to have them declawed.  Any way when we decided to adopt our 1 yr old I knew I would never declaw a cat myself.  Never.  And of course I did not.  I had some card board boxes around because I had never had to time to put them away after we had moved into our house.  The box was right off the living room in the dining room in the way and guess what it became clear he loved to stretch and scratch on this box.  The lids were open.  He moved on to another tall skinny box and has been scratching it on the corners until it is almost ripped all the way down the sides.  I turn it around and now I am looking for a third box for him to replace the others as they wear out.  Smart kiddy showed me what he likes.  I was lucky.  I saw him eye and stretch to claw a couch corner and I told him no Tigger and he did not do it again.

I am amazed by him.  I am so happy I was given a chance to never declaw him. 

My mom doesn't understand why I won't get my cat declawed. When I was a kid, she had a friend who lived with us for a while, then moved into an apartment in the same complex. Her cat was declawed and had no apparent issues. So anytime I mention the issue of Oliver scratching my furniture, she just asks why I don't get him declawed. I've already explained to her multiple times why I won't do it. He bites when he's being playful, too. Should I get his teeth removed? No. So come off it already. 

Anyway, he periodically uses his scratching post or the large exposed wood beam in the kitchen, but he greatly prefers my couch. It's not a nice couch and I look forward to dumping it as soon as I can afford to replace it, but I don't want him in the habit of scratching the couch when I do get a nice one. Not sure how to get him to knock it off. Now I just yell "CAT!" and he stops.

Buddy5000 said:

 
My two 14 year old cats are declawed and no problems due to the declawing.  Front paws only.  It was not my decision to have them declawed.  Any way when we decided to adopt our 1 yr old I knew I would never declaw a cat myself.  Never.  And of course I did not.  I had some card board boxes around because I had never had to time to put them away after we had moved into our house.  The box was right off the living room in the dining room in the way and guess what it became clear he loved to stretch and scratch on this box.  The lids were open.  He moved on to another tall skinny box and has been scratching it on the corners until it is almost ripped all the way down the sides.  I turn it around and now I am looking for a third box for him to replace the others as they wear out.  Smart kiddy showed me what he likes.  I was lucky.  I saw him eye and stretch to claw a couch corner and I told him no Tigger and he did not do it again.

I am amazed by him.  I am so happy I was given a chance to never declaw him. 

Click to expand...

LaraLove said:

 
My mom doesn't understand why I won't get my cat declawed. When I was a kid, she had a friend who lived with us for a while, then moved into an apartment in the same complex. Her cat was declawed and had no apparent issues. So anytime I mention the issue of Oliver scratching my furniture, she just asks why I don't get him declawed. I've already explained to her multiple times why I won't do it. He bites when he's being playful, too. Should I get his teeth removed? No. So come off it already. 

Anyway, he periodically uses his scratching post or the large exposed wood beam in the kitchen, but he greatly prefers my couch. It's not a nice couch and I look forward to dumping it as soon as I can afford to replace it, but I don't want him in the habit of scratching the couch when I do get a nice one. Not sure how to get him to knock it off. Now I just yell "CAT!" and he stops.

Click to expand...

You should both look into the Cosmic Cat Alpine Scratcher as I detailed in post #33, especially Buddy5000. My kitty tore up furniture until we got new sofas that I cared about. My coworker said the Alpine Scratcher worked with her parents' cat, so I got it. The switchover was pretty much immediate.

Raintyger said:

 
You should both look into the Cosmic Cat Alpine Scratcher as I detailed in post #33, especially Buddy5000. My kitty tore up furniture until we got new sofas that I cared about. My coworker said the Alpine Scratcher worked with her parents' cat, so I got it. The switchover was pretty much immediate.

Click to expand...

Alright. I added it to my Amazon wish list. Don't have the money right now after everything I spent for Christmas this month. But he's got this hammock scratcher  and he's got a cat tree with a scratching post trunk and a scratching post ramp on it. He only uses those periodically. The hammock he uses only as a blockade (he stalks his prey from behind it) and he chews on one corner. 

I will think about the Alpine scratcher. I already ordered a cat tower from Lakeside Collection a couple of weeks ago that looks cute and is supposed to have seven scratching surfaces. It was supposed to be a Christmas present for my kitties, especially the non-declawed one, but stupid, slow UPS has still not delivered it yet. I look forward to seeing how my kitten with claws does with it. He only uses the scratching post he has now occasionally and has started using an office chair to scratch on instead. The back of the chair is already shredded from my other cat (when she was a kitten), and he scratches the front, so I guess he is just trying to make it even on both sides. I have just given the chair over to the cats and made it theirs. I have put a soft blanket on it, and they sleep on it and cuddle. Of course, I have not told my family this, because I don't want to hear about it again. My kitten still has his claws, and I feel about 50/50 about my decision. Hopefully, I will feel that I made a 100% right choice someday.