Proper Kitty LItter Post Declawing

I am taking my feral, who has now been living indoors with my dogs and myself for the past 3 weeks to be de-clawed of her front paws.  I can't stand being scratched up anymore.  Now, don't get me wrong....the scratching has come from her playing with me ONLY, not from being aggressive.  It is the playing that is scratching me up.  Anyway, the appointment is not set up for another month, as I want to make sure that living indoors with me and my two dogs is going to work, as I know that once you de-claw a cat, they can't go back outdoors.  My question is, I am told you have to use special litter for a time after she is de-clawed.  Does anyone one know what type, or even a brand name would be helpful.

I have been to the pet store and have seen cedar chips and pellets that I think are made of compressed newspaper.  Please let me know, as I do not want her paws to become infected post surgery.  Also, does anyone know when you can change back to regular litter?

Thanks so much!  Frenchwench

How are you playing with her that you are getting scratched up so bad?

Before you consider de clawing your cat please read this, you may not be aware of what it actually involves: http://www.thecatsite.com/a/why-cats-should-not-be-declawed

Well, she thinks my feet under the sheet at night is for her to attack, and when I move my legs, she attacks my feet.  I have been scratched that way.  Also, when I hold her in my arms then put her back down on the ground, when she leaves my arms, her claws scratch my arms.  Also, even though I bought and put together a cat tree with 3 scratching posts, she is using my furniture to scratch.  I'm waiting for the day she starts to climb my 7 foot tall curtains in my living room.  I've already seen her looking up at them.  I know you may not agree, but I do need to de-claw her.

I read the article and was not aware.  Thank you for that.  I will discuss this with my vet.  Also, I have not had a chance to look at the Trimming a Cat's Nails link.  Is it possible for one person to be able to trim a cat's nails?  I can do my dog's on my own, but have never even tried to trim a cat's.

Is it necessary that she have access to your room at night? I would personally sooner close the cat out of my room and use a product like Soft Paws combined with regular trimming, among many other options, than declaw. Declawing is a HUGE decision and shouldn't be taken lightly out of convenience. If you're not familiar with the process, I suggest reading up on as many alternatives as possible before making a final decision. Declawing, as many other members of this site would agree, is something that shouldn't be done unless medically required for the cat.

Trimming a cat's nails can be done quite easily, but it depends on the cat and the approach. For one of our cats, the one my boyfriend has had for 10 years, he's a ragdoll (not breed, figuratively) who can be flopped on his back and will lie there while he holds each paw and trims each nail using a cat nail trimmer - though some people use people nail cutters too. Our newer cat is a two-person job, one person holds her upright and pets her, and the second person holds each paw and trims. She doesn't like it and her tail tucks under her, but it's quick and painless, and she trots away like nothing happened. Watch for the quick and have a styptic powder, even something like corn starch nearby in case you hit the quick as with any animal. You can also ask groomers or vets to trim claws during a visit. Some charge a few bucks to do it, some include it in whatever they're already doing for you/the cat.

With that much said, I don't have any first hand input on a suitable litter for declaws, but I think the cedar chips can be a bit pointy and uncomfortable (along with being quite hard), so the newspaper would be my first option for a nice and soft material. As with any situation, ensuring it's cleaned and dumped regularly will reduce bacteria that could be harmful for wounds will be imperative. If she's never used paper litter, I would suggest introducing it prior to the procedure so she can remain as comfortable and familiar with it and have as little change as possible.

Thank you for all this info.  I will seriously reconsider de-clawing her.  I don't want to do anything to harm her.  I am going to go try and give her a bath right now for the first time, so wish me luck.  I will do some more reading on the subject and speak with my vet about the procedure.  I may not do this at all.  Thanks for your advice.  I truly appreciate it, as this is the first cat I have cared for and am a total novice.

With all that said, can anyone recommend a good cat litter for everyday use.  I am currently using Scoop Away Extra Strength Clumping litter and it is scented.  Is this a good one, or is there a better, safer litter I should be using for everyday use.   As always, thank you in advance for your help and reply.

The Scoop Away is a good litter, although many cats don't like the scented stuff.  (Their noses are way more sensitive than ours and it can actually be uncomfortable for them.)  I use unscented Arm and Hammer and scoop every day or every other day.  Have had not problem with smells.

and THANK YOU so much for reconsidering the declawing.  Many, many people think it is harmless when its really quite dreadful.

As a "cat guardian" to declaw sand on-declaws, my little group came about it in varying ways. The first 2 we're declawed over 19 & 18years (& still hanging in there!!!) but that was -in my thin defense-before I was aware in the slightest what it entailed. Two Thera were also done several years later because both physically attacked endlessly any small children -again, knowing what I know now about behaviour modification & how lie-altering the surgery is for the cats, I wouldn't have done it. They passed on recently I heard (my husband got them in the divorce) but they suffered joint pain & trust issues all of their lives.....something I partially attribute to the declawing. All were front paw only -four paw takes what little senses they have if outside away -& if the reason you're telling yourself you need to do it is to save arms, carpet & furniture, back claws really shouldn't even enter the talks.

The last two we added (1 was a horribly abused kitten -now cat-who has to still he worked with not to scratch carpet & speakers, but we've solved it by buying speaker facing in bulk, and placing a piece of old carpet -when company's not around-across where age likes to scratch. The other is a former feral for a year-we thought of all cats we'd have horrendous scratching issues. Shock! After a few weeks of highly pitched "ouch" every time she kicks or scratches ( like her mama woulda done) & the kicking & scratching is in only 1 1/2 mo almost non-existent. We stopped her from scratching the furniture by buying 3 new scratching posts & placing them directly in front of everywhere age liked to scratch. The BIG winner was something is available on Amazon called Petstages Fold Away Scratching Tunnel Toy for Cats. Looks goofy -but no lie-INSTANTLY sucked all of ours to it for 99.9% of their scratched!!!! We're on our 2nd one already!

As far as trimming yourself, trust me, in 99% of classes it can be done safely and qyuickly ( not that there aren't exceptions! And I've food them!). I get myself in the headspace that it's jut going to take 3 or four times -less and it's a bonus! I always jeep small cat scissor style (or whatever you like to use-lots liked small guillotine trimmers in my pants pockets 24/7-never know when she'll be sleepy & distracted enough.. Grab one paw quickly & quietly,
do a few nails. She'll now know what's happening, but you might even get a few more in. End the short session whith treats & lots of love & treats. And there's no Shane in asking a fellow car bud to help. He/she can hold -scruff if necessary! Before you know it you you'll be breezing thru these! It'll save you a TON of & $ & guilt, not to mention worry while she's under an aesthetic. And know you're sving her a lifetime of joint pains, possibily changing her walk, causing/excelerating arthritis issues, pain both short-long term, etc for her. Remember -she's still VERY much a kitten & needs things to pounce at & kill. Give her lots of options other than your toes

If you DO end up declawing, I can Speke from a frightening amount of experience due to fostering etc. We actually found NYN to be too hard on their open toe wounds (kitttens actually walked on edges of box to avoid it. ). Big winner after much & much trying -did I say "much"? We use the soft shredded mess that comes (generally) in cubes in hamster/ gerbil section. The won't really eat it - & white is good to keep an eye on strange colors on the box. I but goes outside when they kick it up. And "Poofs" !!!!! Change periodically. We love it - & inexpensive!

It is very easy to trim a cat's claws with a nail clipper. I trim ALL of my cat's nails, even the ferals and strays I've taken in. While sitting on the floor, I take them in my lap and hold them belly up, like a baby. Then I quickly go from claw to claw, and before they even know what's happened, it's done. I've given you a link to the kind of clipper I use--you can get much, much cheaper versions for a quarter of the price. The idea is that you place the claw in the circle of the trimmer and quickly clip it. All cats will be skittish the first time you do it, but they will learn it's no big deal, and if you give them a special food treat afterwards, will not mind the monthly nail trimming. Also provide them with scratching posts so they can file down their own nails. You can try the plastic nail coverings, but I have not found them to be effective--my cats have always managed to pull them off. Remember that vets will always tell you it's okay to de-claw a cat, because they make money off of the procedure! 

http://www.petsmart.com/cat/nail-ca...oJK2FpBDgIMvMzo0y6JBvmCuZshvj?_t=pfm=category

Please, please, please do not declaw this feral cat for the following reasons:

1) It is a VERY painful procedure, especially for an adult cat, which you can never un-do. It will likely erode any trust you've built with this cat and the cat may never forgive you.

2) You are doing this for selfish reasons. Instead, keep the cat out of your room at night. The stray I recently took in sometimes bites and scratches my feet while playing on my bed when he wakes up and I re-direct him and remove him from my bed. In a few weeks he will learn not to do this, like all of the other cats I've ever taken in have learned. There are ways you can train your cat from scratching you that do not involve removing a part of his toes.

3) Feral and stray cats sometimes get out of the house, they run past you quickly when you open the door, and before you get a chance to do anything about it, they're gone. Should this happen to your cat, he will be defenseless against other cats and wildlife.

Please re-think your decision!

Thank you for reconsidering the declaw. I didn't know what declawing entailed until I joined this site. Did you know that declawing is actually outlawed in many countries? That's a sobering fact right there and should tell you that it's not OK to declaw. :nod:

OOOOoooooo. How did the bath go? I've only bathed a cat once and it was a very sweet mild-mannered cat and it really didn't go well. :lol3:

My advice (for what it's worth) is to put some treats or perhaps catnip on the scratching posts, play with her around the posts, etc, to help her take ownership of them. She may understand what they are but feel like they're not her property. Remember that a feral hasn't lived with humans and thus doesn't see your house the way you do. And yeah, if she is not civilized enough to resist scratching your feet, you need to set up a sleep station for her in a private spot, perhaps a laundry room or something. 

The main advice I have for litter is to choose something not scented and not dusty. Scented litter might be nice for you, but cats have stronger smelling abilities than us, and they're not always keen to use a box that smells like heavy cologne. We use Arm & Hammer unscented clay, and our boy seems to like it. We clean it twice a day, keep the box stocked with a good few inches worth, and empty/spray it down once a month. He's never messed or peed on the floor not once in our house.

I had no idea that cats could be de-clawed until reading the anti posts on this site, apparently it's not allowed in the UK thankfully, I'm shocked that it still goes on in America! My newly adopted stray has decided she doesn't want to go outside anymore and stays inside, she doesn't seem to scratch anything, I have tried covering her scratch post with cat nip, and demonstrating lol she still doesn't seem to know what to do! Her claws were so long they kept getting caught in her blankets/beds etc and this really freaked her out. I eventually got her claws clipped at the vets for about £10! I'm going to attempt to do this myself next time, I've never had any concerns with my other cat's claws as she likes to go outside and her claws seem to stay at a reasonable length. There are some good YouTube videos demonstrating claw clipping, these might help you too!

The bath wasn't as bad as I thought.  We went inside a shower stall with glass door (no curtain).  She tried to climb the walls twice but then seemed to settle down and let me do what I wanted.  I was careful not to spray the water on her, but hold the shower nozzle close to her body when rinsing.  I was careful to not get her head wet and was able to dry her off with a towel and wipe down her face and ears when I had her on top of a towel on top of my clothes washer.  I combed her out and let her go.  Once she settled onto a chair at my dining room table, I plugged in a space heater and directed it toward the chair for her to dry faster and not be cold.  I don't think I will need to give her a bath very often, as she is an indoor cat, but have to say it went a lot better than I thought. 

Thank you all so much for your posts and replies.  I trulyy appreciate the info, as I am a total novice at taking care of a cat.