Declawing

fifthranger

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My wife and I recently adopted a 14 month old male neutered cat from a local animal shelter. So far, so good, however, I have some questions/concerns. First, we rent and the landlord expects our cat to be front declawed per our lease agreement. Honestly, I wish we could leave him alone, but we are about to make a decision on the clinic performing the operation using a laser method, which is less common but supposedly better for recovery. Right now, we have no idea how he will react, and it concerns me because he is litter trained and playful. I want to make him comfortable and thinking about a cat condo for sleepin and recovering. Currently, he sleeps on the floor or a chair despite the shelter giving us a cardboard makeshift bed and his favorite blanket that he rarely uses. What can we expect post surgery and does anyone have suggestions in randomly choosing a cat condo? Any input would be appreciated! We bought two cat scratchers for him and he rarely uses them. Thanks in advance.
 

jcat

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to TCS! First, some "words of warning". As stated in the Forums Rules & Guidelines, TCS is an anti-declawing site, so you're liable to get some negative responses. A note to our members: Please keep your posts respectful and as helpful as possible. Any and all posts must comply with the forum rules.

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. Declaw - More than Just a Manicure.
Have you talked to your landlord about alternatives to declawing, such as nail caps like Soft Claws / Soft Paws for Cats? You'll find a number of threads about them here Your landlord may not be aware of what declawing actually entails and that there are other choices.
You'll find a wealth of information here, including a leaflet that sums just about everything up: Download a Leaflet to a Save Cat's Claws Other articles are here, including Post-Surgery Care and Complications

Most cats benefit from a condo/cat tree. Unfortunately I can't offer any guidance there, as I fortunately live in Europe, where declawing is illegal.
 

Norachan

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I would strongly urge you NOT to declaw your cat. This is a very barbaric practice that is outlawed in many other countries. It is common for declawed cats to experience litter box issues, such as soiling on furniture or the floor rather than using their litter box. He will be in a lot of pain after having his fingers amputated, may have behavioral problems such as biting and "rabbit kicking" with his back feet and has a high chance of suffering from arthritis in the future.

Please have a look at the links that @jcat  has provided. 

If your landlord still insists that you have your cat declawed then start looking for another apartment. I have 20 cats, none of them are declawed (It's illegal in Japan too.) and I've never had any problems with any of them damaging the house or the furniture. If you'd like some advice on how to make sure your cat doesn't scratch in places you don't want him to, please ask. There are a lot of options to explore before resorting to amputation.
 

vbcatparent

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I have a picky/finicky landlord who expects us to keep our house spotless. We gave our cat 2 scratching posts and taught him how to play with them. His claws are trimmed every so often. He absolutely does not scratch our furniture or floors. A cat can be trained and groomed so that scratching never becomes a problem.

In all honesty, if I had a landlord who demanded that, it would be a deal breaker. I would either move right away or wait to get a cat after I had moved. But for your case, the claw sleeves might be a good alternative.
 

rubysmama

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We bought two cat scratchers for him and he rarely uses them. Thanks in advance.
What kind of cat scratchers are they?    My cat doesn't give the cardboard ones a second look, but when I got one covered with carpet she started scratching at it as soon as I laid it down, while it still just inside the front door.
 

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Cats are picky. If you give them something they don't like and expect them to use it, they'll be pretty forward about their disagreement. If you've only tried one or two materials or positions, try more. There are upright vertical ones, flat horizontal ones, slanted ones, curved ones, and they come in all different textures. He may not have found the one he prefers. Corrugated cardboard, sisal rope, short carpet, and shaggier carpets are among the most common and readily available. I suggest getting one of each over time until you find one he's actually interested in. You can also rub some catnip on them to attract him to mark them.

Keeping claws trimmed will help with the amount of damage he may do, and as he's still young, this is a great time to get him used to being handled this way and making trimming as an adult easier.

How to Best Take Care of Cat Claws

Declawing and Alternatives


I'm actually quite surprised this is part of a lease agreement. Some countries have actually outlawed declawing, as in @jcat and @Norachan stated, so it really goes to show how far behind North America is in this regard. Personally, if my landlord required anything this drastic of my pets, I think I would sooner move too - that is not a pet-friendly place!
 
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fifthranger

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I received some great responses. Thank you. First, the wife and I are back-and-forth about the declawing. I have never had a pet, let alone a cat, and I had no idea what was involved. Second, our cat seems well behaved, and we are thinking of pulling a fast one on the landlord. Originally, I thought that we were prohibited from having a cat prior to his declawing, however, we told him our intentions and he said we can bring him home and have him declawed later. That was three weeks ago. Next, the cat scratchers are the inexpensive Big Lots/Wal-Mart ones. The first is a plastic wheel with a ping-pong type ball that rotates as he sits on the cardboard platform and plays. The second is one with a ball on a string that he can hit. I am seriously contemplating a cat condo for him. He seems to have a lack of sleep area and will crash where ever - our bed, son's bed, sofa or chair. Again, thanks for the great info.
 

pinkdagger

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On the note of cat condos, one with a high basket is a favourite for our cats to sleep in and to just survey from. Ours has 2 sisal posts accessible in 5 different little sections, hidey holes with that have a rough (like the underside of carpet) texture all around, and a basket at the 5 foot mark. The perches are a soft material. Sorry for the terrible image quality. I don't think I have a full shot of ours with my good camera, so I just screen grabbed from a low quality video:


Sometimes it's as easy as providing them with a basket. Our older cat used to not have a tree or condo so he would sleep on the couch or a bed or chair too, but one day my boyfriend's roommate received a cheap cardboard basket with gifts. Took the gifts out, cat went in and made the basket his. (Boxes are also an obvious winner) The upside to a full condo is that it can satisfy multiple needs, like having somewhere to climb and jump and something appropriate to scratch, if he feels so inclined, and somewhere to hide and sleep.
 
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fifthranger

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That looks cool. I would actually prefer something more complicated like this than a basic cat condo, but space is limited here in our tiny 2 bedroom apt. Surprisingly, we were given a two story box cut-out with his favorite blanket by the shelter upon adoption, yet he seems uninterested in it. He plays more in his box travel carrier that was given to us. I'm amazed at all the different types of pet toys and configurations that are out there. I hope that I can choose the correct one.
 

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A vertical cat tree with several layers might be the best thing for a small apartment. Your cat will feel he has plenty of space if he can move up and down from one layer to the next. Put his cat tree in the room you all hang out in, next to the couch in the living room or near a big window in the room you watch TV in. He'll feel like he's really part of the family if he has his own furniture in the place you all spend time.

My cats have one like this.



The base is small so it doesn't take up much space at all. I also have a couple of small scratching post like this one. I put them in places they started scratching at the walls or carpet and they soon switched to clawing at the post instead.


They really like sisal rope or carpet. We had a cardboard one but it got trashed pretty quickly. (I have a lot of cats....) If you put some cat nip powder on the posts it will encourage them to scratch there, rather than other places.

Glad that you're reconsidering the declawing. I've heard really good things about the soft paws claw covers. They come in some great colours too.
 
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lisahe

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They really like sisal rope or carpet. We had a cardboard one but it got trashed pretty quickly. (I have a lot of cats....) If you put some cat nip powder on the posts it will encourage them to scratch there, rather than other places.

Glad that you're reconsidering the declawing. I've heard really good things about the soft paws claw covers. They come in some great colours too.
@Norachan beat me to it by mentioning sisal rope! It's sisal-wrapped posts -- on a condo and a loft we built in the basement -- that keep our cats from scratching furniture and walls. They also love the flat cardboard scratch pads we buy them at Petco. We have a few of them around the house and they tear them to bits! They love scratching on this curl thingy, too. I also think that just playing with cats and keeping them from getting bored helps prevent scratching.

Someone mentioned trimming claws in this thread: our vet showed us how to do it and recommended pressing on the cats' paws when they're lying on our laps, just to get them used to the sensation of us pressing on their paws. It's all easier than I thought it would be. I haven't trimmed our cats' claws in a while: all their scratching on their posts seems to wear them down pretty well.

I'm also glad to hear you're reconsidering the declawing!
 

donotsurrender

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Hi,

Yes, sissal is the best material for cat scratching posts .It does not deteriorate like carpeting. Most cats prefer to stretch up the whole length of their body to scratch; so the one foot high posts are useless.

Please do not declaw your cats. It is mutilation. It is against the law in several countries as humans become informed. Could you try making a deal with your landlord about nail claws instead of declawing.

The best cat toy that I have ever found is the "cat dancer". No cat can resist it!
 
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fifthranger

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I had an off day today from work, so I went to PetCo and Pet Supplies Plus. I have an idea of the cat condo I'm interested in. I know PetCo has decent online sales too. I'll probably get something this weekend, and I'll post pictures. Next discussion is a ball or other pet toy. Our cat loves those plastic easter egg shells to occupy his time. Again, thanks for the responses.
 
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fifthranger

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It isn't like our landlord is going to knock on our door and ask to see our cat's paws, so I really don't feel like putting Ziggy through the surgery esp. if more harm than good can occur. Also, it is not an inexpensive procedure, so I can use the money for other things.
 
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fifthranger

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Did some online shopping today, and one of the things I bought was The Cat Dancer. I also bought a cat toy ball and cat condo. I can't wait for its arrival.
 

Norachan

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That's great.



So you've already put some of the money that you saved from not going through with the declawing to good use.

Let's see some pictures of him playing on his new condo when it arrives. And please stick around on The Cat Site, were always happy to hear how other people's kitties are doing.
 
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fifthranger

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Yes. I can't believe the prices for things. I like comparison shopping, and in the US, one of my favorite sites is Amazon.com. I find some great deals and an awesome variety there. The cats toys are being shipped directly from an Amazon warehouse, but the cat condo is being shipped froma pet company. Either way, shipment should arrive next week sometime. I intend to stay. I am involved in a couple auto forums, but this site seems just as beneficial.

Edit: I am nervous that he won't like his cat condo. I found one that isn't too big nor too small.
 
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MoochNNoodles

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Yes. I can't believe the prices for things. I like comparison shopping, and in the US, one of my favorite sites is Amazon.com. I find some great deals and an awesome variety there. The cats toys are being shipped directly from an Amazon warehouse, but the cat condo is being shipped froma pet company. Either way, shipment should arrive next week sometime. I intend to stay. I am involved in a couple auto forums, but this site seems just as beneficial.

Edit: I am nervous that he won't like his cat condo. I found one that isn't too big nor too small.
Which one did you get?  I always recommend cat trees/condos.  Of course this is too late to help you now; but I purchased one from Armarkat through Ebay 7-8 years ago.  It's still going strong!  My 2 use it constantly.  Noodles is on it behind me right now.  It was a very good investment!!  
 

ritz

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Welcome! And thank you thank you for reconsidering.
To entice your cat to use the cat condo/cat tree, especially a tallish one, do as Jackson Galaxy would: put a treat on the bottom level, cat eats it (hopefully!); then put a treat on the next highest level, cat eats it. Repeat steps one and two :)
Also, if your cat reacts to cat nip (some do, some don't), you can put some catnip on varying levels of the cat tree. (Cat nip is edible, as well as sniffable.)
You might have to experiment (read: buy different types of toys) to determine what type your cat prefers. Those he won't touch (and, I use to have a drawer full), donate to the local human society/shelter.
 
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fhicat

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I just want to chime in too and say thank you for deciding against declawing! 
 
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