My Brother's Cat is getting declawed.

arandomnerd

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My Brother's cat is getting declawed, and please no hate or bashing. I just want help on how to care for it, I understand it is a very painful experience. It has hurt my little brother by scratching his face, and we don't want it to get worse, we care about the well-being of my brother AND the cat, which we named Cujo. I don't want hate I want to know how to care for it. I love the cat, but I also don't want my little brother to get hurt, or me. Any tips?
Hate does not help me care for it at all btw
 

talkingpeanut

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Please do not do this.  Have you tried Soft Paws?  They cover the claws and make them blunt.  How often do you cut the kitty's nails now?

Declawing makes any aggression that your cat might have WORSE.  You are removing their first line of defense, so they will use their teeth instead.  This is not a safer situation for your brother or anyone in your home, including the cat.

It is not just painful during the procedure and recovery.  You are injuring your cat for life.  Rehoming the cat would be a far better outcome if he is not a fit in your home.
 
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arandomnerd

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It's already being declawed, so that's why I'm asking for tips, not bashing, I've tried everything and we adopted it, or it would have been put down, it is very loved by us, and we take good care of it, but it just scratches and hurts you, I KNOW it is a painful procedure, but I'm looking for help, and if I can't get it from here I need to go elsewhere to get help.
 
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arandomnerd

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It doesn't scratch anyone else, and it almost caught my brothers eye, so we don't want him to get hurt, other than that it is a very loving cat, and it curls up with us
 

lily paddy

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No hate  ...have u suggested capping the kitties nails?  Keep the cone on, get the paper litter.. buy some calming spray and calming treats.. have comfy spots set up .. have a shallow litterbox with the paper litter.. no jumping.. landing hard.. nothing is gonna help.. make sure kitty is medicated.. even after coming home for a few days. lots of love and cuddles.. it hurts!!! Please try to not have them do it.. . think of just bending a nail back on your self how bad that hurts.. 
 
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arandomnerd

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No hate  ...have u suggested capping the kitties nails?  Keep the cone on, get the paper litter.. buy some calming spray and calming treats.. have comfy spots set up .. have a shallow litterbox with the paper litter.. no jumping.. landing hard.. nothing is gonna help.. make sure kitty is medicated.. even after coming home for a few days. lots of love and cuddles.. it hurts!!! Please try to not have them do it.. . think of just bending a nail back on your self how bad that hurts.. :rockout:


Ok Thank You for the advice. I really didn't want to get the cat declawed, I know what it does, but I don't want it to end up in a pound or getting put down,
 

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You say you know how painful this will be for the kitty, both initially, and long term.  You must surely also be aware that if you remove the claws, the cat will still bite, and is actually more likely to bite?  I am sure you have also done your research and know that litter box issues are common after a declawing because the toes are so sensitive.  I am sure you have considered that you are removing a major part of your cats defenses and putting her in danger if she should happen to get out, or worse, get dumped, if you don't get the solution you are looking for.  And yet, you are going ahead with chopping your kitties toes off and are here looking for sympathy?  I am sure your VET will be able to tell you how to take care of your kitty post op... but you're vet can't tell you how to make it okay, but its not okay.  I am sure somewhere you will find someone who is sympathetic and will tell you what you are doing is okay - so far as I know though, it probably will not be someone on this site.  Poor kitty...
 

talkingpeanut

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It's already being declawed, so that's why I'm asking for tips, not bashing, I've tried everything and we adopted it, or it would have been put down, it is very loved by us, and we take good care of it, but it just scratches and hurts you, I KNOW it is a painful procedure, but I'm looking for help, and if I can't get it from here I need to go elsewhere to get help.
When you say you've tried everything, what does that include?

And it's not too late unless the cat is literally in surgery this minute.
 

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Hello and welcome. 

What I am about to tell you is not what you WANT to hear but what you NEED to hear and I assure you it is not coming to you with any hatred or bashing intended.  

Please, please, please DO NOT DO IT. There are ways to keep a cat from scratching someone without going to the extremes of declawing. declawing is the equivalent of cutting off a human's fingertips at the first knuckle. It is barbaric, cruel and completely unnecessary. I will provide you with a number of resources that you can read over and provide to whomever is the decision maker in this (if it is not you of course since you mentioned it is your brother's cat) How old is your brother by the way?

http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/cats/tips/declawing.html?referrer=https://www.google.com/

http://www.declawing.com/the-truth-about-declawing

The alternatives to declawing are:

Regular nail trims

Nail covers. These are available at many retailers including Amazon and the vet can tech you how to put them on. they come in a variety of sizes and colors

Teaching the cat boundaries using positive reinforcement and hands free play time using wand toys such as Da Bird or laser pointers. 

 If the cat is scratching your brother's face, it may be because he is picking the cat up and the cat does not want this. Cats are part of the family, they are not stuffed animals. Their feelings and boundaries need to be respected like any other family member. Now this is just a guess on my part. In truth, I have no idea if the cat was being picked up or not but it seems that it was. Many cats do not like being picked up. My Henry HATES it so I do not pick him up- ever. He has never scratched me. 

How old is the cat? Is it a kitten? Kittens need to be taught manners. This usually comes from mama cat but humans can do it as well. How long have you had the cat/kitten? If he/she is overwhelmed by being in a new environment, this could be why the cat is lashing out. The more information you can give us on the situation, the better we can help you- and we DO want to help you. 

Are you aware of what happens AFTER the declawing? Did you know that declawing often leads to biting? Are you prepared to deal with that? A cat's claws are its first line of defense and when that is gone, they often become MORE aggressive, not less.

Using the litter box is more often than not painful for a declawed cat so this leads to the cat going outside the box. 

Going back to the claws being the cat's first line of defense, a declawed cat must NEVER be allowed outside as it will be almost defenseless against a predator. 

I don't know where you got the cat but if it was from a shelter or a rescue, you can find cats who have already been declawed there. If your family is 100% certain that this is what they want, I'd suggest bringing the cat back and adopting one that has already had the procedure done. 

I know that this is not what you wanted to hear but let me please reiterate that I am not bashing you, I am simply looking out for the cat's best interest. You are not going to get much support here as this site is VERY anti declaw. There are many countries that have banned it outright and to be honest, I am surprised that the list is not longer but here it is. 

  • England
  • Scotland
  • Wales
  • Italy
  • Austria
  • Switzerland
  • Norway
  • Sweden
  • Ireland
  • Denmark
  • Finland
  • Slovenia
  • Brazil
  • Australia

  • New Zealand
  • Serbia
  • Montenegro
  • Macedonia
  • Slovenia
  • France
  • Germany
  • Bosnia
  • Malta
  • Netherlands
  • Northern Ireland
  • Portugal
  • Belgium
  • Israel
 
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maddies momma

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Plenty of good info here on why not to have it done! Just want to add it causes long term chronic pain and arthritis. Cats are digigrade which means they walk on their tippy toes! When you amputate their toe bones they are forced to walk plantigrade. This puts all of the weight and pressure on their wrists and joints causing pain and arthritis for life. Even if you get them through the post op surgical pain, they will always be in pain. Please please please reconsider!
If you dont listen to any of this and have it done anyway please go to a surgeon that knows what they are doing. A messed up declaw is even worse then a normal declaw. And demand that the cat recieves nerve blocks and adequate pain control.
But you really should consider rehoming before declawing.
And if it is only your brother being scratched then maybe he needs to learn how to properly handle a cat.
 

2Cats4everLoved

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My Brother's cat is getting declawed, and please no hate or bashing. I just want help on how to care for it, I understand it is a very painful experience. It has hurt my little brother by scratching his face, and we don't want it to get worse, we care about the well-being of my brother AND the cat, which we named Cujo. I don't want hate I want to know how to care for it. I love the cat, but I also don't want my little brother to get hurt, or me. Any tips?
Hate does not help me care for it at all btw
I understand as do we all here, that we never want our family members hurt by our furry friends.  

With that said, if the cat isn't having surgery today, strongly consider rehoming.  Your cat will NEVER be the same again.  I'm not sure how little your brother is, but perhaps he is too young for a cat.  A dog may be a better fit for your family.  I feel if you need to amputate an animal to fit into your lifestyle, then it's not the animal for your family.  

It's not fair to either you, your little brother and in no way did this cat deserve this outcome.

I'm just curious as to how long you've had this cat.  If you adopted this cat, is it possible to bring back, I'm sure any shelter would take it in if they know of its fate in your hands.

Best to your kitty.
 

margd

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If your cat is already declawed, the vet should have given you a sheet of after care instructions that will cover such things as when to remove the bandages, checking for infection and pain control.  If you were not given this information, call the vet and ask about aftercare.  Write down the answers.  This is going to be very painful for your cat so you must follow directions to the tee to ensure her healing proceeds with minimum problems.  Obviously you are concerned about that so ask your vet as many detailed questions as you can.  

Your cat might be groggy when she first comes home.  In some cases she might act a bit goofy.  Watch her to make sure she doesn't try running or jumping as these can open the wounds again and allow for infection.  You should try to keep her from being too active not just while she's under the influence of the anesthesia and pain meds, but later as well.  

Be aware that cats often express pain by loud, rapid purring.  Don't mistake that as a sign of contentment.  It means she hurts and needs pain relief.

Be sure to lay in a supply of newspaper litter as this is softer on the wounded paws.   When it's time to return to a normal litter,  do some research and fill up the litter box with the softest litter you can find.  Her paws are going to hurt for a very long time.

All of the above is written with the understanding that she's already been declawed.  If he hasn't been, please, please don't do it.  The posts before mine have done a great job of describing how truly awful declawing is.  
 
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I just want to say for others to consider, some people really have no say. If this person is under 18 and the cat is technically the family cat by familial logic its really Mom and Dad's pet more than anything and OP might not be able to actually do anything to change their parent's minds. My boy Murdock was declawed and it was NOT MY CHOICE. I adopted him and he was already declawed by previous owners. As far as I know he has at least his front paws declawed but they never specified if it was all his legs or not. I thought I felt back claws come out once but I honestly don't really know cause he was squirming a bit when we got him done with his flea and tick bath before he was allowed to come home with us.

With that said, ARandomNerd, I don't know much about the situation but if you can't convince them to not declaw try to at least convince them to only declaw the front paws. It will reduce the chances of any family members getting scratched but it will also leave them some of their first line of the defense. Keep in mind they're saying it makes the cat more likely to bite if declawed. I don't know if my boy is more aggressive because of his declawing or his neutering but when we got him home yesterday he wouldn't let me scratch him on his hips by his tail because he whipped around to hiss at me. I didn't wanna get bit so I left that spot alone for now but I also know it could be a result of being in a house with kids who may have pulled on his tail or something. Hope everything goes well and wishing Cujo the best recovery if he is actually declawed.
 
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arandomnerd

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I just want to say for others to consider, some people really have no say. If this person is under 18 and the cat is technically the family cat by familial logic its really Mom and Dad's pet more than anything and OP might not be able to actually do anything to change their parent's minds. My boy Murdock was declawed and it was NOT MY CHOICE. I adopted him and he was already declawed by previous owners. As far as I know he has at least his front paws declawed but they never specified if it was all his legs or not. I thought I felt back claws come out once but I honestly don't really know cause he was squirming a bit when we got him done with his flea and tick bath before he was allowed to come home with us.

With that said, ARandomNerd, I don't know much about the situation but if you can't convince them to not declaw try to at least convince them to only declaw the front paws. It will reduce the chances of any family members getting scratched but it will also leave them some of their first line of the defense. Keep in mind they're saying it makes the cat more likely to bite if declawed. I don't know if my boy is more aggressive because of his declawing or his neutering but when we got him home yesterday he wouldn't let me scratch him on his hips by his tail because he whipped around to hiss at me. I didn't wanna get bit so I left that spot alone for now but I also know it could be a result of being in a house with kids who may have pulled on his tail or something. Hope everything goes well and wishing Cujo the best recovery if he is actually declawed.
Good News, yes i am under 18, but the cat (we decided) did not get declawed today.., but she got spayed, she seems to be in pain, so any tips please. It is yes actually the family's cat, so instead of declawed she got spayed, and to answer some questions, Harrison was picking up Cujo, and it is a kitten, but yay! No declawing! So now no more problems
 

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Did the vet give her any pain medication? It's a fairly major surgery, so medication for 3 days is often prescribed.

I'm so glad you were able to prevent the declaw. Please do trim her nails weekly and consider the soft paws if you're still having trouble. You will also want to teach your brother how to interact with the cat in a way she is comfortable with.

Out of curiosity, how did you stop the declaw?
 
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arandomnerd

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Did the vet give her any pain medication? It's a fairly major surgery, so medication for 3 days is often prescribed.

I talked to my parents and told them the problems it caused, and showed this thread.

I'm so glad you were able to prevent the declaw. Please do trim her nails weekly and consider the soft paws if you're still having trouble. You will also want to teach your brother how to interact with the cat in a way she is comfortable with.
Out of curiosity, how did you stop the declaw?


I told my parents about the dangers and showed this thread, and they agreed, which they agree easily. And yes, she does have pain medication.
 
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arandomnerd

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Did the vet give her any pain medication? It's a fairly major surgery, so medication for 3 days is often prescribed.

I'm so glad you were able to prevent the declaw. Please do trim her nails weekly and consider the soft paws if you're still having trouble. You will also want to teach your brother how to interact with the cat in a way she is comfortable with.

Out of curiosity, how did you stop the declaw?


And btw, the vet told me to make sure the Stiches weren't being licked, I am not sure if they are inside or not, but how can I help here not to lick it?
 

maddies momma

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That's amazing news! I just want to say thank you so much for standing up to your parents and guiding them to the right decision. I'm sure your cat would be forever grateful if she knew what you have saved her from. Please let your parents know that we say thank you for listening to reason and making the best choice for the cat.
As far as post-op goes, the best thing to do now is just keep her as comfortable as possible. If she was given pain meds then she shouldn't be hurting too much. She could also be sleepy from the anesthetic and from having such a big day. Just keep her in a quiet comfortable area for her to recover in peace. She should be eating/drinking and going to the washroom normally. So just watch for any abnormalities or signs that something is not quite right.if she seems to be in a lot of pain despite the meds, or seems to be sick in any other way, don't hesitate to give the vet a call. They are happy to help as you are a client and she is their patient. They will be able to talk you through anything and offer advice, as well as let you know if something is suspicious enough that she should be brought in.
As far as licking the sutures, it's likely she has internal sutures in the muscle and sub q layers as well as some outer sutures in the skin. Did the clinic provide you with a cone? If so this is the best defense against her licking. It is important that she wears it. Pet stores have alternative soft cones and other things to keep them away from it. For at home supplies baby clothes or small pieces of clothing that she can wear like a sweater will help keep her away. However if your watching her closely and she is not interested in her incision site, then I wouldn't put anything on her as that might draw attention to it. Just watch her closely and you will discover what works best for her. Again Amy questions at all call the clinic and they can talk you through it.
I strongly agree that you should trim her nails to prevent further issues. The vet clinic can teach you how to do this at home...maybe when she goes for a surgery recheck you can ask about it. Also providing her with some fun scratching posts and surfaces that she can file them down on.
Best of luck and enjoy your kitty!
 

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I told my parents about the dangers and showed this thread, and they agreed, which they agree easily. And yes, she does have pain medication.


Well done my young friend!!  Your cat is lucky to have you in her corner!!

Many people use a baby onesie to put on a cat to keep it from licking a spay site. They can be modified easily so the cat can still use the litter box! An E collar is something else commonly used. Dd the vet give you something that looked like a small lampshade? If so, that's what this is.

Since Cujo is a kitten, she will need to learn that scratching and biting are NOT acceptable forms of play. Do you know how old she was when she was separated from her mama? If it was too young, mama may not have had a chance to do this but you and your family can do this. Kittens have LOTS of energy as I'm sure you know. Wand toys and laser pointers will really be your friends while you teach her this. Tell your parents that these things can be found in the cat toy section at Wal Mart and on Amazon. You can also use positive reinforcement. When she behaves the way you want, give her lots of praise and a yummy treat.

How old is your little brother? If he is very young, he may need to spend time with Cujo only with supervision. If he's older he can also use the hand free toys.

Ask us ANYTHING you like. We are more than happy to help in any way we can. This is an international site so you can find help pretty much any time day or night.

I'm really proud of you for sticking up for Cujo. You have the makings of a cat person already!
 
 
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