Declawing a cat...

Hello - While on a walk a few months ago I found a stray kitten, by itself in the middle of no where in about 38 degree temps. I visited some neighbors but no one claimed it...

... so I have adopted her and so far the cat is great, with one exception: she is clawing the heck out of me, my guests, and now my carpet, etc. If I play with her (even with toys) I eventually get scratched, and even if Im just laying on the couch she will come up and scratch my arm somtimes. She rarely bites.

It's time to get her spayed soon, and I've had 3 vets now tell me I should get her declawed.

I have three questions:

1) Is there anyone out there who actually supports declawing? If so, why?

2) Why is declawing a cat any more "cruel" than getting one fixed? I have read a lot about the declawing procedure, and it seems as though once the original pain from surgery is over, theres nothing cruel about it... esp if the cat is going to remain indoors. And if this is cruel, then how is spaying or neutering not cruel? Isnt getting an animal fixed just for "human convenience" just as much as declawing is?

3) What are the alternatives to declawing, and more importantly, do they work? I have several friends who have cats that are not declawed... and I see them stuggling on a daily basis. Their furniture has been ripped, their arms are scratched, and they have to constantly fight a battle with their cats just to get them not to use their claws. The cats literally take over their homes and the "alternatives" havent worked.

Im open to all thoughts and opinions on this. If this all comes down to an "animal cruelty" issue, then I dont understand why most cat owners would also perform a surgery on their cat which destroys their entire sexual being?

I have about one week to make up my mind before its time to visit the vet.

Help! Thanks!

Hello Keith, welcome to the site I think it's wonderful that you have welcomed this kitty into your home.

I would have a look at this post:

http://www.thecatsite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=41954

It is full of great information on the topic.
You can also click the search button near the top of the screen and do a search on the word "declaw". I can tell from your post that you are aware this is a hot topic and it has been discussed many times. I think that you will find more than enough information to answer your questions

If you need any help finding your way around the forums please let myself or another mentor know and we will be glad to help in any way we can.

I will not get into a discussion about declawing and spay/neuter it is comparing apples to oranges. I'm sorry I won't go there.

You have posted to a site that is very anti- declawing and you will not find anyone willing to agree that it is an acceptable means of dealing with claws. There are so many alternatives out there that do work.

My furniture is six years old and has not one scratch mark on the sides. Not one! I just bought brand new furniture and I have no concerns that they may harm the furniture. I provide ample scratching post around the house.
Here is a link that will hopefully provide the answers you are looking for.
http://www.thecatsite.com/forums/sho...&threadid=8450

My cats have 4 posts are are not at all interested in my furniture. Since I have 3, they're not interested in clawing me, either, although when Leo was an only cat, he'd claw at us the same way you're describing.

Keith,

As TCS is primarily concerned with cat welfare, the great majority of posts you will find here on declawing will not be in support of it. However, if you do a search of the Forums using declawing as your search criteria, there are many, many posts here on the topic, discussing both the pros and the cons. I strongly encourage you to do the search - go through and read some of them to gain a better perspective on it while you are considering this decision.

As for alternatives, there are many to consider, all having their positive points as well as their negative ones. Just clipping the sharp tips of her claws off will help in the immediate and providing her with a suitable scratching post or area that she likes will help protect your home from damage in the long run.

Some cats like to scratch upwards, so try getting a vertical post ... a lot of cats seem to enjoy the sisal rope or carpet covered ones. Other cats like to scratch horizontally. There are products you can purchase inexpensively which accommodate those cats. Having a combination of things will allow her to choose which is most comfortable for her and you to know her preference so you can allow for it in the future.

The claw caps, or Soft Paws I think they are called, are another alternative. I have heard both good things and bad about them but have no personal experience so can't comment either way, but I understand that they do work if properly applied and maintained.

It is my sincere hope that you will first exhaust all other options before considering the declawing procedure. Young kittens are active, curious and playful. As they mature, they do slow down a little and they do learn not to use their claws if you are consistant in your reaction to it. Spaying her will also calm her down a little ... not much *smile* ... but a little. Try to give her some time to grow up and determine whether inappropriate scratching is ~really~ an issue before considering surgery.

Hi, Keith, welcome aboard. Long may you be with us.

If you take a look at the links our gentle readers have suggested you will see that this subject remains alive and well. There is of course a reason for that, and that is that it is an important subject to those of us who love our furry little ones.

Ann and I have been graced with many a lovely furry family member during our almost 50 years of marriage -- most often at least three at any one time, and occasionally more than that. We have never had but the most temporary scratching problem -- only until our training took effect.

We have always admired the Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA) and its policies, and they have never done us wrong. Perhaps you might add this to your review of references. Our advice to family members and others who have asked us the question you ask has boiled down to one sentence: "Declawing should never be considered except for reasons of medical necessity or when, God forbid, euthenasia is the only alternative."

Good cheer, Keith, from a lovely day at the beach in Texas.

Hi Keith,

First off, my name is Keith as well.

I'm new here and I hope to not get flamed. I love my kitties to death and they are both declawed.

I had the same questions you had and struggled over the decision. I finally decided to declaw my cats after I met a vet that had her indoor cat declawed. She had declawed it for the same reasons I wanted mine declawed. After talking to her and it being ok with a vet, I decided to go through with it.

After bringing them home, I felt so terrible because their little paws had blood on them. I don't know if I would do it again.

Their lives do not seem to have been impacted negatively at all since being declawed.

I completely understand those that don't declaw and those that do. I think it is a personal decision of an owner. I'd rather see a cat declawed than see one euthanised.

Welcome to TCS!

www.declawing.com (click here) has a lot of info about declawing - hopefully it will answer some of your questions.

Personally, I have had great success using soft paws (www.softpaws.com) on my cats. My cats were all senior adult cats at the time I got engaged - they were hardened furniture destroyers who'd spent their lives shredding my furniture.

DH understandably didn't want his furniture shredded, though, so I wanted to find a solution that would be effective but that wouldn't harm my cats. There was no way I'd ever consider declawing, so my vet recommended soft paws - the technician put them on my cats while I watched.

The nail caps worked! They prevented damage to the furniture while I worked to retrain the cats about which surfaces were acceptable to scratch on, and where not to scratch (for training to work, you must provide a scratching alternative that the cats find attractive). I kept the caps on for some time (I don't remember exactly, but I think it was a few months), and stopped using them after reaching a point when I felt comfortable the cats were trained. Now I just keep the cats' claws trimmed to blunt the tips. We've been married for almost 3 years now and the furniture is still undamaged.

If you're unsure about applying the caps yourself the first time, you can call around to find a vet or groomer who can apply them for you, and show you how to reapply them yourself at home. Sometimes it may take some patience, and you may need to reapply the caps a couple of times if your cat pulls them off initially, but she should eventually accept them (kind of like getting used to wearing a safety-release collar). They're effective and humane, and don't hurt the cat at all, unlike declawing.

Welcome to TCS!

I'm from the UK where declawing is illegal. I can honestly tell you that with positive redirection towards a scratch post etc, your cat will not claw at the carpets or furniture. I have live in rental properties for nearly five years without a problem!

As you have a kitten, you will need to expect the odd scratch during play, as she is learning what she can do - I still get scratched on occasion by my two two year olds!! Maybe playing with her with a wand toy will keep your arms etc safer during her learning years.

There are also Soft Paws - that I know many US members have recommended. I would recommend that you try them, or even learn how to trim your cats claws yourself.

In regards to the spay/neuter vs declawing, can I just put you in an intact indoor cat's situation? You reach sexual maturity, you're instincts are telling you to mate - you begin to spray to attract mates, shout to be allowed out to find a mate, become agressive due to these raging hormones - only to find that you never will be allowed to. It would be cruel to let a cat to have to deal with such urges without ever being able to use them, don't you think?

I urge you to take all the information provided here on board before you decide either way.

For your question about spay surgery: While it may seem cruel to someone who hasn't been around intact cats much, it is an absolute necessity considering the level of cat overpopulation. Once a female cat reaches sexual maturity (usually between 4-6 months of age), she will go into 'heat' - at which point she will be ready to breed, and that will be the only thing going through her little kitty mind as long as she's in heat.

While she's in heat she will chirp, yowl endlessly at the top of her lungs, and try anything and everything to get outside and get mated, even to the point of tearing out your window or door screens. A cat in heat is not a pleasant companion, and a cat in heat that doesn't get bred can, in some climates, end up almost constantly in heat.

If she does get outside, she'll be so preoccupied with breeding that she won't be aware of risks such as traffic, she'll be exposed to diseases, injury, and of course pregnancy, in which case you'd be contributing to the cat overpopulation problem (my city alone euthanizes about 50,000 unwanted pets every year). Complications from pregnancy and birth are possible in cats too, so by spaying her you're preventing that risk.

An unspayed cat is also more likely to develop pyometra (uterine infection) or uterine cancer.

So, while spaying a cat is still a surgery, it's necessary for the benefit of the cat and for the cat population in general. Declawing is simply for the convenience of the owner.

Keith....I think you have been provided some great links....here is one about how to teach your cats to scratch appropriately:

http://www.pawschicago.org/PetCare/catscratching.htm

Also...having their nails trimmed regularly does help a LOT.

Katie

Hello there!
Long time- no see! It almost feels like I am new to this forum!
Well, my dear kitty-cat grown-up and I got married and expecting a baby in July. My husband has some thoughts about declawing our cat- I am very much against it, but he sais it is for the baby-sake. Mishka does not really scratch our LEATHER furniture, it has some scratches though from the time when we just got furniture and my hubby was constantly worring about Mishka damaging it- so every time our pure baby-cat would jump on it- my husband would push him away and cat of course would try to hold on - he probably was wondering what kind of mouse bite his daddy??!!! But he does bites and sometimes very painfully- I am trying to work on that with lots of toys, but OF COURSE daddy likes to play raugh with his little black-hairy son.... so it is like banging in a wall.... Anyways, I am planing on printing some info off the Internet about declawing for my hubby so he could see how cruel it is, but other then that- who have had cats and babies in a past- any concerns? anything I should know????
Thank you so much!

Hello Keith (and Love that Cat)

I have 10 cats, some of whom I have had since age 5 weeks, growing & sharpening their claws, (half short-hair and half not.) About half allow me to clip their claws. With the others, I would be taking my life in my hands if I tried.
These are my strategies to keep my furniture from looking like fabric spaghetti:
1. scratching posts, lots of them. WHen I am at home and not expecting company, my most vulnerable couch (where no house residents tend to sit) is literally ringed with scratching posts, each nearly 3 feet tall, some with sisal.
(Couch back is against the wall.) Almost never does anybody scratch this couch. (Guess they are too lazy to go the extra inches to the couch.)
2. Fabric seat covers on all the living room furniture. THis has the added advantage that they collect the cat hair. When preparing for company, I just whisk off the covers and Voila! fur-free furniture for the guests.
Also, washing the covers is easier than getting fur off upholstery fabric.)
3. Plastic bags on the couch arms (under the covers.) Altho most of my cats tend to be vertical sratchers & love stretching up to the cat posts, once in a while someone feels like a horizontal scratch and, if the rug is too far away to go, they will scratch the arms. So I put a few plastic grocery bags under the seat covers over the arms & top of thebacks of the couches. It may serve as a deterrent, since I rarely notice any cats scratching the arms lately.

Incidentally, if you have friends coming over to show off their new baby or ambulatory toddler, keep the covers on (and think about covering the entire couch with a plastic drop cloth under the seat cover!)

This is just one declawing story gone wrong

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Hello, My cat "Blank at owners request" was declawed in September 2005. In November her claws started to grow back. She had at least 5 and at least one for every paw. I took her back to the vet who did the operation. He said he would do it again. I agreed to as I though it wouldn't be a problem. I picked her up after the operation and she could not even walk. She was given no pain medication at all and was actually advised against taking it. I did go for the first week without anything but she was in so much pain, that i took her to another vet. They immediately gave her pain medication and antibiotics. She seemed to be in less pain but never really started using her front paws. She is always sitting up like a prairie dog. She no longer goes up and down the stairs and she no longer plays.

I took her to the vet again today (not the one who did the operation) and asked him to re-evaluate her. he took xrays or her front paws. He said she will always be the way she is now. It has been six weeks. In the xrays it showed that most of her bone was missing up to p2 and p3. I was shocked as he was also. If only I had known I never would of done this to my poor baby. If only I could restore her to the way she was. But I can't!! But my story can hopefully save some one elses cat from this terrible life I have chosen for my poor baby..
"Permision granted to print this from owner"


Before you make the decision to declaw your cat, there are some important facts you should know. Declawing is not like a manicure. It is serious surgery. Your cat's claw is not a toenail. It is actually closely adhered to the bone. So closely adhered that to remove the claw, the last bone of your the cat's claw has to be removed. Declawing is actually an amputation of the last joint of your cat's "toes". When you envision that, it becomes clear why declawing is not a humane act. It is a painful surgery, with a painful recovery period. And remember that during the time of recuperation from the surgery your cat would still have to use its feet to walk, jump, and scratch in its litter box regardless of the pain it is experiencing. Wheelchairs and bedpans are not an option for a cat.

Spaying and neutering is not to be compared to declawing. Its mutilation.There are many alternatives to declawing.In my humble opinion for whats it worth if you can't deal with trying to teach your cat other methods for sharpening their claws or trying soft paws. then a cats not the pet for you..

1. I doubt that anyone on this site actually supports declawing.

2. It is more cruel to declaw a cat than get it fixed, because while the cat that has been altered gets to go home that day the cat that has been declawed sits in his/her cage in pain.

3. There are little nail caps that you can put on your cats nails instead of declawing your cat.

Originally Posted by ~love_that_cat~

Hello there!
Long time- no see!

It almost feels like I am new to this forum!

Well, my dear kitty-cat grown-up and I got married and expecting a baby in July. My husband has some thoughts about declawing our cat- I am very much against it, but he sais it is for the baby-sake. Mishka does not really scratch our LEATHER furniture, it has some scratches though from the time when we just got furniture and my hubby was constantly worring about Mishka damaging it- so every time our pure baby-cat would jump on it- my husband would push him away and cat of course would try to hold on - he probably was wondering what kind of mouse bite his daddy??!!! But he does bites and sometimes very painfully- I am trying to work on that with lots of toys, but OF COURSE daddy likes to play raugh with his little black-hairy son.... so it is like banging in a wall.... Anyways, I am planing on printing some info off the Internet about declawing for my hubby so he could see how cruel it is, but other then that- who have had cats and babies in a past- any concerns? anything I should know????
Thank you so much!

Click to expand...

Regarding cats and babies, I have never had a problem. My boys are teenagers now and I have had cats before any of them were born. They grew up knowing that the kitty is nice but if you pull on kitty, kitty will bite. The cats never gave my babies any problems. They did always want to share a bottle. I feel that by having cats my kids grew up respecting all animals.

I hope this helps!! Congrats on the pregnancy!!!

Keith, welcome to TCS! There are many people here who would be very happy to help you choose good scratching posts & help you through any troubles you might have working with you cat.

Twitch is declawed. I have to tell you that I regret that she was. My dad told the vet to declaw her without my knowledge. He never even asked me. She had no change in her behavior, but it was horrible to watch her walk around for weeks. She hurt, we could all see that. While the surgery went well, I knew I would never let that happen again. There written forms at the vet that say I do not allow any procedures done to any of our pets without my consent. Meaning, dad can never do something so stupid again.

When Lily came around, it was well known that she would NOT be declawed under any circumstances. Lily is a kneader, & she prefers the facial area to all other objects. I walked around with scratches on my face rather than declawing her. Then I got Soft Paws. I have got to tell you, I cannot sing the praises for soft paws enough. Lily doesn't mind them at all. When one falls off, she now brings it to my attention that one is missing. It is as if she likes to wear them. I put soft paws on the blind cat I am fostering so that she wouldn't scratch things. After three days, she knows where the scratching post is & only uses the scratching post. I am leaving the soft paws on until they fall off, maybe until she gets adopted. That way, I can show off her soft paws to anyone who is interested in them when we are at the HS. I have been doing everything I can to teach people about soft paws. When people come into the HS interested in a declawed cat, I tell them all about soft paws & in some cases.

Originally Posted by snosrap5

Regarding cats and babies, I have never had a problem. My boys are teenagers now and I have had cats before any of them were born. They grew up knowing that the kitty is nice but if you pull on kitty, kitty will bite. The cats never gave my babies any problems. They did always want to share a bottle.

I feel that by having cats my kids grew up respecting all animals.

I hope this helps!! Congrats on the pregnancy!!!

Click to expand...

Thank you so much! I thought it would not be a problem! I just need some people to speak up- so I will show my husband that we are not the only ones with babies and cats! I would rather pull my hair out then declaw my Mishka... He is such a sweetie....

Maybe I should try that Soft Paws thing, huh? I saw it two days ago at the PetsMart and heard a lot about them, but I do not know if Mishka will like this idea hat much.. the thing is he is not scratching that bad! Sometimes he will scratch me while playing, but nothing to worry about.... But just maybe I should give it a try, so my hubby won't be that paranoid about danger to our coming baby?....

I have three cats, all rescues. The oldest one, and also the one I've had the longest, came to me declawed. The other two have their claws.

The declawed one is much more aggressive and prone to bite than the other two. While my furniture does have the odd wear and tear, I have found that providing the cats with their own "furniture" keeps them off mine for the most part.

Declawing can't be compared to spaying, although it's tempting to do so since a lot of vets do the two operations on the same day. Spaying/neutering is medically necessary to keep the cat from going through heats and possibly developing uterine problems later on (and to keep a male from driving you crazy with his yowling and spraying and trying to get outside all the time).

If a declawed cat should get outside, it will be defenseless. So even an indoor cat should not be declawed.

I won't lie -- my declawed cat is a lot less hard on my carpets and furniture. But I care more about her than those things, and I wish she had her claws. I think she'd be a different baby -- and less threatened by her clawed companions -- if she had.