Declawing a cat...

arlyn · Feb 13, 2006

My only comment is that I have never seen, or heard of a spay/neuter that in later years resulted in crippling arthritis.

Declawing forces a cat to walk differently than it normally would, and I have seen, as a result, senior cats walking on the knuckles of their crippled, arthiritic feet, and one that was so crippled up he walked on his elbows.

zissou'smom · Feb 13, 2006

My kitten was recently spayed and I'll tell you, two weeks later and you can barely see the scar. All that's left is an area of short hair where they shaved her. The day she came home, she was herself except a little bit hesitant to jump up high because she was a little sore.

Declawed cats are almost never the same again.

Comparing the two is like comparing someone who needed their gallbladder out (spay/neuter) to someone who lost their dominant hand. Sure, they can get along fine without it, and don't necessarily seem to be outwardly mourning it all the time, but. I assume cats get phantom pains, just like people. The saddest thing I have ever seen is a declawed cat trying to scratch.

Declawing is considered animal abuse in many countries for a very good reason.

The clinic Zissou went to only does a declaw if the cat will not have a home unless it has been declawed. Meaning, it is a last resort to prevent killing or abandoning an animal.

Please do the right thing Keith.

eilcon · Feb 13, 2006

My two older cats are front declawed due to my own ignorance. They're healthy, happy, secure and have never had any behavior issues, but knowing what I do now, I regret putting them through such unecessary pain and trauma and would never have another cat declawed.
That said, my two younger ones have their claws and it hasn't it been a problem at all. They have several scratching posts and I trim their claws every couple of weeks. My furniture, carpet (and me) are completely intact.
Please listen to everyone's advice and don't declaw!

kaleetha · Feb 13, 2006

Just my little bit:

I've never seen a happy declawed cat. They always have aggression issues, are insecure and usually didn't need to be declawed in the first place (how often do you really need to declaw a cat?).

There are some awesome suggestions on here and I hope you can take advantage of some of them.

bab-ush-niik · Feb 13, 2006

My cat was declawed by his previous owners.

I've never seen a happy declawed cat. They always have aggression issues, are insecure and usually didn't need to be declawed in the first place (how often do you really need to declaw a cat?).

Actually our cat is very happy. With us. NOT his original owners. He has seen them once since (an odd situation which occured). When they came to pick him up, the vet tech told us that he refused to go with them. They gave him back to us less than 24 hours later because he was hissing at them. He has NEVER hissed at us. As far as I know, he has hissed on two occasions: at my pet turtle and at his original owners who declawed him. Apparently he REALLY dislikes them.

who have had cats and babies in a past- any concerns? anything I should know????

If a toddler pulls a cats tail, it doesn't matter if the cat is declawed or not. Puppy has become very adept at using his back claws and his teeth. I got clawed by his back claws once. I'm not even sure how he did it. I was holding him in front and walked too close to my turtle. She scared him, and suddenly my back was scratched up. He's also very good with his teeth, but the only teeth victims are his toys. I have no doubt that if a toddler was hurting him, he would just bite.

I think there are lots of other options. I wish I could give Puppy back his claws; he's always trying to claw at his toys and they just slip through. I can never allow him to go outdoors without a leash because he wouldn't be able to protect himself as well against another cat, and he can't climb trees and fences to get away from a dog. And I'm nervous about the long term affects. I don't know what he was like before, so I'm not sure if maybe cutting off his first knuckle was what caused him to be such a clumsy cat. My older girls use their claws to help themselves get onto beds and sofas since they have a little arthritis; when Puppy gets old we'll have to figure out some sort of ramps so he can get up. I would highly advise against it.

~love_that_cat~ · Feb 13, 2006

Originally Posted by bab-ush-niik

My cat was declawed by his previous owners.

Actually our cat is very happy. With us. NOT his original owners. He has seen them once since (an odd situation which occured). When they came to pick him up, the vet tech told us that he refused to go with them. They gave him back to us less than 24 hours later because he was hissing at them. He has NEVER hissed at us. As far as I know, he has hissed on two occasions: at my pet turtle and at his original owners who declawed him. Apparently he REALLY dislikes them.

If a toddler pulls a cats tail, it doesn't matter if the cat is declawed or not. Puppy has become very adept at using his back claws and his teeth. I got clawed by his back claws once. I'm not even sure how he did it. I was holding him in front and walked too close to my turtle. She scared him, and suddenly my back was scratched up. He's also very good with his teeth, but the only teeth victims are his toys. I have no doubt that if a toddler was hurting him, he would just bite.

I think there are lots of other options. I wish I could give Puppy back his claws; he's always trying to claw at his toys and they just slip through. I can never allow him to go outdoors without a leash because he wouldn't be able to protect himself as well against another cat, and he can't climb trees and fences to get away from a dog. And I'm nervous about the long term affects. I don't know what he was like before, so I'm not sure if maybe cutting off his first knuckle was what caused him to be such a clumsy cat. My older girls use their claws to help themselves get onto beds and sofas since they have a little arthritis; when Puppy gets old we'll have to figure out some sort of ramps so he can get up. I would highly advise against it.

I really appreciate your info!

~love_that_cat~ · Feb 13, 2006

Originally Posted by Kaleetha

Just my little bit:

I've never seen a happy declawed cat. They always have aggression issues, are insecure and usually didn't need to be declawed in the first place (how often do you really need to declaw a cat?).

There are some awesome suggestions on here and I hope you can take advantage of some of them.

I would never do that unless REALLY HAD TO- but- can not even think of a WHY would I have to.. By the way I showed my hubby all the info from the net and we ARE NOT declawing our baby Mishka for SURE now!

Thanx to yall!

keith5 · Feb 14, 2006

Thank you all! I appreciate your insight, opinions, resources and experiences. This forum is fantastic.

For what it's worth, you've all probably saved my furball from losing its claws. Weighing in your information regarding cruelty AND the fact that there's plenty of other options... I just dont think its worth it to put her through that (or me through the guilt).

As a first time cat owner (but long time cat lover) I must say I was actually shocked by all this. I had thought that declawing was routine for indoor cats.

I will be using your suggestions and resources (nail clipping, posts, softpaws, etc) as an alternative... so Im sure Ill be back asking for more help with this later!

Thank you all!

squirtle · Feb 14, 2006

Glad to hear of your decision Keith

The problem is that so many vets offer declawing as the folks at McDonalds offer you fries. Many don't educate you on alternatives or ways to prevent scratching.
When I had Dori's spay scheduled a few years back the office actually said "would you like her declawed with that". Back then I wasn't aware of the issues with declawing either. I thought it was routine for indoor cats. Thank goodness my fiance, of all people (he didn't really like cats), was completely against it and told me we would never declaw Dori. Shortly after I joined this site and this is where I learned all about it.

sar · Feb 14, 2006

I'm so pleased that you have come to this decision, your kitty with thank you so much!

I oly found out about declawing when I joined this site - I hadn't even heard of such a thing before!

I'm sure we'll all be very happy to help with any questions you need answering and remember, we're all here for support!

tuxedokitties · Feb 14, 2006

Keith5

Glad to hear it!

lovethatcat,
you can probably cut down on any damage to the leather furniture by trimming your cat's claws to blunt the sharp tips - click here for instructions

My siblings & I all grew up with cats with claws and didn't have any trouble - we were taught early on to be gentle with the cats, and the cats were tolerant with us. Blunting the claws will cut down on any potential damage, yet will keep the cat's natural defense system intact so he doesn't feel he needs to turn to biting (which is much worse than a scratch) to defend
himself.

Here's an article from the Humane Society about babies and pets (click here)

beach bum · Feb 14, 2006

That is good news, Keith. We are of the belief that the secret is generally only twofold: clipping, often and well, and training. Contrary to almost universal belief, a cat can be trained, or, given a conditioned response, if you prefer.

One more thing you might give some thought to if training is necessary is a repellant, when unwanted scratching might be demonstrated. We used "No Scratch," in a spray bottle by Pet Organics, successfully for one of our cats. Only one little invisible "puff" was needed on a sofa, and it was never visited again. You can get it quite reasonably on the 'Net at PetsMart and elsewhere. You can similarly obtain a spray bottle of catnip essence to seduce the cat to the post. We concur that those covered with sisal are preferable.

Another element for training might be a "can of air," generally found at computer stores. A harmless puff of air to our cats means you are doing something unappreciated. In fact, after a couple of sprays we now only have to display the can. Others recommend spray bottles containing water. We prefer not to spray water around the house.

Good cheer,

eupnea · Feb 14, 2006

So glad to hear of your decision! Welcome to the forum by the way. This place has been a wonderful resource for me as well.

When I adopted my cat, I had to sign a form agreeing not to declaw him. At first I was a little worried about it, but I learned that there are a lot of options. Fortunately, I've been blessed with a really mellow kitty who will let me trim his claws without a fuss, and who prefers the doormat to the expensive livingroom rug!

Good luck with your cat! Let us know how it goes

shambelle · Feb 14, 2006

I have only had declawed cats (3 total), and only one of them was aggressive - and that was only an occasional thing, like when we tried to give her medicine (what can't isn't aggressive at that point?!). PJ and Teddy are the sweetest, most loving cats -and both have been without their claws for a long time from what I can tell. They were both seniors when we adopted them without front claws, and maybe they had adjusted to it by that point. There seem to be no side effects (no growths, no litterbox problems, etc) with my cats, but I know I am somewhat lucky. My cats have their back claws, and they even let me clip them!

While I do not support declawing cats, I support adopting declawed cats if you are interested in eventually having a cat without claws. There are SO many declawed cats in shelters - and of the ones I've interacted with, many don't have the behavioral problems often associated with declawed cats if someone just takes the time to pay attention to simple things like litter choice, not pairing a declaw with an aggressive clawed cat, etc.. If a cat with claws ever chooses me, I won't declaw, but I do make a conscious effort to try and adopt declaws.

I think PJ knows I'm writing about her... she's staring at me... awww.

Anyway, if anyone is interested in a declawed cat, please please check your local shelters and rescue groups. There are so many clawless paws out there that are sweet and wonderful, and are looking for good loving homes.

~love_that_cat~ · Feb 14, 2006

Originally Posted by tuxedokitties

Keith5

Glad to hear it!

lovethatcat,
you can probably cut down on any damage to the leather furniture by trimming your cat's claws to blunt the sharp tips - click here for instructions

My siblings & I all grew up with cats with claws and didn't have any trouble - we were taught early on to be gentle with the cats, and the cats were tolerant with us. Blunting the claws will cut down on any potential damage, yet will keep the cat's natural defense system intact so he doesn't feel he needs to turn to biting (which is much worse than a scratch) to defend
himself.

Here's an article from the Humane Society about babies and pets (click here)

Great INFO! Thank you!
see- Mishka is NOT scratching our leather furniture AT ALL and I am trimming his claws regulary ( one time every 1.5 weeks- is it OK, or should I do it more often? )
the thing that we were concerned about- is the baby! will Mishka become more agressive when the baby arrive? Should we look for another cat to keep him company since we will not have much time to play with him for a while ( PLEASE, say yes I SO WANT to adopt another stray cat!!!! )

~love_that_cat~ · Feb 14, 2006

Originally Posted by Beach Bum

That is good news, Keith. We are of the belief that the secret is generally only twofold: clipping, often and well, and training. Contrary to almost universal belief, a cat can be trained, or, given a conditioned response, if you prefer.

One more thing you might give some thought to if training is necessary is a repellant, when unwanted scratching might be demonstrated. We used "No Scratch," in a spray bottle by Pet Organics, successfully for one of our cats. Only one little invisible "puff" was needed on a sofa, and it was never visited again. You can get it quite reasonably on the 'Net at PetsMart and elsewhere. You can similarly obtain a spray bottle of catnip essence to seduce the cat to the post. We concur that those covered with sisal are preferable.

Another element for training might be a "can of air," generally found at computer stores. A harmless puff of air to our cats means you are doing something unappreciated. In fact, after a couple of sprays we now only have to display the can. Others recommend spray bottles containing water. We prefer not to spray water around the house.

Good cheer,

what a great idea about Air cans- we use them for our computer and I think it is a great idea to use them as well for training propuses..

~love_that_cat~ · Feb 14, 2006

Originally Posted by shambelle

I have only had declawed cats (3 total), and only one of them was aggressive - and that was only an occasional thing, like when we tried to give her medicine (what can't isn't aggressive at that point?!). PJ and Teddy are the sweetest, most loving cats -and both have been without their claws for a long time from what I can tell. They were both seniors when we adopted them without front claws, and maybe they had adjusted to it by that point. There seem to be no side effects (no growths, no litterbox problems, etc) with my cats, but I know I am somewhat lucky. My cats have their back claws, and they even let me clip them!

While I do not support declawing cats, I support adopting declawed cats if you are interested in eventually having a cat without claws. There are SO many declawed cats in shelters - and of the ones I've interacted with, many don't have the behavioral problems often associated with declawed cats if someone just takes the time to pay attention to simple things like litter choice, not pairing a declaw with an aggressive clawed cat, etc.. If a cat with claws ever chooses me, I won't declaw, but I do make a conscious effort to try and adopt declaws.

I think PJ knows I'm writing about her... she's staring at me... awww.

Anyway, if anyone is interested in a declawed cat, please please check your local shelters and rescue groups. There are so many clawless paws out there that are sweet and wonderful, and are looking for good loving homes.

That is the number one point I had for my hubby- if declawing is such a neccesity- why are there so many declawed cats in a shelter? Declawing does not seem to fix the problem most of the time...
Now... I do not really have neighbors with cats, and I REALLY REALLY want to adopt another cat ( I would love to adopt them ALL ALL ALL!!!! ) - most of the cats I see at our shelters here - are all declawed- how will Mishka react to that? I am not sure if he is aggressive or not towards them, since he was the only baby we ever had?! Now, we do have a neighbor with a medium sized dogs and Mishka never had problems with her- she would often swing by our appartment and they would try to play, but she seem too rough for Mishka, so he just looks at her without hissing or any other agression, almost like questioning her- hey, big doggy, who do you thinkg I am? What I am saying is that he would never try to leave the room when she's in there or hiss at her or anything like that.... Then our little nephiew stops by very often ( he is only 3 now) and they been playing together with no problem at all. I would think Mishka want to hide from noisy toddler ( he is usually making lots of noise when sees Mishka

and even at one point when he was 2 years old he was running away from Mishka, cause he never seen such a big kitty in his life and was little bit scared and curios at the same time- it was so much fun to watch Mishka chasing little boy!

) - instead, Mishka would play with him till he drops dead!!!! And I mean it- they would play for hours and hours, and then both would sleep on a floor hugging each other.. aw.. so cute!
Anyways, I would not say my cat is aggressive, but still I am concerned that he could become aggressive towards another cat...

laureen227 · Feb 14, 2006

Originally Posted by eilcon

My two older cats are front declawed due to my own ignorance. They're healthy, happy, secure and have never had any behavior issues, but knowing what I do now, I regret putting them through such unecessary pain and trauma and would never have another cat declawed.
That said, my two younger ones have their claws and it hasn't it been a problem at all. They have several scratching posts and I trim their claws every couple of weeks. My furniture, carpet (and me) are completely intact.
Please listen to everyone's advice and don't declaw!

i have the same situation - Pixel was declawed [as was Mouse] when i was ignorant & living in rental housing. Cable & Java are not. Pixel holds her own quite well, & doesn't seem to have any psychological issues. but i trim the younger ones' claws, & have 3 cat trees + a scratching post & scratching pad. haven't really had much of a problem with them. you can have nice things without declawing your cat if you take the time.

bab-ush-niik · Feb 15, 2006

Anyways, I would not say my cat is aggressive, but still I am concerned that he could become aggressive towards another cat.

That's always a possibility. I think you probably should not adopt another cat right now because the new one might also have problems with babies, and it will probably be too much change for Mishka. If you already know that she's good with toddlers, she will probably be fine. Another cat my jar her around because it upsets the nature of the pet heirarchy. My cats were always ok with new people in the household and even new dogs, but adding cats to the household always sent everything crazy. Adding a cat also might make Mishka become more aggressive to you. My cats were always more on edge for the first couple months that a new cat was in the house.

jcat · Feb 15, 2006

I applaud your decision not to declaw, Keith. Declawing is fortunately illegal where I live (Germany), and very few people complain about destructive clawing, as they know to provide plenty of scratching posts, cat trees, etc.. Jamie is our first "indoor only" cat (he walks outside on a leash), and we have no problem with him destroying furniture, carpets, etc..
The only suggestion I can add to those already posted is that you can also supply an upholstered chair that isn't "out of bounds". Perhaps you find something at the Salvation Army, a garage sale, or get one from a friend/relative who is replacing old furniture.

Declawing a cat...

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