New to Forum

[heathersfs]

I was a member of this forum about a year ago but decided to rejoin after I had to do something with my cat this morning, that I told myself, I'd never do.

I'm a firm believer in doing all you can possibly do with training to not declaw your cats.

Unfortunately I had to take my cat "Sam" into the vet this morning for that reason.

We live in a townhouse, and he had been trained to use the scratching post that I had for him. He used it religiously, no problems with that.

My cats have always been indoor cats. I don't believe in letting your cats outside unsupervised, but there's this strange cat that has been camping out in our backyard and Sam went nuts to try and dig up the carpeting by the back door to get out.
When I saw the mess in the morning of the unraveling carpet, I freaked out, because our land lady said, any disturbance to the carpet like that would cost $2 Grand to replace.

So I used tape and did all I could do to hide the damage, then I put boxes in front of the back door, but that didn't work either....an entirely new section of carpet was torn up the next morning.

So I faced 1 of three things. I had to give him up, get him declawed, or replace the carpet in the townhouse for $2 Grand, which wouldn't stop his carpet digging...

So I chose the $120 option and sent him in this morning.

It tore me up doing so....but I felt there was no other option.

So I have rejoined the forum

Here's a picture of my little guy who is in surgery right now.

Please keep your thoughts and prayers with him as this is the hardest thing I've had to do with my pets.

 

[captiva]

Welcome Heather. Take care of your little guy when he gets home

 

[jeanor]

Hello and welcome to The Cat Site

I'm so sorry about the decision you had to make. I know that must have been tough since you don't believe in declawing. I hope everything turns out ok with your kitty.

 

[heathersfs]

I was able to run over to the vet and see Sam during my lunch break today. I don't get to bring him home until tomorrow.

But I'm surprised at how fast the recovery time is. I get to take his bandages off tomorrow night. I guess since everything is done with lasers now, its not as grusome of a procedure, and the vet told me the bleeding is only spot bleeding, and that by the time I take the bandages off tomorrow everything should be fine.

So I'm grateful for that.

He was still highly medicated when I saw him last. Can't wait to bring him home.

I know he's probably sitting in there wondering what he did to diserve this, sometimes you just wish you could explain things to cats.....then again, if you could reason with a cat...you'd never have to get them declawed.

 

[momof3rugratz]

The laser I guess is less pain and in 24 hr they walk as if nothing happened. Vet said they only take the nail no claw of bone nothing. I hope he does OK. He is your cat and you make the decisions based on you. I think follow your heart and you wont go wrong

 

[catloverin_ks]

Welcom to TCS. Sorry you had to make that decision! I have only had one cat declawed in my entire life, and that was before I was informed of how much pain they are in during this and so I have never ever wanted to declaw again~and my cats are BAD at clawing my couches and carpet......

 

[heathersfs]

Wow...I thought getting Sam declawed would be more complicated...24 hours later...he's walking on them as if nothing is wrong. He licks his paws...but things must be a lot better now since things are done with lasers...I thought he'd still be bandaged up when I took him home...but he's just fine. He's on antibiotics for seven days though....but I'm glad declawing is more humane these days.

 

[momof3rugratz]

Originally Posted by Heathersfs

Wow...I thought getting Sam declawed would be more complicated...24 hours later...he's walking on them as if nothing is wrong. He licks his paws...but things must be a lot better now since things are done with lasers...I thought he'd still be bandaged up when I took him home...but he's just fine. He's on antibiotics for seven days though....but I'm glad declawing is more humane these days.

I was given a site saying I was wrong. If I find it again I will post it

 

[heathersfs]

Originally Posted by momof3rugratz

I was given a site saying I was wrong. If I find it again I will post it

Wrong about what?

 

[heathersfs]

I think I know what you are talking about momof3..... People telling you that you are wrong about the laser precedure.. right?

Well I went over it thuroughly with my vet, because I was told that laser removal was still an amputation. So my vet went over it with me, and said "no, it is not an amputation.

She showed me a dummy paw and how they remove it. joints are never removed and infact bone is never removed, like some people say. The laser merely shaves a sliver of cartaledge type tissue off right beneathe the claw itself, when fully extended... just enough so that the claw won't grow back.

I think if they amputated my cat's feet, he wouldn't be jumping up on the couch and climbing the stairs the next day.

The vet did show me the old way of declawing your cat, and I totally agree about how inhumane it is. So I think my cat is proof that veternary science has found new and improved ways of doing things.

I think people out there are sooo against declawing that they refuse to believe things have gotten more humane.

But I agree, People need to do what ever possible to stop your cats from scratching. Kittens should never be declawed because it shows that you haven't done all that you could to train them. But occasionally you may have that one cat that refuses. But as I said, Sam used a scratching post, his issue was his need to get outside. That was stronger than anything I tried to deter him with, and he was going to dig and dig until he found a way.....and at the rate he was going the whole back side of my house's carpet and anything near a window would have been torn up.

So I'd rather declaw my cat and keep him inside, than have an out door cat and watch him get run over by a car or come home with some back alley disease.

Most of the people on this forum will probably disagree with me....but I don't feel bad for what I did, because I checked it out thuroughly and didn't go into this blindly. I wanted to know what the precedure was and I don't believe I was lied to.


If I was lied to, Sam would be showing me signs of that...