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To declaw or not to declaw that is the question... - Page 2

post #31 of 50
6/3/06 at 10:15pm
I have never declawed any of my cats, but a cat took up at my fathers house some time ago that was declawed and so skinny, I immeadiatly took the poor girl home. She does not like for you to touch her feet at all, if you do she yanks them away, but who would blame her? We still have this darling, she is fat, healthy, and happy that she will never be mutilated ever again.

I beg that you try soft claws, they are rubber caps that you put on your kitties feet, they come with something that is like super glue. I hear that they work great and last up to 5 weeks. Please at the very least give it a try.
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post #32 of 50
6/3/06 at 10:20pm
He wont have to declaw or use the caps right if the kitten lets him cut the nails I would keep up with that.
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post #33 of 50
6/3/06 at 11:38pm
My cat's shredded up my couch. The got to the wood structure and made a mess everywhere. Scratching posts, nail clipping, water squirts, whatever, I tried it all!

BUT!!!... I never even once thought of declawing my cats. They are indoors, but the thought of them ever getting out and having no defenses just terrifies me.

What was my solution... I bought a couch they couldn't scratch (wood arm rests versus cloth covered ones).

A "pet" (and I use that term lightly as my cats are my babies) is for life and a huge responsibility. It's like having a child, and since I would never maim my child, I could never do it to my furry babies.

So as a person who was in your place, don't declaw, get rid of your couch.
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post #34 of 50
6/4/06 at 2:33am
Quote:
Originally Posted by DragulescuGirl
A "pet" (and I use that term lightly as my cats are my babies) is for life and a huge responsibility. It's like having a child, and since I would never maim my child, I could never do it to my furry babies.


I think the reasons why you shouldn't declaw have been stated enough times so I won't repeat them. I will just say that however hard it is we should always put the health and welfare of our pets ahead of our own convenience. If you can't find a way to stop your cat scratching the carpet and it's a problem then you need to rehome him and wait until you're in a more suitable place to have a cat. As has been stated previously - cats scratch. It's what they do. It's what they need to do. I know you love your cat but perhaps a cat isn't the right pet for you right now.
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post #35 of 50
6/4/06 at 5:10am
try using a repellent spray to keep your cat off the furnitures and carpet...or maybe use the nail caps like she said...
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post #36 of 50
6/4/06 at 5:48am
For everyone that is talking about using spray bottles or other repellents for furniture:

Telling a cat what not to do without showing him what to do isn't an effective way of changing the behavior in a cat. Spraying them with a bottle tells them they shouldn't be doing what they are doing, but do you stop and take the time to redirect them to a scratch post? It would be analogous to a teacher asking you what 2 plus 2 is without telling you the answer first, then slapping your hands when you get the answer wrong.

The best way to train a cat is to direct them to the right behavior. If they are scratching a sofa, give them a firm NO, then carry them over to the scratch post, rub their paws on it, join them by rubbing your hands on it, then give them a treat for being a good kitty. I have 11 cats with unclipped claws and my furniture is intact. It's never taken me more than 3 days to retrain a cat when they arrive in the house, but it doesn't work unless you are dilligent and persistant.

There are alternatives to declawing that are physically easier on your cat and only suggest that you use those alternatives before you maim your cat.
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post #37 of 50
6/4/06 at 12:20pm
Just a thought -- you might not want to give a treat for a cycle that started with acting out. My cat seems pretty smart, and I realized that when he wanted a treat, he would go and scratch in an unwanted place and wait to be redirected to the scratching place and rewarded. He was learning that the desirable sequence of events started with scratching the carpet.

Now I just praise him verbally at the scratching post in a case like that, and only give a treat for spontaneous use of the scratching post. I'll also take him to the scratching post randomly and give him a treat (or hide a treat on it for him to find when I'm not around). I don't want the cat to associate the treat with bad behavior.

It sounds like the SoftPaws claw caps are the right solution for this poster.
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post #38 of 50
6/4/06 at 1:23pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by emmylou
It sounds like the SoftPaws claw caps are the right solution for this poster.
I agree...hopefully she'll listen to all the posts about it. I really hope this poor kitty didn't get declawed just from lack of reading our responses and trying different things. My kitties have had Soft Paws for about a month now. We originally got them so they couldn't hurt our bunnies in playing, but have since been happy to report that they haven't been able to do anything to scratch up our couch, and when they play with my daughter they're no longer able to scratch her. They're easy to do, and well worth it.

PLEASE give Soft Paws a try...for your baby...

He's counting on you to do the right thing here, and keep him safe and happy. Please don't let him down.
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post #39 of 50
6/6/06 at 9:07pm
Here's a recap of how to handle problems scratching -
http://www.thecatsite.com/Behavior/5...o-Stop-It.html
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post #40 of 50
6/8/06 at 6:12am
please DO NOT DECLAW YOUR CAT!!!! If you love your cat dont declaw it!!!
use soft claws.
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post #41 of 50
6/8/06 at 6:26am
I'm new to the idea of not declawing, and in fact, it was this forum that convinced me not to ever do it again. I had absolutely no idea what the procedure was. I was horrified!

I agree with Arlyn, try using the nail caps.
http://www.softpaws.com/ is an informative site for them and you can buy them there as well. I tried finding them yesterday at one of the local pet stores but they didn't carry them. I'm going to try PetSmart next.

From everything I've read here on the forums about them, they're easy to use and it's possible that after using them a while the cat will become less destructive and not need them their whole lives. I have an adult cat that wasn't declawed and the only thing he ever scratches is his cat tree. (I think that's just a bit of luck though!)
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post #42 of 50
6/8/06 at 6:43am
Quote:
Originally Posted by mellie
I'm new to the idea of not declawing, and in fact, it was this forum that convinced me not to ever do it again. I had absolutely no idea what the procedure was. I was horrified!

I agree with Arlyn, try using the nail caps.
http://www.softpaws.com/ is an informative site for them and you can buy them there as well. I tried finding them yesterday at one of the local pet stores but they didn't carry them. I'm going to try PetSmart next.

From everything I've read here on the forums about them, they're easy to use and it's possible that after using them a while the cat will become less destructive and not need them their whole lives. I have an adult cat that wasn't declawed and the only thing he ever scratches is his cat tree. (I think that's just a bit of luck though!)
Mellie..thanks for this post...it's so good to know that this forum was able to teach you about the reality of the declaw procedure.

Katie
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post #43 of 50
6/8/06 at 6:49am
You all realise that the OP hasn't responded since the first page?

I think you made the point in 4 pages since then
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post #44 of 50
6/8/06 at 6:57am
Quote:
Originally Posted by GoldenKitty45
Keep in mind that IF you declaw you should keep your cat the rest of his life. And that means that you don't get rid of him when he decides NOT to use the litter pan any more or resorts to biting or hiding because he has no defense.

Many cats with litter box problems are declawed. Not all but the majority.

If you can't live with some clawing its better to find him a new home and adopt another cat that someone declawed. At least another cat would not be subject to that procedure.
I guess all cats at shelters who are declawed should be put down since the majority of them have litter box problems (according to your reply).

I think that a horrible mis-truth to be spreading. There is no evidence for posting that and you are doing a dis-service to declawed cats in shelters everywhere.
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post #45 of 50
6/8/06 at 9:26am
SoftPaws are awesome....I've had two kitties that use them. I adopted a kitty that was already declawed and I have to say that it's very sad to see how he "handles" things. He looks like a person that has had his fingers cut off!

There is another option (I didn't read thru all the posts to see if this was mentioned) and it's a tendonectomy. I don't know if I spelled that right. But they just cut the tendon, not amputate the whole thing....

Karen
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post #46 of 50
6/8/06 at 9:35am
Quote:
Originally Posted by meow meow
I guess all cats at shelters who are declawed should be put down since the majority of them have litter box problems (according to your reply).

I think that a horrible mis-truth to be spreading. There is no evidence for posting that and you are doing a dis-service to declawed cats in shelters everywhere.
I don't think GoldenKitty45 was trying to dissuade people from adopting declawed kitties, I think she was just trying to point out some of the potential problems that declawed kitties face. Additionally, she encourages the adoption of those kitties if someone MUST have a declawed cat. Suggesting that she meant for them to be put down is a little extreme IMHO.

I volunteer at a shelter, and it is the unfortunate truth that most of the declawed kitties that come in need lots of special care and a different kind of attention than kitties with their claws. Often they are very afraid, insecure, and require a lot of patience and soothing.

I'm sure other members can post information about why declawing leads to litter box problems (beginning with the pain litter inflicts on their tender little half toes). It is a real problem, not some made up fiction.
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post #47 of 50
6/8/06 at 10:11am
Quote:
I'm sure other members can post information about why declawing leads to litter box problems (beginning with the pain litter inflicts on their tender little half toes). It is a real problem, not some made up fiction.
Actually, I think if we only look at the declaw procedure with regards to litterbox issues, then we are doing a disservice to declawed cats. Declawed cats develop UTIs and crystals..just like clawed cats. Declawed cats have a preference for cleanliness..just like clawed cats....declawed cats can have a preference for the location of their litterbox..just like clawed cats. Condemning declawed cats to a life of litterbox issues (without considering other factors) is not the way I would handle it.

We pulled a cat from a shelter who was listed as declawed and having litterbox issues...turned out...she had a tumor the size of a grapefruit. Once the tumor was removed...no more litterbox issues.

I don't support declawing....but I also don't support purpetuating "facts" that aren't necessarily true.

Katie
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post #48 of 50
6/8/06 at 10:27am
I agree that cats shouldn't be declawed and I wouldn't do it. However, I agree with the point that the procedure doesn't doom all cats to bad behavior and litterbox problems, so people shouldn't assume that that's what they'll get with a declawed cat. We had one when I was growing up, and after the operation he never had problems with the litterbox, behavior or play. In fact, he escaped a few times in the backyard and got into cat fights, and he was a skilled fighter (though we couldn't figure out how)... and he wasn't a large cat, either.
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post #49 of 50
6/8/06 at 11:55am
Another reason not to declaw is money. The operation isn't cheap! My brother is a former vet tech and he tells me that quite often the cat has to go back for further sugery after tearing a suture or excessive bleeding, which drives the cost up further. That's what happened to Freckles former owner - she had the two cats she kept declawed, was given a quote of around $550 but paid over $700 because one cat had to go back to surgery due to complications.
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post #50 of 50
6/9/06 at 11:40am
my declawing story... maybe this will change your mind.

I got a kitten when I was born. And back then, we didn't know everything that we know now. Declawing was more popular. And when my parents got my kitten spayed, they got her declawed as well. She was always an indoor cat. However, when I was a teenager she managed to sneak out the door 1 time. 1 time. And we couldnt' find her for 2 days. Finally she came home, limping back the whole way, he face was bloody, and her eye was scratched out, and blinded. And even worse than that, she was emotionally robbed. Her spirit was destroyed and broken. Had she had her claws she would have been able to fight back whatever it was that attacked her. She was never the same girl again. She was always flinching and ducking if you made a sudden move.

I use soft claws on my cat now. They are not very difficult to put on, and last 6-8 weeks. They are ~$20 for 4 applications, and worth every penny. They protect your screens, your couch, even your leg if she starts to slide off a little and tries to grab ahold of you. And they look so pretty. Please don't declaw your cat. I wish that my parents had never gotten my sweet girl declawed growing up...
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