Declawing: against or for?

Great link that - but I would suggest that anyone just starting out should not attempt to cut that close to the quick. I'd start by just clipping the very ends of the claws. As you get more confident and your cat gets used to it you can then try to clip a little further back.

Originally Posted by urbantigers

Great link that - but I would suggest that anyone just starting out should not attempt to cut that close to the quick. I'd start by just clipping the very ends of the claws. As you get more confident and your cat gets used to it you can then try to clip a little further back.

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Good point. Frequently check them and be conservative on the trimming helps your confidence and the cat's adjustment to it.

Oh my goodness, I looked at the page on that site that shows how they do the declawing surgery! Uggghhhh

Ps...I'm such a wimp, I might need to pay for the trimming..although I don't like not being in control either, lol
Oh good ideas about starting out slow, not cutting back to far, that may give me the confidence to do it myself!

If the cat lets you look closely at her claws, Marli, then you can probably see the pink quick. That is too far to clip. To start out clip way before that on just the tip. I use nail clippers for people to do it but you have to turn them sideways or else it will shatter the claw and make it harder to clip. I wouldn'r recommend using people nail clippers unless you have been clipping claws for years. They make clippers specifically for cats.

I would start out now when she is young so she gets used to it and grows up with you clipping them.

Ooh, I want some pink "soft paws" for Kinsey. Did you guys see that liknk. Click on "A great alternative". Do those work. Has anyone used them. It looks hard to put on. Sorry to get off subject.

We had a cat who was clawing the furniture, and dh insisted she be declawed. I didn't know about the procedure then...I thought they de-clawed the cat, not amputated the digits. But Scout did just fine after her surgery, too. I was rather shocked to learn later why her little fingers looked so odd after the declaw surgery! (Sorry, Scout, I didn't know!)

I have talked several people out of declawing their cats. I think education is key. Rather than making it illegal, it should be the law that people have to read a short brochure explaining what happens. And how to prevent scratching the furniture. I think that would eliminate 90% of declaw procedures.

Cat owners should also have to learn about what not spaying and neutering does to their pets.

Originally Posted by Jen

If the cat lets you look closely at her claws, Marli, then you can probably see the pink quick. That is too far to clip. To start out clip way before that on just the tip. I use nail clippers for people to do it but you have to turn them sideways or else it will shatter the claw and make it harder to clip. I wouldn'r recommend using people nail clippers unless you have been clipping claws for years. They make clippers specifically for cats.

I would start out now when she is young so she gets used to it and grows up with you clipping them.

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Also trim the claws when kitty is tired, and give treats afterwards.

Originally Posted by Beckiboo

Rather than making it illegal, it should be the law that people have to read a short brochure explaining what happens. And how to prevent scratching the furniture. I think that would eliminate 90% of declaw procedures.

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I think it would too. But I think it should still be illegal everywhere. After all, there's always that remaining 10%

Originally Posted by Jen

If the cat lets you look closely at her claws, Marli, then you can probably see the pink quick. That is too far to clip. To start out clip way before that on just the tip. I use nail clippers for people to do it but you have to turn them sideways or else it will shatter the claw and make it harder to clip. I wouldn'r recommend using people nail clippers unless you have been clipping claws for years. They make clippers specifically for cats.

I would start out now when she is young so she gets used to it and grows up with you clipping them.

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she has very little between the end of her claw and the quick right now, so I guess I'll wait a bit, and just keep playing with her claws when she is sleepy, lol....

I'm totally aganist declawing

When we got my old boy, back in 1989, declawing was standard practice where I lived. He always had aggression issues, but it's hard to tell if that was a result of his having been declawed.

The girls I have now are not declawed, and they never will be. We won't have new furniture as long as they're around. They're pretty good about sticking on their scratcher, but they'll sometimes wait until we're not looking to sink their claws into the couch. Little brats.

Declawing is a bad idea, yes they become aggressive after they been done. They become really aggressive with other cats.

I'm for declawing if the cat really needs it I won't use those soft nails cause they can actually cause a infection as for how the cats behavior changes not usually mine haven't all still spoiled feather pillowed brats.I believe its the owner thought I am against getting all four paws done I am good with getting the front done and just filing the back and since all my babies live indoors and have never been out no problem =)

Originally Posted by NJAngel021

I'm for declawing if the cat really needs it

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Don't you mean if the owner "needs" it? Unless it's for medical reasons, cats never need it. Not trying to stir things up, esp as this thread has stayed very civil so far, but I think it's necessary to point out that unless it's done for a health reason (rare) declawing is always carried out for the owner's convenience and not the benefit of the cat.

I dont like the soft paws really much. I just lit them have there claws.
I am against declawing.

I am 100% against declawing. I believe it is your responsibility as a pet owner to understand the type of pet you are getting (all the pros and the cons) and if the possiblity of having the odd scratch here and there isn't something you can handle..... than having a cat is not for you.

Originally Posted by NJAngel021

I won't use those soft nails cause they can actually cause a infection

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I don't think they will cause infection unless they aren't put on correctly or you are buying them too big. I have never had a cat get an infection and I have never known a cat too. I don't see what exactly would be getting infected? The cap only goes on the top layer of the claw and falls off when the claw shed the top layer. Unless you are using too big of caps and shoving it up into the skin or something, how the heck can anything get infected? It is only touching that little bit of claw. They only need to go on the ends on the sharp part.

Have you ever read about how the cat screams from the pain while being declawed even though they are put out for it? Or how a lot of cats rip off the bandages and bleed like crazy overnight after the declawing? Do you know they amputate the whole top of the finger, not just remove the claw? After declawing surgery cats sometimes literally bounce off the walls of the recovery cage because of excruciating pain

I definately agree that it is very rare that the CAT will need it, it is just for human convenience, laziness, and unwillingness to buy some scratchers maybe and show the cat how to use them. It is not hard. I have 6 clawed cats and they use their scratchers 95% of the time. An occational scratch on the carpet which is more of a scratch then anything else.

If you are considering declawing, read this little story about a nice little cat named Fluffy http://declaw.lisaviolet.com/declawvettch.html It graphically tells you exactly what happens during a declaw surgery from the point of view of the vet tech who is helping out. If this doesn't make you never want to declaw again, well, I bet it will, please read it and check out the whole site here http://community-2.webtv.net/zuzu22/...clawtemporary/ which tells everything about declawing and alternatives. Scroll down to What You Need to Know... and check out the links.

Originally Posted by Miss Mew

I am 100% against declawing. I believe it is your responsibility as a pet owner to understand the type of pet you are getting (all the pros and the cons) and if the possiblity of having the odd scratch here and there isn't something you can handle..... than having a cat is not for you.

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very well said Tracy!

From the "Soft Claws/Paws" FAQ site:
"12) Can cats get infections from these like humans can get from acrylic nails?

No. Cat's claws are completely different from human nails. Cats shed the outer sheaths of their claws periodically. You have probably seen this around their scratching post (or couch). The same happens when they are wearing Soft Paws. The nail cap comes off with the normal shedding of the outer nail sheath. This prevents the possibility of infection.

5) Are Soft Paws safe and do they hurt the cat?

Soft Paws are completely safe, painless and non-toxic. Even if they are swallowed, no problem will result. They just pass on through the digestive system. The glue is harmless as well." QUOTED

As for whether or not a cat can ever need declawed: Do you ever need your toes or fingers amputated? Not unless you have uncontrolled diabetes, extreme frostbite, a gangrene infection, or a very very serious injury. The same is true of cats. Declawing is entirely a matter of convienience for the owner, I have never heard anyone say it's better for the cat, only that it does not hurt them. Which it does.

I just want so say that I voted for declawing. Under certain circumstances: 1. you must keep the cat its whole life 2. You must never let it outside 3. You must do it when it is still a kitten.

And i understand that this board is against declawing but I have to say that some of the arguments that have been made a bit hypocritical. For example people say that it is an unnecessary surgery for the cat yet why do we all go and neuter and spay our animals, even the ones that are indoor ONLY animals? On could argue that it is in the best interest in the offspring of the animals so they don’t end up with an unhappy life in a over populated shelter. But the same could be said for declawing that you are actually looking out for the animal because you don’t want them scratching your furniture all the time and you yelling at them all the time and ultimately you get so feed up you send them to the shelter. Also even we humans do unnecessary surgeries that are not beneficial to the person. For example circumcision, mostly done for aesthetics not for health benefits of a child. That being said I would prefer my kitty has a safe and friendly environment to grow up in.

And let’s not forget that it was humanity that selfishly domesticated these wild creatures. Was that in the best interest of the cat as well?

I just want to clarify that I think everyone is entitled to there opinion and my cat has not been declawed although I have thought about and am still thinking about it at this time. There are always pros and cons with every decision that you have to make. And everything is not as black and white as declawing is portrayed in these forums.

Thank you for reading my two cents,

Al