Cat Declaw

[greenpuppyz]

My Grandma Is making me get my kitten declawed!!I think thats just cruel AND SHOULDNT BE DONE!!! We have an appointment sent up for next week but what do i do after,what do you do with a declawed cat? I guess we can return her scratching post.But will she be acting different?Will this cause Behavioral Problems?

 

[red top rescue]

You find a way NOT to do it!  You need to educate grandma, let her watch videos and read things, print things for her, tell her you will clip the claws weekly, etc. and if all else fails, take the kitten and run away.  No kidding.  Or give her to a rescue or to a friend.  I am a grandmother and if my grandchild cared that much and educated me about something, I would pay attention.

See if you can get her to watch the Jackson Galaxy video about declawing. 


Here is a list of links about declawing.  Perhaps you could read them and find a way to print them out for her to read.

DECLAWING LINKS

http://www.paw-rescue.org/declaw_paper.php

http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/cats/tips/declawing.html

http://www.aspca.org/about-us/aspca-policy-and-position-statements/position-statement-declawing-cats

Written by a vet:  http://www.declawing.com/

 

[LTS3]

Do you live with your grandmother instead of your parents? Just wondering why she is making you declaw the kitten.

I read your previous posts. Your kitten is just 3 months old, a baby really. Kittens are all about play and oftentimes don't know that their claws can hurt people or damage furniture. This is something you can teach her. Offer plenty of scratching posts and discipline with a firm NO when she scratches something that she's not supposed to. Keep the claws trimmed and / or use soft claw caps.

Declawing is cruel, yes. It's not removing just the claw (nail).  It's the removal of the entire last bone of the paw. It's a painful surgery and many cats have complications for years afterwards, including behavioral and litter box issues.

Please share these with your grandmother and try to get her to understand that cats should never be declawed:

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/declawing-post-surgery-care-and-complications

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/declawing-more-than-just-a-manicure

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/declawing-and-alternatives

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/how-to-best-take-care-of-cat-claws

 

[belochka]

What everyone said.
But if your grandma still insists after all your efforts to educate her - it still should not be done.
Maybe as has already been suggested - give your kitten to a good rescue. Being so young, he shouldn't have much problems with rehoming. And later when you no longer have to depend on your grandma's decisions, you will always be able to get another cat.

 

[greenpuppyz]

i forgot to mention That it is only her front claws that will be declawed.

 

[catpack]

The general consensus here is that ANY declaw is detrimental to the cat, except in the rare instance that a digit must be removed due to a tumor or other similar issue, in which case only the affected digit should be amputated.

The question of if she will be affected and if this will cause behavioral issue...this is a very real possibility.

Many cats that are declawed become biters since their claws (their first line of defense) have been taken away. It has been reported that even declawed cats can and do cause damage to furniture, rugs and carpeting (typically by biting and ripping the material or by kicking with their rear claws.)

There is also the possibility of litter box avoidance. This is because when a cat initially digs in a litter box post surgery, there is pain and they come to associate the box as the cause of the pain. Therefore the cat opts to pee and/or poop on softer surfaces such as carpet, rugs, clothes and bedding.

Trimming a cat's nails, training them to use appropriate scratching surfaces, providing a cat tree to climb on and using something like soft paws if needed are all much more humane options for a cat.

Cats by design walk on their toes. When a cat is declawed they are forced to alter the way they walk and shift weight to the pads of their feet. Because of this, declawed cats are more likely to have early on set arthritis, which can, and often does lead to being less active and, as a result, can lead to obesity. An obese declawed cat is likely to be in a fair amount of pain.

 

[raina21]

greenpuppyz

There is a website called http://www.pawproject.org that explains the MANY reasons why declawing a cat (for reasons other than medical problems) is inhumane and unnecessary.

They also have a movie/documentary called the Paw Project that is much more in depth about the subject. If you have the time, please watch it or make your grandma watch it.

 

[talkingpeanut]

How old are you? Do you live with your grandmother?

I think that you really need to fight her on this. It is cruel and will have a lasting negative impact on your cat. You are cutting off her toes...

I would honestly rehome my cat before I allowed her to be declawed.

 

[talkingpeanut]

I would also recommend reading this thread: http://www.thecatsite.com/t/324303/help-my-mom-is-set-on-declawing-my-cat#post_4076583

 

[greenpuppyz]

She Has canceled The Apointment!!! my aunt talked her into it Shes coming over in a little while to trim her nails!!

 

[talkingpeanut]

She Has canceled The Apointment!!! my aunt talked her into it Shes coming over in a little while to trim her nails!!

That's great. Your grandma doesn't live with you and still wanted to declaw your cat?

Help set your cat up to succeed now! Get lots of scratching posts, give treats when he uses them, and clip his nails every week.

 

[howmany]

Supper greenpuppyz so happy for you and your kitten , you do live with your grandma and your aunt is coming over to help trim? So glad she can help[emoji]128571[/emoji][emoji]128571[/emoji][emoji]128571[/emoji][emoji]128571[/emoji][emoji]128571[/emoji]

 

[red top rescue]

See what a difference you can make by speaking up and asking others to help?  You have spared your kitten a lifetime of deformity.  Now she will not fall off the furniture when she jumps on on it, she will be able to walk on her toes like cats are supposed to, she can run and play with no pain, and she will be a complete whole healthy cat when she grows up, all thanks to YOU!  GOOD JOB! 

  Now you can make sure all your friends know too, so their kittens will be safe. 

Declawing is against the law in most European countries, and we are hoping to make it against the law in the U.S.A. also.  Already it has been made illegal in eight California cities, and the State of New York is trying to make it illegal in the state.