Declawing Advice... Please no mean comments!!

[catsarebetter]

I'm just learning. I've just started studying behavior, and solutions, so I'm happy to help as much as I can, but I obviously haven't achieved the level that professional behaviorists have achieved (yet). I am happy to research and try to help you figure out how to alleviate it. It might be that trying a few different tactics may alleviate the behavior altogether and you won't even need softpaws.

Please feel free to send me a private message if you'd like to try some different retraining techniques, or methods of redirecting the aggression, and I'll do what I can to help you for free if a certified behaviorist is out of your price range. (Totally understandable.)

I'm very glad that you came here, and I know that sometimes it's difficult to come to a forum and post something that you know is going to get a list of bad reactions.. and honestly, while some of the posts were a little forceful, I want to say that I don't think anyone answered as passionately to the negative as they were wont to.

Once upon a time I had considered declawing one of mine, but I fortunately lucked into a solution and I never had to revisit the idea. She is still happily scratching her little heart out with her claws intact, and I'm so glad now that I didn't end up making that decision. I was less educated then, and I've since learned *a lot* more about cats. I shudder now to think that I'd even considered it at one point, when I know now that most issues are solvable, with a little work (sometimes very little).

Please keep us posted. I really appreciate that you came to look for alternatives and thoughts on it. You obviously care very much about your cat and are torn by this possible decision.

Keep your chin up and think positive! I think you'll make it through this without having to get her the surgery, and still appease your husband at the same time.

 

[mrs.harris]

Well first of all my husband will not be "re-homed", my marriage comes first. No new updates yet though, Layla still has her claws and I am waiting on the Soft Paws. I did try saying NO very loudly and then ignoring her, and also when I see her scratching furniture or me

I move her whole little extended body to her post. There has been a little improvement

but I know it will take time.

 

[fenleebe]

That is awesome news. It's easy to become frustrated when you are not used to something, my current BF was easily annoyed by some of the behaviors of my dog (she has separation anxiety- and CAN be a bit overwhelming), but once they get to love the animal and understand the reasons behind certain behaviors it gets a LOT easier. Good luck!

 

[catsarebetter]

Hmm, get a little teaser toy (the kind that's the stick with a few feathers, or the like, on the end), and when she goes for the furniture, try to get to her before she actually starts scratching, but shake the teaser and try to get her to move to the actual scratcher.

There are a couple of little toys that might work for you, that you can actually keep rolled up in your pocket to carry with you... I think it's the Cat Dancer. It's a piece of wire, with some rolled cardboard on the ends, and the crew I have *loves* it.. but it moves like a bug. And, I have to say, it's really durable. Here's a link: http://www.catdancer.com/ordering.htm You can click on the product's logos on the order form to see the actual product. Cat Dancer is great!

It will take time, and if you reinforce the bad behavior even once, you'll backslide, and have to do some of it over again.. but seriously, keeping a log of how many times she's done it today (that you see) and how many times she does it every day over the next week.. you'll see if you're making an actual improvement or not.

 

[frisk]

I think it's wonderful that you are looking into the Soft Paws.

I have no experience with them, but I have heard a lot of good things about them and they seem to work well for a lot of people.

My cat, Frisco, doesn't scratch people, but he sometimes scratches the furniture when his nails get too long. I simply clip them and that seems to stop that. Have you tried nail clipping? I didn't read through the whole thread so sorry if I missed that.

I'd also like to share my experience with a declawed cat; About 5 years ago my cousin brought home a sweet little calico kitten. She was pretty friendly, anyone could pick her up. She didn't bite or scratch. When she was spayed 5 or 6 months later, they had decided to declaw her as well.. Not because she scratched, but because they were afraid that she might scratch.

Shortly after the procedure she was not the same cat... Her behavior changed compltely. She HATES to be picked up and she started attacking people for no reason. She turned into a nasty bitter, and drew blood from the hands of her family. She even stopped playing with her toys. She used to be an indoor only cat, but I don't think they like to put up with her behavior so they keep her outside most of the time now (it really pisses me off -sorry or the language- as there are dogs and other animals near their home. If she was chased by something she can't climb a tree or scratch in her defence). As for peeing and pooping outside the litterbox, she doesn't do that, but she doesn't dig or burry anymore.

Well, I think I've typed enough. I'd like to add that Layla is very cute, I like the little white mark on her nose.

Good luck with the soft paws, I hope you make the right decision.

 

[icklemiss21]

Fenleebe, as I said, I have 5 declawed cats, I know it is not an easy thing to say on TCS... but time and time again when people (and maybe not Layla's owner's, but others that search declawing on the forums) are scared away by posts when perhaps, like the OP if people calmly explain alternatives rather than make statements like when she bites and poops which they believe can never happen to them, they go and find another forum that wont tell them how horrible they are.

 

[fenleebe]

Originally Posted by icklemiss21

Fenleebe, as I said, I have 5 declawed cats, I know it is not an easy thing to say on TCS... but time and time again when people (and maybe not Layla's owner's, but others that search declawing on the forums) are scared away by posts when perhaps, like the OP if people calmly explain alternatives rather than make statements like when she bites and poops which they believe can never happen to them, they go and find another forum that wont tell them how horrible they are.

I also did mention alternatives, like a tall & sturdy post and nail trimmings. I NEVER told her she was horrible. I think you need to reread my post before throwing stones. I am glad that you don't seem to have experienced these problems with your own declawed cats. I wish that was the case for us and many others. My statement about biting and pooping is not a negative one, it is extremely relevant when it's direct problem stemming from her declawing procedure. If the original problem is scratching - the alternatives after declawing can be much worse.

I firmly believe that the majority of declawing could and would be eliminated if people A.) Truly knew what could happen as a result of it and B.) Truly knew what the procedure entails.

I'm not going to discuss this any farther, you have your opinion and I have mine. I feel strongly about what I posted and had no nasty or ill feelings towards the original poster when posting my own words. I just speak more candidly than some. There are many awful effects from declawing and I feel my experience is very important to share, even if it may not be what someone wants to here. It was MY doing, so I certainly wasn't lashing out at the OP....that wouldn't make sense.

 

[blast-off-girl]

This whole declawing issue really bothers me and I can't believe it is so normalized in certain regions. In California, it is the norm that vets will refuse to do the service. Why bother owning a cat if you have to remove a part of their body that is useful to them? Maybe having a cat is not the best option for certain people. It's like people want to cut their dog's tongues off because they drool too much. Having pets comes with certain responsibilities. I've seen way too many deserted cats in shelters because the cat destroys the furniture, pees on the carpet, or eats the plants. People want their pets to be like perfect obedient creatures but they are animals and we brought them into our home. There is a certain amount of leeway that must be given. Otherwise, pet ownership will not work for some people. There are so many alternatives to managing animal's behavior but it takes some type of work. Maybe some cats scratch so viciously because of an underlying psychological issue. Perhaps an animal behaviorist in conjunction with Soft Paws will work.

 

[gayef]

Originally Posted by Fenleebe

... If it takes ... 'vinegar' to stress that, then so be it. If it makes one person reconsider, then it was worth it.

But then if that vinegar causes someone to feel not welcomed here or that they have not gotten any positive advice, then that person will leave our forums and never return. How do you propose we help educate people if they won't come here for fear of being lectured by those people who seem to like the vinegar approach? It isn't pleasant, it isn't friendly and it isn't welcoming. It should never, ever matter when responding to a post what your personal feelings may be - the OP, in this case, asked specific questions and IMO, only a small hand-full of people bothered to remember their manners and answer those questions politely and as accurately as you can.

To The Original Poster: TCS is, first and foremost, a teaching community dedicated to the health and welfare of cats. As such, we do not encourage declawing. If you feel you must declaw your cat, then my only suggestion to you is to discuss the post-operative issues with your trusted vet.

To Everyone: I realize that declawing is a very, very controversial topic of discussion. However, there are quite a few threads already in the archives on this issue and since this is beginning to degenerate into a debate on whether or not declawing should be allowed, I am closing this thread.