I don't know WHY I am asking this because it's going to get done anyway. However, what are your thoughts on getting a cats front paws de-clawed? They are both strictly inside cats. I'm leery on getting them de-clawed however my boyfriend insists they will be de-clawed because he will not tolerate them scratching up everything. I know of other people who have their cats de-clawed, but I don't really want mine de-clawed. I don't know why it is bothering me so much, but he really insists on getting them de-clawed. We will be living in apartments for the next 5ish years so I can see why we should get them de-clawed, but I'm at a loss on a solution. Any ideas?
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Declawing
- Thread starter mcdanielnc89
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I'll move this to Care and Grooming for you.
Just so you, this site is against declawing, so you wont find very many here that will support that decision. We like to educate members on what declawing actually entails:
http://www.thecatsite.com/a/declawing-more-than-just-a-manicure
http://www.thecatsite.com/a/declawing-and-alternatives
http://www.thecatsite.com/a/a-personal-look-at-declawing
http://www.thecatsite.com/a/why-cats-should-not-be-declawed
http://www.thecatsite.com/a/how-to-best-take-care-of-cat-claws
I ask that everyone please respond in a civil manner.
Just so you, this site is against declawing, so you wont find very many here that will support that decision. We like to educate members on what declawing actually entails:
http://www.thecatsite.com/a/declawing-more-than-just-a-manicure
http://www.thecatsite.com/a/declawing-and-alternatives
http://www.thecatsite.com/a/a-personal-look-at-declawing
http://www.thecatsite.com/a/why-cats-should-not-be-declawed
http://www.thecatsite.com/a/how-to-best-take-care-of-cat-claws
I ask that everyone please respond in a civil manner.
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Hi!!
My opinions are probably summarized in the articles Karen gave you above.
Most people who want to declaw their cats don't know what the procedure actually does or how much it will hurt them. Essentially, declawing a cat is inhumane and cruel. It's not just cutting off the nail, it's cutting off their toe at the bone. This is especially cruel because cats are digitigrade, meaning they walk on their toes! Think about the pain human amputees feel, and then transfer that to all ten toes on a cat's front paws.
Cats who have been declawed can cause much more damage to you and your house than cats that are not declawed. Cats who have been deprived of their claws, even if inside-only cats, have no way to defend themselves other than their teeth. Many cats who can't give their humans a gentle scratch to show their displeasure instead turn to biting, which is of course much more harmful. Also, declawed cats often develop litterbox issues as they age, since scratching around in a litterbox becomes extremely painful.
Cats can be easily trained to scratch in appropriate places. Really, most cats love to scratch their claws on sisal rope-covered posts. It's just a matter of finding the material your cat likes to scratch on and some simple training.
Tell your boyfriend about this. He'll save himself ~20 years (domestic cat lifespan) of pain and heartache if he doesn't declaw.
Good luck.
My opinions are probably summarized in the articles Karen gave you above.
Most people who want to declaw their cats don't know what the procedure actually does or how much it will hurt them. Essentially, declawing a cat is inhumane and cruel. It's not just cutting off the nail, it's cutting off their toe at the bone. This is especially cruel because cats are digitigrade, meaning they walk on their toes! Think about the pain human amputees feel, and then transfer that to all ten toes on a cat's front paws.
Cats who have been declawed can cause much more damage to you and your house than cats that are not declawed. Cats who have been deprived of their claws, even if inside-only cats, have no way to defend themselves other than their teeth. Many cats who can't give their humans a gentle scratch to show their displeasure instead turn to biting, which is of course much more harmful. Also, declawed cats often develop litterbox issues as they age, since scratching around in a litterbox becomes extremely painful.
Cats can be easily trained to scratch in appropriate places. Really, most cats love to scratch their claws on sisal rope-covered posts. It's just a matter of finding the material your cat likes to scratch on and some simple training.
Tell your boyfriend about this. He'll save himself ~20 years (domestic cat lifespan) of pain and heartache if he doesn't declaw.
Good luck.
I would ask him if he's going to have his childrens' fingers cut off at the first joint to keep them from picking their nose.
Same same to me.
We keep our cats' claws trimmed. It doesn't elminate any damage, but it keeps it to a minimum.
Same same to me.
We keep our cats' claws trimmed. It doesn't elminate any damage, but it keeps it to a minimum.
Oh no,thats awful,have you tried softpaws?x
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Are they your cats? If they are, he really has no say. Declawing is cruel and the cat's behavior changes drastically!
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You could try Soft Paws first. They are little caps that go over the cats claws.
I was at the vet today and a woman was there dropping off her kitten to be declawed...I cringed....
Cats are easy to be trained not to tear everything up, IMO. Keep their nails trimmed....put scratching posts near where they like to scratch and if you see them scratching something they are not supposed to scratch, immediately grab them and put them on the scratching post. Once my kitties learned, all inappropriate scratching was eliminated. While they are being trained, cover up anything you are afraid of the cats ruining.
Cats are easy to be trained not to tear everything up, IMO. Keep their nails trimmed....put scratching posts near where they like to scratch and if you see them scratching something they are not supposed to scratch, immediately grab them and put them on the scratching post. Once my kitties learned, all inappropriate scratching was eliminated. While they are being trained, cover up anything you are afraid of the cats ruining.
Just say no to de-clawing. As every else has said you can with work redirect their scratching. I just bought brand new furniture on Sunday for my livingroom. While we used to have a problem with corner clawers ( Likes to claw the corners of couches) it is all but gone now. I do know when the new furniture comes in I will have to watch it and just redirect again until they get the hint. My personal feeling is if the furniture is more important than the cat, there is no reason to have a cat. Some clawing comes with the territory.
Don't declaw. Get a couple scratching posts. Hobo has never scratched on our furniture because he has a cat tree and every leg on it is a scratch post.
If these are adult cats, declawing could very well be a death sentence for them.
Cats can be trained, it isn't hard, even adult cats can be trained.
I've rented for most of my adult life, I've never had a cat claw anything that wasn't theirs to destroy anyway.
I've even managed to change the mandatory declaw policy in a couple of the rentals I lived in.
Cats can be trained, it isn't hard, even adult cats can be trained.
I've rented for most of my adult life, I've never had a cat claw anything that wasn't theirs to destroy anyway.
I've even managed to change the mandatory declaw policy in a couple of the rentals I lived in.
I've even managed to change the mandatory declaw policy in a couple of the rentals I lived in
that's cool! I had some hard experiences with finding a rental that was truly pet friendly when I was in Cleveland. I'd call up and ask if they required declawing and, if they said yes, I said I wasn't interested in renting. Kept searching until I found one who said that they didn't enforce that policy. Probably would have been better to try to change their policy. Did you educate them on it or something?
that's cool! I had some hard experiences with finding a rental that was truly pet friendly when I was in Cleveland. I'd call up and ask if they required declawing and, if they said yes, I said I wasn't interested in renting. Kept searching until I found one who said that they didn't enforce that policy. Probably would have been better to try to change their policy. Did you educate them on it or something?
Discussing the differences between spaying/neutering and declawing highlighted the many reasons not to declaw. http://www.thecatsite.com/t/207638/just-a-question-to-start-a-discussion-if-i-may
This is what a cat's foot looks like:
A cat's claws grow out of the the distal phalanx bone. As you can see, they are attached to it. To remove the claw, the entire toe from the last joint on must be amputated. This is not like having your fingernails removed. Cats walk on their toes. Amputating the entire end of the toe has many potential consequences.
For better understanding and alternatives, these are helpful sites:
http://declawing.com/
http://www.catscratching.com/
This is what a cat's foot looks like:
A cat's claws grow out of the the distal phalanx bone. As you can see, they are attached to it. To remove the claw, the entire toe from the last joint on must be amputated. This is not like having your fingernails removed. Cats walk on their toes. Amputating the entire end of the toe has many potential consequences.
For better understanding and alternatives, these are helpful sites:
http://declawing.com/
http://www.catscratching.com/
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I agree with what everyone is saying. I can't believe vets still provide this service. When angel first came to be with me, he did scratch the front of the arms on my couch once & a while. When I would catch him, I would just clap & yell "NO" & he would stop. Instead of buying the pet sticky tape for the couch, I just thought I'd try some clear packing tape (even though it wasn't sticky on the outside). This way it didn't show either. (my couch is cream & didn't want tan pieces of tape on it). It worked & I kept it on for a while just to make sure he was done w/ it. Minimum damage nipped in the bud!
Laurie, Thank you for posting the skeletal display of the cat's foot. I wish this would be posted in every vets office on this country. Shame on the vet's who do this cruel amputation without educating the cat owner before the amputation and fully disclosing exactly what is involved in declawing a cat. Sad thing is that these IMO barbaric vets declaw cat's all in the name of profit and to line their pockets also knowing that these cat's will most likely need expensive aftercare and even possible long term behavioral problems resulting in more visits to their office. The vets are the ones that need to put a stop to declawing by just refusing to do it. Sadly though, if they can make money doing it, they will keep declawing and keep the serious and debilitating consequences of the innocent victims, the cat's, to themselves. Where is the morality and ethics in that.......... :shame:Discussing the differences between spaying/neutering and declawing highlighted the many reasons not to declaw. http://www.thecatsite.com/t/207638/just-a-question-to-start-a-discussion-if-i-may
This is what a cat's foot looks like:
A cat's claws grow out of the the distal phalanx bone. As you can see, they are attached to it. To remove the claw, the entire toe from the last joint on must be amputated. This is not like having your fingernails removed. Cats walk on their toes. Amputating the entire end of the toe has many potential consequences.
For better understanding and alternatives, these are helpful sites:
http://declawing.com/
http://www.catscratching.com/
To the OP: I am sorry your BF is insisting on this. I would explain in graphic detail to your BF about the barbaric surgery. IF he still insists, then I personally would not be able to be with someone like that... sorry... hope you can get him to see the light ....... or IMO the "door".... Good luck.
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Education and bribery
In both places it was houses and I rented directly from the owner. In those days money wasn't much of an issue.
While going over the leases, and discussing my cats, I educated them on exactly what a declaw entails, and being desperate to get a lease signed I offered to double the deposit if any of my pets damaged anything.
Everything everyone else has said.
I would have issues with someone who insists on something like this....what else will he insist on down the road?
He would be in my rear view mirror. Sorry for being blunt. I wish you and your kitties a good life and a pain free one.
I would have issues with someone who insists on something like this....what else will he insist on down the road?
He would be in my rear view mirror. Sorry for being blunt. I wish you and your kitties a good life and a pain free one.
I've had fantastic success in training cats not to claw furniture by applying Sticky Paws brand double sided tape to the areas of furniture the cats like to claw. You have to leave it on a couple of months. This tape is sold at Petco in the US, and on line. It comes in a roll or in sheets. Other brands haven't stuck well for me.
In addition, a variety of types of scratchers are provided, with catnip to make them enticing.
Using this method, I've trained 7 cats, so far, to not scratch furniture at all.
Robin
In addition, a variety of types of scratchers are provided, with catnip to make them enticing.
Using this method, I've trained 7 cats, so far, to not scratch furniture at all.
Robin
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I have 3 indoor only cats and I don't make the kind of $ that would allow me to replace furniture or other material things due to a pet clawing them up. My husband and I were dead set on declawing after a few weeks of frustration after feeling like we had exhausted all other resources of training. Until that is, I looked into what it does to the poor little things. I can't imagine the pain they must go through and the confusion afterwards. Since we had not had them very long, my husband was having a hard time connecting to the emotion I already had surrounding it. Thank goodness he listened and we got scratching posts, scratching boards and anything we could find to give them another outlet. It took some time and for us to be stern every now and then but the little ones got it and now we are down to their two favorite posts they can scratch and they haven't touched the furniture since. After time passed, my husband realized what we almost did to them and would never dream of that thought again. Just make sure your boyfriend understands that being a pet owner is about being responsible and doing the right things for the pet as well. Don't take the easy route out. You'll be far happier in the long run and so will your cats. Hope my story helps a bit.
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