My Kitten's claws

[a5b6c9]

I'm brand new to kitten ownership. A few months ago I adopted a 3 month old kitten from a shelter. So he's almost 6 months old now. He HATES having his paws touched. My vet, my mom and my mom's vet all say I should declaw him while he's young and he'll adjust better. But I wanted to see if I could explore other solutions first. While he does periodically try to destroy furniture that's not the main issue and could be easily fixed. He loves to jump on peoples laps or backs or legs and usually by accident he will draw blood. He either falls off someones lap and struggles to stay on or he gets a nail caught in someones shirt and shreds their skin trying to get free. While I did sign up for all the crazy energy and pain that comes with having a kitten, my housemates did not. I've tried trimming his nails but it only partially helps and he struggles a good deal. I just tried applying soft claws and that was a disaster. My housemate and I spent 20 minutes struggling to get two of the little plastic caps on. He cried and cried and cried like he was in extreme pain and scratched and bit us. My housemate no longer feels comfortable helping me put them on because he feels like he's hurting him. So far it's been an hour and the two we did get on are still on but if I touch his paws he gets really scared. I'm not going to give him up or anything because of this, but if I don't find a solution he's going to live the rest of his life shut away in my bedroom so that he stops hurting people. I might just give in and declaw him. I haven't been able to find any reliable scientific evidence that declawing causes long term problems. But I have read that kittens should be declawed around 6 months which is in another few weeks. And in the end, humans come first and humans pay rent. If my housemates leave because my kitten accidentally hurts people then I'm SOL. 

Any advice on my situation?

 

[PushPurrCatPaws]

I'm brand new to kitten ownership. A few months ago I adopted a 3 month old kitten from a shelter. So he's almost 6 months old now. ...

... I might just give in and declaw him. I haven't been able to find any reliable scientific evidence that declawing causes long term problems. But I have read that kittens should be declawed around 6 months which is in another few weeks. And in the end, humans come first and humans pay rent. If my housemates leave because my kitten accidentally hurts people then I'm SOL. 

Any advice on my situation?

Please, please do not declaw him. Please Search this site, and the web, and read up on the many articles/posts about declawing. Declawing can definitely cause long-term problems!

I've always felt like "declawing" is a misnomer.. the term can make one think that only the claws are affected, like you are just "filing down nails", making it seem more harmless. Actually, you are amputating part of a cat's toes. Think of cutting off your own toes just below your own toenail line. Think of your own recovery from that kind of thing. I'm thinking you would have some long-term pain & problems. Please research this more!

I would rather you re-home the kitten to a good home that is against declawing, if your housemates' complaints are so important to you.

I'm hoping other posters will provide their opinions.

 

[a5b6c9]

I have done legitimate research on declawing. From both sides of the argument and I made sure they were credible sources. While I am still against declawing I would do it if necessary. Despite popular opinion, research shows it is rare for there to be complications or long term behavioral issues. I would never give up my cat. He has gotten me through a really rough summer and I love him. There are dozens of cats starving to death, abandoned and abused in my neighborhood. My cat is loved and goes to sleep each night curled up next to his owner with a belly full of wet food. Why would I risk him being abused, neglected or abandoned by giving him up? 

Back to the reason why I came on here. If someone can show me real research for or against cat declawing? Not anything about who does it and who doesn't. Not anything about countries other than the US. But a real study in which scientists observed the effects of declawing on cats. OR better yet does anyone have a cat who hates having his paws touched but they somehow trained him to get over it? 

 

[Norachan]

Please DO NOT declaw your kitten. It is extremely inhumane. It is banned in most countries in the world, the US is one of the few places it is still done and there is a movement in place to get it outlawed there to.

Declawing is essentially mutilating your cat. It will lead to more serious aggression, such as biting, cause aversion to using the litter box and lead to joint problems later in life. It really would be better for you to rehome the cat than do this to him. If you love your cat as you say you do you need to find another option.

Please read this article.

 [article="22411"]Why Cats Should Not Be Declawed​[/article]  

If your vet is recommending this procedure I suggest you find another vet. The only reason a vet would try to get you to do this to your cat is so they can charge you for the expensive surgery plus all the other follow up procedures your cat will need when he develops health problems in the future.

Find another vet, preferably a vet who specialises in feline care, or a cat groomer to show you how to clip your cats claws properly and apply the soft paws caps for you.

 [thread="74003"]Cats With Claws And Leather Furniture​[/thread]  

 [thread="300680"]Cats Clawing Furniture​[/thread]  

The above threads contain lots of tips for preventing your cat from scratching the furniture.

Thank you for thinking carefully before allowing your kitten to go through such an awful procedure. There really is no need to declaw a cat ever. It's like Chinese foot binding; painful unnecessary and cruel.

 

[kkoerner]

Despite popular opinion, research shows it is rare for there to be complications or long term behavioral issues.

We see quite a few declawed cats come in to our shelter and other local shelters.... surrendered because of behavioral issues that started after declawing. One in particular, that we have right now, has been returned twice because she just won't use the litter box when in a home. This started after her first owner declawed her.

As far as getting your cat to allow you to touch his paw? Work up to it. Start by just petting the top of it every now and then while you pet him. If he pulls away, move elsewhere, but the best scenario is that it's just a brief touch and back to where he likes petting so he doesn't have a chance to respond. Then, maybe when he is sleepy, pet him and glide down to his paw and just rest your hand there. If he reacts by pulling away, just move on. Just make it a normal thing for him...nothing comes of it, you aren't going to hold his paw hostage, aren't going to force it, it's no big deal. Once he is OK with touches, try clipping a nail or two while he is sleepy. If he doesn't pull away give him a treat (have them ready) and then stop. Do more the next day, and so on. Build trust.

 

[meowkittymeow]

Your cat is only 6 months. I think after a while the accidentally grabbing on and hurting people will stop. Poptart always used to panic and grab when you where moving her off. She is now 1 year 5 months and she has stopped. 

I wouldn't declaw your cat, I would rather lock my cat in the room than declaw. 

 

[krazykatjenn]

In response to your question, no, there are no studies on the long term impact of declawing. You have to consider the industry you're looking at. I just found out yesterday that there's also no crash testing required on dog seat belts. A private citizen did her own test and discovered that 99% of dog seat belts killed the dog and caused human injuries in crashes of 30 mph. Too many vaccines has even been proven to give cats cancer at the injection site. The response? To give cats their shots in a leg that can easily be amputated while continuing to give them way too many vaccines. (Honestly, have you ever heard of humans needing vaccines every single year of their life?)

I looked up the studies you mentioned about there being no behavior changes in declawed cats. It looks like the studies were done by calling owners afterwards and asking them how satisfied they were with the declaw. No one checked up on the cats. Personally, I prefer to believe the shelter workers who talk about all the cats with behavior issues due to declawing that they've seen, but you're right that the studies show that it's rare for behavior issues to develop. Maybe it is rare and you won't have behavior issues crop up, but there's still other issues to consider.

I'd also ask you to read those studies more closely, especially the part about pain management. In order to get the cat through the pain of declawing, they give them the strongest legally available pain med. I don't know if you've ever been on pain medication, but the side effects are awful. They make you nauseous, constipated, and generally just bad feeling, not to mention how addicting they are. Obviously your cat can't complain about how awful she feels and tell you she's going through withdrawal, but it's something you should keep in mind if you do decide to declaw. Then there's the scary bit about declawing young to lessen detrimental psychological impact. In other words, the cats are flat out depressed about losing their claws.

Another thing to keep in mind is all the studies that have been done on human phantom limb pain. Once you lose part of your body, you spend the rest of your life feeling like it's still there and in pain. Again, we can't ask cats, but it seems to follow that they go through this once their claws are removed.

Lastly, claws are what makes a cat a cat. Retractable claws are the reasons that cats have been successful predators, beating out several other species. I know declawing tends to be compared to cutting off fingers at the knuckle, but for humans it's more like losing your opposable thumbs. Imagine you're being kept as a happy house human. You have good food and toys, no reason to complain. Then they cut off your thumbs to keep you out of trouble so you won't open doors and junk. Are you still happy?

I can tell you want what's best for your cat, and I understand why you think declawing might be it, but I do urge you to keep these things in mind and accommodate your cat for how miserable she'll feel after the surgery. And try other solutions first, like what was mentioned up above about getting your cat used to having her paws touch so you can trim her claws instead.

 

[kkoerner]

In response to your question, no, there are no studies on the long term impact of declawing. You have to consider the industry you're looking at. I just found out yesterday that there's also no crash testing required on dog seat belts. A private citizen did her own test and discovered that 99% of dog seat belts killed the dog and caused human injuries in crashes of 30 mph. Too many vaccines has even been proven to give cats cancer at the injection site. The response? To give cats their shots in a leg that can easily be amputated while continuing to give them way too many vaccines. (Honestly, have you ever heard of humans needing vaccines every single year of their life?)

I looked up the studies you mentioned about there being no behavior changes in declawed cats. It looks like the studies were done by calling owners afterwards and asking them how satisfied they were with the declaw. No one checked up on the cats. Personally, I prefer to believe the shelter workers who talk about all the cats with behavior issues due to declawing that they've seen, but you're right that the studies show that it's rare for behavior issues to develop. Maybe it is rare and you won't have behavior issues crop up, but there's still other issues to consider.

I'd also ask you to read those studies more closely, especially the part about pain management. In order to get the cat through the pain of declawing, they give them the strongest legally available pain med. I don't know if you've ever been on pain medication, but the side effects are awful. They make you nauseous, constipated, and generally just bad feeling, not to mention how addicting they are. Obviously your cat can't complain about how awful she feels and tell you she's going through withdrawal, but it's something you should keep in mind if you do decide to declaw. Then there's the scary bit about declawing young to lessen detrimental psychological impact. In other words, the cats are flat out depressed about losing their claws.

Another thing to keep in mind is all the studies that have been done on human phantom limb pain. Once you lose part of your body, you spend the rest of your life feeling like it's still there and in pain. Again, we can't ask cats, but it seems to follow that they go through this once their claws are removed.

Lastly, claws are what makes a cat a cat. Retractable claws are the reasons that cats have been successful predators, beating out several other species. I know declawing tends to be compared to cutting off fingers at the knuckle, but for humans it's more like losing your opposable thumbs. Imagine you're being kept as a happy house human. You have good food and toys, no reason to complain. Then they cut off your thumbs to keep you out of trouble so you won't open doors and junk. Are you still happy?

I can tell you want what's best for your cat, and I understand why you think declawing might be it, but I do urge you to keep these things in mind and accommodate your cat for how miserable she'll feel after the surgery. And try other solutions first, like what was mentioned up above about getting your cat used to having her paws touch so you can trim her claws instead.

Another potential issue for declawing...

Claw regrowth. And that doesn't just mean that whoops, now you have to cut them anyway. It means a disabled cat and a lifetime of severe pain unless put through surgery again.

But, even if the claws don't grow back, or the cat doesn't stop using the litter box...maybe he doesn't become a biter...maybe he is still playful! Only While he is young.....because one side effect that is entirely unavoidable is that it changes the way the cat walks on their foot. Before a declaw, cats walk on their toes. Since declawing removes the first joint of the toes, they can't walk on the toes anymore (it's painful to) and it shifts the pressure when they walk, back to their wrists. This changes their entire structure....it leads to chronic pain at the wrists, and elsewhere in the the body.

Look up "the paw project." There is a movie you can see on netflix, but also a website that will show the issue I mentioned and some movie clips of big cats that were declawed. It is a vet that started it....

 

[handsome kitty]

Seriously?  Declawing a cat because you can't trim his nails!  Take him to a groomer.  They will even put the soft claws on for you.

 

[magiccat2]

PLEASE DO NOT DECLAW! Your cat will only start biting you and probably get a behavior problem! Watch The Paw Project. Declawing is extremely inhumane and you WILL regret declawing your cat! It is NOT necessary to declaw your cat. It will make your life miserable if you declaw. 

 

 

[misty8723]

 
I have done legitimate research on declawing. From both sides of the argument and I made sure they were credible sources. While I am still against declawing I would do it if necessary. Despite popular opinion, research shows it is rare for there to be complications or long term behavioral issues. I would never give up my cat. He has gotten me through a really rough summer and I love him. There are dozens of cats starving to death, abandoned and abused in my neighborhood. My cat is loved and goes to sleep each night curled up next to his owner with a belly full of wet food. Why would I risk him being abused, neglected or abandoned by giving him up? 

Back to the reason why I came on here. If someone can show me real research for or against cat declawing? Not anything about who does it and who doesn't. Not anything about countries other than the US. But a real study in which scientists observed the effects of declawing on cats. OR better yet does anyone have a cat who hates having his paws touched but they somehow trained him to get over it? 

 When would it EVER be necessary to mutilate a living being?

Declawing a cat is the equivalent of cutting YOUR fingers off at the first knuckle.  Think about that one for awhile.  Whatever the effects, it's wrong and not necessary.  My cats are not declawed and they haven't destroyed any of my furniture or put any scratches on me.  And I don't trim them either. The only reason for trimming (or so I've read) is for the human and this human is happy to let them take care of their own claws.

You have to do what your heart and conscious tells you is right.  Mine tells me that mutilation is wrong and unnecessary.

 

[a5b6c9]

Except for KrazyKatJenn all of these responses are heavy on the blame and anger (as if I had already done it) and low on the actual facts. It reminds of evangelicals arguing with me about pro-choice. A bunch of people on the internet are getting super angry at me and saying I'm a horrible person for even considering declawing and then multiple vets and a physician (my mom... not that it really matters that she's a doctor) are telling me to do it. I came on here so I could find a reasonable person. Someone who would say "here are the facts on why it is bad but in the end you have to do what you have to do." KrazyKatJenn was the only one who came close. And KKoerner  for the bit about paw touching. That was helpful.  

 Seriously?  Declawing a cat because you can't trim his nails!

Wow thanks for the unnecessary sass. Didn't I mention how hard it is to trim nails when for the past 3 months he's cried in pain like I'm torturing him? I'm afraid THAT will cause behavioral problems. And I can't afford to go to a groomer every two weeks for the rest of my life. I'm a college student. 

I'm going to go to Penn Vet and talk to the students doing research there because at least they will have some actual facts and maturity. My mistake for looking to an internet forum for help. 

 

[lazer]

Our kittens were also a bit clumsy at 6 months still and eventually they became more careful, balanced, and much more restrained with their claw use. I would suggest you wait it out, get the kitten used to regular nail clippings (we clip ours every 1-2 months and thanks to the breeder getting them used to it before they came home to us they just both sit there belly-up in my lap and wait for me to finish). I'm surprised that declawing is legal in the US at all - I think it's banned over here.

 

[meowkittymeow]

I wasnt angery at all... I just said I wouldn't do it and would just lock her in the room. Most people here have you given you well thought opinions and examples (with them being in a rescue). I even said it might stop in a couple months but you over looked that, you just want an easy fix and the easy fix is to declaw.

 

[margd]

"I'm going to go to Penn Vet and talk to the students doing research there because at least they will have some actual facts and maturity. My mistake for looking to an internet forum for help. "
[/quote]

Going to an academic source is an excellent idea as vet students will very likely have access to professional journals that we don't. That's where the controlled studies you're looking for will be found.

I think it's great you're exploring the pros and cons of this issue, especially since you have knowledgeable people in your life recommending declawing. It would have been easy to accept their advice but you are looking at all sides of the problem. I'm sorry you felt people attacked you here - I don't think that was the intent. It's just that we are an anti-declawing site and people feel strongly about this issue. I believe the comments were more in defense of the cat than anything else. We do have at least one member who had her cat declawed however and no one gives her a hard time.

I would be very interested to hear what you find out from the vet school. I am personally anti-declawing as well so kind of expect the data will confirm the difficulties declawed cats face but it would be nice to hear the results of controlled studies.

 

[misterwhiskers]

I actually think going to Penn is a good thing. My cat is declawed. I had it done...my back was against the wall. It had to do with a safety issue in a former residence, not furniture.

My observations are: my cat gets frustrated easily. He can't play. Literally at ALL. All cat toys are designed with claws in mind. This has affected the quality of his life so much, it hurts to even write about it, because he used to LOVE to play. He lost a lot of his shoulder muscles because there's nothing to excercise them now.

My advice to you is, if your landlord isn't threatening eviction or some other drastic thing, TRY something else. How can it hurt to try? Trim his nails--which means getting him used to you touching his paws NOW, before you trim them. Buy a good claw trimmer. And Emory boards. Actually, cats love to play with them anyway. Buy a couple of scratching posts. One cloth, one cardboard, because cats like variety.

I wish you well. I regret having it done, and I think I rushed things when I panicked. I don't think it was necessary after all to have my cat declawed and it really affects him, much more so than I had thought it would. Not being able to play is awful because as an indoor cat there really is nothing left for him to do...think about it.

 

[PushPurrCatPaws]

... Didn't I mention how hard it is to trim nails when for the past 3 months he's cried in pain like I'm torturing him? I'm afraid THAT will cause behavioral problems. ..

... 

^ You do have to be careful you are not cutting the quick in their nails. That does cause them pain. Perhaps that is the issue with your kitten struggling, and it can be remedied by being more careful?

In any case, I think most people on this site lean towards anti-declawing. If you want to deal with a certain POV, then you go to that particular site.

http://www.thecatsite.com/t/239112/forum-rules
snip:
"4. This website is anti-declawing. Understand that if you are pro-declaw in your posts, you will encounter opposition. Please learn more about alternatives for declawing here in our forums as well as on our website itself. Declaw - More than Just a Manicure."


I am glad you will be researching it more. And will be coming to your own conclusions (though I almost feel you've decided already).

 

[catminionjess]

Reading your post I gathered that these are the reasons for you considering de-clawing your kitten. So here's my advice for each issues.

"While he does periodically try to destroy furniture that's not the main issue and could be easily fixed."  

 Like you said, attempts to destroy furniture can be fixed with training. I'm sure you already know there are deterrent sprays, tapes, etc. to help with this issue. 

"He loves to jump on peoples laps or backs or legs and usually by accident he will draw blood."  

My girl cat did that as a kitten too, but she grew of that after about a year. I also researched de-clawing for this reason. Please don't encourage or engage in rough play, especially rough hand play. Don't let your housemate do that either. My bf at the time did that and it made things worse. Get some teaser toys, cardboard scratchers and a good scratching posts. That will help to deter furniture tagging too.

"He either falls off someones lap and struggles to stay on or he gets a nail caught in someones shirt and shreds their skin trying to get free."

He simply may not be a lap cat or may not trust that person whose lap it is. It also sounds like being an energetic kitten behavior to me. If he's not swatting at them in these cases, it's an accident, not out of aggression or malice. It's not really fair to de-claw because of accidents in my opinion.

Personally, I was horrified when I first read about the de-clawing procedure. It's like cutting the first knuckle off your hands or toes. Imagine how hard it would be to walk with the top half of your toes cut off. Sorry, I don't have specific resources to cite you, that was like a decade ago. From what I read, I decided not to de-claw my girl cat or my boy cat that I got a year later. I now have a 3rd cat that was de-clawed by his previous owner who abandoned him. He was left to defend himself outside with no claws. He was beaten up badly. He walks funny, kinda like a waddle, from having to walk on the balls of his front feet instead of being able to use the whole foot. He can't play with toys the same way my other 2 can. He tries, but just looks confused a lot and gets frustrated with some toys. He has had more health issues in just 3 years than my other 2 combined have had in 9 years. No I can't prove that's due to de-clawing, but I still feel it's worth noting. He also just seems sadder than my other 2 cats.

In my opinion, your kitten's issues could be solved with time spent training him, not de-clawing him.

 

[PushPurrCatPaws]

....

In my opinion, your kitten's issues could be solved with time spent training him, not de-clawing him.

 

[red top rescue]

Please check out a couple of other threads.  Keep in mind your kitten is YOUNG and he is at his worsst in terms of energy and problems.  If you can just trim his claws regularly he will not be drawing blood or hurting people.  He will be an adult in another six months and will have calmed down a lot.  Also if you get a DaBird toy and eercise him with it a couple of times a day, that will burn up some of that little boy energy.  This phase of super energy is a small part of his life and you can get through it.  A lot of folks are having the same issue right now because of the age of the kittens.  Remember, this too shall pass!

http://www.thecatsite.com/t/304627/training-my-cat-to-have-his-claws-trimmed#post_3819994

http://www.thecatsite.com/t/304636/nail-clippers#post_3819515