I had a cat with the front paws declawed. He would bite constantly. I think strange_wings idea is worth a try.
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*sigh* I feel like a failure...declawing question ahead...
- Thread starter danimarie
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If you do declaw her, and her behavior doesn't change or gets worse and she starts biting aggressively, then you would no longer have the option of placing her in a barn or other outside situation, because she wouldn't be able to defend herself any longer.
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I imagine your quality of life improved, but I highly doubt a cat who had the toes of all four feet amputated has improved quality of life. You will never get me to believe it or accept that it is okay to do such a thing to a cat.
I also think a violent cat would be better off being euthanized rather than having all her toes cut off.
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I called MYSELF stupid because it was stupid to come on an anti-declaw site and share my experiences knowing how riled up people get (and even I've gotten riled up in the past when people casually attempt the subject, but this is NOT NOT NOT a casual attempt at approaching the subject).
I came here looking for support because this situation is eating at me and I am out of options. (and losing my mind feeling awful about it)
The idea that I would put her down before declawing is ludicrous to me.
Sophie cannot go outside because she lost part of her hip by jumping out a third story window (clawing out the screen and jumping out) two years ago. Over two grand in surgery later, she can walk but limps. She can't jump that well, either. (If anyone can't tell, I have an immense guilt complex so I already blame myself for even things I cannot control...her behavior is something I've tried endlessly to control with everything already suggested) The aggressive behavior started before this. I can easily trace it back to when she was a little kitten and I thought all my training and time would help turn her into a well adjusted cat, like every other cat I've ever had. Whoever said some cats are born with mental problems just like humans, I never thought I'd think that, but I honestly do at this point. The amount of money and energy I've put forth trying to make this cat happy and yet she still seems to hate me and hurt me all the time...it breaks my heart.
Like I've stated, I've always been anti-declaw and have stood up to friends and family for years against this procedure. This is truly tearing me up.
The thing is, when guests come over at this point, we lock her up in a bedroom anyway so she can't be around other people...I don't want her hurting anyone else so "well what if she bites someone" ...well what if she claws someone? If she had clawed anyone else (even my husband) as bad as she's clawed me over the years I am 100% convinced this cat would have been put to sleep. No doubt in my mind. I fight for her and try everything I can to help with her angry behavior and it only seems to get worse with time.
It hurts me that even when we take her to the vet, which tends to be pretty often, the vet techs won't even come near her unless she is in a cage or they have those huge gloves on. People are truly afraid of this cat.
Then of course, there's moments where she crawls up next to my feet and falls asleep at night. Or the once a month that she'll crawl up on my lap and purr. I really do love her. I hate being in this position. I wish everyone else could see those few and far between moments when she's acting like a normal little kitty and not a psycho terrorist.
Thank you to everyone for responding and especially to those who have gone through similar experiences. My PM box overflowed because certain people were too afraid to share their experiences without being flamed, and that's unfortunate on a site where people would actually tell me to put my cat down than perform an operation that might help the situation. (I honestly can't see it getting any worse than it already is). Thanks anyway to every single person who offered an opinion.
I came here looking for support because this situation is eating at me and I am out of options. (and losing my mind feeling awful about it)
The idea that I would put her down before declawing is ludicrous to me.
Sophie cannot go outside because she lost part of her hip by jumping out a third story window (clawing out the screen and jumping out) two years ago. Over two grand in surgery later, she can walk but limps. She can't jump that well, either. (If anyone can't tell, I have an immense guilt complex so I already blame myself for even things I cannot control...her behavior is something I've tried endlessly to control with everything already suggested) The aggressive behavior started before this. I can easily trace it back to when she was a little kitten and I thought all my training and time would help turn her into a well adjusted cat, like every other cat I've ever had. Whoever said some cats are born with mental problems just like humans, I never thought I'd think that, but I honestly do at this point. The amount of money and energy I've put forth trying to make this cat happy and yet she still seems to hate me and hurt me all the time...it breaks my heart.
Like I've stated, I've always been anti-declaw and have stood up to friends and family for years against this procedure. This is truly tearing me up.
The thing is, when guests come over at this point, we lock her up in a bedroom anyway so she can't be around other people...I don't want her hurting anyone else so "well what if she bites someone" ...well what if she claws someone? If she had clawed anyone else (even my husband) as bad as she's clawed me over the years I am 100% convinced this cat would have been put to sleep. No doubt in my mind. I fight for her and try everything I can to help with her angry behavior and it only seems to get worse with time.
It hurts me that even when we take her to the vet, which tends to be pretty often, the vet techs won't even come near her unless she is in a cage or they have those huge gloves on. People are truly afraid of this cat.
Then of course, there's moments where she crawls up next to my feet and falls asleep at night. Or the once a month that she'll crawl up on my lap and purr. I really do love her. I hate being in this position. I wish everyone else could see those few and far between moments when she's acting like a normal little kitty and not a psycho terrorist.
Thank you to everyone for responding and especially to those who have gone through similar experiences. My PM box overflowed because certain people were too afraid to share their experiences without being flamed, and that's unfortunate on a site where people would actually tell me to put my cat down than perform an operation that might help the situation. (I honestly can't see it getting any worse than it already is). Thanks anyway to every single person who offered an opinion.
My two cats are declawed (came that way) and they do not bite or act out - and it's simply not a universal truth that all declawed cats will have such issues.
Granted, it's a last resort, but, if the choice is between putting the cat down and having the surgery done by a qualified vet, IMO that's between the owner and the vet. Dani Marie has been on this site for years, and for those who've read her posts over the years, I think we know she's definitely tried everything humanly possible and puts the wellbeing of her cats incredibly high on her list of family welfare.
The shelter I got my cats from does not approve of declawing, but, again, if it's a choice between providing the cat with a chance of life in a loving home, and being put down, well.....and they're the folks who get caught in situations where people become afraid of, and for, their cats.
Dani, I'd suggest talking to your vet regarding all options, and making your decision from there. Please do not feel you need to defend your love for your cat. You're reached out for any alternatives you haven't already considered or tried - don't beat yourself up for considering everything available to you.
Granted, it's a last resort, but, if the choice is between putting the cat down and having the surgery done by a qualified vet, IMO that's between the owner and the vet. Dani Marie has been on this site for years, and for those who've read her posts over the years, I think we know she's definitely tried everything humanly possible and puts the wellbeing of her cats incredibly high on her list of family welfare.
The shelter I got my cats from does not approve of declawing, but, again, if it's a choice between providing the cat with a chance of life in a loving home, and being put down, well.....and they're the folks who get caught in situations where people become afraid of, and for, their cats.
Dani, I'd suggest talking to your vet regarding all options, and making your decision from there. Please do not feel you need to defend your love for your cat. You're reached out for any alternatives you haven't already considered or tried - don't beat yourself up for considering everything available to you.
Our shelter discourages declawing, but I have to say I don't recall ever dealing with one of our declawed cats that bit or otherwise acted out. In fact, the declawed cats we've had have been consistently well-behaved, despite our constant fear of otherwise.
My OTB Tigger left a lot of scars before he crossed. His brother Eightball is put under every time he goes to the vet (they don't even bother with the gloves on him). They are afraid on him.
My friend's cat gets the glove treatment every time she is at the vet. She's also horribly embarrassed by it, but the vet (a cat only clinic) just laughed and told her they deal with cats like this all the time.
People that rescue feral cats know that many of them remain very difficult to handle their entire lives.
You are clearly not alone here.
If you want to avoid a declaw, then my primary advice is to change your activities with her. To keep from being clawed by Tigger, I left him alone. I never tried to pick him up. I herded him away from situations where he might interact with other people (like your idea of locking yours in a bedroom), and clapped my hands to shoo him away from an open outside door (I dreaded the thought of him every getting outside). Medications always had to be injectible with him - the few times I tried to pill him always gave me scars. And realize that if she ever gets chronically ill and needs daily medications, you will need to find a way to slip those into her food or have her do without. Some cats simply don't interact with people very well and when they chose to do so, it is always on their terms. Tigger slept on my legs every night, and clawed me up the rest of the time.
I've only had 1 declawed cat and that was many many years ago. He was a very sweet and gentle cat, but did resort to biting afterwards. It scares me to think of what my Tigger would have done had I declawed him. DH was seriously bitten by a neighbor's (declawed) cat one time (the cat bit so deep that it dangled from the air by his teeth in his arm) and DH did land at the doctors office. I know there is no guarantees that your cat would resort to biting, but are you willing to take that chance?
to help you through this situation.
My friend's cat gets the glove treatment every time she is at the vet. She's also horribly embarrassed by it, but the vet (a cat only clinic) just laughed and told her they deal with cats like this all the time.
People that rescue feral cats know that many of them remain very difficult to handle their entire lives.
You are clearly not alone here.
If you want to avoid a declaw, then my primary advice is to change your activities with her. To keep from being clawed by Tigger, I left him alone. I never tried to pick him up. I herded him away from situations where he might interact with other people (like your idea of locking yours in a bedroom), and clapped my hands to shoo him away from an open outside door (I dreaded the thought of him every getting outside). Medications always had to be injectible with him - the few times I tried to pill him always gave me scars. And realize that if she ever gets chronically ill and needs daily medications, you will need to find a way to slip those into her food or have her do without. Some cats simply don't interact with people very well and when they chose to do so, it is always on their terms. Tigger slept on my legs every night, and clawed me up the rest of the time.
I've only had 1 declawed cat and that was many many years ago. He was a very sweet and gentle cat, but did resort to biting afterwards. It scares me to think of what my Tigger would have done had I declawed him. DH was seriously bitten by a neighbor's (declawed) cat one time (the cat bit so deep that it dangled from the air by his teeth in his arm) and DH did land at the doctors office. I know there is no guarantees that your cat would resort to biting, but are you willing to take that chance?
This thread has been edited and is being closed. It turned much too personal.
While this site is anti-declaw I think we all need to take a few steps back before answering threads of this nature. At times our tone is so militant that we are no help for members like DaniMarie who are struggling with a difficult decision. DaniMarie herself admits that she has made similar posts in the past. Perhaps we all need to think how we would like to be treated if we were in a similar situation.
Declawing is such a hot topic here. Most members find it repugnant and will post as such. It is illegal in many countries so many of our members can't even imagine it being allowed. That is not the case here in the US. I'll be quite honest, my childhood cat was declawed. It was the norm to do a spay and a declaw back then as it still is with many vet practices today. Much of the US is still quite uneducated about this. If a vet is offering this service, many can not understand how it could be a bad thing. I had no idea what a declaw entailed until I joined this site. Had I posted a thread asking about declawing when I first joined and gotten some of the venomous posts that I have seen here on TCS, I would have turned and ran as fast and as far as I could. We need to educate, not turn people away.
The old saying that you catch more flies with honey than vinegar is very appropriate in these cases.
While this site is anti-declaw I think we all need to take a few steps back before answering threads of this nature. At times our tone is so militant that we are no help for members like DaniMarie who are struggling with a difficult decision. DaniMarie herself admits that she has made similar posts in the past. Perhaps we all need to think how we would like to be treated if we were in a similar situation.
Declawing is such a hot topic here. Most members find it repugnant and will post as such. It is illegal in many countries so many of our members can't even imagine it being allowed. That is not the case here in the US. I'll be quite honest, my childhood cat was declawed. It was the norm to do a spay and a declaw back then as it still is with many vet practices today. Much of the US is still quite uneducated about this. If a vet is offering this service, many can not understand how it could be a bad thing. I had no idea what a declaw entailed until I joined this site. Had I posted a thread asking about declawing when I first joined and gotten some of the venomous posts that I have seen here on TCS, I would have turned and ran as fast and as far as I could. We need to educate, not turn people away.
The old saying that you catch more flies with honey than vinegar is very appropriate in these cases.
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