to declaw or not to declaw?

[kgar2131]

I am debating whether or not to declaw my kitten when it comes of age!

On one hand it'll help me with not having things torn up but I feel selfish with that being the main reason I want to get my cat declawed.

I've read that it's not good for the cat to get its claws taken out. I was wondering if that is true and if so why is it not good for them?
is it just becasue of survival reasons? because my cat is and indoor cat and would not need claws to fend off any predators as there's nothing/no one in the house to hurt him!

 

[ondine]

Cats use their claws to catch things, true.  But they also need them to grip  (when they jump) and for balance.

Declawing is like cutting your fingers off at the first knuckle.  It isn't just taking the claws - they have to take the knuckle the claws are connected to.  These may result in painful feet for the cat, nerve damage and other ills.  I had one friend whose declawed cat ended up loosing her foot.  The bones had started to regrow, the cat got arthritis and the growth poked through the poor cat's flesh.  The cat hid her pain until there was an infection and then it was too late.

There are lots of ways to teach a cat not to claw up belongings.  Cat trees are one - cardboard scratching beds are another.

I'm sorry to tell you horror tales but declawing is horrible.  Please think about other ways to address the issue.  Actually, I am sending vibes that it never becomes an issue!

Thanks for asking first, too.  Too many people don't even think about it.

 

[kgar2131]

thank you for this info! that sounds absolutely painful! i didn't know exactly what had to be taken out of a cats foot for declawing. I have a scratch post for him so that will have to do!

 

[angelinacat]

There are also some nice sisal scratching mats that are designed to hang on doorknobs, if doors and door frames become an issue.

I have one hanging on a cloth suitcase that my boys took a liking to.

They are called Sisal Solutions.  Petco, KMart and WalMart sell them.

 

[lamiatron]

please don't declaw your kitty

i was faced with the same decision, and decided not to declaw my cats, and started early with introducing him and her to the scratching post, and practiced rubbing their paws so they get used to me touching them. what happens with that is, your kitty will let you touch his/her paws when it comes time to clip/trim claws.

Although your kitty will be an indoor kitty only, think about all the things he will do indoors that will entail scratching and digging. as other members have pointed out, declawing does not just remove the claw, but it removes claw and bone upto the first "knuckle". so for us humans, that would be our finger tips. imagine trying to grab something with out your fingertips. also, keep in mind, cats dig and scratch and bury in the litter box. a lot of cats who are declawed have issues with burying/digging in the litter box, and it is painful for them, which in turn leads to issues with using the litter box.

play with your kitties paws and have him get used to you handling them. reward him with a treat afterwards. when it comes time to clip/trim his claws, ask someone for help, or do this while kitty is asleep. its not at all that hard and is definitely doable just make sure not to cut into the quick, that can be very painful (imagine cutting your own finger nail or toe nail too short/deep). always give kitty a treat after you're done. I used to need help trimming both my kitties claws before, but now i can trim both of my cat's claws alone. they sit still long enough for me to do so.

you can also invest in claw caps (kitty caps, soft paws, soft claws, these are some of the brands). These are plastic caps you can glue onto kitties claws to minimize any damage done from scratching. the caps are dull. I personally don't use them, but others do with great results. 

 

[kgar2131]

thank you for this info! We have scratching post for kitty so it will get a lot of use!

I just didn't know the harmful effects of declawing so I definitely won't be declawing him now.

 

[purplemilkywayy]

 
thank you for this info! We have scratching post for kitty so it will get a lot of use!

I just didn't know the harmful effects of declawing so I definitely won't be declawing him now.

I got my kitten when he was 3 months old. At his previous owner's place (where he lived with his mom, dad, and step-dad), he learned from his parents to use the scratching post. When he came home to me, it was easy to get him to use the new post because I didn't even have to use a toy to lure him there. 

He's 8 months old now, and has never destroyed ANYTHING. He uses his scratching post 90% of the time, and will try to scratch the carpet sometimes. But I yell at him and he runs to his scratching post. I take him back to my parents' house every 2-3 weeks, and he never messes with the leather couches or anything else. Don't worry too much it. 

 

[molldee]

Get a variety of scratching things. Get a horizontal cardboard scratcher. My cats love these. Also vertical, tall and sturdy cat posts are ideal.

 

[ondine]

Glad you made the decision not to declaw.  Your kitty is a lucky cat to have found such a smart and concerned owner!

 

[lamiatron]

 
I got my kitten when he was 3 months old. At his previous owner's place (where he lived with his mom, dad, and step-dad), he learned from his parents to use the scratching post. When he came home to me, it was easy to get him to use the new post because I didn't even have to use a toy to lure him there. 

He's 8 months old now, and has never destroyed ANYTHING. He uses his scratching post 90% of the time, and will try to scratch the carpet sometimes. But I yell at him and he runs to his scratching post. I take him back to my parents' house every 2-3 weeks, and he never messes with the leather couches or anything else. Don't worry too much it. 

my Charlie is the same way i got him at 3 months from a Shelter, but he was an owner surrender. Whoever had him before i did, did an AMAZING job at training/socializing him. 

When i take Charlie to my mom's (about once a month, or less) he does not scratch or even attempt to scratch anything at her house, and my mom's heavy with the leather furniture, and the drapes and curtains and rugs. 

Jet was a former stray, and she was never trained or socialized (she came to me at 8 weeks old, having lived in the streets for about a month, not even knowing how to bury her waste or use the litter box, Charlie had to TEACH her. poor thing), but she took to the scratching post really well. I think it was a combo of me trying to teach her, and her learning from Charlie. 

Both kitties are good with that. I have long floor length curtains in my bedroom, an they've NEVER touched it. They both know better.

 

[kittenpants]

I have everything a cat can desire. Trees, scratching posts, cardboard boxes, I even bought small welcome size mats of her to claw. Only because she likes stretching her claws on the rug. So I plopped a few rugs and catnip on them and she no longer uses my big rug. I usually pic them up if company comes over.

Please, please do not declaw! It cruel and inhumane. So many other ways to address this then cutting off her little fingers (claws).

Glad you sought advice first.

 

[fhicat]

Others have explained what declawing is. Just wanted to share a picture of the poster we put up around our shelter:

View media item 206370

 

[calicomama]

Also remember that if she WAS to slip out the door if she was declawed she would have a much harder time protecting itself, climbing trees and getting food.

 

[kgar2131]

yes I've thought about that too. My grandparents had a cat that they declawed and they lived out around the woods and it was an outdoor cat (definitely don't know why they declawed if it was living outside!) but it never came back
They didn't know the effects of declawing. But neither did I so I'm glad I asked!

 

[carebearbaby1]

declaw.jpg

• carebearbaby1
• Mar 5, 2014
• 1

Saw this picture on Facebook yesterday and saved it for future declawing arguments.  I'm glad you're not going to do it. I have 7 cats, all have a full set of claws, and the dogs to much more damage than the cats.

 

[lamiatron]

 
... I have 7 cats, all have a full set of claws, and the dogs to much more damage than the cats.

DEFINITELY agree with you there. My 1 dog does ALL the damage, compared to my 2 cats

 

[thevegancuddler]

 
DEFINITELY agree with you there. My 1 dog does ALL the damage, compared to my 2 cats

Accurate.

Glad OP was receptive to new info! I get so sad when I see declawed kitties.

 

[teamruby]

I didn't even know that there's the possibility to declaw cats before I heard about it from a friend. I am not sure whether or not it is even legal in Europe. I think here you can only do it if the cat has serious health issues of some kind that for some reason could be stopped by declawing.

Our Phoebe basically has her claws out 24/7, but never did any greater damage to any furniture or wallpaper.
The only problem is that it can be painful for humans to interact with her, cause she gets excited and thinks she gets to play as soon as you pick her up. I have millions of scars because of the monster.

Ruska on the other hand scratches only on the scratching tree. She hates being hold and panics very quickly, but she still never scratches a human and if so only by accident.

I can imagine it must seem handy to have a cat without claws, especially with little kids or expensive furniture. But in that case I would consider getting another pet instead of mutilating mine.

It also relieves me to read so many anti-declawing opinions here as some people I met in Europe said "Everyone in the states does that to their cats." but I just really could not imagine that to be true!

 

[lilin]

Unfortunately, there are a lot of people who have been misinformed about how invasive and structurally compromising declawing actually is, and many of them don't bother to ask around before they do it. So good on you for asking, and thank you for deciding not to declaw.

But really, most cats take pretty readily to scratching posts. I am a somewhat permissive cat mama, and even so, my kitty doesn't really do any damage to my furniture.

For most cats, putting the post near something she likes to scratch, rubbing some cat nip on it, and lettin' 'em go is really all it takes. Some might require more direction, but you can really teach any cat where it's ok to scratch.

 

[meowmars007]

I work in a vet clinic and we sadly declaw every day. Sometimes all 4 paws. Sometimes,  one of the doctors will tell people it's cruel to declaw a well-behaved cat just for the hell of it. People don't know what it consists of nor do they bother to ask. They assume it's just some magical trimming of the nails that is permanent, when it is actually amputating the knuckle. Picture your kids having their fingers chopped off at the knuckles for coloring on the walls. Same thing. I hear excuses. We have nice furniture! We're having a baby and worry the cat might scratch the baby when it starts walking. Well lady if you train your kid not to pull the cat's tail or harass it, it will be fine. And if you don't...kitty still has teeth. And if you buy a scratching post, train your cat, and keep the nails trimmed short...very rarely is the situation a unruly cat who claws the people for fun. And in that case, kitty again...still has teeth.