declawing cat

[jblum315]

I'm thinking of adopting a kitten. Anyone have opinions about declawing a cat?

[l2ridehd]

Always think of it as someone pulling all your fingernails off. Don't do it, it is very cruel. There are others ways to protect furniture from cat nails.

[judynlee]

Worse! It's like amputating the ends of your fingers. I believe it's banned in Britain and will be here, eventually.

[Taj44]

If you saw the poor little kitty with big bandages on her paws, you'd think twice about it.

[mfp509]

I would never do that. In fact, it is so cruel that I believe the state of California has banned it. I wish all states would ban it.

[chuckinca]

Did it years ago - changed the cats' personalities and they couldn't protect themselves if they got outside. Wouldn't do it again.


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[JMarkle]

It is a cruel procedure, but so are a lot of medical procedures...

If you decide to declaw, you will need to use shredded paper to replace litter for a while and will never be able to let your cat outside because they will not be able to defend themselves.

If you decide not to declaw, there are fake nails or caps that you can put over their claws. It is time consuming and tends to tick off the cat, but since your cat is young, it might not be so difficult.

Not an easy decision, but only YOU have to be satisfied with the results.

[Bonny]

Many years ago I had a a kitten declawed. Back then everyone was doing it. When I picked my kitty up from the vet, I cried for 3 days. Those little paws all bandaged up & bleeding. :sad: Don't do it.

[KathieI]

:agree: In my mind, since we can't hear from the cats, I think it would be very painful. I won't cut my Schnauzers ears either. If the breeder did it at birth, then it was done, but I would never do it. I think they look much cuter with longer ears anyway. Why inflict more pain on them than necessary.

Please don't do it... Thanks,

Oops, explanation of my avatar. Nicky was a show dog potential and the breeder cut his ears to show him. I, personally, would never do it. My other 2 dogs have long ears and look adorable.

[The Great Fumar]

My daughter had her cat declawed when she got new living room furniture...and she thought it was wonderful.....I personally think she
overdid it as now the kittys tummy drags the ground.......

fumar

[Bonny]

I have an 11 year old cat that is not declawed. My couches look like they have been through a giant shredder.:cry: But, when kitty is no longer with us, I will buy new ones. My other kitty I lost a year & a half ago after 14 years, never clawed anything.

[Pturner]

I agree with other posters. We were adopted by an injured stray kitten two years ago. I took him for shots and our vet advised to get a tall "cat condo"/scratching post right away. I picked it up on the way back from the vet.


Upon vet's advice, whenever Two-Putt would try to scratch the furniture, I'd give him a firm "eeeenk" and then lead him to his cat post. He has since gotten too big to hang out on/in the "condo," but he still goes there to scratch. It is mostly shredded on one side, but our furniture is fine.

[duffysmom]

Many years ago I had my cat declawed and regret it. He was in terrible pain and had a peculiar limp afterward. I appreciate that you are thoughtful enough to ask the question and put yourself out there. Many people have cats that are trained not to claw furniture and you can buy products that help.

[YodaMom]

A friend of ours had their cat declawed and he bites people now. I guess with his claws gone, his teeth would be his only way to defend himself. We have had several cats and would never declaw them. I agree with the other posts, it is too cruel.

[Whalen]

As most other posters stated the answer is simply no.

My feeling is that is if you have to maim an animal in order to have it as a pet maybe you should consider another pet.

As Duffymom said, thanks for asking.

[Helene2008]

I vote No....I have had several cats and never declawed any of them. They are very smart and can be trained not to claw furniture. None of my cats ever caused any destruction. I am glad to see so many people agree.

[redwitch]

Declawing is really like amputating the first joint of your fingers. Not a kind, loving thing to do. As has been said, you can train a cat to not claw furniture (spray bottles and water guns come in real handy when training a cat).

I'm also sure there are some here who have declawed their cats and never regretted it, but are afraid to speak up. I do have friends who have declawed all cats they have owned and truly see nothing wrong with it. To them, the short period of pain the cat goes through is worth it. Their choice is either declaw the cat or get rid of it -- a hard thing to do once you've become attached. I can't say I understand their reasoning, but at least the cats have a home in which they are loved and cossetted.

I have 3 cats. My big girl will only claw on a cardboard box. Pain in the neck to pick up the shreds, but that's her definition of a scratching post. The black brat kitty actually uses the cat scratching post -- the only well-behaved thing she does. My baby Bo thinks the edge of the couch is where she is supposed to sharpen her claws. Fortunately, she hates water, so a quick squirt and she quits for a month or two and then has to be reminded all over that that is not acceptable.

[zcaveman]

We had a cat which had 6 fingers(?) on each front paw and she was always getting tangled up. We had the problem corrected by getting the claw on the sixth finger removed. Everything was fine after that.

She was some cat. With the extra finger came a bigger paw. She could really clout the other cats when they gave her a problem.

What I am saying is that there is sometimes a medical reason for declawing a cat.

Also, all cats in TV should be indoor cats so there should be no reason for them having claws to defend themselves against predators unless you are talking about the occasional anole that breeches the sliding door. And they are bad for cats to eat anyway. Some say poisonous.

[RichieLion]

If your acquiring a kitten, it would be easy to train that kitten to accept a product called "Soft Claws". It a great product. It's soft plastic claw covers that you glue to the trimmed claws of you cat/kitten with a glue like "crazy glue" that they give you. They fall off after a while when the nails regrows and then you trim and reapply a new cover. If you do it when the kitten is small they will learn to accept the procedure when they grow. I've used them for years and my furniture is very grateful. It comes in different sizes and a package costs about $20 in PetSmart but you can get it for about $15 online. Try it, you'll like it.

[nanci2539]

I totally agree with the posters who are against declawing a cat. I have four cats now, none are declawed. They don't scratch my furniture and if I see them go towards a chair, I yell "no" and take them to the scratching post. Now it's all they use.

If a person wants to adopt a cat and has this in mind, consider adopting a small dog instead.

IMHO, it's the most inhumane thing you can do to a helpless animal that has no voice or no decision making option. Ask a human if she or he wants to have their fingers amputated. What do you think the answer would be?

[JimJoe]

Does maiming include spaying and neutering? Is removing their nails any worse then cutting them open and removing their testicles or ovaries?
When we domesticate animals there are certain procedures that are appropriate.
Let's face it.. we slaughter and EAT animals every day of our lives.
I would never let my cat loose outside so who exactly does she need protection from?

[l2ridehd]

Sometimes our best intentions go astray. Our indoor cat gets loose and runs away. So yes protection may be an issue at some point. But I still believe the bigger issue is the pain and suffering avoided. And I agree spaying does cause the same thing, but in order to adopt a cat in most places you have to agree to spay. Right thing to do? Probably. De-clawing? Really not. They can be trained to use the cat pole to scratch.

[JimJoe]

Sometimes our best intentions go astray. Our indoor cat gets loose and runs away. So yes protection may be an issue at some point. But I still believe the bigger issue is the pain and suffering avoided. And I agree spaying does cause the same thing, but in order to adopt a cat in most places you have to agree to spay. Right thing to do? Probably. De-clawing? Really not. They can be trained to use the cat pole to scratch.

A lot of damage will be caused before the training is complete. And cats frequently "accidentally" scratch property and people when they picked up or startled. And they "forget" when you are not home. I will not risk my furniture, carpet, drapes, screens, clothing, and the physical safety of myself, my children, and my friends in case my cat "might" get away. My cat might also get hit by a car but that is no reason to board up the doors to my home.

If you don't want to spay, you can adopt a kitten or cat privately.. so shelters requiring spaying is no reason to put the cat through the "pain and suffering" ... I guess adopting from a shelter that requires the infliction of "pain and suffering" is "not really" the right thing to do either..

I noticed you did not answer my point about killing and EATING animals. I am pretty sure there is some "pain and suffering" there too.

[K9-Lovers]

I noticed you did not answer my point about killing and EATING animals. I am pretty sure there is some "pain and suffering" there too.

JimJoe, If more people knew about the absolutely cruel torture that animals who are raised for food endure, I believe people wouldn't stand for these "factory farms" that now produce our meat. The animals and fowl have a horrible life filled with pain and suffering, and then are slaughtered in an inhumane way, too. Everyone should see the video narrated by Alec Baldwin, "Meet Your Meat"; it's on the internet, just google it.

But, back to the subject of declawing cats. Another idea to keep your furniture from being shredded is to have the cats nails clipped and filed. A groomer can do this for you, or you can do it yourself. That way, even if the cat wants to sharpen it's nails on your brocade sofa, it's soft nails won't penetrate. Just like a dog, the cat's nails can be clipped and filed every 4 weeks. Since cats in TV cannot roam outdoors, this will solve any problems.

If anyone would like instructions on how to clip and file your cats nails, send me a private email.

[Barefoot]

I have mixed feelings about this issue. If an older cat is declawed, it is horribly painful. If a young cat is declawed at the same time it is neutered or spayed, it fares better.

My indoor Himalyan cat is almost 18 years old. I did declaw her when she was spayed (at six months of age). The Vet recommended it and I didn't know any better. She didn't limp or come home with bloody paws. However, I feel differently now. If I had to do it over, I wouldn't declaw a cat.

Having said that, humane shelters are overflowing with unwanted cats. I'll bet some of these cats were taken to a shelter because they clawed furniture or drapes. So, is it better for a cat to have no claws, or no home?

Jblum, if you're willing to take a little time for cat training, I'd recommend not declawing.