Thoughts on declawing a cat?

[redhen]

My furniture is ruined..

And i have scratching posts...and i've tried everything. EVERYTHING
I have always gotten my cats declawed.. and i didnt for my last 3 cats....and i regret it very much.
Now..i'm in pickle..i always get my cats done when they are very young..(if you get a cat declawed when its older its harder on a cat) but...anyways...now, i'm in a pickle..because..i cant get them done (because they are too old...) but...i cant get new furniture either...cause they tear it up!

Do yourself a favor....get them declawed..

 

[Year of the Rooster]

Quote:
I'm not sure. I work at our Vet (I'm a "Kennel Kid"

) and feed/clean the dog/cat cages. The ones that are declawed have bandages on all four feet sometimes.

My vets (and i've used a few over the years) have only ever done the front paws...
maybe its my state though...

Eh, who knows. Maybe some vets are just different.

My cat is mostly outdoors, but she comes in to eat, sleep, and every once in a while to give affection. She's never attempted to claw our furniture... though she has had some accidents in the house

 

[Wildsky]

Quote:
My old cat died last year - he was the worst at tearing up the furniture and he loved to stretch up and scratch down on each side of a doorjam...........

I have one little cat now and he never scratches, so I just re-upholstered one of the couches. Something new to learn it was cool... we couldn't afford to buy new again.

 

[allanimals21]

I worked at a clinic for quite some time and after watching what a de-claw consisted of I wouldn't do it. That is the one surgery that I couldn't watch with out cringing. I have an indoor cat for the first time and she gets her nails trimmed at least once every two weeks and has her scratch pole. No problems. If it becomes a problem I do have the caps to put on her. Do you know what they do to de-claw? Maybe look into that once and it can help make a decision.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
Very good point.

 

[redhen]

the thing is..i dont worry how they get the claws out..

..because the cat is put to sleep for it....
just like for any surgery..(animal or human)
do you know what they do to you when you go under surgery? (i bet if you did you would freak!!) its rough....i'm sure. but..if the cat/human is given pain meds...they recover just like everyone that has surgery.... its not a big deal..really..

it beats sitting in a shelter cage for 10 years...IMO

 

[buck-wild-chick]

Quote:
I agree.We have a Persian female that is declawed.She would tear up the walls and get in your lab and "Make biscuits" with her claws out.

I do regret having it done at this particular vets office.They did something wrong and our cat died then had to be revived.She is perfectly fine now,almost 20 pounds.

At another vet's,
My grandma had her cat done and the stupid vets left the cat on a heating pad to long.It had to be treated for burns and stayed at the vet's for a month.

It can be risky and I would imagine painful.

 

[19hhbelgian]

OUCH! If there is ANY chance at all that this cat might get outside, DO NOT do it. That is their only defense. I was told it's like having your finger nails taken off

If you're worried about the furniture, train the kitten early not to scratch on anything it's not supposed to. It can be done, but you need to be persistent and have a good spray bottle with water handy at all times!

 

[redhen]

Actually, i was told from a vet, that if a cat really fights..it uses its back claws to defend its self... it holds/plays, and gives warning scratches with the front claws....but tears things up/fights with the back claws and teeth..(thats why any vets i have ever known wont remove a cats back claws...)
I have had cats all my life and find this to be true..

 

[allanimals21]

they actually cut off parts of bones tendons and joints. Its pretty brutal to watch when you think of it.
check out this link
http://www.declawing.com/htmls/declawing.htm