Thoughts on declawing a cat?

[Sammimom]

I am against declawing. It is amputating the end of the finger, at the first joint. It is very painful for them post surgery and I hate to watch cats recover from it despite all the pain medications we give.

Having said that, as a vet when I do the surgery (and I do, because when someone says "declaw them or they're gone" I'd rather have the cat declawed then risk euthanasia in a shelter) I completely amputate the joint, rather then cutting the bone in half--you end up with a lot fewer complications that way (like partial bone or claw regrowth, deformities, etc). We also keep declaw patients for two days, so they can be on very heavy duty pain medication (injectable) longer.

Of course a lot of vets disagree with me. Many vets think declawing is peachy and do all their own cats as well. Others won't do the surgery at all. There is a wide range of opinions there. The kitty should absolutely be completely out during surgery.

My own cats are not declawed, I trim their nails about once a month with the little kitty scissor-type nail trimmers and they have two sisal scratching posts, one upstairs and one downstairs. I also choose furniture that is not appealing for them to scratch on, anything smooth is a good deterrant, like microfiber. My furniture and carpet have remained intact with this policy.

You are brave to post this appeal for opinions on such a touchy subject--good for you!

 

[mypicklebird]

a declaw done badly can result in ingrown nails (under the skin)- whomever has this cat should have it looked at by a vet. A 're-declaw' may need to be done if this is the problem. a declawed cat can limp for many reasons besides a bad declaw, the vet can sort it out- and offer pain meds if appropriate.


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if he walked like he was in pain..then something was was not right..
why would they let a cat go for years in pain?? just sounds strange to me..

 

[therealsilkiechick]

i have 3 cats now(and have taken in many as strays/rescues over the years and rehomed them) i'd never do it personally for my cats i love them just the way god made them.

i have many reasons why i don't like declawed cats however that is my opinion and neither here nor there but i don't see a problem if others do it if it is what suits them and their cats. in all honesty that is totally up to the owner and noone but u can decide what is best for u, ur family and ur cat.

a cat declawed can still be outside, cats fight with their back paws mostly so they would still be able to defend themselves. now if it had all 4 declawed absolutely would i agree it should be indoor only. where i live u can have fronts only done or all 4. i've never had the need to do it i've never had a cat shred anything except toilet paper,lol.

 

[mypicklebird]

My thoughts on declaw surgery. In general, I don't like it (falls into the same category of debarking and ear cropping). If it must be done for whatever reason 1) front feet only 2) surgical disarticulation at the joint- no old-school nail trimmer surgery (ask your vet WHAT method they use) 3) full anesthesia, intra-operative pain management like nerve blocks, and strong pain management post surgery- kitty should stay in the hospital for at least 24 hr post surgery and preferably 48 hours, and should go home with meds. Many vets use fentanyl patches. Kitty could also go home with oral combo of an anti-inflammatory and an opioid. Ask your vet prior to the surgery how they plan to manage kitty's pain 4) young cats only (less than 8-10 mo old)- less behavior problems than with cats that have had years to get used to their claws 5) indoors only- yes- they can still climb, but not as fast or as securely- and front claws are one of the primary defenses if cornered (teeth being the other).

 

[mypicklebird]

a cat does not fight mostly with their back feet- unless they are in real trouble (like upside down with something grabbing them) a cat will first lash out with the front feet, and bite if the fight comes in close enough. the back feet come into play only if the cat is losing- they want their back feet on the ground if possible. a declawed cat outside is at a large disadvantage if it comes to a fight with another cat or a larger predator. they can still climb somewhat, but will be slower & less agile- much more likely to be caught by a dog ect while trying to scale a fence. indoor only for the declawed kitty is the most responsible thing to do.

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[Bec]

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Yeppers and imagine someone doing that to you because they didn't like your nails and had their opinions... you try walking with the ends of each toe cut off...

Just imagine just how painful it is going to be for the cat to walk while healing, not only that but they have to learn balance all over again because the first joint is REMOVED, not just the claw. De-clawing does effect them long term and there is no way I would do something like that to my children so therefore would never do that to a cat. They can't help what they are and their natural instincts to scratch. If you keep their nails clipped and get a scratching post, they will be fine. If they have short nails, it can;t stick in anything and no damage is done.


I usually don;t voice my opinion on here, but this is something I feel very strongly about and since we are all saying our opinions, I thought I would say mine.

 

[annmarie]

I don't have time to read all the responses so there's a good chance someone already mentioned this but are you aware of "soft paws"? They're little tiny cat claw caps that cover their claws so they can't do any damage to your furniture. Here's the link: http://www.softpaws.com/
I just got an indoor cat last year and we just love her. We didn't declaw and I'm glad. Between soft paws and so many other methods (like covering the corners of your couch with aluminum foil so they won't touch it) that such drastic measures just don't seem necessary. I agree that declawing seems kind of cruel, in my own opinion, and also, maybe this is just anti-declawing propaganda

but I understand that cats that do get declawed are susceptible to a lot of behaviorial/mental issues, like biting, marking, etc.

 

[deb1]

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I agree with this. I might not like the thought of declawing a cat but there are many, many strays. If declawing a cat will make a difference in if the animals gets a home, then it should be declawed. I am sure that the cat would rather have surgery then go hungry.

A thought just went through my head. (Occasionally, I am able to form thoughts

LOL) Why is declawing worse then spaying? Both procedures are done to make humans feel better. Yes, not spaying a cat can mean more kittens that are unwanted, but so can not declawing a cat. Just curious. Is one of the sugeries easier on the cat?

 

[deb1]

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I asked the same thing when I would continue to witness this. From what he told me cats cannot get the same doses of meds as say a dog could and with the declaw they didn't give as big of a dose...just enough to make the cat "lazy" pretty much. It's how it was done there. I asked my new vet here and they do it the same way. He said it is very painful for them but with the meds it takes the edge off. Sort of what they tell you in childbirth..here let me give you this medication to take the edge off. UM Nope didn't work for that either LOL

I have only worked at that one vet, and it was over 10 years ago so yes...things could be different but I just asked recently about this at my current vet and still get the same answer...just enough meds to take the edge off.

Do they not put them under when they spay/neuter them then? IF they can put them completly under for that surgery then they should be able for declawing them.

 

[deb1]

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Yeppers and imagine someone doing that to you because they didn't like your nails and had their opinions... you try walking with the ends of each toe cut off...

Just imagine just how painful it is going to be for the cat to walk while healing, not only that but they have to learn balance all over again because the first joint is REMOVED, not just the claw. De-clawing does effect them long term and there is no way I would do something like that to my children so therefore would never do that to a cat. They can't help what they are and their natural instincts to scratch. If you keep their nails clipped and get a scratching post, they will be fine. If they have short nails, it can;t stick in anything and no damage is done.


I usually don;t voice my opinion on here, but this is something I feel very strongly about and since we are all saying our opinions, I thought I would say mine.

Just playing devil's advocate here, I don't like declawing either.

Humans do a variety of activities to animals that we would not like done to ourselves. But unless you are against the domestication of all animals then these things need to be done.

Just imagine someone deciding, without your imput, that you will have a surgery that will take away your ability to EVER have kids, or that your kids will be used as food, or that your kids will taken away in few weeks and given to another family.

We couldn't coexist with animals as pets if we start putting ourselves in their place.