Thoughts on declawing a cat?

[ladycrotalus]

I house sat for a declawed cat. I winced when i watched him walk. Even though it had been years since the procedure, he walked like he was in pain.
I much rather have scratched up furniture then the cat eliminating everywhere because he associates the pain with the litter box.
All 4 of my cats will never be declawed. They dont even touch the furniture. I prefer the cat tree i bought from http://spoilmykitty.com and the cardboard scratching pads.
There are also nail caps called soft paws http://www.softpaws.com/

And of course if you take some nail clippers and snip the tips off of the claws, they dont do damage.


http://stellahasnofeet.com/

No one can ever guarantee that their declawed cat wont slip outside some day.

Gotta ask those who declaw, would you debark a dog too?
Mutilating an animal to fit a persons needs is just disgusting.

 

[redhen]

Quote:
i think they only do the front paws..

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...

 

[redhen]

Quote:
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..

 

[gritsar]

I've worked as a vet tech. and after seeing the procedure many times, I am against it; but I can understand the frustration of having furniture torn up.
Have you considered nail caps instead? Allows the cat to keep their nails without being able to harm furniture.
You can check them out at www.jefferspet.com
Jeffers also sells something called Sticky Paws, transparent adhesives strips that you apply to fabric and drapes, etc. to discourage the clawing.
I'm lucky I guess. The only thing my cats like to trim their nails on are the various braided rugs we have around the house. They work great by the way and the cats really can't harm them.

 

[CityClucks]

If you decide to do it, I suggest the front claws only - cats don't try to sharpen their back claws on furniture. Also, and this is important - if you decide to do it - do it while the cat is young. An older, heavier cat will have a lot more trouble jumping up and down on paws that have been altered.

 

[ella]

I wouldn't go and do it just because it's an indoor cat.

Not all cats will be destructive and if he can learn to use a scratching post, why put him through it? My sis-in-law has two cats, one is very nice about not clawing things, the other doesn't have a clue and is very destructive.

I have one kitty who was dumped on our property and lived wild for month before I caught her. She is declawed and can climb like no one's business. She's caught just about every form of wildlife around here including a 6 inch long rat. Clearly being declawed didn't hurt her.

On the other hand, there are risks in any surgury and it can be a painful and traumatic experience.

Bottom line, you're going to have to do what's right for you, no one else is in a better position to make a decision about it.

 

[LegHorn-BusHorn]

You only need the front claws done, as far as I know. But, I wouldn't do it to any cat unless they are an indoor cat all the time 24/7. They can't defend themself without them. My outdoor/indoor cat tries to scratch sometimes, but we correct him and he stops. I don't have any ruined furniture.

 

[claud]

My cats are not declawed.

We tried everything that TerriLaChicks recommended and we did it for many years. People always asked what that sticky tape was doing on the furniture - LOL.

Our furniture is pretty much shredded as well as our leather chairs.

I think you should wait and see if he will respond to the anti-scratching tactics - some cats do - others never will.

If you decide to declaw him make sure you find someone experienced and keep him an INDOOR cat ONLY.

 

[Wildsky]

My cats keep their claws, and my furniture has suffered...

That said, if it was a choice between a cat going homeless or having claws removed and being able to live in comfort all its life, I would be ok with that.
There are too many cats without homes....

 

[protodon]

I would never have a cat declawed. My cats do scratch up my furniture but I've always had cats so it's something that I just deal with. I did adopt a cat who was declawed though. I thought it was so cute when she tried to scratch things, like the carpet. It just looked like she was trying to make static electricity!