Thoughts on declawing a cat?

[buck-wild-chick]

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My cat can also climb trees with her back claws.Its pretty funny tho to watch her smack the other cats in the face

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

When I worked in the vets office and seen several cats being declawed I vowed NEVER to do it to a cat ever. It was aweful and cruel. Even tho the cat was "under" it seemed like it felt every pull. It would scream with every single pull. They tied the cat down also. It was just aweful. Just think of your own nails being ripped from your finger. OUCH! Cats also have long roots like we do.
If your worried about furniture just have a water bottle handy and spray your cat every time he scratches on the couch. When you leave put the cat in a room so he can't scratch while your gone. Took only a few weeks to train our cats. They NEVER scratch on anything at all

 

[redhen]

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thank god for pain meds! Just like when humans have surgery! where would we be with out it!??

Like in the old days..they gave you a shot of whisky and then chopped off your leg!

thank god for modern medicine!

 

[redhen]

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My cat can also climb trees with her back claws.Its pretty funny tho to watch her smack the other cats in the face

yup.....really..they DO mostly use their back claws....
EXCEPT when they claw up your furniture!

 

[tharrell]

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Biased sites are not helpful to me. I can make anything look horrible if I show and tell all the bad points. And the other way around if I glorify everything.

I can see this really does seem to be pretty split. I wonder if this is in the same category as docking tails and cropping ears and everything surrounding that.

I also have read that they basically cut off the tip of the finger. I have no problem removing dew claws from my dogs which seems similar to me. Is it at all?

I wanted to add a bit more about our family and what the situation would be like. I'm not actually all that concerned about my furniture, and he is already using a scratching post. I have a 2.5 year old and he is getting terribly scratched up just from playing with him. Also, I have another baby due in Feb.

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

OH and by the way...if you clip the cats nails they can't scratch into the sofa. I trim every week and file and there tips of the nails are smooth as ever

Just another idea

 

[Countrywife]

We had a number of cats here that were not declawed, and lost the screens to almost every stinking window in this house, along with all the patio furniture. When the meanest cat in Carolina came to live with us, he got his claws taken out. He is outside all the time. Fool climbs trees with no claws, can still take out the german shephard, catch mice, birds and defend himself. The bonus was he could no longer jump on your leg and sink all four sets of claws into you!
It depends on what you want. I am sorry, if any more cats destroyed furniture around here dh was gonna shoot me. I am now looking for a couple of barn cats, and those will get fixed and keep thier claws becuase they are at the barn. Come to the house, you lose the claws.

 

[redhen]

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WTH kind of vet did you work for??

If the cat was under for sugery...it was supposed to be under... (as in... not feel pain...)

Just sounds weird to me..

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

I also have read that they basically cut off the tip of the finger. I have no problem removing dew claws from my dogs which seems similar to me. Is it at all?

Dew claws on dogs are a lot different. I have seen them removed also and the roots on those are VERY small from all the ones I have seen...dogs didn't even seem to mind those being removed.​

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

If the cat was under for sugery...it was supposed to be under... (as in... not feel pain...)
Just sounds weird to me..

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.