declawing cat opinions

[matty c]

my roommate wants to declaw the kitty, i dont. i've heard many people, including vets, who dont recommend declawing, but she's heard otherwise. for those of you with cats, do you recommend it or not? thanx

 

[greyhound]

Our cat lived happily for 17 years after being declawed. She was totally an inside kitty and had lots of fun "scratching" our antique furniture. If I ever got another cat, I would declaw again.

 

[Ataradrac]

There was recently a whole thread on that here. I think I made my feelings clear in that thread, but here it is again, in a nutshell.

Declawing doesn't just involve removing the claws - the toe is amputated at the first joint. There is a new method now in which the tendon is severed/removed, but that removes the cat's ability to flex their toes. In either case, I consider it to be inhumane and unnecessary.

A properly trained cat (yes, cats can be trained!) will NOT scratch the furniture. Training a cat to use a scratching post is a far more humane method of living with the kitty than removing part of their toes.

 

[country woman]

I think that depends if your cat is an indoor cat or not. I do not think its cruel.

 

[fluffy_rainbow]

I agree with ataradrac. I feel declawing in cruel and unnecessary, much like docking a dog's tail or cropping their ears. Cats that are declawed tend to bite more as that becomes their only defense mechanism, and scooping up toys and other things they like to play with becomes more difficult.

 

[Mashley]

My cat is declawed and doesn't have any problems. He scratches at the furniture, but can't damage it. He doesn't bite a lot. He also doesn't have any problem picking up toys or anything else with his paws. He just kina scoops them up. He is very playful. He was declawed when we got him almost sixteen years ago. He doesn't seem to have any problem with it.

 

[mycatspice]

Hey, congrats on having a cat! If your cat is an outdoor cat do NOT declaw your cat ... however, if your cat is an indoor cat, there are 3 options: 1) not declawing, 2) declawing, 3) putting rubber protection over the claws (my friend's cat had this done, there were little rubber pads enclosing each claw ... it was really neat, but it interferred with retraction though) ... I, personally, have a de-clawed, indoor cat. I could not be happier with the decision. Did I regret it at first? Of course, as will most people when the cat tried to scratch things. Does my cat notice her lack of claws? At first, yes. But now? (3 years later) Not at all! Reguardless of whether or not your cat has claws, it will scratch its favorite tall surroundings, and those things that are placed in different locations. The cat is not attempting to mark these items visually, but the cat is marking items with its scent using scent glands on the bottom of its paws (much like rubbing the bottom of its chin on chin-level surfaces). Whether or not you can see the cat's marked-out territory is up to you! You could always trim the cat's paws, but cats (and owners) usually find that highly stressful. God bless!

P.S. I have done several College and Highscool research papers on cats (my favorite subject). And if any of my reliable resources are correct, ignore all of the following 2 paragraphs:

Declawing doesn't just involve removing the claws - the toe is amputated at the first joint. There is a new method now in which the tendon is severed/removed, but that removes the cat's ability to flex their toes. In either case, I consider it to be inhumane and unnecessary.

A properly trained cat (yes, cats can be trained!) will NOT scratch the furniture. Training a cat to use a scratching post is a far more humane method of living with the kitty than removing part of their toes. "

That first paragraph is mostly loaded language mixed with opinion, but that second paragraph is completely false. Sorry that you were told that. Oh, by the way, my cat (which apparently has severed/amputated tedons) can flex her paws and she massages my knee when I scratch her back! I would have countless scars otherwise! I pray that helped you with your decision! E-mail me if you have further questions, or contact your local veterinarian. God bless!

 

[cjonesy22002]

we've had 2 cats, both got declawed on the front, C-sea would climb her way up the curtains on the sliding glass door! she got "stuck" about 5 ft up the curtain. it was a big mistake declawing her, after that she always acted like her feet hurt and would bbite the snot out of you for getting near her feet.it's been 10 years since she got declawed so i forgot the vet that did it, he wasn't our normal vet though.

the cat we have now (lira) is declawed too, but she isn't tender at all and lets you play with her feet "normally" (cats don't like playing footsie, but she'll actually play a bit. C-sea would barely let anyone near her paws)

basically i've had 1 good experience and 1 bad experience, so I don't know whether you'd decide to or not. but if you do, see if you can get opinions from the patient's owners.

 

[halifaxhoney]

I've never declawed any of my cats. I cut their nails about once a week or once every two weeks. Basically I said to my grandmother would you rip my nails off if I was scratching something? She said NO! I hope you don't think that! LOL

Basically I just think it's not needed. I have the 20 minutes every week/every two weeks to sit down and clip both cats.

Crystal

 

[Eagle_Wings]

The subject of declawing cats is an extremely opinionated one. It's kind of like the saying that you don't discuss religion and politics with friends...well, you don't discuss declawing either!!!! As you can see there are many different views and opinoins and this is something that you will just have to decide on your own.

I'm a veterinary assistant, working on getting my vet tech degree, and in my field I am among the minority that don't have a problem with front-paw only declaws. I assist in these procedures and I watch the cats as they are waking up. The way my boss does it the nail is cut at the joint where it is connected to the toe bone. They spend the night in our clinic with their feet wrapped, we take off the wrappings the next morning before they go home. Yes, their feet are tender for a short time, but in the 2 yrs I've been here I have never seen any cat in excruciating pain. Besides, we can't measure an animal's pain based on our perception. Talk to someone who has had an hysterectomy and more then likely you'll hear that they were laid up for at least a few weeks. I know my mom had a hard time getting around for about 2 months. Now, a dog that has gone through the same procedure, is up and walking around with tail wagging the very next day and that is without pain medications. Granted they are sore, which is okay because it keeps them from doing something stupid and slipping stitches, but for the most part they are up and doing things as normal less than 24 hours after the surgery.

If it's an outdoor kitty I wouldn't recommend getting the declaw done. But even a front-paw declaw does not render the cat defenseless. They still have the rear claws and their teeth. If you watch a cat that is fighting they tend to wrap their paws around their advesary while scratching with the back feet and biting. Even without claws in the front they can still hang on and defend themselves. I think somewhere else I've heard the argument that at one point or another all indoor cats escape....None of my cats have ever escaped! You just got to keep an eye on them and mine have been taught to stay away from the doors.

I have also had cats my whole life and only one of our indoor cats was not declawed, but he was an exceptional kitty. I have never had a problem with any of my cats, psychological or otherwise. If you are home 24/7 and can keep a constant eye on your cat, then there are those that could possibly be trained...but it's not easy to untrain something that is just nature to the cat. And all cats are independant enough that when you are not home, they are going to do what they want to do!

Even clipped claws can still scratch and after a period of time they will leave marks on woodwork as well. The nail caps are an option, but if you plan on using them on an older cat, be prepared for a struggle! They are applied with superglue and the majority of cats that I know, even kittens, aren't going to sit still very well for that. I also know that economically, they don't work out. Where I live you get a pack for $24.00 and at the most there is only 2 applications in a pack. We only charge $45 for a front-paw declaw, so depending on how quickly your cat's nails grow you could easily spend twice that on the nail caps in one year.

The way I see it, for alot of people the decision is declaw the cat or get rid of it. The last thing we need is more cats thrown outside or placed in the shelters. It's a way of saving the cat's life to continue offering this service.

That's my opinion and my experience. It's a decision that only you can make, I would def recommend talking to your vet about it and see how they feel. Ultimately, only you can decide what is best for your cat and your situation.

 

[Mr. Friendly]

I am an amateur and a novice-level cat owner, but in my opinion I would try to avoid declawing a cat. That said, I can see several scenarios where declawing would be a fair solution.

If you declaw a cat, then I think you are responsible for making sure it has a good indoor home and provide full medical care for the rest of its life. There is zero room to pretend that a declawed cat could take care of itself on its own.

 

[encouraging_angels1]

declawing is cruel and inhuman, by declawing it affects te cats balance and movement, DO NOT DECLAW, ITS PAINFUL

 

[~RENEE~]

Our nothern shorthaired bob was destroying our furniture tried to tear up our waterbed oh yeah we had her declawed. She has no problems at all. And she is a totally inside cat. Spoiled half out her gourd too.

 

[skatepixie]

Some one compared it to ear clipping/tail clipping of a dog. To me, its worse. The poor critter doesnt have to walk on its ears or tail. I mean, there have been cases where kitties have had to be put to sleep because of mistakes made in declawing. If you want my super honest opinion, i think its a really awful way to treat one of God's creatures.

 

[Izzy23]

If you are going to have a pet, you take the good with the bad. When I first got my babies they loved to scratch the furniture. I put tape on the areas they were fond of and now they don't scratch the furniture anymore. Even if they did, this is as much their home as it is mine. I don't think it's fair to declaw them. If you don't want them to scratch- train them, accommodate them or don't have them at all.

jmho
peace

 

[eastside9008]

I currently have five cats and none of them are declawed. I am totally and completely against declawing cats. There are different alternatives to declawing. If you are worried about your cat clawing and scratching at furniture, then get some deterant spray. They sell it at many pet stores. It is completely humane. All it is is a foul smelling odor that the cats ( and dogs ) really do not like. I will keep them from going into rooms you dont want them to do, and deters them from scratching furniture. All you do is spray it where you dont want the cat to go or scratch. Second, there are 'caps' that go on the cats claws. Here is a link to them. http://www.petsmart.com/global/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524441778670&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302023690&ASSORTMENT%3C%3East_id=2534374302023690&bmUID=1106499397201. It will take the cat a little getting used to, but they work.

 

[skatepixie]

One of ours is declawed. He came to the pound that way. I think he knows the diffrence because when he scratchs the post he always looks disappointed that it doesnt do damage. I really dont get why they declawed him. He only scratches the post. When he wants to fight, he bites.


Also, declawing makes it harder for them to climb...and to play because they cant grip things with their claws.

 

[awifeinlovewithherhusband]

I have 8 indoor cats and all are declawwed. I haven't noticed any behavior change at all...and I don't think the kitties have noticed at all. (I.E. they still "scratch" etc.) The only thing was that one of my cats had a bone sliver turn up...so we had to have it removed using local anethesia. It wasn't a problem though. I really don't think it is cruel at all.

 

[Lycana]

I see declawing as cruel and unnecessary. I really don't see a need for it, but I'm glad to know that there are declawed cats that can recover and still lead happy lives.

 

[VioletAngel]

I do not believe in declawing, unless it is absolutely necessary. By this I mean that I had a Persian who for 11+ years did just fine with his claws being clipped. When I got a new job, the clipping was neglected for a short period of time, but while this was so, his claw on one toe curled around somehow and it grew and dug into his paw. This may have been one I missed, but it dug into deeply into the bone. I got him to the vet and the vet said he needed a declaw, because the one claw's wound was infected into the bone. He was then declawed, and had to lose a little more toe than normally. He could walk once he was healed, and we were happy about that. We did almost lose him with that bone infection, though. It was close. Older cats you have to watch this problem more carefully.