Is it really okay to have a kitten declawed?

Question

please be nice

Answer 1

People declaw cats because they want to stop the cat from clawing up the furniture. It's really done for the convenience of the owner. I think it's rather cruel as it deprives the cat of one of its basic capabilities for defense (so you should then never let it out of the house, or keep it in a house with other animals), and also deprives it of the ability to climb trees, get a grip in tight places, etc. Would you like someone to cut off your toes and fingers?

Answer 2

That's a personal choice. As a vet, I don't really love performing the procedure, but I'd rather do it on a kitten because they have less residual problems. Also if I didn't do it, another million plus cats would be routinely euthanized or dumped by folks who value their stuff over their pet. I will always declaw for elderly and folks with weakened immune systems, because they can get life threatening infections from the cat scratches.
Just so you can be well informed. It is the amputation of the claw and the bone it attaches to, so that would be the whole fingertip on you with nail. It is painful and do not skimp on the pain meds!!
Also I will not do a 4 paw declaw unless the person is severally immunocompromised like HIV and AIDS infected individuals or cancer patients, because i fell its inhumane.
Hope that helps.
-a DVM

p.s. It is not illegal in the state of California. That law was overturned. Please keep your info up to date.

p.s.s. A cat is not defenseless without its front claws. I have been torn up and attacked by many front declawed cats. I think if anything, some owners get a false sense of security by leaving their cat's claws intact and thinking it'll be alright outside. Coyotes will eat it claws or no claws and cars will run over it the same too.

Answer 3

No, it isn't, honestly. I mean, you can do it, provided that your cat NEVER goes outside, but declawing really is done to prevent scratching damage on furniture and people. The cat won't know it doesn't have claws - it will continue to scratch on things, without the obvious scratch marks- but sometimes vets don't do such a great job with it and the cat's paws may look weird. This happened with my eldest cat. The vet who did her surgery 14 years ago took what looks like two digits on her paws rather than one, although I can't be sure. Her paws look considerably smaller and a bit more deformed than my other declawed cat (the second eldest) whose paws look normal. Our other 6 cats are not declawed, and they have a clear advantage over the other two who are declawed. In hindsight I wish I never did it to the two eldest cats at all, but at the time I didn't know 6 more were going to enter my life.

Anyway, declawing is actually cruel to cats physically because you are basically removing it's front nail joint. I am not sure how declawing affects their ability to walk, but to have a greater grasp of what it does look at your own finger. Think what your hands would look like if the first digit (with the nail) on each finger were removed.

It is especially critical not to declaw a cat you intend on allowing to go outside. If it is declawed, it will get seriously injured by other cats in a fight as it will have no means of defense, so its best to keep any declawed cats indoors. If you decide not to declaw it and it gets outside, it has a fighting chance.

Answer 4

No.... You should never have a cat or kitten declawed. The operation can deform the paws and can make the cats life miserable. If you start trimming the claws when the kitten is still young, as he/she grows older, they won't mind getting the nails clipped. Think of declawing as the same as cutting the tips of your fingers off.

Answer 5

I think it depends on how you define "okay." Declawing does not permenantly harm the health of an indoor cat (outdoor cats must retain their claws for protection and traction for climbing), but please realize that declawing a cat is no different from removing the first joint of all of your fingers. Declawed cats are more prone to biting as well. Why do you want to declaw your kitten? If it's to protect your furniture, I'd suggest investing in a really good scratching post and a squirt water bottle instead. (The scratching post gives them a better place to do their natural scratching and you can use the squirt bottle to discourage them if they do start to scratch the furniture.)

Answer 6

I have seen this debate over and over again. I fail to understand why people want to change the animal to make it conform to what THEY want the animal to be instead of what the ANIMAL is meant to be. If you have furniture you don't want to potentially get damaged, or some other stupid reason...then don't get the cat. If you really want the cat, get rid of your furniture. You use your fingers in everyday living...would you want the first joint cut off all your fingers? Don't you think that hurts? Would you be able to effectively type on your keyboard without part of your fingers?

I can not fathom why people change their animal's physical appearance...albeit de-clawing, cropping ears and tails, etc. I was PO'd when my cats were neutered and the vet clipped their ear to show that they were neutered in case they got lost. I was told that "humane" societies want that done so they can spot a cat from a distance to determine if it's neutered. How stupid.

Rabbit Whisperer's response makes some sense, but if I were a vet I simply would not perform that operation. If a potential pet owner can not adapt to the animal, then don't get the pet. It's like if your kid talks too much, would you cut out his tongue? Well some kids need that, I guess...but leave the cat alone.

Answer 7

ONLY if there's absolutely no other choice. If that cat is destructive to the point that you're really going to have to either get rid of it or get it declawed -- only then is it okay! Like, if you rent, and the cat is ripping up carpet!

It's an incredibly PAINFUL procedure, and you have to commit to it ALWAYS then being a STRICTLY INDOOR cat. Without claws they can't defend themselves OR run up a tree to escape danger.
The surgery itself is the equivalent of having your fingers cut off at the top knuckle. And they don't give them adequate pain meds -- if any at all -- during recovery/healing period.

Only if you've exhausted everything and nothing works, and you're left with absolutely no choice.

Answer 8

In my opinion its not ok. Claws may be annoying to us when they scratch at walls and furniture, but claws are a survival mechanism on cats. If you have your kitty inside, you may never want s/he to go out but if for some reason s/he escapes and if faced with a preditor, your kitty may be killed because it has no way to protect itself. If your kitty is going to be outdoors all the time or part of the time, then you shouldn't have them declawed at all. My suggestion is a scratch post. If you show your kitty repeatedly how to scratch at it, they will only go to it to scratch. Also, you can buy a scratch board. Its cardboard and has catnip to rub in the tiny holes of the cardboard and your kitty will be naturally atracted to it! Another option is to have the nails clipped but not removed completely. You can do this yourself, but if your kitty has dark nails its harder to do. If you clip your kitty's nails you shouldn't cut into the "quick" (I think that's the right name... I'll call it that for now) Its a vein that runs into each nail. On light colored nails you can see the "quick" its a pinkish-white color that runs just into the nail. You may want to see a vet do it first and ask what you should do if you ever cut into the "quick". You can buy pet nail clippers just about anywhere that sells animal supplies as well as the other things I mentioned. The choice is of course yours. It will only hurt the kitty once, but you also need to consider that if your kitty is cornered outside of your safe home, s/he will more than likely die. If you do have the declawing done, make sure your kitty can never be confronted with a preditor. Their first instinct is to fight rather than run, and s/he may forget s/he has nothing to fight with.

Answer 9

To have a cat declawed is not only a painful procedure for them, but it also means they can NEVER be an outside cat - their claws are their defense! Declawing a cat, let alone a kitten, is inhumane in my opinion. Please spare your kitten of that

=^.^=

Answer 10

It's a matter of opinion. They cut it off at the first knuckle so it can't grow back and most cats deal with it quite well. I have several friends who have done that over the years because the cats were either indoor cats with infants present or they were in their place of business. Myself, I would LOVE to have my rag doll, Mac, declawed, but I just can't bring myself to do it.
Always look at it long term too. Are you going to keep the cat forever? And why, do you need to?