Can a cat be too old to have its front claws removed? If so, how old?

Question

My cat is an indoor cat and I was going to have them removed when she was young, but I got a German Sheppard/Rottweiler pup a few months later and decided to leave them to make sure she coulddeal with the dog if necessary. The dog is well trained and I know won't hurt her, but the cat is tearing up my house with her front claws.

I have tried scratching posts (she won't use them) yelling at her and the spray bottle thing. None have worked, and I can't be there all the time to prevent it.

But with all the input here, I am inclined to keep trimming her claws and working with her that way. Thanks!

Answer 1

If you are sure that the dog won't harm your cat, then get out your nail clippers (or better yet, buy a feline toenail trimmer from your local pet store), and just trim them yourself. You only need to dull them; no need to go down to the cuticle.When animals are clawed, the procedure is really an amputation of their first knuckle. This is cruel in my book.

Answer 2

First of all, how old is your cat? 4 months old? 6 months old? 1 year old? Ten years old? As a veterinarian, I always try to council people to only declaw if it is the only viable option (or they will give it away or euthanize, etc) I hate doing declaws because I know of all the possible complications, those directly caused from a poor surgery and those not related to a surgeon's skills or equipment used. Did you know that when a cat is declawed, the vet amputates up to the first knuckle on every single toe? Doesn't sound very nice, does it? Imagine someone amputating all of your fingers and toes to the first knuckle. Would you be left with the same abilities and orthopedic conformation? No, of course not. What does this mean after surgery? Chronic pain for your kitty. Most do just fine but a few will be in pain for the rest of their lives. We don't know which of those cats it will be. Some cats will sit like squirrels because their front feet hurt so much. What happens if you choose a vet that isn't good at the surgery? Like he leaves pieces of bone behind that should come out? Chronic pain, non healing sores on feet. What happens if they use glue and get some on the inside? Chronic pain, open sores, inflammation. What happens if your vet doesn't use good pain medication before, during and after the procedure? Horrible pain for your cat for weeks while the feet heal. Remember, you still expect this cat to use the litter pan while his feet hurt.

What can you do instead of a declaw? You can learn to trim nails, cheap and easy. You can deprogram your cat's scratching. Here are a few good websites for you to read.

http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=668

http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=1682

http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=568

With all that being said, declawing a cat is best done before 6 months of age. It can still be done after that time, but I feel the risk of complications are greater. Young cats tend to tolerate a declaw better than older cats. Please ask your vet what kind of anesthetic procedure they use and what kind of pain medication is available. Don't complain about the extra cost of pain medication. It is a necessity, not an option. Don't shop around for the cheapest surgeon. Get word of mouth confirmation from friends about which vet they know and trust.

Best of luck

Answer 3

The process of declawing is not really a matter of taking the claws out or off....they take the top knuckle of each...like removing your top joint that has your fingernail on it so you won't have fingernails. It is hard on any cat, but especially on a cat of any weight, since they have to walk on them and jump down from chairs. It is better to use a spray bottle of water and surprise them with a quick spray when they start to shred things. There is also a spray "Four Paws -Keep Off" that you can apply to items that you want them to leave alone. Vets can also apply tips to each claw that prevent them from using their claws. They are not permanent, and may need to be replaced, but after they have worn them for a while they may stop trying. Make sure you have a carpet covered post and a catnip scratching box. If they have the right toys they often leave your stuff alone! I have had many cats and only one was declawed. He would use a laundry basket and a cane seated chair to "claw" since he could get the ends of his toes in the holes. He walked like he was stomping around. I never did that to a cat again...and we've had four since then and with plenty of toys they have left our furniture and our log home walls alone.

Answer 4

10

Answer 5

If your cat ever escaped it would surely die without it's claws. A cat not only needs them for protection, but also for hunting and food.

There are other alternatives. A trick that works well, and you only have to do it a few times, is spray the cat with water from a clean spray bottle everytime he goes at the furniture. Cats hate water and will associate clawing the furniture with it after awhile. It's not cruel, and better yet, that cat won't realize it's you who sprayed him, so he won't be mad at you like he would if you scolded him.

Also, I am assuming you have a good scratching post, that is a must.

Answer 6

Please don't abuse your cat like that.

The following is an excerpt from a report by the British Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons on Onychectomy (declawing):

"This procedure is only acceptable where, in the opinion of the veterinary surgeon, injury to the animal is likely to occur during normal activity. It is not acceptable if carried out for the convenience of the owner ... the removal of claws, particularly those which are weight-bearing, to preclude damage to furnishings is not acceptable."

Almost all vets in the UK refuse to perform declawing except for medical reasons and many European countries ban the practise by law.

Please bear this in mind when considering to mutilate your cat for your own convenience. Why not just buy a scratching post and shout at it when it scratches things it shouldn't?

Answer 7

A cat should NEVER have it's claws removed. It is very inhumane and painful for the cat. Also the cat has it's claws for a reason, and if the cat ever got out of the house he would have no way to defend himself.

Answer 8

Please don't hurt that poor baby...it will scar them for life. I rescue cats and most that have been declawed have issues that make them hard to adopt out. I have only had one that seemed to be OK with it.
There are many ways to keep the cat from scratching things but you have to patient and kind for it to be effective.
My husband trained his cat by every time he caught her scratching the furniture he would take her to the scratching post and put her paws on it. After awhile the cat caught on and since then she does not scratch anything but the scratching post. She is now 17 years old.

Answer 9

It is never to late to declaw, but keep in mind that older, larger cats will take longer to heal from the surgery. This is a serious bone surgery and is quite painful. Your vet should make sure the cat has plenty of pain medication to go home with.

Answer 10

My sister got her cat declawed in the front when it was younger and it really completely changed the cat. He became withdrawn and extremely independent. This was a cat that would follow her around the house and cuddle all the time beforehand. Besides, they say doing that to a cat is like cutting off your fingers at the first knuckle, ouch. I was considering getting a kitten for a while and I did some reading about it, and I definately wouldn't recommend declawing. Besides, isn't it illegal in the US? I'm Canadian, but I thought I read somewhere when I was researching that unless there's a pressing reason to do it, vets in the US do not declaw cats, because they view it as pet abuse.