Can I declaw my cats myself? I can't afford to take them to the vet?

Question

I've seen it done...looks pretty easy.

Answer 1

To do it
1. Get naked
2. Put the kitty in your lap [back paws between your legs.]
3.Take the front paw gently and press to expose the claws
4. Call 911 try to stop the bleeding while you wait for them!

Answer 2

You're insane.

First of all, IF YOU CANT AFFORD TO TAKE YOUR ANIMAL TO THE VET, YOU SHOULD NOT OWN IT TO BEGIN WITH. Come on. Owning a pet requires responsibility, and financial stability is part of that responsibility.

Secondly, it is NOT, by ANY MEANS, and "easy" procedure. It is done with the cat fully under anesthesia -- a full out SURGERY. Unless you went to veterinary school for SIX YEARS and learned to perform this operation, you should not even THINK about attempting it.

Also, most vets and animal lovers are not in favor of declawing a cat. ESPECIALLY if it is about or more than a year old. Not only is it DANGEROUS to your cat's physical health to be repeatedly put under anesthesia, but it can be very detrimental to your cat's mental well being. Imagine waking up one morning and the tips of all your fingers and toes have been removed. You would have to re-learn how to do many every day activities. It has also been widely reported that declawing an older cat (more than a year or so) can cause behavioral issues, such as shyness, unfriendliness, and mistrust.

I wouldnt consider having your cat professionally declawed.. but please, for the sake of your cat, DONT do it yourself.

PS - I hope you at least had the decency to spay/neuter your animals.

Answer 3

You have seen someone declaw a cat before??? I really hope you saw a VET do it. Or do you mean cut them? If you mean cut them, there are special nail clippers for cats at Walmart, and you have to cut in the right place because if you go too far up, they will bleed, for a very long time and it is very painful for the cat. DO NOT declaw. Cats change when they are declawed. I know, I have worked at a vets office.

Answer 4

declawing cats is VERY EVIL





Onychectomy is the act of surgically removing the claws, most often of a household cat, though occasionally of other animals such as circus lions or dancing bears. This process involves amputating the entire end digit, or bone, on the animal's toes, under anaesthesia, and is popularly known as declawing.

The incidence of declawing varies widely from country to country. In the United States and Canada, it is widespread, although precise figures are hard to come by and there is considerable variation within North America. It is a controversial subject, and often causes heated debate between those who believe it is cruel and that owners who declaw are putting the health of their furniture before that of their cat, and those who argue that declawing is better option in some cases than sending a cat to a shelter where it may be euthanised. A few places, such as West Hollywood, have outlawed the practice entirely, but this is not a common occurrence. [1]

In the United Kingdom, declawing is extremely uncommon, to the extent that most people have never seen a declawed cat. The procedure is considered cruel by almost all British vets, who refuse to perform it except for medical reasons. The "Mutilations report" found in an annex of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons' Guide to Professional Conduct states:

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.
The Animal Welfare Bill, which is currently (February 2006) making its way through Parliament, will explicitly prohibit the mutilation of an animal for non-therapeutic reasons, and therefore should this Bill pass into law, declawing for other than therapeutic reasons will become illegal.

In many European countries, it is forbidden under the terms of the European Convention for the Protection of Pet Animals, unless there is a medical indication for the procedure, or a veterinarian considers it beneficial to the animal. Some European countries go further, such as Germany and Switzerland, where declawing cats is always illegal under their laws against cruelty to animals.

In Australia, legislation concerning animal welfare is enacted at the state level and is highly inconsistent. There are ongoing efforts to develop a National Animal Welfare Act; in its current state, the bill would prohibit the declawing of cats except for medical reasons. However, some pro-wildlife campaigners advocate declawing (and possibly defanging) to protect native wildlife from pet cats.

One popular, relatively inexpensive alternative to declawing is the application of vinyl nail caps (marketed in the US under brand names such as Soft Paws and Soft Claws) that are affixed to the claws with nontoxic glue, requiring periodic replacement when the cat sheds its claw sheaths (usually every four to six weeks).

Other alternatives to declawing due to scratching also include the use of scratching posts (although it may be an eye sore in some homes), regular nail trimming, training or a natural pheremone supplement that will deter the animal from scratching where the substance has been sprayed. Other alternatives are generally discussed prior to surgery and the procedure does not only have a very painful recovery, but is also quite messy as the animal will bleed quite a bit (this also carries the risk of blood loss).

Answer 5

If you did, it would be torture to your cats. Declawing does not only mean the nails are removed, in order to be "declawed" a cat has to have their first knuckles of their toes amputated, cut off in other words. It would be similar to having the tips of your fingers cut off, now honestly, would you want someone with NO training to do that? Doing it yourself would probably cause your cats to die, and for you to be bitten and scratched a helluva lot. Maybe you just mean cutting their nails?? If that is the case, you can do that yourself with some quality toenail clippers. I find they work better than the ones marketed for cat nails. Just do not cut too far down or you will cut the blood vessel that is in the nail.

Answer 6

i hope this is not a serious question~!!!!
if i knew you..i'll call the police. seriously, declawing cats at the vet is very cruel...let alone with an inexperianced person. i wonder who you are and why you would or could possibly consider such a thing.
if the kitty is scratching the furnature or things like that...go to a pet store there are many products out to help with this type of behavior...and none of them result with such cruelty.
i have to say that i 100% agree with the person who said that if your pet is so much trouble then take it to the shelter immidiately!!
it's true, it is free and they will find a home much more suited for this pet. no harm done to anyone.
please do not harm the kitty..
would you rip you childs fingernails off?!!!
also, your cat could bleed to death..please do not attempt this!!
(i totally feel as though i have to plead with you to not do such a thing....)

Answer 7

I hope you meant to ask about clipping the nails and not declawing them. Declawing is a surgical procedure that is totally unnecessary and cruel to your cat. You can easily clip your own cats nails, just make sure you don't cut into the pink part of the nail -- that's living skin and you will hurt your cat.

Please go to the following websites for more info

http://www.declawing.com/

http://www.catscratching.com/htmls/article.htm -- --- on clipping

Answer 8

I dont know how much a declawing procedure costs, but to stop them from scratching without any pain, you can use Soft Claws.

Read more about them at http://www.softclaws.com/

If you think that is too expensive, buy them at eBay. They go for less there.

I hope you concidere this. I bought my kitten these and he doesnt evennotice. he keeps scratching, but no harm is done to stuff or people, and is SURE less painful than declawing.

Answer 9

No. Take to a vet and only have them declawed if they are ONLY inside cats. Why do you want to do this, anyway? If you are a good owner and train them well, they won't claw where they shouldn't...

Answer 10

If you are having a problem with cats clawing furniture, etc. get a small piece of carpet and sprinkle catnip on it. Make sure the carpet is long enough for the cat to roll on and stretch while they scratch the 'cat-nipped carpet'. If the carpet piece moves a lot just attach a rope and loop it around a chair leg leaving the cat to scratch to it's heart's content. Please don't de-claw unless it is for medical reasons. Good luck.

Answer 11

ARE YOU SERIOUS???!!!! That would be considered animal cruelty. You can trim their nails, but DECLAWING IS A SURGICAL PROCEDURE!!! It is done with sterilized equipment and the knowledge that doesnt come cheap. You shouldnt even have those thoughts, thats just horrible.