I dropped my 14 week old Ragdoll kitten off this morning for his declaw and neuter surgery and the vet said I needed to use a non-clay litter from 7-10 days while his paws healed. Does anyone have any recommendations as to what has worked best for them? Thanks!
2006-09-11 03:44:33 · 16 answers · asked by NatBee 1 in Pets ➔ Cats
Don't get freaked out by the other posters. I have had more than one cat declawed, and they don't have any behavioural problems. My friend had 3 cats that are declawed, and they are also fine. They don't even know the claws are gone, and will continue to "sharpen their claws" on the furniture, floor, etc, because they think they are still there.
I think it's a trade-off. I love and shelter my cats in the house. They are fed well, protected from anything bad, and basically spoiled rotten. I would not be able to provide a home for either of my cats if they were destroying the furniture with their claws.
Clipping the front claws is not a good alternative. They grow back very quickly, and it's hard to cut them so that there are no jagged edges left to rip the furniture. It's also easy to cut into the quick, which is very painful.
I read alot of horror stories on the internet before I had my last cat declawed, and I talked to my vet about it. He said there are rarely any problems.
I'm sure alot of people will disagree with my post, but it's just my experience.
2006-09-13 12:13:50 · answer #1 · answered by sundrop_rulz 2 · 2⤊ 2⤋
Shredded newspaper. You'll need to change it more often, because it's not as absorbent, but it has very little abrasive quality.
Granular litter like "Yesterday's News" still is hard, pelleted, and has corners and edges that can hurt the incision sites.
Think about it this way - if you'd just had the tips of all ten of your fingers amputated (which is basically what a declawing surgery is), what would you want to be digging in?
2006-09-11 03:49:45 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
My kitty wouldn't use the shredded newspaper, so the vet told me to try a Piddle Pad over the regular litter. You can buy them in any pet store, and it's like thick paper towel. You lay it over the regular litter, and change it whenever it gets soiled.
My kitty still had the "feel" of regular litter even though she never came in contact with it. This is a good option if the newspaper doesn't work.
2006-09-11 04:00:44 · answer #3 · answered by Doe 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Personally, I would never have any Cat declawed. It's cruel. It's like chopping off the first joints of your fingers...which is essentially what is done. But getting back to the question at paw...I use Feline Pine or the litter made out of Newspaper. Both work very well and are relatively inexpensive. Meow.
2006-09-11 04:52:43 · answer #4 · answered by Mighty Sasha 3 · 2⤊ 2⤋
Most Vets will recommend shredded newspaper, but the last kittens I had done, I had discovered the new Crystals. It cost much more, but on the other hand, the stuff is great. It doesn't track and it will last up to 30 days for one cat. I have two cats and change it every 10-12 days. You also have a cleaner scoop. And, most importantly it never smells.
2006-09-11 04:47:36 · answer #5 · answered by skyeblue 5 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Is it too late to cal them and ask to just neuter only? If not, please consider doing this. Sorry to lecture, but it's really not healthy or happy for a cat to be declawed. There are so many possible side effects, including increased anger and increased use of biting when they feel cornered or insecure.
It's not difficult to trim your cat's claws. If they still hurt the furniture, check out the link below. Soft Paws are little caps that you can glue on to their claws. This is humane per vet standards, and I have a friend who uses them, and says they're wonderful!
As for the type of litter, I'd check with your vet. My cats seem to really like Feline Pine, which is cheap, all natural, and it's the best kind to decrease the smell. They have their claws. I don't think it matters, though.
2006-09-11 04:12:58 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 3⤋
My vet always said shredded newspaper when we took our kitties in for declawing. There are litters actually made from recycled newspaper too, but you might have to look for it.
Good luck!
2006-09-11 04:52:10 · answer #7 · answered by Tigger 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I asked a question almost like this a few weeks back about my kitten,, a woman told me to use shredded newspaper,, it worked wonders,, i had to change it more often but it didnt hurt my kitten.
2006-09-11 03:47:39 · answer #8 · answered by blwatson41 3 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Please call & stop the declaw NOW (if possible), for all the same reasons others have given.
I show & raise Ragdolls & it's in my contract that the kitten may NOT be declawed. There is no need.
If it's too late, paper towels over litter is reasonable. Hopefully you won't run into behavior problems, which is very common.
Please see the following links for more information:
Articles on declawing:
http://www.cfa.org/health/declawing.html
Excellent article on declawing; also cat posts & how to train your cat.
http://www.stevedalepetworld.com/images/stories/declawing.pdf
2006-09-11 04:34:35 · answer #9 · answered by Ragdoll Kitty 4 · 1⤊ 5⤋
Try 'yesterdays news', you can find it at any large pet store. Its made out of newspaper. I use it in my rabbit cages, it absorbs a little better than just shredded newspaper.
2006-09-11 03:48:06 · answer #10 · answered by Nikki T 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋