declawing my cat???

Question

my cat is a house cat and she keeps scratching everything lately!
she wasnt that bad but then i put her in the cattery for a week and now she is soo soo bad!!
i am thinking of getting her de clawed!!

what are your views and have any of u got cats with no claws???

Answer 1

Just get ur cat a scratching post and there is special spray you can use on furniture to stop the cat going there.....DO NOT declaw the cat..u r a sick bi tch for even suggesting it.

Answer 2

Declawing is brutal and barbaric thing to do, being roughly equivalent to having the tips of your own fingers cut off....

If you live in the UK I doubt if you will find a vet to carry out this operation.

Perhaps you live in the USA, where people who adopt/buy a cat do not seem to realise that they are about to become responsible for an independent animal with instinctive habits - one of which is a tendency to scratch things in order to sharpen claws and to remove old claw material.

So, if you are in the USA, then either give your pet to some one who will not let it be declawed, or buy a suitable scratch post and make sure it is used by your cat. It will soon get the message. After all, according to your question, it was a non scratcher until it went into a cattery, so the habit is not deeply ingrained.

Over the past two decades I've owned several cats, none of which became a furniture scratcher since they always had access to a scratch post.

Incidentally, if your cat accidentally gets outside (it can happen), by declawing it you will have removed its only effective method of defence (apart from running away). If your cat got its eye clawed out because it could not protect itself from another cat's attack, would you feel happy knowing it was _your _ fault that it had been badly injured?

Please think again and do not get it declawed.

Answer 3

That would be a very cruel thing to do. As another respondent said, it would be like cutting off your fingers or, at least, having all your nails permanently removed. It is in a cat's nature to scratch, to care for their claws and slough off the outer coating.

It does sound like a behavioural problem; pets need love and attention, and a certain routine. Get scratching posts and rub them with some catnip. There are also sticky papers made for that problem, where you stick them over the places your cat seems to favour - that worked for my kitten. I also spent time with my two cats; when they scratched, a sharp "No!" helped, then gently taking their paws and showing them where the scratching could be done on a piece of old carpet. They hardly ever scratch now; if they do, it's on the old carpet.

Cats are also sensitive to change and negative conditions. Try to play with your cat and provide toys. Always make some time to spend with her. It's not easy being an indoor cat, so the more you can do to stimulate her intelligence, the better. In the end, though, I think it would be better to find her another loving home if you can't cope, rather than subjecting her to such a thing and making her more unhappy.

Answer 4

I had the exact same problem with my kittens, but de-clawing is not the answer. Imagine having you fingernails pulled out with pliers, I believe this was effective in the second world war and was used by the Nazis to get information from La Resistance...but vee haff ozzer vays off making you comply.

Sorry that was terrible example of my Cr*p sense of humour.
She is just showing you her displeasure at being put in a cattery, was it her first time?
I was an animal behaviour trainer for a few years so this may help, it worked with my kittens.

Get them a good scratching post, it must be high enough for them to be able to reach right up and still not get to the top. The best material is sisal, a natural fibre that cats like the smell of. You can also find some which are infused with catnip (they love it and are naturally attracted to it as it gives them a natural high) it also comes in a spray form.

If they start scratching, gently pick them up and firmly say "NO!" and take them to the scratching post and physically make them scratch it by moving their paws up and down it. It is a natural response for them to get their claws out when doing this.

After a few times they will naturally start to go to the post. As an additional option I got a laser pointer from pets at home (£4.95) and they love it. Shine it on the post and they will get well and truly stuck in.

All the best
David Rudi & Gertie

Answer 5

I grew up in a household where cats were routinely declawed as a normal practice. When I was a kid, it was considered normal. Times change....and I'm glad they do. As soon as I read about what declawing actually IS (and saw pictures of what they actually rip out of the cat's paws), I decided I would NEVER do that to a cat. Ever.

I've adopted two cats in the last year and a half. Both of them have all their claws. I had to get after my male a few times for trying to scratch on my furniture, but he was so sensitive that a loud clap and resounding "No!" were enough to dissuade him. He and my female both use cardboard scratchers. They love 'em.

Cats who are declawed often end up with behavioral problems. Some avoid the litterbox while others become biters. Sometimes both. If you have a cat that's declawed, it is sometimes difficult to have another cat that isn't. One may bully the other. The possible problems outweigh the advantages, especially when you think about the harm it does to your cat, both physically and psychologically.

Cats use their claws for defense. They scratch to mark their scent, tone their muscles, and destress. Bottom line; they love doing it. Just imagine someone taking away your ability to stretch or scratch an itch.

A lot of people will say that any pain they feel is short-lived. Physical pain, yes, but the emotional effects last a lifetime. Others will say that it saves your possessions. This is a very lazy way to think, as most cats can be trained to not claw. And are your possessions more important than the well-being of a living creature? After all, my 7 year old son is often destructive without meaning to be.....does this mean I should take him to the doctor to have his hands cut off? The physical pain will be short-lived, after all, and he'll learn to cope without 'em.

It sounds like your cat's problem is behavioral. You left her in a strange place for a week, and now she's mad. Maybe it's not even anger, maybe it's just stress. Like I said, scratching is therapeutic for a cat, and she may be taking this on as a way of coping with the insecurity she's feeling. Given time, love, and perhaps some more training, she could very well go back to the well-behaved cat you remember.

Spray her with water when you catch her scratching on things she's not supposed to, and make sure she has plenty of other acceptable surfaces to release her instincts on. Try and make sure she doesn't see that you're the one spraying her, otherwise she may realize that she's safe as long as you're not around. There are deterent products available to help train cats when you're not around. Find them here;
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/NavResults.cfm?N=2002+2017

Keeping her nails trimmed is also a good idea. Cat or human clippers are both acceptable when doing this, just make sure you don't cut the pink part inside the nail. This vein (called the quick) will bleed profusely and cause your cat a lot of pain if cut. I recommend keeping some styptic powder or pads in your home at all times in case of accidents. Once applied to the affected nail, styptic powder stops the bleeding. If you're uncomfortable trimming the nails yourself, a vet or groomer will do it for a small fee. And most PetSmart stores offer this service, as well.

Answer 6

All of my cats have claws because here in England it is illegal to have them declawed. The law states that it is mutilation. I agree with that. You can buy little soft things to stick over her claws if you must, or put some eucalyptus or citronella oil on the places that she scratches. You have to provide something she is allowed to scratch on though as cats need to scratch to help keep the claws trim. If keeping her is such a chore, for her sakes, rehome her to someone who is a little more tolerant.
I have 12 cats and they don't scratch all of my furniture but then they have their own scratch stuff.
Declawing is cruel. It means amputating her toes poor thing. Some cats have been so mentally scarred by this and their pawsa re so painfull that they can barely walk and cannot use a litter tray because the sharp litter hurts their paws.
Why do humans torture animals just for their own convenience?

Answer 7

De clawing is illegal in the Uk & Ireland. It is the sme as cutting off all your fingers at the first joint. Need we say more? It is very cruel & painful & traumatises the cat. You will find lots of advice on cat behaviour on the internet & in books. She is probably scratching more at the moment as a way of protesting about being left in the cattery. Get her a scratching post. Watch how she is scratching at prsent - some cats like to scratch vertically, ie satanding on their back paws against something like a wall. Others prefer to stretch along the floor to scratch. Choose a scratching post to suit. Put plastic arount the corners & areas she scratches. Keep a small water pistol filled & squirt her every time she starts scratching. Be patient - you can solve this problem without mutilating your cat.

Answer 8

A cats claws are just like your fingernails, except instead of going straight out on the top they wrap around and form the claw. De-clawing is literally cutting off your cats toe from the last knuckle. It throws off the cat in numerous ways, physically and mentally. Cats that have been de-clawed have been known to become depressed and have their personality drastically change. A cat scratching is natural and healthy, they do it to keep the claw from growing too much and causing them pain. Without claws they still scratch but don't get any feedback, think of it like wrapping your fingers in duct tape and touching things, it's similar. I really recommend against de-clawing your cat. Have you tried training her not to scratch, or to scratch specific objects? A lot of people don't do that and if you don't the cat doesn't know what to/not to scratch. Try getting a post or pad (some cats like one and not the other) and scratching it with your cats paws. If you catch her scratching other things spray her with water. You can also try sticking her in a room with nothing to scratch, like the bathroom, except for her scratching thing. There are other options as well. You can trim your cats claws like you do with dogs or your own. Just do a bit of research or ask your vet so you do it properly. You can also get booties or have the claws capped with plastic so they aren't sharp. De-clawing is not the only answer, and again it's just like cutting off the ends of your fingers. I've had cats for 20-ish years and have been able to get all of them to stop scratching except where they are supposed to, so it can be done.

Answer 9

Declawing is a process of amputation. Each toe is amputated at the first knuckle. This prevents the nail from growing .The recovery is very painful, and cats are often lame for months.

I would try two things before considering declaw. The first is to provide an appropriate place to scratch. If your cat favors the carpet, buy a horizontal scratching post. If your cat favors the edge of the sofa, buy a vertical post. Rub catnip over the surface of the items ok to scratch.

Number 2 is simply to trim the sharp points of each nail. This can be done with the same nail trimmers you use for your fingernail.

Answer 10

Well, it's a bit harsh isn't it! De clawing a cat just because she ruins the furniture... Anyway, listen, the best thing you can do is buy her one of those "scratch-things" -you know the ones with the rope. You can find them @ any good pet shop. Rub them with a pair of worn/used socks so that your smell gets in the rope.She will start scratching that instead of your furniture.
But please ,honestly, next time think about how you would feel if someone tore your nails out because you scratched them too hard... having a pet is about love, not possession!

Answer 11

Just invest in some claw-trimming scissors and trim her claws once a week. With a single cat it's no big deal, once she's used to it she'll learn to sit still and take it with little more than a bit of disgruntled grumbling & glaring. We have six cats and I trim their claws every weekend. We also have a couple of "Turbo-Scratchers", cardboard rings that fit in a cat toy that has a plastic ball inset in an open ring on the outside edge. They scratch their claws on this during the week. Usually.

I started trimming the claws of four when they were just kittens right after I adopted them, one started getting hers trimmed when she was about four months old, and one started getting her claws trimmed when she was about two years old. The last one was a source of contention between my fiancée & I as she was convinced it would hurt the cat, that the cat needed her claws, etc, but the cat only fought me the first time and quickly learned the wisdom of just letting me do it.

Anyway, it's a once-per-week hassle but the cats are happy & healthy, and we didn't have to spend a fortune on de-clawing.