whats the pros and cons of getting my cat de-clawed?

Question

well I just went to my vets today for my cats neutering.. he also asked me if i needed to declaw him. I said i would think about it. I know it would obviously not make him scratch stuff anymore. I also just bought a new sofa (being delievered in a few weeks) so i dont want him to start scratching that....I got a scratching post but he doesnt use it.. he used the side of doorways... is it mean to declaw cats? I heard it affects there perasonltiy? help!

Answer 1

declawing is amputation, it would be like someone taking your finger off at the knuckle.

This site as a lot of into and pictures, if you have a weak stomach I wouldn't look at the pictures... http://members.tripod.com/cl-ivpetsangel-ivil/petsandstuff/id38.html

Its a horrible procedure!

I have 5 cats 1 declawed (he came to me that way) I use soft claws, and they work great!
http://www.softclaws.com/

More info on the surgery:

Declawing

Declawing is not just removal of the nail, which would grow again. It is an unpleasant surgical procedure:
Onychectomy, the most popular declaw surgery, is amputation of the toes at the last joint. This removes the claw and the bone from which it originates. It is equivalent to amputation of a human's fingers at the knuckles. Modern laser surgeries are basically the same, except that a laser is used instead of a scalpel.

Tenectomy, or tendonectomy, involves removing the deep digital flexor tendon that controls the cat's ability to flex and extend its claws. The claws are left intact but the cat cannot scratch normally. A study has found that, after 24 hours, cats who underwent tenectomy were in much less pain than those who underwent onychectomy. The cat's nails must be clipped every few months, or they will grow into the paw pads causing severe pain and the need for surgery. Many veterinarians are concerned that cats subject to the operation may be prone to scarring, gnarling, and atrophy of the toes.

Surgical complications may include inadvertent removal of part of a digital pad, incomplete removal of the nail bed and partial regrowth of the nail, infection, and rarely, adverse reaction to anesthetic. Foot disfigurement, lameness, long healing time in older cats and psychological trauma are also possible. Although rare, declawing can lead to secondary contracture of the tendons, making it hard for the cat to walk. It may also cause loss of balance, because the cat compensates for the loss of joints on the front paws by placing more weight on the hind feet.

The pain of scratching in the litter box for a while after surgery may cause the cat to associate the litter with pain, and to abandon it in favor of the softer carpet or bed.

Claws are a cat's primary defense. Being deprived of his claws may cause your pet to become insecure and distressed, leading to other behavioral complications. He may compensate for lack of his claws by biting to defend himself. Declawed cats cannot defend themselves from other cats, and if they get outside, they may be unable to climb to escape from dogs or other cats.

Many countries do not perform, or rarely perform, declaw surgeries. These include Britain, Australia, Austria, Brazil, Denmark, Finland, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland.

Answer 2

i used to work in a shelter and would come across cats who were declawed. i'm not saying all of the declawed cats were this way but a lot would come in and be very shy and reserved. we had a few who were biters. once a cat loses its claw it will use its teeth as a defense. personally i do not recommend declawing. it is basically like taking your finger and cutting off the first part where the finger bends. it is suppose to be very painful

on the flip side not all declawed cats go crazy. it is a cat's nature to want to scratch. you will need to provide a variety of scratching posts for your cat. cats want to scratch on the ground(so having a flat one on the ground would be good) and they want to scratch up(have a post where the cat can stretch and scratch up it).

the more options the cat has the less likely it will scratch on furniture. some suggestions people have given me for protecting the couch: put tin foil on the surface, use sticky paper which the cat will hate, have a water bottle and squirt the cat when it scratches.

if you are worried about your couch you could also have that area blocked off to the cats. not sure if that would work in your case since i don't know your floor plan.

good luck with the kitty

Answer 3

What type of scratcher do you have? Cats are like humans, they dont all like the same things.

My cats wont use sysal (rope type stuff) but go nuts on the cardboard scatchers that are alpine. Cats need to be able to stretch when they scratch as well, so if you have a tiny scratcher and your cat is bigger, chances are good he wont use it.

I mention that first because I am totally against declawing. It is the equivalent of taking your last knuckle off your fingers. Now envision trying to walk on that (if you were a cat). Pain, pain and pain. Cats who have been declawed have lost their premier defense system. If the cat was to ever go out, it is harder for them to defend themselves. Cats who are declawed also tend to bite more too. I know cats that have been declawed that these did not happen to....but they are the exception, not the rule.

Some people say that people who dont agree with declawing are hypocrites because we "fix" our cats. My response to that it that the vets who will REFUSE to do declawing because it is cruel. I have yet to see a cat refuse to fix an animal because it is cruel. (in fact they encourage it)

Bottom line...give the cat a good try on a good scratcher. Get "sticky paws", use double sided tape on your furniture, foil etc. Not only will you save money on the procedure, your cat will be happier.

**Please be aware the last link I gave has graphic pictures of declawing and may be disturbing, I enclosed the link so you can see what it is**

Answer 4

It does sound like you know the pros of declawing a cat. However, there are some cons and whatever your decision is you should talk it over once again with your veterinarian.

A major con of declawing a cat is that it looses its main means of protection. This is fine if your cat is ALWAYS inside and has no other animals around that may threaten it but if the cat ever goes outside for any reason- because you let it outside or because it escapes- then it cannot effectively protect itself. I suppose if the cat is older and you declaw it then his personality may change a bit- but to be honest I have never heard of that.

It is not mean to declaw your cat if it is going to stay inside all the time and if it is the only way that you feel you can live happily with your cat.

Answer 5

We have 7 cats and only one of our cats is declawed and we got her that way. She didn't like anyone touching her paws for the longest time, I guess it must have hurt her bad when it happened. Now she's fine, but really doesn't like them being touched. Yes they do scratch the furniture and rarely use the scratching post. It's a good and bad thing to get them declawed.

Good so they don't scratch the furniture and when they knead on you it doesn't hurt.

Bad because if they get outside then they will have no way of defending them selves against an animal or even a way to escape by climbing a tree.

We've gotten the cats to stop mostly, introduce you catch that he can actually scratch on. My kitten kitten Gizmo scratches only on a rug/mat in front of my door since every time I saw her do it, I would pet her and tell her how good she was. Also, when I would see her scratching the furniture I would simply pick her up tell her no and put her on the rug/mat and rub her paw on it just enough for her claws to come out.

Answer 6

Don't declaw him it is a very painful procedure and some cats died after surgery. There are alternatives to declawing your cat. Simply clip his nails every week with a pair of small nail clippers and stay away from the quick(the pinkish part right above the nail). Or you can buy him cat claw caps. They are soft plastic caps you glue over the cats claws but they do sometimes fall off.
http://furlongspetsupply.com/soft_claws.htm
I don't think there are any pros for declawing a cat but there are a ton of cons. Another reason why you shouldn't declaw your cat is they use their claws to stretch and relax their paws. When a declawing procedure is performed the vet cuts the tip of the bone to prevent any more nail from growing back(why it is very painful). And the cat will no longer have to ability to stretch its paws once more. Cats do lose sense of security without their claws, it is their main source of protection. Their claws give them the ability to climb away from danger. It gives them the ability to grasp on to things more easily such as the ground when running away from something(maybe a large dog or a loud vaccum). I declawed a cat I owned many years ago having no idea of the the painful procedure or anything and I regret ever doing it because my cat looked in a lot of pain after surgery. Cats walk on their paws, with their claws freshly cut off, this is a major cause for infection. A cat right after surgery will sometimes deficate and step in it picking up bacteria which can lead to serious infections that can end in death. I just clip my cats nails every week(with average household clippers) and they don't scratch anything up or to bits. I suggest you don't declaw your cat for the cats sake. I think he would feel bad enough being neutered and I consider the declawing procedure complete mutilation(if you have seen some of the pics they got out there you'll know what I mean). Usually cats tend to calm down after being neutered so I doubt he'll be very destructive.
Hope I helped you,
Laila

Answer 7

if you get your cat declawed you should not be allowed to have animals. please read this article about why you SHOULD NOT have it declawed.

A major reason could be misunderstanding exactly what declawing is. The procedure does not just mean removing your cat's nails, it involves cutting off each of the animal's front toes at the front joint, that is the bone, ligaments and tendons. This is amputation. the rest is in this link: http://www.ideamarketers.com/library/article.cfm?articleid=87074

if your cat scratches your clothes or couch spank him lightly and say no. or get him a scratching post and put some cat nip on it. there are plenty of other things a cat can scratch. i hope you make a good decision and im glad the other people answering your question arent jerks.

Answer 8

the pros of declawing is they wont scratch furniture, drapes and household items.
[to train them to not used couches, etc in your home it to carry the cat to the post and take their front paws and move their paws on the scratching post [like when you show them their liter box] and then if the cat goes towards the couch, tell them firmly no, pick the cat up and take them to the post again..if you do this often the cat will learn where it can go to scratch.....
the cons of having your cat declawed is if let outside the cat can not defend itself anymore and could come to harm...even if you vow not to let the cat out for its protection there is no guarantee that it does not get out and that would be dangerous for your cat..[cats have ways to move fast when they see a door open] the personality of the cat changes, some for good and some not...one never knows until the cat comes home...i have heard that they get moody and sometimes mean.....hope this helps you and you make your decision for your home and your cat that will work for you

Answer 9

It's nothing. Don't worry about it. You're giving your cat a good home and love and a week of a little discomfort won't hurt him. Besides, cats don't remember much from when they're a kitten. Every cat we've ever had has been declawed and they are the sweetest, most lovable cats. They lay on our chests, we pick them up and pet them, normal lovable cat behavior. It does not change them one bit so don't worry about it. I thought it was inhumane too until I saw they were perfectly fine. I noticed that someone copy and pasted something having to do with pain in moving litter around. Old article I guess. When you get your cat home, you fill the litter box with shredded paper until the paws are healed. Also, they don't remove that bone anymore so these articles that people are copying and pasting are old. They do it so there's minimal to no pain now. I rub my cat's paws and they love it. So all this about cats not liking it when you touch their paws is bogus.

Answer 10

i had one cat de clawed and i own five . . buck was a changed cat when i got him home . then i seen a training video on what they do to declaw a cat . they cut the tip of the bone off on the cats feet. so the claw no longer grow's . my cat got infection in one of his and was a very sick kitty for a few day's i thought he was going to die . had to use shreded newpapers in the litter box so nothing got into the holes left where the claw used to be . now my cat is 5 year's old and he still has problums with that foot when it gets cold. i would never declaw another cat as long as i live and i have had lots of kitty's buck don't play and run like he used to before i had him de clawed . a spray bottle with water in it works good as a training tool as to what you don't want him to do . if hes getting into something . spray him with the bottle . don't try to drowned him with it . just a couple of well ained squirts should teach him . he tends to be more tender on his feet . and isn't so shure when he walks on new surfaces