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I've bought her a scratching post, a scratching rug, let another cat scratch the post hoping she'd catch on from watching -- to no avail. She still scratches my couch, and my fiance--who has nice furniture--doesn't want her ruining it. Any suggestions?

2006-11-26 15:21:19 · 37 answers · asked by ravenhairedmaid 2 in Pets Cats

37 answers

Yes it's painful, but that doesn't mean you can't get it done. If it's between the cat losing it's happy home, or getting declawed I'm sure the cat would rather be declawed.

There is a new surgery available that uses a lazer. It is just a little bit more expensive than the old knife surgery, but LOTS less painful with a much shorter recovery period.

Also there is one non-surgical option. It's called "Soft Paws" and you can get it at your local pet store. It's a sheath that you put a tiny drop of glue in and slide it on your cats nail, one at a time. It covers the claw and prevents scratching damage. They last for awhile, but do need to be reapplied.

2006-11-26 15:30:46 · answer #1 · answered by kherome 5 · 1 2

This is a question that can really cause fights. De-clawing is a personal opinion. My two are de-clawed and they have never had any problems. Talk to your vet and get information from them. There is a new way to do it that is less painful on the animal. There are other options to prevent the animal from destroying the house. There are small caps that can be put on the nails that will prevent them from clawing the furniture. They come in bright colors and do have to be replaced every now and then. You can keep the nails clipped to keep the damage to a minimal. My two still have their back claws so every now and then I file the tips off with my nail file. Make sure they have a scratching post and if you see them thinking about using the couch or easy chair spray them with water. Praise them for using the scratching post and tell them what wonderful kitties they are.

2006-11-27 02:22:57 · answer #2 · answered by mmuscs 6 · 0 0

My family has had cats my whole life (for a grand total of seven cats). Every single one of them has been declawed. NONE of them had any sort of complications, behavior problems, depression, etc. Not all of us have the time that it would take to train a cat not to claw furniture, and cats can be incredibly hard to train. My boyfriend and I are gone during the day and there is no way we would have been able to prevent the sacrifice of all of our furniture. Yes, a pet is more important than furniture, but really - who has the money to spend on new couches, and who wants to look at a shredded one every day?

My baby Rocky was declawed at five months old. I had the laser surgery done on him; the vet kept him overnight and the next day I brought him home and he wanted to jump on everything, same as usual. If he was in pain, would he have done that? I don't think so!! He is about the happiest cat I've ever seen, and it doesn't hurt like hell anymore when he kneads his paws on me or tries to hug my neck. In fact, if anything he's happier because I can pet him MORE because he's not scratching me while I do!

For more information on this side of the story, visit http://www.geocities.com/declawing/ . It's not my site, but a very informative one I found when I was making the decision on what to do with Rocky and his razor-sharp claws. And I HIGHLY recommend finding a vet who will do the laser surgery - it cuts down drastically on the recovery time and chance of complications.

(and don't tell me I could have cut them - he was SO wirey and wiggly at that age that the vet couldn't even give him a bath!)

2006-11-26 17:33:36 · answer #3 · answered by p0is0n0us_butterfly 2 · 0 0

If furniture is more important to you than your cat's body parts, you need to find a home for your kitty where it won't have it's fingers chopped off at the first joint for aesthetic reasons. Find a home for your kitty, then maybe adopt a cat who has already gone through the pain and agony of this surgery and miraculously made it out with his/her sanity.

And in response to another of the answers given here, there is never, NEVER a good excuse for declawing all four paws. These poor cats can't even scratch their itches, which is a ridiculous sacrifice to require of them just because you like your couch.

All it takes to train a cat is some Soft Paws nail covers, a spray bottle, and aluminum foil placed over the cats favorite incorrect scratching site until she picks a correct one. You don't have to use these things forever, just long enough for the cat to establish a habit of scratching in the right place.

2006-11-26 20:05:22 · answer #4 · answered by furryfriendlover 2 · 0 0

It depends on how old your cat is. If she is fairly young like a year or less it will be easier on her. But if she is older she may have more problems with it. Just remember that declawing is a very touchy subject and you should be sure that it is what you want. Remember that if your cat ever goes outside then it is a risk of not being able to defend itself. However if your cat is strickly indoors it is just fine to declaw them. Also I would recommend only declawing the front feet because believe it or not cats can still climb to a certain degree if they need to or are in danger. It's not terribly painful either. Of course with any surgery she will be sore for a time but they usually heal very quickly. After about a day or two she will be back to her normal self but you will still need to keep her from jumping off things so she doesn't risk opening up the incision again. But this is your choice to make, it's your furniture that is being tore up.

2006-11-26 15:56:14 · answer #5 · answered by dawggurl47 3 · 0 0

De-clawing a cat is a major surgery, which is risky! Fixing your cat if you have not will help the claw, and behavior problem. It will even lengthen the years in your cat's life. With a google search, you may print a free/low cost certificate for your area for the procedure. De-Clawing a cat is not only risky but it causes many deadly problems in cats. If the problem is that unbearable, there are alternatives to the surgery. Below are some websites explaining the risks with de-clawing alternatives. You have to ask what do you love more your cat or the furniture in your home.

2006-11-26 16:39:34 · answer #6 · answered by Cat News 1 · 0 0

De-clawing a cat is horribly painful for them. It would be like removing the first digit of your finger + if the kitty gets outside it will have no way to defend itself.

That said I would try a few different things. Catnip - put it on the cat tree. Water bottle - Spray the cat every time it tries to claw on anything other than the cat tree along with a stern NO!

There are also things called Soft Paws or Soft Claws that you glue over your kitty's just trimmed nails that make it so that they don't do as much if any damage.

A can can be taught not to claw certain things. Just need to be patient and consistent.

Best of luck to you.

2006-11-26 15:31:19 · answer #7 · answered by Destynee 2 · 3 0

There are other alternatives such as sprays that you can spray the couch with to discourage the cat or double-sided tape for the same purpose; even tiny rubber claw tips that the vet could apply to your cat's claws so he won't tear up whatever he claws. You need only to break the cat from the bad habit he has developed - it may take a month or two, but once the habit is broken, your furniture will be fine.


I personally think declawing is very very cruel.

2006-11-26 15:29:38 · answer #8 · answered by Phoebhart 6 · 2 0

is it painful to have a baby.... come on... are you going to get her fixed? I'd think that that would cause pain too. For a few weeks you exchange her litter for pieces of newspaper in her box. My cat and previous ones are fine and they are all declawed. Saves a bunch of money on furniture. Even though she is declawed she will still scratch at the furniture at least then she won't ruin expensive furniture. I wonder if any of these people who are criticizing actually own a cat or have ever for that matter

2006-11-27 00:30:25 · answer #9 · answered by fishes 4 ducks 2 · 0 0

Its Like Cutting Of your Finger at the first Joint..The First little Knuckle..Its Really Cruel,,,BUT, Working at a Shelter If A person does it and takes good care of the Cat..I'm just Grateful The Cat Gets a Good Home..I understand people not wanting their stuff tore up..I wouldnt do it But I brought home a Cat the Other day and She is Declawed(I didnt Know Till I decided to Bring her Home)You can Buy these Glue on Nails That last 6 to 8 weeks then you just reglue new ones on..Thats a Nicer Alternative.Or Keep her nails Trimmed!

2006-11-26 15:36:28 · answer #10 · answered by roxie_29812 4 · 0 0

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