my friend says it disables them, gives them medical problem like arthritis, and it cause them pain when they move. is all this true?
2006-12-10 12:26:19 · 34 answers · asked by bluekitty 1 in Pets ➔ Cats
I've read lots of articles about declawing. I have not read that declawing gives arthritis. I have read it does cause them pain, obviously right after the surgery, but even long after.
It can also cause them so many adjustment issues and psychological issues. I've had so many indoor cats, currently 8, and have always been able to train them not to destroy furniture and my house. If you provide good scratching posts, train them well as kittens (or whenever you get them), trim their claws every 2-3 weeks and reinforce the training as needed, all will be fine. If these things aren't quite enough for your cat, there are so many things on the market these days to help.
Just don't do it. It is cruel. It is illegal in many European countries. Think about that.
2006-12-10 13:08:49 · answer #1 · answered by mariejessie 2 · 2⤊ 1⤋
My cat (DSH) did fine. However, I now have a pure bred cat (Bengal) and all of the breeders I've come into contact with put in their contract that declawing isn't allowed. Most believe (whether from experience or from something they've been told) that it will harm the cat. Not only medically, but mentally--many apparently begin having litter box problems after being declawed. NEVER do a four paw declaw, and I wouldn't recommend declaw at all if the cat is allowed outdoors.
That said, did you know that declawing means they actually remove the first joint because that's how far back the claw bed goes? Like I said, my boy was fine and even continued trying to sharpen his "claws", but I probably won't do it again. The couple of times my boy dashed out the door, I was terrified he'd get into a scuffle and get hurt because he didn't have claws to defend himself.
2006-12-10 13:52:57 · answer #2 · answered by st_mel 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Some people will tell you yes because they do not approve of declawing. I've had cats both with claws and declawed and can honestly say that they were not any different. No arthritis, no medical problems. What your friend may be referring to is after the declaw if first done, the cats do have very tender feet. But it soon passes.
2006-12-10 12:39:36 · answer #3 · answered by ? 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Please please please check out this link! They are totally safe for cats, and they work! Once they get used to them, it only takes a minute or two to put them on.
Declawing can definitely change their personalities, make them more defensive, more prone to biting, etc. Not sure about arthritis, although it can throw off their balance, especially if you do the back claws (most vets won't even do the back claws anymore).
Plus, it's not just removing the claw (as if that weren't bad enough), it's actually removing the end section of the digit! If you look at your own finger, it's as if you were to chop off the tip of each finger at the end of the knuckle.
Just one more thing...watching a cat play on one of those inclined cedar scratching posts is so adorable! They have tons of silly fun, you get a giggle, and it can save your furniture. :)
2006-12-14 07:53:50 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
As they get older, it can cause arthritis, yes. When you first declaw a cat, it will cause pain, and many refuse to use their litterbox, because the litter hurts their sensitive feet.
You should never declaw a cat unless you've gone through all other options.
2006-12-10 12:30:02 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
If you cat is going to have arthritis, it will not be caused by declawing them as a kitten. If you declaw them as adults, then yes, it is extremely painful and cats usually take a while to recover. As a kitten, however, they usually bounce back in one-two days.
2006-12-10 12:29:21 · answer #6 · answered by Yoyo 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
imagine someone ripped your nails out of your hands. how would you feel. They get sad, they cant fight another cat because they'll lose. They do feel pain for a while but i don't know about arthritis. Some cats change their attitudes and are never the same after being declawed.
2006-12-10 12:30:18 · answer #7 · answered by 1love 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
don't declaw! many states and counties are outlawing it because it is very inhumane. One of our cats was declawed and she had nothing but problems and it HURTS! Imagine someone taking out your nails. In addition it makes them defenseless if they ever get outside. If scratching is the problem, experiment with different scratching posts (or other scratching things to see what they like), try the temporary 'claws' that are rubbery (available in any pet store), or other methods to keep them off of things (like sprays or sticky paper...it all works). Declawing shouldn't even be a 'last resort', dont' do it!
2006-12-10 13:21:55 · answer #8 · answered by . 3 · 3⤊ 0⤋
If the cat goes outside, it is cruel to declaw them because that is their natural means of defense. I have never heard of it causing arthritis.
2006-12-10 12:29:16 · answer #9 · answered by Anniesgran 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
It doesn't really matter since you shouldn't even consider doing something so awful and unnesecary, but yes doing so would cause the cat pain and leave it disabled although I haven't heard anything about arthritis
2006-12-10 22:25:33 · answer #10 · answered by Shadow 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋