shoould i declaw my cat at an late age?

Answer 1

Not at a late age, not at an early age, not in the middle.

Cats use their toes to balance when they walk. If you cut the ends of the toes off, they can't do that. This makes them change the way they walk and frequently leads to arthritis and other joint problems due to the changes they need to make.

Also, you can wind up with behavioral problems as well -- it's not uncommon for declawed cats to become biters or suddenly start hiding all the time.

But above all he whole thing is very pitiful, and if you love your cat, I can pretty much guarantee you will hate yourself for having done it. I know this because I did do it to a cat I had years ago. It was just horrible -- she didn't understand why it hurt her so much to jump. And when she did her little paws would bleed.... it was awful. I wouldn't do it again in a million years after that experience, and I only hope that sharing that with you might spare you (and your kitty) from having to learn this lesson the hard way....

Answer 2

Not as straight forward a question as many might think. I am a veterinarian, and the first thing I tell my clients is, "It's probably not necessary, and you should be able to avoid having to do it." One, clip her claws weekly with or without "soft paws". Two, try behavior training - when she claws furniture, your legs, etc., spray her with a squirt gun/water bottle or hiss/make a scary noise (a tin can with coins in it works well). (One exception - if she's giving a warning to the dog, let the dog be warned. Just don't let her tear the dog up repeatedly.) Three, Give her a scratching post/piece of rug, etc. to trim her claws. Four, seek further advice from your vet, a behavoirist, etc. These will solve the problem 99% of the time.

HOWEVER, If she is intractably scratching your child or an elderly parent, or if you're going to give her up or - and I've had to refuse to do this for people - if you're going to put her to sleep - then yes, declaw your cat. You are NOT an animal hater, don't have a lack of morals, or any other issue people will throw at you. You love your cat, and are simply trying to find a way to keep her.

Just know that yes, it is painful for 1-3 days, and they may be sore for a couple weeks - similar to any other surgery that we do. Only do the front paws. KEEP YOUR CAT INSIDE. Laser surgery is my preferred, but not the only, way to do it. If laser is not available, "guillotine" through the bone is NOT the only other way - a vet can use a scalpel to do the declaw and only cut soft tissues. This is different from a tendonectomy, which means they keep the whole toe, but can't scratch you.

Finally, cats do NOT lose their balance from a declaw. However, a tendonectomy, while a great idea in some cases, does mean their claws continue to grow, and still need to be cut weekly because with this procedure they cannot keep them short and they will become ingrown and painful and possibly infected. Similarly, soft paws will protect you, but doesn't relieve you of the job of cutting their nails - they grow and can become ingrown. Cats that are declawed will not develop behavioral problems unless they feel threatened, and if so, will be quicker to bite than most cats because their primary defense is gone.

Answer 3

I don't declawing should be done at all. I have a declawed and spayed 2 year old cat, but she was that way when we were given her. Anyways, if you want to prevent him/her from clawing the furniture, then buy a scratching post, and cover it with some catnip in some way. That will attract him/her to the catnip and away from the furniture.

Also another thing: She is a very sweet cat. Declawing and spaying her never changed her attitude towards people. But I think declawing should be outlawed. I didn't choose to declaw her after all.

Answer 4

Please! Do yourself and your cat a big favor and NEVER declaw a cat! Declawing is not just removing the claws as it is still sometimes advertised. It is considered mutilation and an illegal operation in Europe. Declawing will give your cat great pain and it can lead to very severe behavioral problems. As a breeder I would not sell a kitten to a person who intends to declaw him and modern and educated vets will refuse to do the operation.

Answer 5

no, I think buying a scratching post and teaching him/her to use it is a better solution. But, to the people who say that it causes behavioral problems, I haven't seen that. My grandma's old cat (died a couple years ago at age 13) was declawed. She would never hurt a thing. She was also an outdoor cat who played in the woods that my grandma lives in. She was able to fend for herself. But I still say that I wouldn't do it.

Answer 6

NEVER - declawing a cat is = to cutting off a person's fingers at the first joint. And if the cat ever goes outside, he's just lost the ability to protect himself.

Answer 7

Sorry to say but your shouldnt declaw your cat at all...It is like amputating thier toes, and can cause soreness in the cats feet so they cant walk b/c of the pain, they wont be able to protect themselves if their in danger, if its a boy some one told me that he wont feel like a man...dumb huh? But declawing is bad in a lot of ways so dont do it.

Answer 8

Only if you use the newer methods of declawing such as laser or tendonectomy. They cause much less trauma. I would absolutely not recommend surgical declawing for any cat, especially an older cat.

Answer 9

Declawing is really amputating the ends of their toes. It would be mush easier on your cat to trim his claws regularly, or get some of those soft paws, glue on thingies for their claws.

Don't declaw him now.

Answer 10

Please never declaw any cat! You can buy a product called Soft Claws which are made of rubber and glue on over the claw. They shed them naturally over 4-6 weeks.
Your cats claws are actually attached to the bones in his/her paws.