Should I have my kittens declawed?

Answer 1

Not yet, get them a scratching post and rub a little cat nip on it to get them going on it. Try using a squirt gun on them if they start to scratch on furniture to deter them.I'm pretty sure they make these little covers for cats claws (you can check at a large pet store for them),but if all else fails, wait until they're at least a year old and (unless you live in the country with lots of wild critters) then just have their front claws removed.

Answer 2

Claws are not like an appendix. Cats use their front claws not just for defense, but to exercise the muscles in their front legs and stretch their backs. Without claws, they can't stretch as well and the muscles atrophy over time; many declawed cats become badly arthritic. The surgery removes not just the claws; it is an amputation. It is the same as cutting your all fingertips off at the first joint. While perhaps not initially as painful due to advances in veterinary technique, it is still a debilitating amputation, and many vets now refuse to do it. Just watch how declawed cats walk, compared to cats with claws. As others have mentioned, cats need to scratch, not only to maintain tone and flexibility, but for emotional comfort. If your cat prefers the furniture to a post, you've bought the wrong post. Posts must be good and sturdy so it is stable against their full weight - they like to reach up and stretch their whole bodies against it. if you bought a wobbly post, of course they prefer the couch. My cats have a 2-story carpeted cat tree and half a dozen sisal covered boards that sit at an angle on the floor, all around the house. My furniture is untouched because it is just less attractive than these things. They know they have their own places to scratch. It really, really also helps to clip your cats' claws every couple of weeks to take off the sharp tips. There are special clippers for cat claws so you can see what you're doing. It takes 20 seconds once you're good at it. Ask you vet to show you how it's done.

Answer 3

My son has two Cats, and they were destroying all his furniture, despite the fact that he had a clawing post. So he had them declawed. But these are indoor cats. After you have them declawed, they cannot get away from dogs etc, when you let them outside, by climbing a tree. So make sure you intend to keep the kittens.
Also remember this is major surgery, my son and his wife and children had to hold the cats so that they did not tear bandages off feet, until they healed up. Think this over carefully.

Answer 4

Of course not.

There are many alternatives to getting your cat declawed, such as products that go over the cat's nails, training, and scratching posts, and especially since they're still kittens, what harm could they have done so far with their claws?

There are long term effects of the declawing, as well as the obvious short term pain from the surgery.

"Without claws, even house-trained cats may urinate and defecate outside the litterbox in an attempt to mark their territory. Declawed cats may be morose, reclusive, and withdrawn or irritable, aggressive, and unpredictable." (source below)

Cat urine is no fun to deal with, and performing an unneeded surgery on your companion animal which may make it less friendly in the long run just doesn't make sense.

Answer 5

Even though the cat remains just as friendly as ever, it is not wise at all to declaw a cat at anytime during their lives. They need to defend themselves sometimes. Unfortunately, I have a cat who is declawed. This was not my choice, because she was declawed and spayed before we got her. Good luck whatever you decide, but I personally wouldn't do it. My other cats aren't declawed and have an advantage over her when a fight arises.

Answer 6

ok everyone here seems to think it's mean to declaw a kitten but I have to say it doesn't hurt them like in the old days. My cats all came home and didn't walk around in pain, they were jumping running and playing normally. They weren't bandaged up like they use to do to them way back when

I think it's worse to have the females fixed since they get cut open and stitched up that is so much worse

Answer 7

No, No, No, This is a horrible mutilation of an animal - removing its nails to suit the human convenience. If the cats are going to be indoors, they only need a proper scratch tower - something you can buy at any pet store where they can perform a natural, and emotionally important act of "nail grooming". It's as unthinkable as it would be to have a dogs teeth removed to make sure the animal didn't bite anybody. If you can't deal with the natural behaviours of an animal, then you should think of getting a different kind of pet. But don't mutilate the poor animal just to suit your personal preferences.

Answer 8

No I think it is cruel to declaw any animal. They remove the entire knuckle from the cats paw and if the cat ever got outside they would never be able to defend themselves

Answer 9

This is a choice you need to make on your own.

I personally think declawing is great and will always declaw my cats.

If you don't mind your furniture clawed up then don't bother. There are some methods you can use to prevent them from clawing up your things. Some cats learn real well to use a scratching post while others just claw up your furniture when your away.

Answer 10

No, please don't do that to your kitties! Declawing is a very bad, inhumane operation. It is very painful, will leave your kittens defenseless, and you will have to keep them indoors for their entire lives. Like someone above me said, it is not like cutting their nails off, it is like someone cutting your FINGERS off at the first knuckle.

If you buy your kittens a good scratching post and teach them to use it, they should leave furniture alone. If they develop a furniture scratching problem, you can resolve it by putting clear plastic packaging tape on the furniture where they scratch, like on the corners. Cats dont like how the plastic feels and will stop scratching there. If you want to have cats you just have to learn to live with occasionally having scratches on you. I have had cats most my life and cat scratches on cat owners are common.