Question about declawing a cat?

Question

Ok. I've always been against declawing a cat. I have two kitties and my male cat has effectively destroyed our three curtains in the living room and our shower curtain. Lately he's been clawing on the carpet and sofa. They have a huge four level cat tree house which our little girl cat uses. At what point is enough enough? To declaw is cruel but so would be giving him up to the pound as it's hard to give away a destructive cat. Hmm What'cha think

Answer 1

Get SoftClaws. These are little plastic caps that fit over your cat's claws. They'll still go through the motions of ripping up everything but they won't be able to cause any damage. If your cats are comfortable having their claws clipped, it shouldn't be too hard to put the caps on.

The other thing is to teach them that destroying curtains is extremely unpleasant. Get a spray bottle. Fill it with water and add a tablespoon of vinegar. Every time you catch your cats IN THE ACT of destroying curtains, spray their faces. Even if yours are the kind who like water (until bathtime anyway :-P) the vinegar will deter them. You can also spray the fabric with taste/scent deterents. Bitter apple is available in pet stores and works well. You can ask your vet about other similar products.

Answer 2

I totally agree. All three of my cats are declawed. The last kitten I got I tried using those nail caps, I think they are called "soft-claws" give those a whirl. Also, try neutering, a new scratching post, maybe bring in a small log from outside, rub catnip on it. Try squirting him with water when you catch him in the act.
Unfortunately, none of this work for me. If it doesn't work for you and it's getting to the point where he may be off to the pound for euthanasia, then I see no other alternative then declawing. Just make sure you take him to a vet you trust. Yes, I know, alot of people say that declawing is very inhumane, but like you said, better a declaw than death! As for cats becoming biters and having psychological problems, yes, that is a concern, sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn't.
None of my cats have had any adverse affects to their declawing. They now have pain medication to ease the after care.
One thing you must be sure of tho is, once he is declawed, he should never go outside unattended, or allowed to roam at all.

P.S. I don't think it's right for people to tell you, you are a bad person because you had to get your cat declawed as a last resort. I feel that once a person has tried everything and nothing has worked, then an owner has to make a decision between declawing and euthanasia.

Answer 3

There's nothing wrong with declawing a cat. You wouldn't believe how fast they bounce back after the surgery. Trust me. I had both of my cats declawed. The vet will just declaw the front, not the back. If you're still against it though, buy some Soft Claws from Cat Fancy magazine. They're fake nails for cats. They fit over their existing claws and come in different colors.

Answer 4

I myself find declawing my cats has always been a wise decision. Cruel in years past when it wasn't performed correctly, but today most vet do it with lazes and a special type of glue which allows cat to use litter and cuts down on any bleeding. My cats are running around the same day even when the vet says try....ha!ha! to keep them quiet. Sure if you take them to a fly-by-night vet you will get substandard care. I also believe in house bound cats so having them declawed doesn't cause any worry there. It is a well known fact indoor cats live longer healthier lives.
Get this, I have a Maine Coon cat, she is one with multi toes actually 7 on each front paw and 5 on the rear paws, I asked vet if that was going to be a problem...his answer was just more work for him and no more charge. Both Precious our coon and Mickey mouse are perfectly fine and live great lives with being declawed and altered 1 is 10 yrs and 1 is 8 yrs old. Mickey goes around scratching things and we say he has itchy feet...when he was a kitten he would slide down and look surprised. FUNNY

Answer 5

I STRONGLY urge you NOT to declaw your cat. Not only is it exceptionally cruel (imagine someone cutting off the tip of your finger down to your first joint) but it causes many more problems then it prevents.

Althought it may stop your cat from clawing your furniture, it can cause many severe psychological problems and can permanently change your cats behavior. Your sweet little kitty can become aggressive, depressed, and may bite. I know this from personal experience of a friend of mine who had their kitten declawed. The kitten was so sweet and playful, and permanenetly after the operation the cat became depressed, angry and wouldnt play any more. To this day the cat is not the same.

There are many humane alternatives (and much less expensive) to declawing. Small rubber claw caps can be bought and glued to your cats nails. This is a simple process and it stops the cat from being able to rip furniture or claw people. Spraying a cat with a water bottle is also an extremely effective way of getting a cat to stop clawing furniture. I have owned 3 cats and none of them have ever clawed any piece of furniture in my house.

Cats, especially male cats can be very territorial. Try getting him his own scratching post, as he might take to that one more.

Also, male cats tend to be a bit more agressive then females, has your cat been neutered? Many male cats will go insane if they are kept in a house and have not been fixed.

If you are not willing to try alternatives, and would seriously consider doing something so cruel and Unneccesary, then you should really think about not owning the cat at all.

Answer 6

I would do it when you neuter him (which you will hopefully do no sooner than 6 months for health reasons if you are going to neuter him) so that way he doesnt go under anesthesia twice. and the earlier you declaw him the less painful it is for him (and they do have pain medicine you can ask for if not already included in the surgery) I know my male cat was completely declawed on all 4 feet. we only did that because he only attacked people and he would claw and bunny kick with all 4 claws until you were seriously bleeding, so for our own well being we declawed him when we neutered him. You might also try cutting his nails and giving him those turbo chaser toys that have the ball around the outside of a scratching pad (blitz makes them) my calico loves to scratch that thing and she has stopped scratching the furniture now. so try that first and see if that helps if not I would definitely recommend declawing (not necessarily all 4 but at least the front claws). Good luck and if you have any questions email me.

Answer 7

Only declaw if an indoor cat, otherwise it is cruel. If indoors they really can be without the claws, they do not really know they are without them. My cats still behave as if they do. Or take them to the vet and ask them what else you can do to train them not to do this. Do you have something on the cat house that is really good for him to scratch? maybe hang a curtain on it and see if it does that instead of yours.
At the end of the Day Cats will be Cats...

Answer 8

If your cats go outside then declawing him would definately be unfair. He needs his claws for defense. If however he is a house cat, declawing sounds like the thing to do rather than getting rid of him.

I feel the same way about declawing as you do, but if it came to a point where the only way I'd keep my pet was by having this done, I'd do it.

Karma.
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Answer 9

I know a lot of people argue that it's cruel to declaw. I asked a question the other day about my kitten that I just got declawed, and one very hateful person berated me for it. But if you love your cat and don't want to give him up, and he's only an indoor cat, then I think you should declaw.

Answer 10

Your cat has for sure been very spooked by employing something and being particular desires he continues to be very traumatised a fortnight later. Did all and sundry come into your place who could harm or frighten him ? Or did something ensue exterior, like a noisy bang ? supply him time to cool down lower back.Declawing him could be very cruel,have self assurance me you could finally end up with lots worse issues. ok a scratch isn't advantageous yet as somebody else already reported, a chew is a lot worse ! i could advise a examine up on the vets however the journey ought to freak him out much greater. i think of i could supply him time, do no longer %. him up or enable the toddlers play with him, supply him some area and notice how he is going. I do agree that inspite of the actual shown fact that it could be undesirable to take him back to the shield, greater effectual that than declawing him as a minimum of with claws he has possibility of yet another domicile.