declaw cats?

Answer 1

Please don't.

How would you like it if someone cut your fingers off? It's the same thing. I say this and I have a $3000 leather couch that has been ruined. Still, it's the cost of choosing to own cats. If I wanted a perfect house, I would not be a pet owner.

My cats are indoors only, however if they ever did get out for some reason, they would be helpless without their claws. Plus, I have seen my cats use their claws like fingers to pick up balls, cat food, and to pull themselves up on (my couch!) furniture.

Get them scratching posts, coat them with catnip. Buy the corrogated cardboard ones and throw them behind the couch and in the closet.....they will have different places to scratch.

Answer 2

I don't think that declawing cats is a good idea. However it all else has failed and the cat is destroying the house so badly that it will be put down if the destruction doesn't stop then it's better than killing the cat.

Some people believe that all cats can be trained to the scratching post, but I've experienced one out of the 8 or so we've had that would scratch the scratching post and the other scratching post and the rope thingy and the woodwork and the doors and the couch and the chairs and the kitchen cabinets and anything else she could get ahold of. Cutting her claws made her scratch that much faster so that she could get them sharp again. She scratched through those glue on plastic claw covers in less than a day. My sister in law found her a home on a farm where she is now the queen of the barn cats, but had we not been able to do this I would have had her declawed. The alternative was having her put to sleep. I would not have taken her to a shelter because I would not inflict that damage on an unsuspecting person who was nice enough to adopt a cat that needed a home.

While there are those who won't declaw under any circumstances if it gets bad enough there are times when you have to do it. Many families are not in the economic position to totally replace ruined furniture and woodwork and panelling and coats and carpet and rugs. I can sympathize with them--my cat even clawed the bedding and the mattresses. I simply could not afford her destruction on my salary. She ruined thousands of dollars worth of wood and household furnishings.

Answer 3

NO NO NO! The only reason people get their cats declawed is because they don't want their furniture spoilt. It is unnecessary mutilation when you can easily train a cat to use a scratching post, you can trim the claws regularly or try those pads that stick on and cover the claws.

Answer 4

No! It hurts them and you can't let them out afterwards (they can't defend themselves).
There are attachable paw covers you can buy at the pet store which keep them from using their claws, but is temporary and not painful.
If you MUST have a declawed cat please go adopt one that has been declawed by a previous owner.

Answer 5

It's chopping off the last knunkles of the cat's paw. It can cause tenderness and pain for YEARS. I had one cat declawed before I knew better.....over 10 years later, his paws still hurt.


DON'T DO IT.

Buy a scratching post instead !

Lifes

Answer 6

Only if the cat is scratching you beyond control and if it is going to be an indoor only cat. It isn't fair to the cat if you declaw it and it is going to be outside because it will have no way to defend itself. But try to avoid declawing if at all possible it is cruel.

Answer 7

Declawing is outlawed in many European countries, but in the United States and Canada is still considered a viable surgical procedure by many veterinarians, while advocates for cats consider it an inhumane and unnecessary form of mutilation.

I say NO WAY

Answer 8

Hi there...perhaps this website will help you better understand the ill-effects of declawing.

Surgical Declaw photos: http://community-2.webtv.net/stopdeclaw/declawpics/

Answer 9

I say yes. I have had 4 cats since I was little, my cat now is 8. We only ever got their front claws removed for the furniture and some of them were violent, lol. They need the rear ones, especially if they go outside. It hurts for a bit but they all recouperated fine.

Answer 10

It is difficult to stop them from doing what is natural, clawing at furniture, curtains, etc. To make owning them less damaging, declawing is a good option.