My boyfriend and i are thinging about getting a cat in about a month. I was told when they are kittens that their claws arent sharp enough to scratch furniture?? is this true? or do we need to be extra careful....
2007-01-15 08:12:16 · 29 answers · asked by GA Peach 1 in Pets ➔ Cats
No matter what, de-clawing an animal is cruel and wrong. If you can't live with an animal that scratches have your boyfriend invest in an aquarium.
2007-01-15 08:19:12 · answer #1 · answered by Sciencemom 4 · 5⤊ 3⤋
Make sure that if you do get a cat that all you want to do is get them declawed because it is a procedure that is very painful. If you do decide to get a cat and you want to get them declawed you might want to get them neutered or spayed too so that they don't have to go through two separate procedures. Also the cat has to be between 3 to 5 lbs. before a vet will consider the procedure. It's best to do it when they are young. No matter how old they are, their claws are sharp. believe me I work with cats on a daily basis and I have a male and a female at home.
2007-01-18 17:49:24 · answer #2 · answered by marylou6996 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Declawing isn't basically removing the claws. They do away with the 1st knuckle too. it is amputation. The small piece of bone the claw grows out of must be bumped off so the claws can not strengthen returned. The pads additionally get decrease in this surgical operation. it is stressful for a cat. i've got had as much as twenty cats at a time (i used to be a Persian breeder)and none have been declawed. Please have not got this performed on your kitten. i might evaluate it to slicing off the tip of a people finger. comparable element.
2016-12-16 05:26:34 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
My apartment building won't let you get a cat unless it is declawed. I went to the humane society and adopted a cat that was already declawed. She was 1.5 years, but that was fine with me. She's happy and healthy and I'm so glad I adopted her. Older cats need a home, too, and aren't as wild as little kittens. Cats can live 20 years or more, so think about adopting an older declawed cat if you're concerned about the furniture.
2007-01-15 14:32:05 · answer #4 · answered by Anna C. 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Never. They sell little plastic nail covers for your cat if it scratches.
Provide a scratching post, train it well, and cover the nails as a last resort.
De-clawing removes the "finger tip" portion of the cat's foot, to the first knuckle. It leaves the animal defenseless if it should work it's way outside. Little kittens are basically unable to get a claw into anything except cloth, but their teeth are razor sharp.
2007-01-15 08:39:47 · answer #5 · answered by Niniva 2 · 3⤊ 1⤋
please dont de-claw your cat. i'm sure you know now what the procedure is, and i'm sure you have enough information now on things you can buy like scratching posts, sprays, and mittens. i found my cat on the street, he had obviously been homeless for months, and he had no claws to catch food with. he was ate up with fleas. think of what it would be like, not being able to catch food, or scratch yourself when you have an itch. if you are worried about your furniture getting ruined, i would suggest getting a different pet. or go to an animal shelter and adopt a cat that needs a good home.
2007-01-15 19:30:42 · answer #6 · answered by superyduperymommy 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
It really isn't necessary to get a kitten declawed at all. You can trim the sharp points off the claws to keep her from causing damage to your skin or furniture, and you can teach her to use a scratching post too.
Declawing isn't just a permanent nail trim - the vet actually cuts off the first joint of the cat's toes, which is very painful and can sometimes result in physical & behavioral problems for the cat in the future.
Please read the link below for complete information about declawing, and about how to trim your kitten's claws, and how to teach her to use her scratching post & not damage your furniture.
If you're really worried about the claws & think just trimming won't be enough to stop damage, you can try softpaws nail caps for cats. They work great!
2007-01-15 08:24:17 · answer #7 · answered by Bess2002 5 · 5⤊ 2⤋
DO NOT GET YOUR CAT DE-CLAWED! Do you know what that procedure is? It's amputation! They don't "remove claws" like most people think - it's actually removing more than the claws but also bone from the cats paws! It is SO unneccessary if you take the time and train your kitten to use scratching boards, scratching posts and other items for cats with claws. Think about it this way - it's like removing YOUR fingers from the very first knuckle after your fingernail. It's just CRUEL!
2007-01-15 08:27:39 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 5⤊ 2⤋
Absent a dangerous health condition, there is no sound reason to declaw a cat. You need to train the cat not to scratch furniture. Buy a scratching post or scratching rope and teach the cat to use those. You can also buy double-sided tape and plastic protectors to put on areas you don't want your cat scratching.
2007-01-15 11:22:49 · answer #9 · answered by Ryan R 6 · 2⤊ 1⤋
They will claw your furniture at any age. Teach your cat to use a scratching post. Your cat will never be the same after you declaw it. Thats like saying you want a baby but once its able to walk around and get into trouble you want to cut off its legs so it cant ruin your furniture. Buy a bird
2007-01-15 08:30:56 · answer #10 · answered by ALN 2 · 6⤊ 2⤋
Getting a cat declawed is like you going to the Dr. and having your fingers cut off at the first nuckle. It's not just the nail they take off, it's the tip of their "fingers". Most vets won't do it because it's cruel and it is very hard for a cats feet to heal since they have to use them to dig in the litter box. They tend to get infections and hurt for a very long time. Keeping a cat from clawing on your furniture is a lot easier than you think. Most are not even scratchers. If you want to make sure they don't, then get the sprays that they sell at pet stores.
2007-01-15 08:25:11 · answer #11 · answered by Anonymous · 6⤊ 2⤋