Are anyone's cats/kittens declawed??? If so answer please. If not, dont answer!!!?

Question

Please help.
I know the medical terms and etc...
What are your personal experiences with it?
My kitten is 4 months and is going to be fixed and declawed Feb 12th. Will he still scratch in his litter box and etc??
Will he still be able to climb/jump without his claws?
Do they remove the whole claw or just some of it.
Thanks alot and have a good day

Answer 1

I am a licensed veterinary technician. I own 2 cats, one is declawed and one is not. The one that is not declawed uses her scratching post and lets me trim her nails. The one that is declawed would not allow me to trim his nails, even taking him to work and having 10 hours and professional assistance, and was damaging the house.....I say this because I know someone will ask why I declawed my cat...and maybe give me a thumbs-down too, but I don't care.

If you KNOW you want your cat declawed, now is the best time to do it. Several reasons for this. Because he is still growing, his joints are more flexible than an adult cat. It makes the surgery easier to perform and less painful. Also animals that are still growing have a higher metabolic rate and therefore they heal faster. Also, the lighter you are, the less pressure will be on your feet. Less pressure = less pain. I am not saying it's a painless procedure, because it isn't. But I want to minimize the pain he will be in. Ask about bringing home a few days' worth of pain medicine from the vet, it will make life much better for him afterward.

A declaw is essentially a partial toe amputation. The toe is cut through the last joint from the end of the toe. On a human hand, that's the joint just under your fingernail. It's essential to remove the whole thing, bone and all, to prevent partial regrowth of the nail. To have the nail partially regrow could be a huge problem, depending on whether or not it's ingrown. This rarely happens if your vet is a good surgeon, but even good surgeons have this happen sometimes. Cats don't bear weight directly on this part of the toe, they bear weight on the toe pad behind the last joint.

He will be able to scratch in his litterbox, but it's important to use a non-clay litter while he's healing, which will take 10-14 days. Clumping litter and conventional clay will lead to dust in the healing wounds, which greatly increases his chances of getting an infection. Infection is the most common complication we see when a cat is declawed. Use shredded paper or buy a litter made from recycled newspaper, the one we stock is called Yesterday's News. You will know his toes are infected if he holds up one or both paws, has one or more swollen toes, or is leaving red/pink spots where he walks. If that happens, you'll need to call the vet and get him some antibiotics. He will also still scratch on the carpet, couch, etc even after being declawed, but without the nails he can't hurt anything.

Declawing will not affect his ability to jump. If you are only having the front feet done (it's rarely necessary and not recommended to do the back feet), then he can still climb. The back claws dig in to the surface of what they are climbing and bear the cat's weight. The front feet are used for stability when climbing. He will be at a great disadvantage for hunting and fighting, so he should stay indoors (in my opinion, all cats should be kept indoors anyway).

It is not my place to tell you whether or not you should declaw your cat. It depends on what's best for your lifestyle. I don't think it should be done automatically as "part of having a cat", but rather it should be done as an informed choice. I hope I have answered all your questions and given you the information you need to make a responsible decision.

Answer 2

I rescue cats/kittens that have been dumped or left behind. I also get them from people that don't want them anymore for one reason or the other. I have had many declawed kitties and because of that I am against declawing totally.
I have seen more issues and problems with the declawed cats than any of the others. Mostly they are biters and I am not talking about a nibble. But I have had a couple that would not use the litterbox and they did not have medical issues.
They jump fine but could not climb as good as the others and would fall if they tried on steep inclines.
When I adopt out a cat they have to sign my contract stating they will not declaw. I explain to them there are many humane ways to deal with scratching. Even my vet is now advising his clients that there are better and more humane ways and discourages this practice.
Please reconsider for the sake of your cat and don't put them through unneccessary pain and suffering.

Answer 3

This is such a tough part about raising a kitten, but here goes...

We got kitten Moxy's claws done at the same time he got fixed last April... he was overnight at the vets for 2-3 nights, prepare yourself... for the intense feelings of GUILT!! :(

They remove whatever part of the claw that they need to, the vet stated that they only let the cats go home when they can confirm that healing is well on its way, and that the cat is doing a good enough job of cleaning their paws.

After they remove the claws, they stitch between, and the paws can be quite tender for a little while... Moxy was ok to walk around and still jump up on the chair/couch, but you could tell he wasn't really relaxing his paws, he was holding them kind of stiff, even when he'd sleep, and normally curl them under...he wouldn't for about a week or so...

He still digs in his litter box (obviously)
He "treads" on EVERYTHING... windows, doors, closet doors, cuboards, etc. He treads the most at 6am...EVERY SINGLE DAY.

We thought getting him fixed and declawed would zap some of his energy (he's a wild cat) and it didn't... if anything, he's MORE wild now...

and yes, have no fear- they will jump like normal without claws... he still tries to jump on things, and climb as high onto shelves, and stuff as he can!!

Answer 4

Obviously an emotional topic, but I find that most people who make outrageous claims about cats going mad, refusing to use the litter box, etc, have no facts to back up their position, and many have never had a declawed cat. Declawing is not like removing the tip of your finger. I suppose anatomically it is, but cats don't walk on the third phalanx any more than we do, so they can walk just fine after being declawed.

I have four declawed cats. They all use the litter box, they all use a scratching post, and they are all well adjusted and happy. If you are thinking about having it done, now is the time. It is safer to anesthetize the cat one time to fix and declaw it, rather than doing it in two surgeries, and the tissues are much softer, so healing is much faster. Many vets are using local blocks for declaws (numbing the paws like the dentist numbs a tooth) , giving pain meds post op and sending them home with you also. You may have to pay extra for them, but it's worth it.

Anyone who thinks declawing should be outlawed is ignoring the fact that there would be MANY more abused and abandoned cats, because some of them just won't stop sharpening their claws on things they shouldn't. Nail caps like Soft Paws get expensive in the long run, and they do come off. When they do, a cat can be pretty destructive in a short time.

Good Luck!!

Answer 5

When a cat is declawed, the take the entire claw out. Your cat will still be able to use the litter box as normal. Nothing will change there. The cat will be able to climb and jump, but your furniture will not be ruined. The personal experience with a cat that has been declawed is that they have no resource to protect themselves from other cats and so it is best to keep them in doors. You'll find that their little toes are very strong.

Answer 6

Yes, I have a declawed cat.

It is important that you understand that your cat will no longer be able to protect himself properly, so he should be kept strictly indoors for his own safety.

They don't know that their claws have been removed, so they will continue to have all of their instincts to use the litterbox, scratch, climb, etc. They do remove the whole claw and your little one will be sore for a while.

There is an alternative..they make claw covers for cats. It's a cover that slips over the claw so they don't scratch the furniture, climb curtains or claw you. They are available online or at your local pet store. They're called Soft Paws and they come in all sorts of colors.

Answer 7

While I have never had a cat that was declawed (I don't believe in that and won't do it to any of my cats), my tenant does have one which is declawed, so I can intelligently speak on this issue.

The cat can scratch in the liter box, BUT please be aware, after your kitten is declawed, he will NOT be able to use regular liter in his cat box for about a month or so (this is because he will end up with an infection in his toes because his toes will still be "open" from the surgery). You will be asked, by your Veterinarian, to instead, put shredded newspaper in his liter box and to change it EVERY time he uses the box, so that he doesn't get an infection.

Your kitten will be able to jump, but will not be able to climb anything.

Usually the standard for declawing a cat/kitten is that the Vet will take only the front claws out.

CONGRATULATIONS on your new Kitten.

Have a lovely rest of the evening.

Answer 8

I have three cats and they are all fixed and de-clawed . Only the very tip of the claw is removed and they and you are better off for it. Now, if you let them outside at all I would say only the front claws should be removed . If they are housecats do all of them. Also if you have leather furniture . They will still scratch the litter box and cover everything up nicely. Yes, he will climb and jump like crazy and quickly learn when he has to watch not to slip . Cats are wonderful pets and all the better when they are de-clawed and fixed .
Mine are never allowed to go out .Too many dangers like cars and germs .
Have fun with your pet .

Answer 9

No they don't remove just some of the claw they remove the whole claw along with the nail bed and the bone in which it grows. It is equivilant to amputating all of your fingers at the joint just past your nail. It is very painful for the no matter if it is done by scalpel or laser. Some cats have a lot of trouble walking for a while after, some for the rest of their lives. Some take to hiding, some turn aggressive, some take up biting, some take up avoiding the litterbox completely. yes of course some cats do fine with no issues.

I have had MANY years of experience with declawing and with declawed cats..I will also tell you that many declawed cats end up in shelters because they have litterbox issues or have resorted to biting. Cats that have been declawed and have developed litterbox avoidance, biting and other issues are our most common calls on cat behavior at the hospital.We try to educate people before they declaw as to exactly what declawing involves and what behaviors may occur as a result.

You better believe the "horror" stories you hear regarding declawing...they are very true..I know I've dealt with it for over 34 years. While not every cat will end up with an issue, many, many do. As I already said it is the most common behavior issue we hear at the hospital once a cat has been declawed..litterbox issues & declawing..it is one of the top reasons declawed cats are found in shelters.
There are better ways to keep your cat from scratching then amputation of it's toes..keeping nails trimmed, using different types & textures of scratching posts, using soft paws, etc

Answer 10

I have two cats. They are both declawed (one came that way and one I got declawed myself). They can still jump, scratch in the litter box, etc. I guess in general it's been fine except I have noticed they are more likely to use their mouth instead of their claws. For example, instead of clawing at the carpet they bite it. It's really annoying.