Declawing your indoor cat....advantage or disadvantage?

Question

I have to female cats. They will be a year in April. I am going to get them sprayed, but also thinking about getting them declawed, esp. since they are indoor cats. Also, they love climbing my walls, literally!! The sound is worse then the chalkboard...UGH!! But I dont want to keep putting them under for surgery, so I decided to do it all at once. I am wondering if there were any advantages/disadvantages to getting them declawed? Will they be affected emotionally?

Answer 1

Declawing is illegal where I live and I can't understand a decent country like the US still allows it, or anyone who claims to love their cat will even consider it. It's animal cruelty, plain and simple. It robs them not only of their defense which indeed they don't need indoors (but if they *ever* get out, they'll be in major trouble, and can you truly guarantee that'll never happen?). It also changes the way they walk so they'll often get problems later in life. They can't stretch well without using their nails. Because they can't scratch, they'll often start biting. Many will stop using the litter box.

Yeah, as a previous poster said they won't scratch you or scratch up your furniture. No, but chances are very high they'll bite you and p*ss on your furniture, instead.

Answer 2

I don't believe there is an advantage to having them declawed. But there are many disadvantages as the other posters have mentioned.
But one disadvantage that was not listed is that as they get older they WILL develop arthritis which will cause them pain for the rest of their lives. And if you don't want to see them suffer you will have to give them meds (which is not easy or fun) for the rest of their life.
I have never wanted to declaw any of my cats and after I started to rescue I am very glad that I have not. People relinquish their cats that have been declawed and I have seen more problems and issues with them than any of the others I have saved. Including the ferals, with them I just have to have patience and lots of TLC and they come around.
Not with the declawed cats, it is like taking a cat that has been totally abused. Sometimes they cannot be fixed. So you end up with a cat that is NOT adoptable. Most shelters will kill them because they can't find them a home. Or they just get returned.

Answer 3

I have had 3 cats. They lived 19, 13, and 12 years. All of them were declawed.They had wonderful, happy indoor only lives. They played with each other and had a great time. PS when my niece was 2, a non-declawed cat scratched her in the face. one inch to the right and she would have lost an eye so it is not only about furniture you need to worry about. Keep that in mind. The other people posting here are, to say the least, over reacting.

Answer 4

Before you make the decision to declaw your cat, there are some important facts you should know. Declawing is not like a manicure. It is serious surgery. Your cat's claw is not a toenail. It is actually closely adhered to the bone. So closely adhered that to remove the claw, the last bone of your the cat's claw has to be removed. Declawing is actually an amputation of the last joint of your cat's "toes". When you envision that, it becomes clear why declawing is not a humane act. It is a painful surgery, with a painful recovery period. And remember that during the time of recuperation from the surgery your cat would still have to use its feet to walk, jump, and scratch in its litter box regardless of the pain it is experiencing. Wheelchairs and bedpans are not an option for a cat.

Answer 5

Declawing removes the first joint of the pays, it is similar to having your finger tips cut off.

It most countries it is actually an illegal practice.

A cats behavior can be easily curbed by was of buying them a good scratching post, not allowing them on or near certain furniture or in certain parts of the house.

Declawing takes aways your cats fundamental defense system, in the instance that by some unfortunate change your cat got into the wild it would have no means of protecting itself.

It is an unnecessary operation and you should really exhaust all means of training and behavior modification before going to such an extreme.

You can buy cat repellent, Little, rubber caps to put over the claws. Even keeping the claws will trimmed will reduce the damage your cat can do in the home.

Answer 6

The disadvantages of declawing are extreme pain for the cats (they have to walk on their paws after part of their toes have been cut off!), and possible long-term behavior problems resulting from pain associated with the surgery and feelings of defenselessness, such as litterbox aversion or biting.

The advantages are that your cats won't be able to scratch your furniture. But why put your cats through the pain of declawing when you can easily train them to scratch their posts instead of the furniture? http://www.catscratching.com has instructions.
You can even get nail caps to put on their claws to prevent damage to the furniture while they're learning. http://www.softpaws.com
If you're uncertain about applying them at home, you can find a vet or groomer to put them on the cats for you.

Answer 7

There are a lot of kitty advocates that will kill you for that question but here's my honest answer. I just had both my boy and girl kitties fixed and front declawed at the same time. The boy acted like it was nothing, the girl was a little more sore and disgusted with me but after a day or two she was fine.

I got my adult cat front declawed a few years ago and the older they get, the harder it is on them so if you are going to do it - do it now. Another suggestion. Do NOT declaw their back claws. It's pointless really and if they do get out by accident - the back claws allows them to still climb trees and defend themselves. So I would only do the front claws.

Answer 8

Declawing's really bad! My cousins got a cat froma rescue centre a few years ago and his previous owner had declawed him. He was a really lovely cat with a great temperament but one day when they let him outside he never came back. He was killed in a fight with another animal and couldnt defend himself as he didnt have any claws :(

Kittens tend to claw for quite a bit when you first get them but they do stop after a while. (mine did anyway) And i'm sure my cats respect me for not ripping their nails out! lol

Answer 9

Please dont declaw.
http://www.declawhallofshame.com/wst_page5.html
Please do not declaw. That is the lazy way out.
Give kitty a lovely scratching post and rub it with cat nip. Take him to the post and gently rub his paws on the post to show him.... he will love it. Then, get the thin special double sided wide tape sold for this purpose at the pet store: and place it on the areas on the furniture kitty liked to scratcth: they hate sticky stuff, and will eventually leave it alone. This stuff is great, it is thin, clear, does not harm furniture ( i have antiques) and is easy to remove, and only about as sticky as a lint remover roll... but works like a charm. And remember, agression ( slapping hitting, yelling) does not work for cats, they just see you being mean..... this can cause other issues! Be gentle and loving, and when kitty starts to scritch, gently pick him up and move him to his post..... also, when you declaw, they cut off kittys finger a the the first knuckle. I have two who are and two who are not... i will never ever do i t again, who am I to maim a cat for myown selfish purpose.... for a piece of furniture? Cripes, I love my cats more then any piece of "furniture." Please, do not declaw. go here to see images of complications from botched declaws surgery: does your kitty deserve this?
www.hollys.org/declaw.html
and botched:
http://www.declawhallofshame.com/wst_pag...
Inappropriate Scratching
Cats are born to scratch. It provides a means of "sharpening their claws," which is really the process of removing the grown-out sheath that covers them, and it offers the kind of stretching, pulling exercise that helps build strong muscles, tendons, and joints. (Think isotonic excercise.) A cat who scratches furniture needs a scratching post. If he already has one, he needs another one or two, of different sizes, textures (carpet, wood, or sisal) and configurations (tall, flat, or inclined).

Answer 10

Personally I don't see one single advantage to declawing a cat. it does nothing to help a cat, it causes un necisary pain and suffering that may last their whole life.