Do cats get mad at you if you declaw them?

Question

If I declaw my cat will it hate me and would ignore me or will will everything stay the same?

Answer 1

No one really knows for sure.....but would you get mad at me if I cut off the tips of your fingers?

http://www.declawing.com

And cats aren't retarded (even though some of them may be owned by some less-than-bright people).....they KNOW when their claws are gone. One does not simply forget their nature and the way they were originally built. Would you forget your finger tips? Coping is not the same as thriving.

Declawing should be made illegal here....just as it is in the UK.

Answer 2

Cats, like most animals, are more forgiving than humans. So you're lucky, because if you chopped the fingertips off your best human friend, you can bet they would be unhappy. But cats will probably forgive you.

However, saying "declawing" is a nice way of saying "amputation". Like any surgical operation, there is great risk not only with anaesthesia, but with the healing process. I have seen some operations which never healed, or which were done badly, and where the cats' feet became deformed in the healing, or couldn't easily support weight. As mentioned in an answer above, I do also know a person whose cat became very scared of strangers, and continued to do so until her death. Put bluntly, declawing is barbaric and I think if most owners researched it, saw pictures, and found out what actually is being done, they wouldn't allow their cat to go through it.

There are alternatives to declawing a cat; have you tried scratching posts or claw covers? Chemical repellents? Also, some states now consider it cruel and inhumane to declaw a cat.

Answer 3

Okay... this opinion may not be super-popular, but I've had cats for 29 years.. The vets used to RECOMMEND for us to declaw, and we didn't know any better. All of our cats have been declawed at 6 months while being speyed/neutered.. NONE have had a problem.. ALL have been fine.. They are not traumatized. Knowing what I do now about declawing, I wouldn't be SO fast to do it anymore. I would save it as a last resort.. (our youngest cat is 6 years.. and it's AFTER he was de-clawed that I read more into it) THAT SAID.. most cats DO recover quite well and do NOT experience any awful side-effects or problems from declawing...As I said.. ours have been fine. I DO believe it should be saved as a last resort but I also believe declawing is less stressful and painful than re-homing. (this is comparing the physical pain of declawing with the emotional pain of re-homing.. rehoming is more cruel. The problem with re-homing is.. what if she scratches their stuff?? They'll get rid of her.. eventually she'll end up in a shelter and if she's not a cute little kitten, she'll be euthanized. Yes, declawing is better than rehoming.. So.. if you've tried all other options and feel they don't work.. I say go ahead with the declaw.. Find a reputable vet to do it.. It does make it hard for them to defend themselves, so kitty should be indoor-only after de-clawing..

Answer 4

Many cats won't change their behavior, but many others will. Not only do you take the risk that he will indeed become scared and withdrawn from the experience, many declawed cats stop using the litterbox because their paws hurt (even if you use recycled-paper litter), many declawed cats turn into biters, and it changes their posture so they may get problems later on in life.

Sure, some cats come through fine, and I don't have exact percentages of these problems but it's a big risk for something that isn't necessary. Cats can be trained, in quite a few countries (including mine) declawing is illegal and cats are as popular here as they are in the US! It's not like people in Germany, France, the Netherlands, the UK, pretty much all of Western Europe commonly have scratched-up furniture :) Please see the source for an excellent article on how and why cats scratch, and how to train them in using the scratching post.

Answer 5

Cats are very remakable creatures. They remember EVERYTHING!! They will remeber that you did them wrong and might not be as trusting, as far as hating you, I doubt it. But there are sooo many different complications with declawing, nerve damage, deformation...the list goes on and on, research it and make an informed decision. They have alternatives to declawing now. They're called soft paws, I have them on my cats, and besides the first two pairs they chewed off, thehy work great.

P.S. Declwing isn't just ripping out the claw, they amputate the bone!! Would you be pissed if somone did that to you to save their couch??

Answer 6

I don't think it's the declawing you have to worry about.
Its the anesthesia. Many animals can come out of anesthesia in a different state. This can also happen from them getting neutered or spayed. Getting them fixed is a necessary thing, but the de-clawing definitely is not. So why possibly change your cat's "personality" permanently if you dont' have to??? Why take that risk? Would you take that risk with a human's life?

We had 2 cats that went in friendly and loving who both came out scared to death of humans. One of them never really came around and the other has started to finally sit and lay on me after 3+ years.

Also, I have 3 cats in the house. Only one of them sharpens her claws on objects and she only does that when she wants to be fed or gain some other form of attention. Otherwise they all use the scratching pads and we clip their claws so they aren't sharp. You can get animal nail clips at any pet store. If you don't want to do it yourself, most vet techs will do it for a small fee.

Answer 7

I dont think they get mad per se but they would NOT be very happy at all

Think about it... From how I see it Declawing a cat is the same as chopping a human being's fingers off...

:S
-TBird

Answer 8

I have three cats and have had cats all my life. I had always said I wouldn't declaw a cat, that is until I got my last cat. He was a rescue cat and had a really bad habit of stretching up your leg and clawing all the way down, also tearing up my furniture. I tried many things to break him of it but nothing I tried worked. Finally I made the decision to declaw him, it was that or get rid of him and there was no way I would get rid of him. He was always the most lovable cat but after the declaw, he is even more lovable and I don't get my legs scratched up. He still thinks he has claws and tries to scratch peoples legs and the furniture but nothing gets torn up. So I would have to say no it will not hate you.

Answer 9

declawing is a very inhumane thing to do to your cat. think how you would feel if you had your fingernails ripped out. if you are concerned out the cat ruining your furniture then you can ask your vet about "soft paws". they are little covers that go over your cat's claws and they can't scratch. they do need to be replaced every so often, but it is a more humane way to treat the problem.
also, think about what would happen to your cat if he/she got outside after being declawed. there would no longer be a way for him/her to defend himself. go with the soft paws.

Answer 10

Your cat wont hate you. Although it will become irate and stay that way for a while.

Whoever said that declawing your cat is whats best for it is frigin ignorant! Its not good for the cat, it is merely convenient for you!