question about cat being spayed and declawed?

Question

Once a cat comes into heat, and is spayed and de-clawed, Im told the cat changes... what kind of changes come over the cat? Im debating on having this done or not.

Answer 1

Spaying doesn't change a cat but declawing often will! Declawed cats often have behavioral problems; not using the litterbox and biting are both common in declawed cats. It's illegal in many countries, all of Europe and several other countries as well. Not only is it very painful but it creates as many problems as it solves. You can train your cat not to scratch the furniture, please take a look at the page in the source for a lot of information on why cats scratch and how to teach them to use the scratching post only.

Answer 2

Actually, a cat's behavior changes more if the spay is done BEFORE the first heat. The behavior that changes after a spay is only the behavior related to sexual maturity, like spraying, roaming, and territorial aggression. Unfortunately, if you wait until after the first heat, the cat has already developed this behavior and she might not give it up.

Some people will tell you that a fixed cat gets fat and lazy, and that's often true. But it's not because the cat is fixed. Cats get fat and lazy because their owners overfeed them and don't give them enough opportunities for exercise.

As for declawing, the declaw procedure removes more than just the cat's claws; it's like removing the whole section of your finger that your nail is on, down to the first knuckle. It's likely there won't be much change in behavior after the procedure, at least after it heals, but it is possible that your cat will develop a dislike for using her litterbox since it isn't as easy to dig in anymore. Also, losing that much of her paws might affect her balance. Some cats have been known to become biters after the surgery, probably because they no longer have claws with which to defend themselves when they're irritated or scared.

It's not necessary to declaw a cat to keep her from scratching your furniture. The second link below has some good tips on how to guide your cat's scratching behavior. Also, the softpaws link below that tells you about a product you can find at most Petcos/Petsmarts -- applying them isn't much harder than clipping the cat's nails and while I've seen some cats that wouldn't leave them on, the ones who do can scratch to their hearts' content without damaging a thing.

Answer 3

It is best to spay and de-claw a cat as early as possible. I got my second cat when she was a bit older so she had already gone into heat once. I spayed her and de-clawed her, the only change that really came out of it is she hates vets now because she is old enough to remember what happened. She also doesn't like anyone touching her toes, but my other cat that got de-clawed as a kitten doesn't like it either. The only real big changes is you won't have to hear your cat go crazy when she is in heat and all the male cats from the neighborhood come to your windows and start meowing at all hours of the night. And your couch will be saved from some scratching.

Answer 4

As far as I know you cannot spay cats when they are in heat. But i could be wrong... As far as the declawing I strongly recomend that you DON'T do it. It is a surgery and as I am sure you know can cost some money, but that is not really the point. When you declaw a cat they can NEVER go outside. Their claws are their only defense against the outside world. even if your cat stays inside all the time, they do go outside, like my cats for example one day i opened my back door to put in my groceries and one of them ran out, she was gone for a good while. If you have a problem with their claws try trimming them every couple of weeks.... just a suggestion.

Hope that helps! :-)

Answer 5

Spayed Yes. There are enough unwanted kittens and cats in this world. A spayed cats will live longer, healthier life. Don't' declaw your cat read the article in the web sites I have listed. The last one shows what can happen to your cat if it is done. It also shows what they do when the cat is declawed. They cut off the end of the first toe joint.

Answer 6

Declawing a cat will cripple the cat for life-- it may start to bite because it no longer has its claws to defend itself with. If it is an outdoor cat (which I don't approve of -- too many dangers out there) it will not be able to defend itself.

Spaying should be done early in life -- take the cat to the vet.

For a list of low cost or free spay neuter clinics go to http://www.lovethatcat.com/spayneuter.html

Answer 7

You should have the cat spayed before she ever goes into heat. Mine didn't change at all after she was fixed. I had a declawed cat when I was a kid and he didn't change when he was declawed, which happened when he was around 7 years old.

Answer 8

please don't declaw it is so cruel it is like removing the tip of each of your fingers done to the first joint. it is very painful for the cat. teach the cat to use a scratching post, trim her claws or use soft claws . it also means that a cat cannot defend herself.
do please spay her it will make her more affectionate towards you nad you won't have problems later on. it also reduces the chances of mammary cancers and infections in the womb which end up being more costly the having had her spayed.

Answer 9

It dosen't make a difference if you spay a cat after or before it goes into heat.. the reason most of them go back into heat is because not all of the felopian tubes have been removed. So the tissue itself grows back and makes them go into heat, even tough they cant reproduce. I wouldnt recomend de-calwing on the other hand. Thats the equivalent of having a persons knucles removed... two of my kitties have all fours and do just fine with a nail trim.

Answer 10

Don't listen to the people going on and on about how "horrible' declawing is. It's not that big of a deal. THey get over it really quick, and don't resent you for it. THey're jsut as good at mousing, and make excellent house pets. If you feel it is needed, don't let anybody make you feel bad for it.

As for speying, there shouldn't be many changes. She won't go into heat (which is a blessing!!). She will probably develop a little hanging "pooch" in her underbelly, (kinda like the loose skin a woman has who has just had a baby, only kitty's will always be there) which is quite normal. She may tend to gain a little weight, no biggie. Just don't feed her too much. Possibly she will be more laid back and gentle. But chances are, personalitywise, you won't notice a difference. Speying is the responsible thing. Please do! You won't regret it!.