How much would it cost me to get my cat declawed?

Question

He is 6 months old. When he was given to us, his nails were clipped, but that is not enough.

Answer 1

The standard declawing procedure calls for the removal of the claw including the germinal (epithelium) cells responsible for its growth, and part or all of the third phalanx (terminal bone) of the toe. The operation is usually performed on the front feet, and is actually an amputation comparable to the removal of human fingertips at the first knuckle. The cat experiences pain in the recovery and healing process.

Declawing can be done at any age, but younger cats tend to bounce back more quickly than older ones. It is never recommended to take out a cat's back claws. Cats rarely damage anything with their rear claws and their rear claws are their only defence after the front ones are removed.

The procedure is not without risk. The tourniquet, used to reduce blood loss during the surgical procedure, can damage the radial nerve and result in paralysis of the leg. This paralysis is usually temporary but can be permanent. If the incisions come open and expose the remaining bones of the digits, infection can occur and the wounds must be left open to heal, which can take longer than if sutures were holding the wound closed.

If the declawing procedure is not done correctly, misshapen claws can grow back. An incorrectly positioned cut during declawing surgery can remove too much of the toe, taking with it part or all of the toe's pad. In addition, if a bone fragment is left at the surgery site, it may become a source of infection. Both claw regrowth and infection necessitate additional surgery.

Declawing your cat is a decision that should never be taken lightly and certainly never be done for the owner's convenience.

Answer 2

Don't do it. Declawing involves removing the cat's "finger" up to the first joint. It's painful and often results in litter box problems and biting. The guess is that litter box problems stem from the pain of using the litter in the weeks following the surgery. The biting is because now he has no other mode of defense. Anyway, a lot of declawed cats end up in animal shelters.

Alternatives include getting a sturdy rope scratching post- or several of them. I have one shaped like a tripod that I've had for about 30 years. The cats always love it. I place it in front of any furniture they seem to be interested in scratching and they always choose the post. The post is covered in jute rope rather than carpet- they love it. All the cats I've had in that time have loved it. It gets old and scratched up and you can just go to the home improvement store, buy some more rope and use a staple gun to replace the old stuff. But I've only had to do that twice in 30 years.

Another trick is to put double stick tape on the surfaces you don't want him to scratch. There is a brand made for this purpose that doesn't ruin your furniture fabrics.

Yet another option is to get your vet to glue plastic tips over his claws. This keeps him from being able to scratch the furniture. They come off after a while nad you just have them replaced.

Good luck!

Answer 3

Yes it is cruel but sometimes you got to do what you got to do .. however if your cat is an outdoor cat i do not reccomend it because of the dangers of the outdoor world but if your doing it because of furniture and such & your cat is an indoor cat then go for it...at 7 months i got my female cat Spayed & Declawed at the same time and i think it cost me about a little over 1OO dollars no more than 12O ... the younger the better because they are still young and will get use to the adjustment..my cat just made 1 year in feb. & has adjusted very well my cat bites but its not hard she does it so you know to leave her alone just like she would do with her front claws. Litter box wasnt an issue for me my vet told me to use shredded newspaper for about a week to give the paws time to heal because if the kitty litter got into an open area it could cause infection also most vets - that i talked to here in mass- will not remove back claws unless it is medically nessacery because without there front claws biting and back claws are theyre only defense & most cats dont do damage with there back claws. i hope i helped

For all the people againsted Declawing i support your opinion but when you have no other options because nothing else worked sometimes you just got to do what you go to do ..

- good night ladies and gentlemen-

one last thing.. my vet told me its common for indoor cats to be declawed

Answer 4

Then get caps to glue onto the claws. Not only is it cruel but can cause other bad behaviors...like biting or not using the litterbox. If you wanted a declawed cat there are plenty in the shelter looking for a home because the owner could not handle the other bad behaviors they caused when declawing the poor kitty.
It is banned in other countries for a reason...IT IS CRUEL!
Please do not torture your cat...if you can't find a humane way to handle it then do not adopt a cat. Try getting a dog instead.

Answer 5

Have you reviewed ALL options before choosing to declaw your cat. There are covers for their nails..Kind of like press-on's for cats, sticky paws tape to put on you couches, drapes, etc as well as putting citrus anything in an area where they are prone to claw. I also have one that loves to scratch, so I know its so frustrating! But, you have to think that by declawing, its actually removing the first joint of your finger. It is very painful for cats and some can have behavior problems afterwards to "get back at you".....if you have had cats, you know what I mean....like when you go on vacation and they decide to throw up everywhere!

Answer 6

You shouldn't declaw your cat, it is very cruel. It is considered animal cruelity in other countries. You can train your cat to not claw on stuff. I used a water spray bottle and it was very effective. Its not hard to do. I just took the spray bottle with me whereever I went. If they did something wrong I would spray them and say NO. They don't do anything wrong now. If they do I just say NO now and they stop, talk back and run off. Its kinda cute.

Here is a site on how they declaw a cat. Its like cutting the tips of your fingers of. OUCH!!!!
http://declaw.lisaviolet.com/declawpics.html

There are alternatives to look at, like putting caps on the claws. I wouldn't it do it though, but its better then declawing. Here is a site for it:
http://www.softpaws.com/

Talk to your vet about it. Goodluck with your decision and please try to leave declawing out.

Answer 7

PLEASE consider an alternative to declawing your cat. It is very inhumane. It is very painful for your cat!!!! People think of it as permanently having the nails trimmed, but it goes much deeper than that. Imagine having a portion of each of your fingers chopped off! Check out softpaws.com as an alternative. Dogs bark and cats have claws, why are people constantly getting animals if they aren't going to love it for being the animal that it is?

Answer 8

How much would it cost to cut your fingers off? It is the same thing you would be doing to the cat. You are supposed to be the higher form of life, train the cat not to claw on your stuff, or on you and your guests. Go to the pet store and break down and buy a "scratch pad" with the catnip. Dang!

Answer 9

I would like to add one thing. If you have thought it through and are sure you do want to have the proceedure done. Please call around your area and find a vet who has laser surgery equipment. It only costs about $50.00 extra and is well worth it. Less pain, bleeding and healing time. Also make sure and pick a vet who does this often, do not get a vet who lets vet techs do the procedure with clippers, this is cruel. But if it is done by and experienced vet with laser you will be ok and your cat will thank you.

Answer 10

Get the Soft Paws. Our kitty successfully wears them. My kitty's health and well-being is more important than my sofa. We also offer many scratching alternatives, the corrugated scratchers and sisal and his kitty condo. To protect our screen/slider we put a piece of plexiglass in between the doors.

The cost will be to your kitty if you declaw. Please read the following and then decide.

http://www.treehouseanimals.org/Tree%20House%20Site-E-D.htm

http://www.declawing.com/htmls/declawing.htm