i need to know about cat declawing for back feet. please help!!?

Question

my cat is like a year and a half. she's a little tabby. my dad wants to get her back feet de- clawed and i heard it could really hurt them. my dad's upset because she keeps putting holes in all of our furniture. she already has her front feet done tho. what should i do? will getting her back one's done really hurt her?? what do they do exactly??

Answer 1

OK there is a much easier, safer and cheaper solution. Soft Paws. I used them on my cat when she was young.

Imagine having your fingernails pulled out and then having to walk on your hands. Not pleasant. The complication rate is also higher than many other cat procedures.

""There are two commonly used procedures to declaw cats, disarticulation and amputation,"
explains Dr. Greenfield. Disarticulation removes the third bone and attached nail of each
digit. This is equivalent to removing the last bone, with the fingernail, of a person's finger.
The ligaments, tendons, and joint capsule that attach that bone to the digit are all cut.
Amputation cuts the last bone into two pieces, removing the end with the claw and claw
bed and leaving a small part attached to the digit. In both procedures, the pad of the paw is
left intact. "

Petsmart has the SoftPaws or you can order them online or your vet can get them and put them on your cat. Since she doesn't have front claws it should be pretty easy for you to do it yourself. Give those a try!!

http://www.softpaws.com/

Answer 2

I used to work at a vets office, so I've seen this first hand and had it explained to me by a vet.
Its painful. Look at your own fingers. Imagine cutting off the top of your finger at the middle joint. That is what cats go through. The cat at a year and half will prolly do best if they stay at a vets office for a day or two, because the bandages will need to be changed. Its similiar to getting the front one done though, so the pain will be similiar too.
Some vets do it differently, but at the office I worked at, they would sedate the cat, cut the toes a little, dig the nail out and the suture the toe where the nail came from. I'm against declawing cats, but I can see why people think they 'need' to have it done. Just please make sure she doesn't ever get out, her teeth and claws are her only protection.

Answer 3

Your cat has been put through enough pain and suffering by having her front feet declawed. To declaw her hind feet too is beyond cruel and inhumane. Are you aware of exactly what a "declaw" is? It's the same as having your toes and fingers amputated. Yea, it's painful and can be crippiling as your cat gets older. Do some research on line. I think you will be sickend by what you find. You will not find a REPUTABLE veterinarian who would be willing to perform this procedure. Ask your veterinarian about Soft Paws. He/She should have informed you of this option, and others, before performing the first declaw.

Answer 4

Many vets won't perform declaw surgery on the back feet, because it would render the cat completely helpless if it got outside - the back claws provide a cat with traction on surfaces so it can run. If it got outside and didn't have any back claws, it couldn't even run away from predators.

I would suggest trimming the back claws to blunt them - see this link for instructions: http://www.catscratching.com/htmls/article.htm

If they still damage the furniture even after they've been blunted, you can put nail caps on her back claws: http://www.softpaws.com

They'll completely cover her back claws so she can't damage the furniture, but she'll still be able to get traction and run if she needs to (of course, you'll need to keep her indoors because she's missing her front claws).

Be sure to distract her with pets, play, or food for a few minutes after you put the caps on her, to allow the glue to set. If you have trouble with her pulling off the soft paws, you can put a dab of bitter apple taste deterrent from the pet store on them.

As for what exactly is involved in declawing surgery, this link explains it: http://www.littlebigcat.com/index.php?action=library&act=show&item=002

Answer 5

Getting the back ones are not so good to do; if the cat go's outside then NO! It don't hurt them ,it's done the same way as the front ones.

Answer 6

What do you do to your own feet when the nails get too long?! Your vet most likely has clippers for cats (& dogs), and will show you what to do. I have always cut the nails on my kitties (5), and some meow like it is torcher, the others purr. The cranky ones (no longer with us, RIP) needed to be strattled on the floor enough to keep them from squirming (tail end at your hands), pop footy out and presto! Easy as pie.

Answer 7

Your dad is so cruel! It is like cutting off fingers. What you can do is buy some clippers, and cut off the see-through ends of your kitty's nails, which will blunt them, without cutting off their "fingers." That should solve the problem and make your dad happy. It also helps to get a scratching post or furniture peice that your cat likes, that stopped my cats from scratching other furniture since they loved their scratching furniture, and it can be fairly inexpensive even to get a nice one they will actually use...

Answer 8

Don't declaw the back ones. If your cat gets out, it won't beable to defend its self against enemies. The back claws are what they fight with.

Answer 9

no...never ever de claw the back feet. cats need that. only the front, if you must. but they need the back claws for traction....please dont do that.

You can def get the clipped, but not de clawed. and if your cat likes to put holes in things =p decipline...spray water, etc.

again, do nottt de claw, its so cruel =(

Answer 10

i had two of my cats declawed and they told me they wouldn't do the back of their paws. it is surgery and they remove the first digit of bone. some people believe that it cause them to have a balance problem and personality changes too. check out this site www.declawing.com