My cat is getting neutered ...?

Question

My cat is being neutered and declawed next week and I'm really worried about it...I'm constantly thinking that he's not going to come out okay, or that if he comes out fine then he'll hate me and will be scared to let me hold him or play with him...Should I be worried?

He has to be declawed because he is constantly scratching on my arms and hands and I have almost died from cat scratch fever twice in my lifetime. He is a strictly indoor cat and the closest he has come to outside is the balcony (2nd floor). It's not a matter of scratching furniture or scratch posts, because he uses those just fine, he just can't scratch me. The vet will be using a laser to do the declawwing, so it's not as bad as some of you think.

Answer 1

i went through the same feelings twice. once when we got our first cat spay/declaw, thne 13 1/2 years later when we got our little male neuter/declaw. they won't hate you. there are several opinions on the declaw topic. i am for it. as far as the neuter/spay,it cuts down on risks of cancer and other problems,so you're donig that so he'll be healthier in the long run. i am sure that you already know to keep him inside. don't worry, he won't hate you. he won't want to play too much at first, since his little paws will be sore for a while. you truly love him to be so worried about his feelings. give him a scratch behind the ear for me,please. and he will be ok. it's easy to say "don't worry" but it's hard not to do

Answer 2

Declawing will change his personality and it is a painful procedure for your pet. I clip my cats claws each time. You can get the soft claws for your cats.

http://www.thecatandkittenstore.com/servlet/the-Soft-Claws-for-Cats/Categories

http://www.declawing.com/

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.

No cat lover would doubt that cats--whose senses are much keener than ours--suffer pain. They may, however, hide it better. Not only are they proud, they instinctively know that they are at risk when in a weakened position, and by nature will attempt to hide it. But make no mistake. This is not a surgery to be taken lightly.

I have also had people tell me that their cat's personality changed after being declawed. Although, the medical community does not recognize this as potential side effect.

Soft Paws are lightweight vinyl nail caps that you glue on the cat's front claws. They're great for households with small children and are extremely useful for people who are away from home all day and can't exercise the watchfulness necessary to train a cat to use a scratching post. Soft Paws® are easy to apply and last about four to six weeks. They come in clear or colors--which are really fun. Now that's a kitty manicure! The colored caps look spiffy on Tabby or Tom and have the added advantage of being more visible when one finally comes off. Then you simply replace it. You can find Soft Paws® on the web by clicking here or call 1-800-989-2542.

You need to remember, though, that the caps and nail trimming should only be used on indoor cats who will not be vunerable to the dangers of the outdoors.

Answer 3

Neutering is a must for all male cats, however I have never been a believer in declawing. A cat will learn to defend themselves in someway and when the claws are missing, expect the cat to use it's only other source...that being it's teeth. As long as the cat will be a totally indoor cat, it might not get aggressive, but any type of interaction while even being in the house, will lead the cat to use it's teeth since the claws are gone. Spaying and neutering YES....declawing....a big NO.

Answer 4

For the neuter...yes! As far as the declaw, make sure you talk to your vet about how they do it. Do they include a pain injection? Do they do a nerve ring block? Do they glue the toes shut or do they suture, or just leave them open? These are questions you should be asking them. Just make sure they take the extra precautions as far as pain management. Also make sure you get some kind of declaw friendly litter for the litterbox. You don't want to use the cat's regular litter. And as far as the cat hating you, they won't. As long as the declaw is done right, you should have no problems. Good Luck!

Answer 5

I've had seven cats over the years. Yours will be just fine and so will you. They've all been fixed and declawed (front only). They were just fine.

Please, don't give your cat too many human emotions. They don't hold grudges like people do. Once the pain goes away, and yes, there is an amount of pain, the cat will "forgive" you. Your cat will be just fine.

Our youngest cat went through the same situation and she was up and running in three days with little sign of pain or discomfort. Now she is great! She's even a little calmer after the spaying process, though not much. LOL.

Kev n Jan

Answer 6

Neutering is pretty easy on the cat - and as the previous poster said, it can help calm and mellow them.

Declawing, on the other hand, is pretty traumatic. Is there a real reason you need to do this? I had my first two cats declawed, and I swore I'd never do that again. It's very painful for them, and I personally decided that it wasn't worth it. Just my opinion, and I know some cats do come through it fine. Mine just didn't, and it made me very sad that I did that to them.

I really don't want to worry you, though. Again, many cats come through that just fine. I just personally don't think it's worth it.

Answer 7

There's no reason to be worried. Spaying and neutering of cats and dogs is for their health benefit. Neutering (especially) is not evasive and your cat's recovery time will be little.

Your cat isn't going to hate you. He might fear going to the vet for a while, though! Your vet can advise you on how to care for him once you bring him home. The first 24 hours you'll want to be there with him, as anesthesia is very hard on a cat's system and he'll be groggy and want to be cuddled.

Declawing is a whole different thing. He'll be quite sore for a while (longer depending on how old he is) and your vet will give you paper strips to use in the litter box until he has healed.

Good luck.

Answer 8

No don't be worrid its a very common op and cats come back from them all the time its the best thing if he wasn't neutered he'll get into alot more fights spray you house e.c.t
When he first comes home leave him alone he might be mad at you but that will mostly be from the stress of being away from home and stuff give him a few days to get over it and he'll be bright as new also it might be a good idea to keep him in the house for a day or two cos sometimes they get confused and try to runaway. -Mostly male cats bounce back and it's as if they never went to the vet usally its more painful for the female cats

Answer 9

My cats were overjoyed to see me coming into the vet to pick them up after they were neutered. Although declawing them hurts alot more than getting them neutered so he might be mad about that for awhile. Personally I wouldn't do the declawing but whatever you think you need to do is your choice. The cat should come out fine.

Answer 10

I'd have her wait a whole week, that's 7 days before she gets really active again because if she tears open it's not going to be good, it'll take twice as long to heal, and then she could get an infection if she's playing and it only rips from the inside. She doesn't need to be running or bouncing around a lot. Do not let her lick the area.