Removing a cats claws or not?

Question

I have never removed the claws of any of my cats, but if I do not clip them once a week, they are like sharp needles. My two cats sleep with me and one layes on my feet in the bed. His claws are like daggers but I am not so good at regularly clipping them because he doesn't like it and it takes two people to do it; one to hold him and me to clip them.

Am I being negligent by not clipping his claws on a regular basis or should I have them removed?

Answer 1

DO NOT DECLAW! Having a cat declawed is the equivalent of having your fingers off at the first knuckle regardless is it is done with a laser or whatever. Declawed cats tend to develop behavioral problems with the most common being a tendency to bite more often and having problems using the litter box. They also sometimes become more difficult to handle since they have lost much of their self confidence now that they have no claws left to defend themselves. The operation changes the cat's weight bearing as their paw now meets the ground at an unnatural angle that can cause pain during movement.

Declawing is illegal for non-medical reasons in the United Kingdom, Italy, France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Ireland, Denmark, Finland, Slovenia, Portugal, Spain, Brazil, Australia, and New Zealand. It is illegal also in several cities in California. The clinic where I work will not declaw unless there is a medical reason to do so.

Don’t put your cat's welfare below that of your furniture.

If you train the cats from the beginning not to scratch furniture and that your hands and feet are not toys to be scratched you shouldn’t have a problem. You can keep their nails trimmed and give them a scratching post to use. Another alternative is to use soft paws which are plastic sheaths that are glued onto the nails.

There have also been clinical studies done on cats that have been declawed. In the January 2001 issue of The Journal of American Veterinary Medical Association there was a study published that over 33% of the declawed cats surveyed developed behavior problems immediately after surgery, with the most common being litter box problems and biting. Many of these cats with behavior problems end up in shelters where they are often put to sleep as they are not adoptable.

If you really need to have a declawed cat I suggest looking for one at a shelter that has already been declawed.

Here is some more information on declawing http://www.felinefuture.com/download/de-clawing.pdf

Answer 2

If you don't clip your cats' claws on a regular basis the only one your hurting is yourself (and possibly your furniture if your cats aren't reliably trained to use a scratching post). Cats do not need their claws trimmed regularly and it is done for the benefit of the owner, which is just fine because it doesn't hurt the cat. But if you don't trim nails your cat isn't going to suffer. Not trimming a dog's nails will result in very long nails that can impede normal movement and the nails can actually grow into the pad, however, cat nails do not grow the same way as dog nails. Unless worn down or trimmed, dog nails keep growing. Cat nails, however, become sharp and the outer sheath is removed while the cat is scratching something. If a cat has a deformed nail it may grow into the pad, however, that's not something that's commonly seen. If you're worried about that you can just keep an eye on his nails. However, if you notice that his nails are getting snagged on carpeting you may want to trim them so he doesn't injure himself.
punk_rawk_grrl -- Wild cats don't "wear" their nails down. Claws are retractable so a cat walking on a hard surface isn't going to wear his nails down anymore than a cat walking on a soft surface (unless the nails are so long that the end doesn't retract - then that bit could be worn away). They scratch on surfaces and continually sharpen their nails just like domestic cats.

It sounds like you pretty much have things under control and although your cat doesn't like nail trims you still get the job done. I recommend giving him treats every time after trimming his nails. Associating yummy food with getting claws clipped can really make the process go easier once the cat understands that he'll get treats. If you have a hard time finding someone to help you clip nails you can try to restrain him yourself - when I trim my big cat George's nails I kneel on the floor with George between my legs. I keep my feet together so he can't back out and trim his front nails. George seems to know that it isn't worth fighting the restraint and he'll get food afterwards anyway so it works well.

Answer 3

I would have to say that the pain you endure when your loviing cats want to sleep in the same bed with you is much less pain that your poor kitties will have to go through when getting their claws removed. My two kitties get their claws trimmed every few weeks. At that time I only trim the sharp tip, but leave most of the claw. Right before a show, or when their claws just get too long, I trim the claw as low as you can without hurting the kitty. A trick to clipping the maximum amount to claw is to trim the very tip one day, then wait a few days (about 2-3 days) to let the blood vessels to recede. After that you can come back and trim them again. Also, to prevent any sharp edges go back with a nail file on the claws of your kitty.

This may seem impossible to you, but you kitty will get used to such treatmeant. You need to get your kitties accustomed to having their calws clpiied and eventually you won't need anybody to hold the cat for you. Show cats are usually the most well behaved cats you will ever see. They are used to getting regular baths, and will let any person cuddle with them right after being introduced. It is all because these cats were very welll trained at a young age.

Cats are like people in a sense that if they are used to something as a kitten, they would have no problem with it as an adult. Its so adorable that you cats love you enough to come into your bed each night, but I agree that their claws can be annoying. This does not mean you must torture them by having them removed. Getting the claws of a cat removed is like a person chopping the first 1.5 in (4 cm) of their finger. This is a horrifying procedure ans should be banned in the United States, like it is in many other countries.

So take the time to trim your cats claws every few weeks. If you do this enough, followed by positive reinforcement you will only need one person to clip your cats claws. Please save you kitty the pain ans suffering that it will go through if you get it declawed.

Best of luck with your kitties!! : D

Answer 4

Surgical removal of the claws - a procedure many vets will not perform - is a last resort!You should not declaw your cat if it goes outside.If you declaw your cat it will be able to climb trees, but will have less grip.I believe that declawing your cat removes its onlydefense against attacks by other, larger animals.If you do choose to declaw your cat I recommend that it stay indoors for life.If you clip your cats claws more often I have some tips;Place the cat on its back (which helps relax it),Stroking the stomach will calm the animal between clips.You should clip its nails once a month.

Answer 5

Use the "laser" declawing process that is available now at most reputable vets. Only remove the front claws (removing all four claws makes it quite difficult for the cat -- leaving the rear claws allows the cat to still have SOME protection and utility.)

After that, put some sort of scratching post in the house (it might take a while for the cat to learn how to use it -- try gently rubbing its paws on the post to show it how to use it.)

You will need to still check the remaining claws every so often to make sure that the cat's claws aren't overgrowing. Never, ever cut below the white area of the claw though (think of your own nails -- the pink is very sensitive, the white is not -- same with cats.)

Answer 6

NO! NO! NO! PLEASE do not do this to your cat. I've said this here & other places before, de-clawing a cat is equivalent to having someone amputate YOUR toes! How would you like that one? If you cannot clip your cats claws without a big fight on your hands (I can't--not unusual), you can do a number of other things: take him to your vet or groomer and have them do it--it only costs a couple of $$, or there's a product on the market at most pet supply store called (I believe) "Soft-Paws". These are like glue-on fake nails that you just slip over the cats claws. Again, you may have to have your vet or groomer install these on your cat. They're rounded, soft and pleasant to the touch (to us), and your cat will not be able to claw anything up--including YOU. But, PLEASE do NOT have the cat de-clawed! This is a VERY cruel proceedure (it should be outlawed, as far as I'm concerned), as it leaves your kitty completely defenseless. Also, make sure that you have at least ONE scratching post for your cat--I use 2, each of entirely different material. This also helps keep your cats claws "filed" down. Good luck with one (or more) of these other acceptable solutions.

Answer 7

I'd keep on a clipping them! I was a vet tech and while many people have the claws removed (I did on my cat), it is soooo painful for them. Yes they are asleep when it's done and yes they get pain medicine afterwards, but the procedure....it's just way too painful looking to put them through if you don't have too. Plus you'll have to keep the cat at the vet overnight to be watched. At the vet his paws will be bandaged and taped (which the cats HATE!!!LOL), and they stay that way all night. Then they take the bandages off the next day before you get them. I'm not saying NOT to do it, but I'd just keep it as a last option in my opinion, especially if he's a cat and not a kitten. The older they are the harder time they will have with it.

Answer 8

KM - "Cats do not need their claws trimmed regularly and it is done for the benefit of the owner" WTF?? Housecats nails can not wear down like their wild cousins as they're walking around on soft carpet or wood floors. Regular trimming is a MUST as a claw can grow so long it imbeds itself into the paw pad or can get caught on something and rip completely out. Please refrain from posting on here if you don't know what you're talking about - advice like that is DANGEROUS!!!

Absolutely do NOT declaw this cat - for all the reasons already mentioned by the other posters on here. Here's another article about it - http://www.littlebigcat.com/index.php?action=library&act=show&item=002

FYI - your cat only struggles when you do this because you're doing this so infrequently. The more you do it, the more they get used to it, and the easier it is. Reward the kitty with a special treat right before and after grooming - that may help. And yes - you can take your cat to a vet or even a groomer like the ones at PetSmart to have your cats nailed trimmed if you're truly unable to do it.

Answer 9

Declawing involves removing the last joint of the toe, it is a knock-em-out surgery and many folks opt to have it done at the same time as the spay or neuter, as the danger lies in the anesthesia more than anything else.
Cats who have been decawed still try to scratch, it is instinct.
There is some healing time involved and contrary to what some think, cats can still climb trees if you only remove the front claws. Most vets won't remove them on all 4 feet.
ALTERNATIVE:
There are little ball-like tips you can super-glue on the cats nails. One brand is called Soft Paws
http://www.softpaws.com/

Answer 10

Cat's claws shouldn't be removed if the cat is more than a year old. Try and clip your cat's claws if you can or get a scratch mat for your cat so the nails are dull down.