De-clawing cats?

Question

I have a two month old kitten and he claws everything.I have considered de-clawing but, I have heard that it is painful and it might also change them and make them mean,sad,or moody.I have a sofa that is completely torn up by him.I love him to death and I can't really think of any other options.Do you think de-clawing is an ok thing to do or do you think it is cruel.I was wondering if anyone has any ideas to keep him from clawing everything I own.Thank you very much.Have a good day.

Answer 1

Your kitten is very young & playful. He is also trainable-- get a scratching post (we have several) & encourage him to use it. Also, get him used to having his claws trimmed every week so he can't do as much damage to furniture. I don't think vets will declaw under the age of 6 months, so you've got time to try alternatives. There are also nail caps called Soft Paws you can glue over his claws but we've never used them so I don't know how easy or effective they are, it seems easier for us just to trim everyone's nails every week.
De-clawing is very cruel-- it is like cutting off your fingers @ the 1st joint, so really more than just the claws are involved. I've known cats who went through major personality changes after this procedure, some have become distrusting of humans, some have stopped using the litter box. I've read that cats who don't have their claws tend to bite more, too. Sometimes the claws try to grow back, but they're very malformed & more surgery is needed. I have known some cats who didn't seem to have problems after being de-clawed, but why take chances?

Answer 2

De-clawing is terrible. They don't just take the claws, they cut off part of the toes. Cats who have been de-clawed have pain when they walk for the rest of their lives.

There are alternatives. Clip your cat's claws regularly. Make sure you only remove the outer part, and pet your cat a lot whilst doing it, because you don't want him to feel hurt by this. There are also little plastic booties you can get to cover a cat's feet and claws. These keep the cat from scratching things.

Ideally, buy a scratching post or bed. Train your cat to use it with praise and treats. However, that doesn't always stop the cat from scratching other things. (If it's a great thing to scratch here, why not there?)

Lastly, to preserve furniture, there are cat repellents available at pet stores which will stop the cat from even going on the furniture. They aren't harmful to the cat or the furniture.

Answer 3

Scratching is something that's an instinct. Your kitten isn't trying to be mean; he doesn't know the couch is your's and worth a lot. He thinks, "Wow! I can dig my claws in it and it feels good!"

He is still trainable. It's important to try to train them to scratch only appropriate objects while they are kittens.


First of all, TRIM the kitten's nails everytime they get sharp. You can also get soft paws to cover them, so he can't do any damage. My cat doesn't like it when I trim his nails, but I don't know if he got used to it before he became an adult, as I adopted him when he was two.

However, he'll need a scratching post. My cat LOVES cardboard scratching posts and cardboard. He'll scratch both and has never bothered my furniture. There are also scratching posts made out of cardboard, rope, sisal, and other materials. Some cats prefer a different material, but mine only likes cardboard. You can get several of them; if your cat doesn't like one of them, you can donate them to animal rescue groups and/or humane societies. They were happy to get the items, especially when I told them they weren't used because my cat doesn't like them.

If you catch the cat scratching something you don't want him to, get behind him with a squirt gun or squirt bottle and squirt him. He'll think the couch is squirting him, and he'll move. You can also put sticky tape or plastic on areas you don't want him to scratch.

Also, the squirt bottle should be used as a punishing tool if he does ANYTHING he's not supposed to. All it takes for my cat is a shake of the bottle and he stops what he was going to do and runs. I call it "the punishing bottle."

Answer 4

ARGHH!! Come on! That's like getting a puppy and then having his teeth pulled out because he chewed up your shoes. You get a kitten then you should consider the fact that cats WILL scratch up furniture.

DO NOT DE-CLAW NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO! You're right that it can mess up their personality.. but in some cases it can be so bad that the litter box is painful to use and it's even painful for them to walk. It's just inhumane and a HORRIBLE thing to do.

You can get a scratching post or one of those cardboard scratching thingies (they have em at wal-mart for less than 10 bucks!) Or you can have your vet either file down the claws or clip them.

Answer 5

Declawing cats is bad, and can not only damage their personality, but also their health. Cats have claws for a reason, for hunting, and defending themselves. Also, the procedure is expensive. You can get your kitten a scratching post, to have it claw that instead of something else. There is also something called soft paws, where you glue vinyl caps to their claws, and it prevents them from doing lots of damage when they scratch things.

Answer 6

I know there are many pro's and con's to the subject - I personally once owned a cat - I had her de-clawed and spayed at the same time - she was one of the best pets I ever owned - she was sole an inside cat and rarely adventured further than the front porch. She lived to be a very rip old age of 18 years old, and was healthy, had a heart of fire up until the day she passed.
De-clawing? I think that is something you have to decided within yourself - I owned some very expensive furniture and to this day - you would never have know that I owned a cat...

Answer 7

I'm from the UK and had never heard of declawing until I joined Y/A. It's illegal in most parts of the world, purely for the fact that it is classed as animal cruelty. The laws in the UK actually refer to it as "mutilation", which I think says it all. To fully educate yourself on what declawing physically involves - check out the website below, particularly the photos.

http://declaw.lisaviolet.com/

Scratching is a natural behaviour, you just need to be patient and re-direct him to items that you want hm to scratch. An important part of scratching, is the cat's desire to mark a territory, so a scratching post should be in an area that's used by the family, not hidden in a back corner. After a time you can move the post to wherever you want it to be, but you'll need to do this gradually. If allowed outside, cats will have more than one area that they scratch, so it's a good idea to provide your kitten with a couple of scratching posts. Security is a major factor in making the post appealing to your kitten. If it topples or shakes, he won't use it. It should either be secured to the floor or have a base wide enough and heavy enough to keep it stable.

Encourage him to use the post, feed him and play with him by it. Rub dried catnip leaves or powder into it. Have him chase a string or a toy around the post or attach toys to it, which will result in him digging his claws into it. Eventually he will learn to love it and regard it as his own. Make all the associations with the post, positive ones. Praise him and reward him with a favourite treat when he uses it. It's also a good idea to put the post near to where he sleeps. Cats like to scratch when they awaken, especially in the morning and the middle of the night.

Some cats prefer other substances to scratch such as corrugated cardboard, carpet samples or even heavy duty door mats. Offer your cat a few alternatives to see which he will use. (One of mine uses his scratch post, but our other cat prefers corrugated cardboard).

Cats dislike the smell of menthol or eucalyptus oil, so add a few drops to water and spray it on areas that you do not want him to scratch.

The web articles below offer further suggestions which may be of help to you in training him.

http://www.catscratching.com/
http://www.hdw-inc.com/treetraining.htm

If literally millions of cat owners around the world can train their cats to use a scratch post or item, then I'm sure that you can too. Please remember to be patient with him, at 8 weeks, he is only a baby and is bound to make mistakes while he is learning.

Good luck.

Answer 8

I made a scratching post that was so satisfying to my kitty, he never looked at anything else. It was a simple stand. Two 2 x 2 pieces of carpet covered plywood separated by a 3ft cardboard cylinder also covered with carpet, but with the burlap side out-soft side in. De-clawing is chopping off the finger at the last knuckle, anyone who would consider this should not have a kitty!

Answer 9

You have to take the bad with the good! Have you cut the claws? If you don't know how the Vet will show you. Get a scratching post and tie a little bag of catnip to it. They love that stuff.

Answer 10

Just to let you know right before they do the surgery the Vet will put the cat out and then the surgery is done and the cat will be fine and what you use is torn up paper and after the cat has healed then the cat can use regular cat litter. It does not change their Personality or their behavior, They can use the litter box with no problems and they can jump up and down from furniture,play with their toys and there is no bitting problems, no balance problems, My cat has been declawed when she was younger and she lives in the house and she is a very happy cat. Her personality and behavior has not changed in any way from this. The cat is asleep while they do the surgery. There is nothing wrong with getting a cat declawed. My cat is living a very Happy life.