When is it too late to get a cat declawed?

Question

My cat was two years old this past July, we are getting new furniture and he destroyed my old furniture! Is it too late to get him declawed before the new furniture arrives? Meaning is he too old?

Don't worry, I know his front claws are his only defense--BUT he is a TOTAL indoor cat--NEVER outside!

Answer 1

A cat can be taught to not claw furniture in about 2 days, provided you do it right and keep up the maintenance.

First, get some kind of scratching post. Even a little 2-foot-high one is perfect.

Next, get some cat nail clippers and cut your cat's nails. Don't use people nail trimmers, as this will split the cat's nails and it's really painful. To cut the cat's nails, grab your cat's foot and push on the back of one of his fingers. This causes the claw to stick out. Cut the nail just below the pink "quick". Make sure you get the cat's thumbs, too.

Whenever the cat tries to sharpen his claws, grab the cat and tell him "No". Then take the cat to the scratching post and move his paws up and down on the post to simulate the scratching motion, praising your cat the whole time.

Be consistent and do this every time your cat claws something you don't want him to. Never get upset at the cat. And, be sure to praise him when you move him to the scratching post and especially when he does it on his own (he will, trust me).

The maintenance is then up to you. You should trim the cat's nails about once a week. Eventually, he'll lose all interest in your furniture and fall in love with his scratching post.

Answer 2

Even if he is an indoor only cat, it is never a good idea to declaw. Declawing is very painful. Basically what they do is break the knuckle and rip out the claw. Then the cat has to heal from having every knuckle in it's paws broken. It requires stitches, special cat litter, and a long recovery time.

If that isn't bad enough, cats can lose their sense of balance, they some can't walk properly after surgery, and others are never able to walk again.

If your cat is over weight, it can be very, very dangerous to declaw. The US is one of the only countries where the practice is still legal. In many European countries declawing is considered animal abuse.

There are other ways to protect your furniture. Investing in scratching posts is a good way to start. They also make a plastic cap that can be fitted over the cats nails. My brother in law uses them for his cat and the work great.

Here is a great article for you
http://www.declawing.com/
Please read before you decide to declaw.

Answer 3

I'm against declawing because I think it's mean. Hold up your hand and look at it. To declaw a cat, the vet actually has to remove the very top bone in the cat's paw, along with the nail, to prevent it from growing back.
A more humane solution is to trim the claws regularly (use fingernail clippers and only trim the skinny part of the nail - if you cut down too far, it'll hurt), and encourage him to use scratching posts.
However, if you insist upon declawing, it would probably be okay. He'll take longer to heal than a kitten would and it'll be more painful, but I don't think it would be dangerous.

Answer 4

Yes, it is too late. Cats over one year should never be declawed. In fact, cats should not be declawed at all! Declawing is like amputating your fingers at the first muscle. Healing time can be long and debilitating. The procedure is simple but the healing process is not. Get your cat a good scratching post and put catnip on it. Put catnip, double sided tape and citrus on your furniture. Don't even think about leather. Try soft paws. The first application usually doesn't last long but the next one can last for months. Your cats wellbeing should come before your furniture.

Answer 5

It is already too late to get a cat de-clawed... When they are born! Hear me out. I know that you want to save this furniature, and i know how you feel! I had the same problem. BUT, I didn't want my cat de-clawed. So I called a lot of pet stores, vet, animal shelters and so on. And then I found these caps that you glue on the cat's claws (This is special glue for cats claw's, don't worry!), and stays glued on there. They are called 'Soft Claws.' The caps have a soft padding on them, so the cats still has claws, and you have your furniature in one piece!

'Soft Claws' come in Kitten, Small, Medium, and Large sizes, and in Clear, Purple, Pink, Blue, and Red colors, and are available online, in local pet stores, and from veterinarians. If you are seeking relief from destructive or painful scratching by a cat, I highly recommend Soft Claws.

This was a rewiew from someone, and it works. I tried it. I took clear, and I think it is the best because Everything looks normal! Here is a site on these "Soft Claws," and so I hope you change your mind! (PS. There is a pic on here with a cat with blue 'Soft Claws.' I dont think it is my taste!)

http://cats.about.com/cs/declawing/fr/softclaws.htm

And here is the official 'Soft Claws' site. Help Yourself!!!

http://www.softclaws.com/default.asp


PPS. These caps fall off eventually, but about after 3 or 4 months. You will have to glue them back on again, but it is worth it! My cats needed this only once, because they quickly learned that the couch was a no-no-no! You can also teach your cat not to go on the couch by using a spray bottle! Scratching Posts help a LOT too. Cats are very intelligent. Bi-bi!

~And Good Luck, and Glad 2 help ! ! !

Answer 6

De-clawing a cat removes the first digit on their paws. Its not truly a "de-clawing" but an amputation (imagine someone removing the tips of all your fingers and calling it de-nailing). This procedure can trigger behavior changes in your cat due to the trauma. It can be compared to post traumatic stress disorder or PTSD in humans.
Also, as your cat gets older, the procedure becomes more difficult. The cartilage in their joints is replaced with bone making the surgery more painful, shocking and tricky. It may result in permanent and painful deformity.
I don't recommend de-clawing cats for any reason and I strongly caution you against declawing a cat of that age.
There are plenty of alternatives to declawing. Try caps for the claws. They come in a variety of colors and you can apply them yourself.
Check out the following link for more information on what de-clawing really is. The page also has links to alternatives to de-clawing.

Answer 7

Please don't resort to declawing. As a Brit I'm shocked and horrifed that people could even consider wanting to hurt an animal in this way. It's illegal in the UK, most of Europe, Australia and New Zealand purely for the fact that it is classed as animal cruelty. The law actually refers to it as "mutlitation" which I think says it all. There are literally millions of cat owners worldwide who have managed to train their cats to behave with their claws. It requires patience on your part, but if we can do it, I'm sure that you can too. Just to make sure that you fully understand exactly what declawing involves - please take the time to look at the web site below. It also has testimonials from owners and carers of cats that have been declawed. If you truly love your cat, please for his sake, make the time to ensure that you know the truth about this cruel practice.

http://declaw.lisaviolet.com/

Scratching is a perfectly natural behaviour for cats, and the most effective way to train them not to scratch where you don't want them to, is to offer them an acceptable alternative. To begin with cover your new sofa with a throw and begin training him to use a scratching post. Not all cats like the sisal scratch posts, some prefer corrugated cardboard or a heavy duty door mat. Offer him a few alterntives until you find which he prefers using. The web articles below offer advice and suggestions which will help you train him.

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

As for the indoor only arguent. I've often wondered what happened to the declawed, indoor only cats when natural disasters like Hurricane Katrina occur.

Answer 8

Never say never about him getting outside, and defense is only one thing that's now affected - grooming (parts can only be reached by nails, no other way), behaviour changes, litterbox avoidances, do yourself a favour and rather go with alternatives, or if your biggest priority is furniture, don't get the cat, cause cats are born with claws, it's not up to us to decide what parts we think they need.
http://declaw.lisaviolet.com/declawdrjean1.html
http://declaw.lisaviolet.com/declawguide.html
http://declaw.lisaviolet.com/declawstory.html
http://amby.com/cat_site/declaw.html

If after reading those, you still want to maim what nature gave them, it's your choice - realise that the only one getting anything from it is you, there's no medical benefit for the cat, and that it's electively done to suit you.

Answer 9

The problem with getting him declawed at this point is that you risk changing his personality and behavior. Declawing is extremely painful on cats. When you get your new furniture put tin foil on it for the first few weeks. You'll train him not to go near it (cats hate the sound of tin foil). Get him scratching posts instead and praise him when he uses them. Also keep his nails trimmed (or buy soft paws).

Answer 10

The vet I work for will declaw the front paws of cats. For adult cats, we use a Fentanyl (narcotic) patch placed on the back of the neck for pain control. Also, it is VERY important to ask how the procedure is done. Some vets will use regular nail clippers to cut off the nail at the mid-section of the last phalanx (which hurts more, and can lead to the nail growing back). The best approach is to dis-articulate the entire joint between the 2nd and 3rd finger bones, using either a #12 scalpel blade or laser.