my cat needs his claws taken out!?

Question

my cat is 10 weeks old and i think if a get his claws taken out he will die of the pain ? please help

Answer 1

No cat NEEDS to be declawed. This is actually a very cruel thing to do.

If the kitten is being bad by clawing furniture and drapery and clothing, then start disciplining him so that he will learn that this is not acceptable behaviour. A firm sharp NO every time you catch him doing this is fine. If he persists, a bottle filled with water and a couple of tablespoons of vinegar will work wonders. (Cats hate the smell but it doesn't harm them.) You would tell him NO sharply, and spray him in the face with the water. Just once for each transgression.

And then buy him things that he CAN sharpen his claws on. Scratching posts are good. There are also trays filled with cardboard turned on edge that work well too (especially if a sprinkle of catnip is added to encourage the cat to dig).

Answer 2

My cat's 9 years old, and he's de-clawed. I didn't know that they actually cut the toe off at the first joint until a couple of years after the surgery. My vet didn't discuss it with me, and since it was my first (and only) cat, I didn't know anything about it. I gotta say, I felt somewhat guilty about it once I found out. He was a little sore for a week or so, but he bounced back pretty quick. If I ever get another cat, I doubt I'll have it done again.

Answer 3

Both of my cats are declawed (front only). My friends' cats are declawed. None exhibited any kind of trauma. Their feet are not any more sensitive than they were before the surgery. Of course, this is done under general anesthesia, and you can plan the neuter at the same time.

Our vet does not cut off ends of toes. He extends the claw and takes it out at the root. The wound is sealed with surgical glue. He keeps the cat for a couple days to make sure the wound is secure and there are no stitches for the cat to pull out.

You just have to take care to keep them inside because they cannot defend themselves like cats that have claws. And they do tend to bite since they can't claw, so you have to watch children around them.

Answer 4

Why do you say he NEEDS to have this done ?
Cats can be trained not to scratch furniture, claws can be kept trimmed and you can get claw caps too.
If it's a condition on your house lease or whatever maybe you should have considered that before getting the kitten.
Personally I would never subject a cat to that sort of mutilation.
I think it's actually an illegal practice in the UK.

Answer 5

Declawing is cruel and I do not agree with this practice. Some cats develop behavioral problems because of it. When this surgery is performed technically it is considered an amputation. It is painful and emotionally scarring to the cat.

Learn to trim your cats nails so that the tips ar blunt instead of sharp. It is simple and can be done on a weekly basis. Start your kitten getting used to having his nails clipped now, while he's a baby, and it will become second nature by the time he is an adult.

Answer 6

Your cat will not die from the pain. It is painful but they recover. Try to train with a scratching post and treats first before resorting to declawing. My mom got my kitten declawed when she was spayed because I couldn't afford to take her to the vet myself .. my new kitten, however, I am trying to train to use the scratching post instead. My declawed kitten loves the scratching post as well.

Answer 7

Please don't resort to declawing. 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 "mutiltation" 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. 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 love your kitten, 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. If you're worried about his future potential to scratch furniture, then now is the ideal time to train him to use a scratching post. The web articles below offer advice and suggestions which will help you train him.

http://www.catscratching.com/

Cats should not be made to suffer pain for the convenience of the owner. People who don't have the patience or inclination to train a cat, should not be allowed the privilege of keeping one.

Answer 8

He will be given medication for the pain and should not suffer. He will have bandages on his paws and needs for those to be kept clean and in place (not easy since he will be bothered by them).
Before you do this, be sure you are able to make a lifetime committment to him as he is having his first line of defense taken away from him. He will be an indoor cat from that point on and if let out other cats will try to fight him and he will be at a disadvantage.
This is a BIG choice to make on behalf of your friend. Make it wisely. Put some thought in to it.

Answer 9

Who says he needs his claws taken out? Your parent? Have them read this. Trim his claws and teach him to use a scratching post.

10 week old kittens are crazy and claw things. He will settle down as he gets older.

http://www.declawing.com/

Answer 10

Please don't declaw your cat. It's an extremely painful procedure for the cat and it can cause problems. They don't just remove the claws, they amputate part of the toe and it can hurt the cat for the rest of their life.

Sometimes when cats are declawed, it hurts them to step on something rough like their cat litter, so they stop using the cat litter. Also, they can become very insecure without their natural defense and start biting people for no reason other than they don't feel safe.

Getting a cat declawed is extremely inhumane and it should be illegal. Please don't put your cat through that! If he are shredding your furniture or something there are other things you can do to train him not to. Please please PLEASE don't do it!