Is it fair to have 1 cat declawed & the other one not??

Question

I have 2 indoor cats. One is about 7 years old and the other is about 8 months old (female). The older cat which is a male and is declawed. Is it fair to the older guy if I don't declaw the younger cat? Is it gonna claw out the other cats eyes when they fight/play around? Do you think it will bother the declawed cat? Thanks for any help! I have 2 days to make my decison.

Answer 1

First of all declawing a cat is about the most cruel thing you can do so I am glad that you didn't just jump to that conclusion without doing a little research. I'm not sure why the first cat has been declawed but since claws are their major means of defense once they are gone, they develop different ways to defend themselves mostly by biting. Whatever damage the kitty with the claws can do to the other one I assure you that the declawed cat can do just as much or even more damage back if it wanted to. So, let's look at this situation practically. You are right to be concerned at least a little with the unbalance of the situation but you can do things to aleviate damage. Keep your kitties claws clipped. They don't have to be clipped real short but as long as the tips are done, you are removing a good part of your concern. Don't try to do this yourself until you read or speak to someone so that you will know how to do it properly. You don't say how long ou have had the younger cat so if they are new to each other, it is important you give the older cat much attention and never show too much affection to the new one just yet (in front of the other cat). They are very territorial and they have their pecking order. Make sure you always greet, feed and cuddle the older one first. That way he knows the younger one isn't taking his place and you will have a happy household.

If furniture or anything else bothers you about having a cat with claws, there again, there are many ways of working around this without having a problem and if you would like to write me off list I will gladly refer you to some help. It's wonderful to see a responsible cat owner and I will do my best to give you a hand. I am an antique dealer with expensive pieces of furniture in my home and 3 cats all with their claws. I fostered cats a couple of years ago and at one time had 8 (non declawed). None of my furniture has ever been the worse for wear and I will tell you how I managed that if you want to know.
The very best of luck to you and your cats. I'm sure you will all be fine.

Answer 2

My older cat has her claws. She's 14. Never clawed anything but her post. The younger one is 4. She was very destructive as a kitten so I had her declawed. Yes, it's mean & I'll never get another cat declawed. But my point is, they can each hold their own when it comes to scrapping. The declawed one gets the other one in a headlock & kicks her hind legs (which still have claws) out like a kangaroo. That's how she retaliates. There's never any injuries. I break it up if they get too rough.
Ever notice how cats pin their ears back & squint when they fight? They know to protect themselves.

Answer 3

i was actually in the exact situation.

My two year old is declawed.. i really didn't want to, but she left me with no choice, i tried everything to get her stop clawing, and i mean everything!!

i have a four month old baby, and i was really contemplating the procedure.. and have decided i'm not going to go through with it. i didn't realize how awful it was until i researched it.. growing up all of our cats were declawed and were just fine!.. but honestly i'll never do it to a cat again, and i feel awful doing it to mine!

As for the baby.. they have a treehouse and a scratch post.. my oldest still uses it thinking she has claws or something and my little one ONLY claws those. I do clip her nails.. it's very easy and takes little time... just be sure to do it properly!

as far as it being fair.. when cats fight they use their back legs.. normally not their fronts.. those are really only used for hunting and climbing purposes from what i've read, so they should be just fine!!

good luck with your decision making!

Answer 4

It's only an issue if the cats are likely to fight; this can usually be avoided by keeping them separated until they get used to each other. It is never 'fair' to declaw a cat for any reason, and it might make behavior or conflict problems worse.

Answer 5

I work at a vet clinic, and after witnessing a declaw first hand, I will Never get any of my cats declawed, ever. It is a horrible procedure, and the cats are very painful afterward. My cats both have all of their claws, and they don't claw each other. They play pretty rough sometimes, but I never see them use their claws, and no one ever gets scratches.

I also agree that you should try soft paws.

Answer 6

Declawing is so painful for cats and very expensive for the cats owners too. I don't think your older kitty will be able to tell if the new kitty isn't declawed or not. As long as he is happy with the new kitty in general. I'm sure he will be fine with your decision.

Good luck, I hope my advise helped.

Answer 7

I had one cat that was declawed and one that had her claws and they were just fine with each other.

Answer 8

Don't declaw any more cats, it's bad.

It's similar to cutting off your fingers past the first knuckle but worse since cats do not have thumbs, they have to use the claws to grab toys and things. Declawing cats causes them extreme pain.

Answer 9

You shouldn't of declawed the other cat in the first place. It is inhumane. But it is unfair to the cat who is declawed already, so do whatever.

Answer 10

i dont think you should...why dont you try soft claws. It's an alternative to declawing your indoor cat. You place them over top the nail. You can find them at petsmart or petco.

http://www.petsmart.com/global/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524441778670&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302033556&ASSORTMENT%3C%3East_id=2534374302023690&bmUID=1187067110213&itemNo=0&Ntt=soft+claws&In=All&previousText=soft+claws&N=2