Is it very wrong to have my kitten declawed, & what does it cost?

Question

I recently found 2 kittens that were either abandoned by the mother, or the owners. I tried everything to get them back to their mom, put up flyers but no one called, so I took care of them and now they are approx. 6-8 weeks old. I tried giving them to a shelter, and pet shops and even the humane society, but it seems like they would be best off if I could keep them. Problem is, I am a single mom with a new (3 month old) baby, and I will not have the kittens around unless I can get them declawed. The problem is, I have heard a lot of people say NEVER to do that. I know nothing about declawing, so I was wondering if anyone has had their cat declawed, what everyone thinks of this, and what it would cost. Any help would be great.

Answer 1

Declawing is a cruel practice.
More and more countries are outlawing
it as it is inhumane. It is like cutting the fingertips
off your children. Ask your vet for alternatives
(plastic claw tips) or give the cats up.

Remember. It is not like you loosing fingernails, a cats
claws are fundamental parts of their existence. More like
loosing your eyes.

Answer 2

Having a cat declawed is cruel and selfish and can lead to the cat biting people. Imagine how it would feel to have the top third of each one of your fingers removed -- that's what declawing truly is --. If the kitten is scratching you furniture, how about you go and get some scratching posts? You can also talk to your vet about getting softpaws nail covers as a humane alternative. Declawing should only be an absolute last resort. Try giving alternative scratching surfaces, nail covers, and distractions from clawing people before considering the declaw. Out of all the cats I have had in my life, the only one that had unresolvable behavior issues was the one who was declawed. All 4 of the cats that I have currently have their claws and they all know where they are allowed to scratch and they know better than to use their claws on people unless they feel threatened. About cost, most vets will charge around the same amount for a declaw surgery as they will for a spay. This could end up being up to $300 depending on where you live and how greedy the vet is. And unlike sterilization, you can't find reduced cost clinics or discount coupons for a declaw procedure.

Answer 3

I think its over 300 Hundred dollars per cat. My first cat I did have declawed(my option was declawed cat or no cat). Then when i bought a place of my own I gradually adopted two more cats which still have their claws. (Don't worry, the declawed cat still plays the alpha cat, runs the show, and I have never seen my other cats draw their claws out when they play wrestle with him).

I think you know now as others have answered, that its a very painful operation on the cat and the majority of the people would not recommend it nor would I.. However given your circumstances of how you basically rescued these kitten and have tried your best finding a different outlet for them and your 3 month baby, you have to look deep down at your options. If you plan on keeping them INSIDE permanently with you, I would say go for the operation, over putting these two innocent kittens back out on the streets, fending for themselves, possibly getting hit by cars, or poisoned, abused, or tortured by humans.

I'm much happier seeing a happy, secure, indoor declawed housecat over a poor innocent abandoned stray cat on the streets with its claws.
P.S. Ive heard they have less painful techniques like using lasers for this procedure

Answer 4

IMO, cats/kittens should never be declawed...it's the exact same thing as stripping a person of their fingers :( If you did declaw a cat, they will be very sensitive in their feet and it would almost be better to put them down instead of making them suffer the extreme sensitivity through out their lives :( There is another option (instead of declawing), you can buy nail caps (for cats) that you just slide over the cats' nails....these caps are made of rubber and pretty cheap. I have a friend that uses these and she has no problems with the cat trying to take them off or anything.
Why are you worried about the kittens claws? If you got them a cat tree so they could have something to claw on, then you wouldn't have to worry about them clawing anything else up. If your worried about the baby, there isn't much of anything to worry about...the cat's aren't just going to come up to your baby and use it as a scratching post or try to play with the baby especially since they got each other. Plus I'm going to assume that your going to be around your baby 24/7 so you definitely have nothing to worry about.
Hope this helps :)

Answer 5

Declawing means essentially cutting their toes off. It's equivalent to you cutting your fingers off at the knuckles. Your cats can get along just fine with a baby in the house. They will probably stay away from the baby more often than not.
Your baby will probably be very curious about the cats. My son was - they fascinated him. His first words were "kitty cat".

To help the cats and save your furniture, get a couple of scratching posts for them. Get some with different kinds of materials and textures on them. Some have carpet, others have rope wrapped around them. My cats love the rope kind - I've replaced the rope 3 times so far. There are also cheaper kinds that look like strips of cardboard cut up and stacked side by side.

Get some dried catnip, and rub it into the scratching post. The cats will learn to scratch on the posts. Catnip doesn't always affect kittens like older cats, so be patient.

Answer 6

If you are considering declawing your cats even though they have never harmed your newborn then you need to reconsider keeping them. There are other alternatives. ANSWER: if you choose to go this cruel route they should be declawed between 4 & 8 months of age, usually done the same time as a spay/neuter. Sorry, don't know $. ALWAYS KEEP A DECLAWED CAT INDOORS.

This website will tell you all the information you need to know http://www.declawing.com/
Please try http://www.softclaws.com/ they are vinyl nail caps that glue on to your cat's claws. It covers the claw tips so no damage occurs when your cat scratches.

* Declawing is NOT Just Nail Trimming
* Declawing Does Nothing to Benefit the Cat
* Declawing Robs a Cat of His Chief Weapon of Defense
* Declawing is Painful Surgery
* Declawing May Lead to Litter Box Problems
* Declawing Sometimes Leads to Biting Problems
* Cats Need the Exercise Their Claws and Toes Provide
* Altered Gait May Lead to Later Joint Problems
* Cats Need to Be Cats for Their Entire "Nine Lives"

Answer 7

I agree that you shouldn't declaw the kittens unless it is absolutely necessary.
But I once had a cat who was declawed, he was a completely happy cat who never had any problems. When he got older and we had to take him to my Grandfathers farm he was the best mouser out there, even without claws.
Cats learn to survive and adapt to their "Handicaps" just like people do.
I do believe though that if you work with the kittens around your baby, they as well as your child will learn how to deal with each other without hurting each other.

Answer 8

Declawing a cat is like removing the first knuckle of a human finger. If you must declaw them, then you must keep them as indoor cats, as they can't climb a tree to escape predators and can't fight. Don't declaw the back claws; they can still defend themselves in an emergency by kicking with them. There are alternatives. Ask your vet about nail shields (I'm not sure what they're called). They vet glues them on to cover the claws.

Answer 9

you say you would not have kittens without declawing them as you have a three month old baby..

you dont say why you want them declawed.. is it in some way related to the baby...

by the time i was born my mother already had three cats, we peaked at around 13 of our own, plus anything up to 10 being fostered at any one time (in a small two bedroom house).. i was never hurt as a child, sure the odd scratch but i soon learned not to pull the cats tails.. ;)

the only reason claws will be any threat to your baby is if you bring it up not to respect animals..

declawing is inhumane, unnesacary, and cruel.. there is no need for it.. you have done a wonderthing in rescuing them and trying to find them a secure home, but i would suggest finding them a home and concentrate on what is obviously important to you, in your new child...

im a little confused,. you say you would not have a cat without declawing them, yet you say you know nothing about declawing.. so why do you want them declawed.. what else do you know nothing about... sure research declawing, but also research why you think you need to have it done in the first place.. sounds to me like some do gooder has told you if you dont they will rip your baby to shreds or something and you think you need to do it.. you cant possible say "i will not have kittens around unless i get them declawed" if you dont even know what it is... :?

Answer 10

It is very cruel to declaw a cat, very painful, and very expensive. It also makes some cats very mean. It's the equivalent of amputating the last joint of your fingers.

There's another method sometimes used where the tendon in the paw is cut so they can't retract or extend their claws. This tends to lead to arthritis and isn't appropriate either.

I recommend teaching them to claw on appropriate things (cardboard scratching boxes, cat trees, etc.). Trim their claws periodically or use soft claws.

BUT DON'T DECLAW. Before you do that, give the kittens up to someone who isn't worried about their claws.