Im considering de-clawing my kitten (front paws only). Does the shelter do this and is it cheaper than a vet?

Question

She is 13 weeks (3 months) old and has a habit of clawing things and climbing what she shouldnt. I know some people dont believe in it but she is going to be an indoor only cat and doesn't need the front two claws and I think itd be better to declaw her front paws so she cant accidentally scratch my young children.

Answer 1

Shelters won't do it, you have to take it to a vet.

Answer 2

My cat is declawed in the front. She is strictly an indoor cat.I would never let her out because she doesn't have the protection of her claws.
Only a vet will declaw. After it is done , you buy a paper filler for your cat box for a while.It cost about $130.00.
MAKE SURE YOU GET PAIN MEDICATION FOR THE CAT WHEN YOU TAKE IT HOME, ITS NOT ALWAYS INCLUDED IN THE DECLAWING PRICE.The paws will be sore for a few days.They usually put a halo on their neck to keep them from biting and licking their paws while they are healing.
Mine never had litterbox or personality changes because of the surgery.She never bit more either.As a matter a fact, she trys to chew the back claws off , as if to say she doesn't like them either.She's a very happy house kitty in her 8 years of being declawed.
Oh, yeah. Cats that come in to the shelter get adopted more often when they are declawed because, less worry of scratching and tearing up furniture.
Make your own decision and what is best for you and your family!

Answer 3

If nothing will persuade you to not declaw PLEASE at LEAST find a vet who does LASER SURGERY. That way the kitten will at least suffer less as this is a less invasive surgery with all the capillaries seared so they cannot reopen and bleed. This also means a shorter healing time and uncomfortableness for the kitten. And yes, only vets will do this procedure.

Personally I think that declawing is inhumane and agree that you might as well cut off your young children's nails and first knuckle as well. I think a much better solution is to fill a cheap spray bottle with water and spray her when she climbs or scratches. Does it take patience? Yes, but so do your children. Also, if they get scratched, they'll learn not to play so roughly with kitty, just like after a pat on a hand they'll learn not to touch something when you say no.

Although you say the kitten will be indoor only, what happens if the door is left open and she runs out? Accidents do happen.

Answer 4

I don't recommend de-clawing your kitten. I know several people do perform the practice on their animals.

I have a family member who had a VERY violent cat, VERY. They de-clawed him and he is now the sweetest cat ever.

You have indoor cats, BUT there is a chance that your cat could run outdoors someday and now their only defense they had (their claws) are now gone and your cat is completely helpless.

INSTEAD of de-clawing they have this new product out and you can bring your cat to your vets to get this done. What it is, is a cover almost and they put it over your cat's claws so it doesn't shread your furniture or your house. The ends of these covers are round and they are very thin.

You will find most vets don't want to perform the procedure of de-clawing anymore as they think it is inhumane as well.. I would ask around to vet clinic and see if they can put little covers over the tip of the cats claws. It's harmless. They will have to be changed every few months, but I believe it is better to do that than rip out a cat's claw as I do see it is a bit cruel.

I hope you can understand why it's not right to de-claw. I have two FULLY CLAWED cats in my home and yes they like to scratch things in my house and I do have scratching posts, but they do love my recliner chair and the thought of de-clawing has NEVER crossed my mind. I hope it won't anymore for you as there is an alternative now.

Good luck

Answer 5

While you're at it, why don't you amputate your young children's fingers at the knuckle just under the fingernail?
PLEASE READ:

SERIOUSLY: you will have nothing but problems if you declaw her.
Declawing leads to being overly aggressive (to make up for being defenseless) and LITTERBOX AVERSION, which can happen immediately, or not for years.

Also, a veterinarian I worked for once told me that declaw
operations are not taught in vet school- and that many times it's done incorrectly.
Please, have a little good sense and compassion. Every time I hear someone say the cat will be "indoor only" my
heart sinks- already you don't like the cat's behavior- and she's simply being a cat- that's how they are.
Would you mutilate your children to teach them manners?
Of course not. So why do it to the poor cat, that you have already showed indications of not being able to live with for 15 or 20 years??
PLEASE. Roses have thorns, cats have claws.
Cats don't "accidently" scratch anyone, unless they become overly excited while playing.
They are as aware of thier claws as you are of your fingers.
If your kid gets scratched, he'll learn to back off & be nice to kitty, right?
Leave the cat as God intended, or get the cat a home where it is appreciated for its beauty and its crazy kitty behavior.
Dogs don't climb drapes.
Animlas are a privilege and should be respected and cared-for in ways that won't cause serious psychological changes, as declawing will. Just don't do it, period. If you STILL want to, then get rid of the kitten, because having a cat is not for you.

Answer 6

I had that done to my cat, the resulting behavorial changes when you have the front claws removed is him/her bitting or chewing although not usually too hard. They also pick up a habit of trying to use thier front claws to scratch stuff but needless to say cannot, they will also quit climbing things and resort to jumping for places. When it comes to the declawing portion price wise I would say try calling different veterinary clinics also check the shelter and see what price they give you on doing this. I took mine to Shiveley animal clinic here I think it cost me like $50.00 for the front claws to be removed the price depends on the veterinary office so calling around and asking is your best bet. When you call ask them what if any other charges are included the place I went did not charge anymore for keeping her overnight to see that she was healing ok first but other offices might charge for that as well.

Answer 7

Have you tried a variety of scratchers? My cats prefer the cardboard ones. We have 2 vertical attached to doors, 2 flat, and 1 slanted. They are very cheap. The vertical one is a kit and is refillable (the refills cost $2 at Target). One of my cats prefers a vertical scratch and likes to use the flat scratchers. The other only likes to scratch on flat or slanted surfaces. On occasion she will use the vertical to get a good stretch.

At that young of an age, she is just testing things. Keep her nails trimmed, provide a variety of scratchers, and you will be fine.

Any form of declawing is cruel. I suggest your research the subject before doing the surgery. It is far better to rehome her, and then if you want a declawed cat, get one that has already been done by someone else from a shelter. I will find some sources for you to read on this subject, and post them shortly.

Declawing FAQ guide. http://www.pawproject.com/html/faqs.asp

I chose this site because it just presents the facts in a simple form and is not crazy like PETA. At least if you make this decisions, please be informed. I suggest you read questions:
"What are the potential complications of declawing?"

"Do declawed cats find homes more easily because they won't damage furniture? Will people abandon or euthanize their cats if they cannot have a veterinarian declaw their cats?"

"Is there precedent for banning declawing?"

"Why do people declaw their cats?"

"Why did my veterinarian suggest declawing my cat?"

Answer 8

I have a declawed cat that has had No issues with his litter box. If the cat is a house cat then I see nothing wrong with declawing it. Infact my cat and dog have all kinds of fun running around and swatting at eachother. If the cat had claws I think he would prolly be a little too rough for the dog and they would have such a good relationship. My suggestion would be to read some articles regarding the pros and cons of declawing and weigh your options. Figure out if this would best suit the enviornment your cat will be living in. Also take him to the vet , most shelters dont have employess qualified in this field.

Answer 9

Kittens can be trained not to scratch furniture and carpets and the climbing thing is also a training issue. I have found that my cats' back nails do more inadvertant damage than they ever do with their front claws. All that being said, sometimes declawing is necessary in my opinion. I declawed my blind cat because she was clawing at me and climbing up things and not being able to get back down. When I took her to the vets my arms were literally covered in scratches. She recovered and is now a fantastic kitty to play with and love.

Talk to your vet and discuss the de-clawing, it's usually best to do it when they're fixed so there's only one anesthesia. Oh, the climbing on stuff won't stop (unless it's curtains) but at least your furniture won't be damaged on the way up. Good luck.

Answer 10

Before you do this you need to be fully aware of the consequences of declawing a cat. Many of them develop litter box avoidance issues. Some of them are okay if you change their litter to something like newspaper.. Others won't use their box at all. These issues can develop inside of a year or they could develop when the cat is 10. Many cats also start biting instead of clawing. They also bite MUCH harder than a cat who still has their claws and it is much much harder to teach them not to bite than not to claw. You're also looking at the potential for back and shoulder problems later in life because your cat won't be able to stretch properly (this is part of what they are doing when they scratch).

Answer 11

I have been working in the pet business for a few years and I have yet to come across a no-kill shelter that will even agree to declawing. In fact, most are vehemently against it. Why? Your cat loses his defenses. If he ever did escape he would have no way to defend himself from the outside world. Fortunately there is a more "humane" option. There is a product on the market called Soft Claws. It is fairly easy to apply and generally costs about $20-25 dollars for i believe 4 nails. These are basically plastic caps. After the nail has been cut to the quick, you would apply the caps. Basically the cap has a rounded plastic "claw" so the scratching done will leave everything, including your childern, unharmed. They sell them in four sizes including ones specifically for kittens.
Also, if you provide a variety of her own toys to scratch it may cut down. My Maine Coon/DSH mix has drastically cut down tearing up the furniture now that she has cardboard and rope scartching boards and posts (especially when they are filled with catnip)!