I'm soon to be getting a male kitten, and Ive gotten mixed opinions from people about de-clawing him. My female cat ( 4 years old ) is de-clawed and she acts like she never knew she had claws, but others have told me that cats miss them and get depressed. I had intended to get him declawed when i got him fixed. Whats your opinion?
Answers:
It's a personal choice for you.
You'll get people on here that will tell you how cruel it is.and it is IMHO. The surgery is considered major and at our clinic, they are in hospital for at least 3 days.it's that serious. And it's painful, they're sent home with painkillers for at least 4 days afterwards. Also sent home with antibiotics.
It's expensive too, at least here. It'll run about $600 or more, depending on the vet and how long he keeps them.etc.
You also have to make 100% sure that the cats are strictly indoor cats forever. Claws are their main defense.
I cut my cats nails, the ones that have them. The stray I adopted came to me already declawed, and like you said, she doesn't know that she doesn't have them. She still "scratches" on the couch as if she has them. My couch can tell the difference though, lol.
Will the doctor neuter and declaw at the same time? Some won't because of the length of time under anesthesia. Check first.
It's a personal decision..will declawing save your furniture and rugs? Absolutely. Will you nail trimming help that too? Sure. It's whatever you think is best for you and your situation.
Good luck to you and your new addition.
Claws are the cats only means of defense. I would never declaw a cat. I have 2 cats and I trim their nails or I take them to a groomer who charges $5 to trim a cats nails.
I have a male cat and he's going to be de-clawed in a few weeks. I can't see a cat getting depression from missing their claws, especially if it's an indoor cat.but I could be wrong. My take is, it would be easier for him to get used to it and get over the depression better than me replacing the things he scratches up. Anyway, the vet thought it was a good idea to have him de-clawed if he is a house cat.
Why buy an animal just to have it mutilated? In the UK this operation is illegal because of its cruelty.
typically they dont "miss" their claws BUT there are some common problems..
most declawed cats experience behavior changes.. they know their main defence is gone so they get a heighted fear response called the FIGHT OR FLIGHT response.. either becoming more agressive and more apt to bite or becoming more nervous and scared
often they refuse to use the litter box because of ongoing residual pain in their paws
some have back problems later in life because they are forced to walk unnaturally on their heels rather than on their toes for years and years
if you are concerned with clawing DO NOT get a kitten -get an older cat - kittens are ver yclaw agressive by nature it is unfair to get an animal with a known behavior then deprive it of its natural behavior. it would be better to get an older cat or one that was already declawed rather than subject a new kitten to this potential risk
if you provide a proper scratching post/cat furniture and encourage use (cat nip or moving it regularly to increase interest) or you can but claw protectors such as SOFT PAWS. then declawing isnt something you need to do. .. some breeds are less claw agressive than others.
anyhow look into it further.. your vet wont give you an honest view point since they make money from declawing
How would you feel if someone surgically jerked your fingernails out? This is cruel and inhumane.and usually done by people too lazy to teach their cat where they can scratch and where they can't.get a scratch pole and encourage the cat to use it. praise it when it uses the pole and use a squirt bottle on them when they are scratching something they shouldn't. Cats are smart and will learn the difference really fast. Even indoor cats shouldn't be declawed--if they accidently get out, how are they supposed to defend themselves?
I feel it's in the cats nature to claw. You can always buy a cat scratcher to deter the cat from clawing the furniture. Also if your cats going to be allowed to go outside and it meets another cat, it won't be able to defend itself, if it were to get in a fight.
I would consider de clawing as well, but I see my how much my cat loves her claws and I would hate to take that away from her. Scratching the post gives her something to do, clawing at the string or play mouse probably makes her feel like a tough feline. It's bad enough when I trim her claws- she falls whenever trying to get onto the bed or couch or chairs- But that's just me!
Although deemed the cruelest thing you can do to a cat, I have seen and assisted in many. The doctor I was working for injected lidocaine into each paw just before sx. The cat was already injected with a long term pain med. She was a fast doctor with empathy towards the cats, with gentleness and understanding. Kittens always seem to do the best, they are young, not fully frown, therefore not weighing much,. The older the cat, the heavier that cat, the harder it is for the cat.
If you are thinking about doing it, I say go for it when he gets neutered, saving the expense of going under anesthesia twice and paying for an additional hospital visit, pain meds, etc.
Being a kitten, he will do just fine!!
If you have one cat declawed, you will have to get the other cat declawed. Your declawed cat is vulnerable against a cat with claws and will get severly scratched up if it gets into a fight with the other cat.
I declawed my cat. She has her back claws only. She acts like a normal cat - minus her claws.
If you declaw a cat when it's a kitten, it won't miss it's claws. It will still paw at furniture (minus the claws) and leave it's scent. (At least my cat does)
I don't think declawing a cat is as cruel as people think that it is. For an indoor cat it's a must and trust me it is better for cats to be indoors nowadays.
There are definitly pros and cons to having a kitten declawed. Since you already have one cat that is declawed it might be in her best interest so that they are equal as far as defending against each other. However, declawing can increase biting behavior in some cases and if you ever had to put him up for adoption he would have no way to defend himself if adopted as an outdoor animal. Just some things to think about before making your choice!
They basically remove part of the cat's toes. It is very painful and the recovery is long (1 - 2 months I think?), and the chance of infection is high. You can NEVER let a de-clawed cat outside for the rest of it's life because that's it's only means of defense and it can be badly injured or killed by other cats or animals.
There is a new product called "Soft paws" that you can buy at places like PetSmart. They're basically little fake nails that go over your cats' real nails and they aren't sharp. They can even put them on your cat for you. They last up to three months.
Best of luck whatever you decide.
Personally, I could NEVER condone declawing for any reason. I have had cats all my life and found that there are always ways you can modify any bad behvior and there are so many alternatives to de-clawing. I just think it is WRONG and no one will ever convince me otherwise - be it a vet (they can be sooooo wrong too in some things), an so-called animal lover, etc. If you had one of those kids who has a tick about scratching themselves until they draw blood, would you seriously consider having his nails pulled out or his digits cut at the knuckels (which is what declawing is)? I suspect "No" - you'll find other alternatives to solve your problem.
some cats may miss them.if you are going to declaw them i suggest doing it while they are still very young. my cat has all 4 declawed and she is fine. i would never have a cat w/claws, they scratch up too much stuff! the nail covers don't do a very good job. good luck! my cat still scratches things like she has claws.so i don't know if she misses them or thinks she still has them..she never goes outside so i didn't see any reason she needed to keep them
If it will be an outside cat, I would absolutely not declaw it. If it will be an indoor cat, its a matter of choice. I have a 10 year old female that we had declawed(front only)when she was about 5 at the same time she was fixed. She did fine. I recently had our new male fixed and declawed at the same time as well(he was about 6 months old). He recovered very quickly with no complications as well.
I dont know if its regional as far as price goes, but it was only $160 for both the declawing and the neutering(someone earlier mentioned $600) He came home the next day and his paws were completely healed after a few weeks. He doesnt seem to know the difference. (Again,only had front claws removed).
It's your pet.
I've always had my indoor cats declawed. I live inside ahuman house with human things, like clothing, curtains and furniture. The cats don't seem to mind being declawed nearly as much as they mind being constantly sprayed with a stream of water for clawing no-no objects. And despite every effort to give them scrath friendly objects, they always go for the no-nos. So, it's up to you.
Usually a decent vet will offer the declaw at a discount if you are having the cat fixed at the same time. Since they are already being put under, it makes sense to get it all done at once and save the animal the experience of being put under again.
Instead of declawing your cat, try using an alternative such as soft paws/soft claws. They are plastic caps that you glue onto the end of their claws. The cat sheds them off as their claws grow so they are perfectly safe. They also allow the cat to retract their claws and scratch without hurting you, themselves, or your furniture.
I have 2 cats, a 6 year old female and a 8 month old male and both wear them. The first few times applying them can be a hassle, but once they're on, the cats don't seem to notice. If you have difficulty applying them at first, ask your vet or groomer for help. You can get them in sizes kitten to large (for big breed cats). They come in clear or several different colors if that's more your cat's style. The nail caps, glue, and applicators are all included in the kit. Larger pet stores sometimes carry them as well as cat boutiques and cat shows. If you can't find them in your area, you can order them online at www.softpaws.com.
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