I want a kitten and my husband is scared that it will scratch the leather sofa.I said if we got it declawwed it would be okay, but he thinks that it is cruel.My friend told me she got her cat done and he was fine and didn't act like he was in pain. Does anyone have any suggestions?
Answers:
If you are considering declawing your cat, please read this. It will only take a moment, and it will give you valuable information to help you in your decision.
First, you should know that declawing is pretty much an American thing, it's something people do for their own convenience without realizing what actually happens to their beloved cat. In England declawing is termed "inhumane" and "unnecessary mutilation." I agree. In many European countries it is illegal. I applaud their attitude.
Before you make the decision to declaw your cat, there are some important facts you should know. Declawing is not like a manicure. It is serious surgery. Your cat's claw is not a toenail. It is actually closely adhered to the bone. So closely adhered that to remove the claw, the last bone of your the cat's claw has to be removed. Declawing is actually an amputation of the last joint of your cat's "toes". When you envision that, it becomes clear why declawing is not a humane act. It is a painful surgery, with a painful recovery period. And remember that during the time of recuperation from the surgery your cat would still have to use its feet to walk, jump, and scratch in its litter box regardless of the pain it is experiencing. Wheelchairs and bedpans are not an option for a cat.
No cat lover would doubt that cats--whose senses are much keener than ours--suffer pain. They may, however, hide it better. Not only are they proud, they instinctively know that they are at risk when in a weakened position, and by nature will attempt to hide it. But make no mistake. This is not a surgery to be taken lightly.
Your cat's body is perfectly designed to give it the grace, agility and beauty that is unique to felines. Its claws are an important part of this design. Amputating the important part of their anatomy that contains the claws drastically alters the conformation of their feet. The cat is also deprived of its primary means of defense, leaving it prey to predators if it ever escapes to the outdoors.
I have also had people tell me that their cat's personality changed after being declawed. Although, the medical community does not recognize this as potential side effect.
Okay, so now you realize that declawing is too drastic a solution, but you're still concerned about keeping your household furnishings intact. Is there an acceptable solution? Happily, the answer is yes. A big, joyful, humane YES! Actually there are several. The following website "Cat Scratching Solutions" provides many solutions as well as and insight into the psychology of why cats scratch. You can teach your cat to use a scratching post (sisal posts are by far the best). You can trim the front claws. You can also employ aversion methods. One of the best solutions I've found is Soft Paws庐.
Soft Paws are lightweight vinyl nail caps that you glue on the cat's front claws. They're great for households with small children and are extremely useful for people who are away from home all day and can't exercise the watchfulness necessary to train a cat to use a scratching post. Soft Paws庐 are easy to apply and last about four to six weeks. They come in clear or colors--which are really fun. Now that's a kitty manicure! The colored caps look spiffy on Tabby or Tom and have the added advantage of being more visible when one finally comes off. Then you simply replace it. You can find Soft Paws庐 on the web by clicking here or call 1-800-989-2542.
You need to remember, though, that the caps and nail trimming should only be used on indoor cats who will not be vunerable to the dangers of the outdoors.
For a list of countries in which declawing is either illegal, or considered extremely inhumane and only performed only under extreme circumstances, or for medical reasons, CLICK HERE.
Not yet convinced? Click Here for "The Truth about Declawing - Technical Facts."
Questions or Comments? Like to add to this website? Please feel free to e-mail me.
It is cruel but i got my kitten declawed. We thought we could get away with not declawing him but all my furniture was messed up (little bastard) and we got him declawed. It was sad at first but he bounced back real quick and hes just as hyper as ever! Its like it never happend. When it heals, hell be as good as new. cats have a short term memory. They were gonna put him to sleep if we didnt adopt him. So either him dead or declawed!
Just keep in mind they cut your kitties "fingers" off at the first knuckle when they declaw them.you decide. (I have three kitties and all of them have their claws, I sprayed them with a water bottle if they clawed the furniture and moved them to a scratching post, they learned quick and it didn't hurt anyone)
If the cat gets out, it won't be able to defend itself. I think it is cruel also. If you are worried about your material possesions, you should not be an animal owner.
It's cruel. But if you dont want the kitten to sracth the couch up. Just get a water bottle and spray it when the kitten does it and the kitten will get the message not to do that. And the best part is that the water doesn't hurt the kitten.
I THINK ITS CRUEL TOO, BECAUSE THEY CANT SCRATCH THEMSELVES . DON'T DE CLAW.GET A SCRATCHING POST FROM WALMART. CATS LOVE THEM! MY CAT AUTUMN ADORES HERS. ONCE THEY GET AROUND THE POST ,THEY WONT LEAVE IT .OR YOU CAN MAKE ONE YOURSELF
I think declawing is cruel too. But why not try to get a hamster or gerbil. their cute and cuddly and you don't have to worry about the couch.
If you declaw your cat make sure he/she never goes outside it will have noway of defending it's self! no it's not cruel.
im sorry but i think this is really cruel aswell. cats need their claws for many reasons. climbing and when they hunt, because they will still hunt when they are outside the home even though you feed them, its their instinct. the claws are a part of the cat, if you cant accept or learn to live it with dont get a cat.
its an unnessary opperation for them to go through.
I guess I don't see that it is that cruel. I know that it hurts the kitties, but we are taking the animal into our homes and lives, to take care of it forever. We don't want the furniture to be tore up, so we remove the front claws. It's the kitty's nature to scratch, so I don't think it's God-awful that we declaw it. Every cat I've had has been declawed and they lived great healthy lives. My cat who just passed away not long ago lived over 17 years. He was very happy.
Declawing is fine, as long as you only do the cats front paws, not the back. The reason is if you keep the back claws and they happen to get outside they can still climb trees to get away from predators and they usually only scratch furniture with their front claws.
Also, they are asleep when they are declawed so they don't feel it at the time. They are sore for a few days, but after that they are fine. It is like anything else, a small pain for a lifetime of enjoyment!
If you like the cat and you realize the cat will take permanent damage with declawing there are alternate methods. You can take a regular toenail clipper, hold your cat firmly and trim her/his nails. The nails may shatter, you may cut the cat (I did a few times, after that the cat always sat still for me), regardless the cats nails will grow back normal (unlike a dogs) according to the vet. Visit a petsmart if you are afraid of the blood there are specialized tools for cutting and stopping the bleeding. You will need to check his/her claws 1x/week. There are also covers to slip over the cat's claws. You can use something like sour apple spray on things you don't want scratched as well. Talk to your vet as well on other ideas.
Best of luck.
I have de clawed every cat I have ever had. Think about this: if it was so cruel and unusual why would veterinarians do it? The vet knows best and if they are willing to de claw - then ultimately there must not be too big of a problem. Besides, you don't want the kitten scratching one of the kids.
Oh and by the way, cats CAN still scratch themselves. They do not use their claws for that they use the pads of their feet to scratch themselves.
Another alternative would be to talk to your vet about "caps" I don't use them so i don;t know much about them. All I know is that they are little caps that you glue onto the cats claws so they are no longer sharp. I know that they have to be replaced every so often but check into it.
Declawing your cat is a decision that should never be taken lightly and certainly never be done for the owner's convenience. The procedure is not without risk. The tourniquet, used to reduce blood loss during the surgical procedure, can damage the radial nerve and result in paralysis of the leg. This paralysis is usually temporary but can be permanent. If the incisions come open and expose the remaining bones of the digits, infection can occur and the wounds must be left open to heal, which can take longer than if sutures were holding the wound closed.
If the declawing procedure is not done correctly, misshapen claws can grow back. An incorrectly positioned cut during declawing surgery can remove too much of the toe, taking with it part or all of the toe's pad. In addition, if a bone fragment is left at the surgery site, it may become a source of infection. Both claw regrowth and infection necessitate additional surgery.
There is a simple alternative available for you and your cat. Introduce a scratching post. You can make one yourself or it can be purchased. Your cat's scratching post should be tall enough so your cat can stretch completely when scratching, and stable enough so it won't wobble when being used. It should be covered with a strong, heavy, rough fiber like the back side of carpeting and lined with catnip.
Make the post a fun place to be by placing toys on or around it, or by rubbing it with catnip, and put it in an accessible area. If you're trying to discourage your cat from scratching a particular piece of furniture, try placing the post in front of it, gradually moving the post aside as your cat begins to use it regularly.
A quick squirt from a water bottle will let your cat know when it has made a wrong choice between your furniture and the scratching post. Training your cat to use its post helps increase the bond between the cat and owner by increasing communication.
I also have leather couches and my cats dont scratch them. I think it might be that they dont like the feel of it. It's not rough enough.
Declawing a cat is the human equivalent of having your fingers sliced off to the second knuckle. Do you think that would hurt you? So, yes it is cruel. There are plenty of ways to train a kitten not to scratch such as squirting it with a water bottle when you catch it, and having lots of scratching posts and cardboard cat scratchers around. Catnip will help attract the cat to the scratching post if you sprinkle it on the post. Also, you could always try getting an adult cat from a shelter. They are easier to handle and are out of the "kitten phase." I got my cat a couple of years ago from an adoption clinic and she's wonderful. I never had her scratch anything and my two year old torments her like you wouldn't believe. She was only between 1 and 2 when I got her and I don't feel like I missed out on not having her since she was a kitten. Also, adult cats who are adopted are sooooooooooo appreciative of the love and affection you can give them because they know what it's like to be alone and unwanted. Just something to consider. But please if you get a kitten or a cat don't declaw him/her. It also makes them more prone to biting because they don't have a natural defense mechanism.
I have had several cats declawed over the past several years. My cats didn't seem to react to it much. Just remember that your kitten has to be at least 6 months old before the procedure can be done.
buy some cat soft clays they are a rubber cap that you put on there clawS
it's cruel! Don't do it!
We had to declaw our kitten, not because she scratched the furniture but because she would walk across our backs while we slept and dug into our flesh. I'm sorry, but I can't be nice to a pet who's doing that to me so it was just as much for her own good as it was for my own. I understand that it's hard for people to do, but if you go to a good vet, it's going to help in the long run.
I personally do not agree with it but if you're going to do it do it while they're young and be sure to find a vet that will do a laser declaw. It is a much more humane way and the recovery time is much quicker. However, you should realize the only way to protect your leather couch is to do an all 4 paw declaw; since cats jump off using their back paws.
Your boyfriend is absolutely right, it IS cruel. Extremely.
Read this;
http://www.catsonly.com/eth%20declawing..
There IS an alternative for you here. If you want a cat without claws, adopt one that's already BEEN declawed. They need homes, too.
How about clipping the the nails? Declawing is like taking away their only defense. It also confuses them and hurts them mentally.
As long as you never plan to put your kitten outside you can get it declawed, but for the first couple of weeks forget the cat coming near you. They get scared of humans since they are in alot of pain and can't really walk for a week.
I can't say that declawing is cruel, but I wouldn't recommend it. You can train cats to only scratch a certain place, and they prefer fabric over leather anyways so a scratching post should do.
My poor Siamese baby, my parents had him declawed when I moved out without telling me and they did a terrible job - his claws started growing back through the pads of his feet. Very painful. :(
My cat was declawed at 3 months. If you are going to do it, do it while it is still a baby. My cat is now 15 years old and she is fine. Of course just like any surgery the poor little thing will be in pain, but that will go away. You see the pain is not the problem. The problem is the declawing of the cat. Remember, once declawed,the cat has lost its ability to defend itself.. It wont be able climb a tree if it is being chased by a dog or if it fighting with other cats, it wont be able to scratch back. My cat is basically a house cat. She cannot go outside by herself. We have to be very careful that she does not run outside when the door is open and believe me she is always looking to go outside. Once declawed you have to protect her. I dont regret declawing her except when she was 6 months and got outside and was badly bitten. No mishaps since, but only because we are very careful with her. If you have kids who are always in and out the house, forget about declawing the cat.
Don't do this horrible thing. If your couch is that important, pet it instead of a living thing. Please don't mutilate a beautiful animal.
No comments:
Post a Comment