Your view on declawing...

[kewlhippiechick]

I have five cats in my house...
One is 4-years-old and her name is Cheesecake.
One is 2-years-old, he's Elph...
Then I have Pixie, who age is unknown. We rescued her when she was pregnant. Someone had abandoned her at our renfaire. She was extremely malnourished.
She had five kittens. We kept two of them, Smudge and Ray. Both boys.
My question is this...
Elph has decided that he must try to beat up either Cheesescake or Pixie on a regular basis. He's neutered, but the ladies aren't. We intend to have them ALL fixed. But he only beats up the girls and it's gotten so bad that we find fur in between his claws and in his mouth!
My hubby and I were talking that perhaps we should find him a home where he's an only cat...we rescued him from the renfaire two years ago...and we really love him!
Then my husband suggested declawing him as an option. Now in the past we've always been against this, but if means we're able to keep him, we'll do it.
What do ya'll think?

[Sylvan]

You might check into Softpaws first before going with something as drastic as declawing.
http://www.softpaws.com/
Developed by a veterinarian, Soft Paws are vinyl nail caps that glue on to your cat's claws. This amazing product effectively covers the claws so no damage occurs when your cat scratches.

[Flar's Freyja]

I think it's an individual choice based on the pros and cons. We are going to have to de-claw our two females or we will not have any more furniture. And, our house is rented and they have destroyed a part of the actual house. We didn't even know they were doing it until there was significant damage. We can't have this, and we do not want to get rid of the cats.

We are not having this problem with the two males, so we are not even remotely considering it for them. We've thought about this for a long time and feel we have no choice. If it means that your cat continues to have a loving, safe, home - then you may have to go with it.

[Mindflayer]

When I'm done with school, I plan on getting a cat (won't have the time for a dog), and I couldn't see de-clawing them, personally I don't like it... It seems a bit cruel, not in a "OMG HOW CAN YOU DO THAT" way, more of a "why would you WANT to do that?"


If it starts scratching, well a spray bottle, and some cat nip on the object he's suppose to scratching worked for my friend :p

[Flar's Freyja]

When I'm done with school, I plan on getting a cat (won't have the time for a dog), and I couldn't see de-clawing them, personally I don't like it... It seems a bit cruel, not in a "OMG HOW CAN YOU DO THAT" way, more of a "why would you WANT to do that?"


If it starts scratching, well a spray bottle, and some cat nip on the object he's suppose to scratching worked for my friend :p

We've tried that, as well as the "SuperScratcher," a cardboard scratching pad that they actually use. But there's not much you can do when you're sleeping or gone - and they know better when we're here. All we have to do is say "hey" when they claw and they stop. I don't like having to do it either, but this house belongs to a good friend of ours and he's been very good to us. We can't let our pets destroy his property.

I've never de-clawed a cat myself. I've had three that were declawed by the previous owners. While the operation may be painful, they all appeared to have recovered nicely and it never caused a problem with being able to defend themselves from other cats. We also keep them inside.

We thought about those caps, but we can not put them on ourselves without getting shredded and can't afford to pay the vet to do it four times a year. If we could, we would consider that option.

[Lady Jade]

If they are going to be strictly indoor cats, the declawing the front paws in my mind is ok. Even if they get outside, cats use their back claws to really fight with so he would be able to defend himself.

Just my opinion...

[Miss Edith]

I personally wouldn't declaw my cat. She is an indoor cat, and she scratches things, but you can tell at the same time she loves her claws. She enjoys scratching her little post thing, and kneading your clothes or whatever with her claws.

I wouldn't say that declawing was a terrible thing... it just seems a bit cruel to me.
I wouldn't like to lose my nails, you know? But each to his own :)

[Sylvan]

It's not just the nails. They amputate back to the first knuckle.

[Witchzee1]

It's not just the nails. They amputate back to the first knuckle.
Yep! I'm totally against it! I guess I try to put myself in the position of the animal and personally I don't think I'd much care to have the tips of all my fingers cut off!

Plus if he's inclined to fight, he may resort to biting both cats and people.

I'd say DON'T DO IT!

[~*Ginger*~]

My personal opinion about the subject, is that cats should live in the yard, so they can use their claws.
I also believe that dogs should be there as well.

I live in the country so that's easy to accomodate.
(no offence to anyone) ;)

[Bainidhe Dub]

None taken, Flora :)

Personally - I'm against declawing. Mostly because it seems so unnatural to me. We've had cats before that have been declawed, and they were happy - but they had no way of defending themselves.

If it's a last ditch effort though declawing would be the solution, though talk to the vet beforehand- maybe s/he can point you to an animal behaviorist to find the reason why he beats up the females.

[Flar's Freyja]

My personal opinion about the subject, is that cats should live in the yard, so they can use their claws.
I also believe that dogs should be there as well.

I live in the country so that's easy to accomodate.
(no offence to anyone) ;)

Yes, that's the problem where I live. After my experience this summer trying to save a stray that had been poisoned with antifreeze, mine are not going out, ever. And I wish they could, because when I have been able to let my cats out and in there really was a lot less clawing inside!

My little Freyja has a problem in addition to clawing walls and furniture. She will be sitting very nicely in your lap and all of a sudden decide to turn and take a slice out of you. Sometimes it happens because one of the other cats spooks her but it happens just as often for no reason. Again, a reason to consider declawing. Some of you may remember also that I recently got very, very sick from a cat bite - from one of my own cats!

I had an appointment to get Freyja declawed this past summer and backed out. But I feel we really have some valid reasons here and as much as I don't like the idea, it's going to have to happen. All six of ours are rescues and I've doctored and fed numerous strays over the years. I'm sorry that the cats have to sacrifice their claws for a home, but better their claws than their lives.

[Silver_Undine]

As much as his new scratching habit annoys me, I couldn't have my cat declawed. Every few weeks he, me and the boyfriend go at it while I'm trimming his claws. I know it's not completely my cat's fault because we have a small place and he only has his cardboard scratcher. Hopefully I'll be able to get him a tall rope scratcher and a new water bottle soon.

[BrenaSidhe]

---Declawing the pissed off cat is not going to solve the problem, it still has teeth and back claws to beat up the girls with...

Sounds like your pissy-kitty just dosn't like the other cats, someone needs a new home where he can be the king...

Or, check with your vet about a trial run, kitty-dose of prozak...

My oppinion on declawing is, I'd rather not, but I have and if need be would again...

[Yasmine Galenorn]

Adamantly against it...it's like amputating part of the finger. In our view (my husband's and mine) if you're going to have cats, you have to accept that they scratch. There's a product you can try called Sticky Paws for your furniture, and also one called Feliway, that may help.

http://www.feliway.com/
http://www.stickypaws.com/

Good luck with your problem-child, I have one and she's a handful, but that's just her and we love her so we cope with it and have found solutions that, while not easiest on us, make it easiest on the cats.

Yasmine

[Aidron]

I do not agree with it in the least. I believe if you are going to take anything or anyone into your home and life you musn't forcefully alter the subject in question against its will (if it has one).

I doubt any one of you would appreciate having your fingernails being removed simply because someone you were living with did not appreciate you scratching things, even though in your own mind you have very good reasons for it and are following instinct. I know I wouldn't be too keen on the idea.

If you insist on doing this, however, I'd simply suggest not even bothering with a cat. Perhaps they are not the pet for you.

[Lai]

My issue with it, other than I think it just plain wrong to take away a cat's claws, is the fact that they still have teeth. Without the claws, they'll eventually figure out that biting is an alternative... which is VERY dangerous if a cat bites a human. If left unattended, the bacteria in a bite can even be cause enough harm to have your arm amputated. Personally, I'd choose some of the most severe scratches over the possible loss of a limb! Although cats act just fine declawed, it really does still hurt them. Sometimes for years and years afterward you cannot mess with their paws because they are still very sore from the operation. Is it really worth causing your companion that type of pain just because they scratch the furniture? Work with the cat. Constantly. If it doesn't work... well, what can I say? Close off their access to expense furniture when you're not home. It's just part of having a cat... it's just as senseless and cruel as debarking dogs. It's all for the human's benefit, no matter how much health problems (physical AND mental) it causes for the animal.

And I do know what it's like to have a cat that scratches and won't stop no matter what. Our family had a cat named "Red" for a good 21 years, and we always had to deal with his scratching. We never declawed him, however, as we found ways to simply deal with it. Even when he scratched up the seats of our boat and tore at leather, we didn't declaw him. It's just part of having a cat. Even though he was an outdoor/indoor cat he still scratched. Cats just scratch. Red fought, clawed, and used his claws in every way possible to annoy us... yet we somehow managed to work around it with him for over two decades. Declawing is nothing but a lazy, quick solution to a problem. Animals take work, some more than others.

So in conclusion, I am avidly against declawing. :lol: Deepest apologies if any of the above came off as offensive.

[Flar's Freyja]

My issue with it, other than I think it just plain wrong to take away a cat's claws, is the fact that they still have teeth. Without the claws, they'll eventually figure out that biting is an alternative... which is VERY dangerous if a cat bites a human. If left unattended, the bacteria in a bite can even be cause enough harm to have your arm amputated. Personally, I'd choose some of the most severe scratches over the possible loss of a limb! Although cats act just fine declawed, it really does still hurt them. Sometimes for years and years afterward you cannot mess with their paws because they are still very sore from the operation.............. Deepest apologies if any of the above came off as offensive.

Not offensive at all. I see that side of it, and we've already talked ourselves out of it once. But we feel we have no choice here. They are destroying things when we are not looking. There is not much you can do when you're not there and you can't watch them 24/7. They either don't do it in front of us or stop when we tell them to, so they know better. We've put that work into training them. But they are also aware when we are not there to correct them. This house does not belong to us, and we do not have the money to reimburse our friend for further damage. Of the three declawed cats I've had, none have had long term ill effects.

I am very familiar with what can happen from a bite. I just went through that 2 months ago and was fortunate that I didn't lose my arm. The doctor did say that the same thing can happen from scratches.

[MoonRaven]

We have two cats, and neither of them are declawed - I also think it's cruel. My BF mentioned it when we got the first cat, and when I told him what they did he immediately changed his mind.

We got softpaws for our cat while he was young, so that he would get the idea that he can't claw the furniture. It worked great - he had them for about a year, and once he learned not to claw anything, he was fine and we didn't need the softpaws anymore. We got them a nice big scratching post (it's 3' tall - the ones you get in stores just aren't big enough), and it's the only thing that either of them scratch. I know that because none of our furniture or carpeting is shredded, and the scratching post is (to the point where they've gone clean through the carpet to the wood in one spot).

I'd have to agree that having the cat declawed isn't going to stop him from going after the others. He probably needs to be in a one-cat home. Having him declawed just so you can keep him, especially when you have the alternative of giving him to a catless house, is a little selfish, in my opinion. It's not fair to the cat.

[BrenaSidhe]

---I got a siamese cat from a rescue place right before solstice, as soon as the shock of relocation wore off, there she went trying to shred the couch...I sprayed with that cat-off stuff and she scratched it even more, I think it just really pissed her off, and at $5.00 a can I ain't doing that again... So with aid of my eldest son, we clipped her nails, and buffed um each off with an emery board... [after the 1st few] you get the hang of it and it goes really fast... She went to scratch the couch a few times after, but stops mid-stream and walks off, and the few strokes she gets in don't matter...

---When I was a kid,my dad brought me a bob tailed cat that looked like a rel mini bob cat... that little bugger clawed the woodwork on the doors, the furniture, anything it could and really sunk his nails in... Mom said the cat goes or I go! but my dad didn't want to declaw him...
Instead he got a good sized bit of remnant office carpet and tacked it up everywhere the cat liked clawing... Didn't stop the clawing but stopped the damage...
Did the same for my last dog, he'd jump up on the doors to open them, or when shut would paw the bottoms... Carpet tacked to the doors solved that problem to and if done right, dosn't look bad...

[some things to try anyways]

[~ Monk ~]

Hmm. Well, from what I've read I'm in the minority - I have no issue with having to declaw cats and I have several reasons why.

First off, all of my cats were strays/unwanted when they were taken in - and all of them had the tendancy to damage furniture/wood/etc. when they decided to scratch. I love my little friends dearly, but I also like to have a presentable home. Thus a compromise had to be met, and that compromise was them being declawed. The alternatives? Them being forced back outside or given to a shelter that would put them to death after a week. Personally, given the love and security they receive in my house I think the compromise was more than fair. When I look at my cats I don't see unhappy animals that are in pain from the procedure, traumatized, or who resent having lost their front claws. I see content little furballs that have food and water, a warm place to sleep and - most importantly - someone who loves them all.

Second - the argument of declawing being unnatural/cruel just doesn't fly with me. We've already tampered with these creatures by domesticating them in the first place - now we're suddenly worried about being cruel by declawing them? Consider the intent before you deem it cruel. :) Also - cats' paws are not the same as our fingers, so comparing a cat being declawed to a person losing their fingers up to the knuckle is totally invalid in my opinion.

I shudder to think of the number of cats that would be tossed outside/given to kill shelters if declawing were not an option.

[morrigen]

Adamantly against it...it's like amputating part of the finger. In our view (my husband's and mine) if you're going to have cats, you have to accept that they scratch. There's a product you can try called Sticky Paws for your furniture, and also one called Feliway, that may help.

http://www.feliway.com/
http://www.stickypaws.com/

Good luck with your problem-child, I have one and she's a handful, but that's just her and we love her so we cope with it and have found solutions that, while not easiest on us, make it easiest on the cats.

Yasmine

I would have to agree with Yasmine, on this. Have a chat to your vet, he/she may know how to handle this. Good luck.

[alexx]

We don't have declawing in the UK so I'm not clued up about it. I would say though that if it's the other cats he hates, as opposed to needed to exercise his claws, he will still fight them and bite them/punch them even clawless. I'd go with talking to a vet or animal behaviourist to see what can be done to get him to get along the others first. Good luck!

[Kes]

Not all shelters put animals to death; the one in my county is extremely good about that, and only puts an animal down if they are dying in order to ease their suffering.

Check around to see if you might have a shelter like that in your area. Many shelters and pounds often have lists of people who are willing to take in cats, as well. You could also ask friends or family if anyone would like to take care of the guy.

If you can't deal with his behavior in some other way than declawing, you should probably try to find a better home for him. Declawing a cat who has grown up with claws is not only dangerous if they ever have to defend themselves, but can also be psychologically traumatizing.

Please don't be offended, Freyja, but I'm worried that you might be trying to justify the act because you don't want to give him up. I realize that it's always hard to send a friend away, but you should really be thinking about what's best for the cat.

[~ Monk ~]

I don't know where some of you live, but in my area there are way, way more animals available for adoption than there are people willing to take them. No-kill shelters? Yes, there are quite a few by me - but they have very few openings in a year. The waiting lists are immense.

I'm amazed that I'm hearing so many people say that someone should just not bother taking in a cat if they're considering declawing them. Frankly, given that in my area declawing can mean the difference between having a stable home or living on the streets/being put to death, that strikes me as being more concerned about your feelings as opposed to the cat's well being.

[Kes]

I'm amazed that I'm hearing so many people say that someone should just not bother taking in a cat if they're considering declawing them. Frankly, given that in my area declawing can mean the difference between having a stable home or living on the streets/being put to death, that strikes me as being more concerned about your feelings as opposed to the cat's well being.

Well, maybe it's just the area where I live, then. :lol: But there are always people willing to take in kitties around here.

[~ Monk ~]

Well, maybe it's just the area where I live, then. :lol: But there are always people willing to take in kitties around here.:( I wish that were true here, Kes. I can't tell you how many times I've called the no-kills around me to try and find a place for the strays in my neighborhood. They all have my name on file but I have yet to get a call back telling me there's room - and I call back regularly myself.

[Garnet]

It depends on the cat & whether it claws furniture, people, or just a scratching post.
I have two cats; one is declawed & one isn't.
Bubba the WonderCat came with his front paws declawed; he has back claws. I NEVER had any trouble with him biting me; he's never even tried to bite me.
Ramona isn't declawed. She was a stray who chose my house to live in; she was about 6 months old then. That was the perfect age to get her declawed, but I never considered it. At the time, I had two older (clawed) cats who regularly beat the crap out of her, & I wanted her to be able to defend herself. I have a scratching post for her, & a couple of corrugated cardboard things (that she likes more than the post). I also cut her front claws. I've never had much trouble with her scratching the furniture.

[Wildstar]

I am a firm believer against declawing. I have several reasons:

1) There is no real reason. A perceived solution for declawing really is not a solution at all (I'll explain how this is not a solution to your problem in a moment).
2) There is about a 20-30% chance (no study actually put both causes together, so it's unknown exactly which) of either permanent physical or emotional damage.
3) It is part of what a cat is. They have to relearn how to walk, because now their toes are different. This is especially dangerous to older cats. This also causes a cat to walk differently because the structure of their feet is now different. Cats walk on the tips of their toes, and with declawing there is now less mass there, which causes them to alter their gate. It's kind of like if you cut off a toe. Your joints would misalign slightly, and cause problems later, like arthritis.

For your situation, declawing will have no positive effect. Biting is the main harmful factor, not clawing with the front paws. Clawing with the back claws is the most dangerous, as they are made to disembowel their prey - meaning, the cat may now use his back claws more instead and cause more damage. Even if the back claws are declawed, it can still cause severe bruising and internal damage just as if the "prey" was being punched repeatedly.

Essentially, surgery is not the answer.

This is obviously the alpha cat. One trick will be to pay more attention to this cat. Feed him first, greet him first, and give him the most attention. This will prove to all the cats that he is the top one, and thusly he will not have to fight the others to prove he is the best.

The other alternative is to section off the cats in opposite sides of the house (first floor and second floor is the best). Use methods, like a water gun, to enforce that each cat stays in their territory. Or plain old keep doors shut.

Most likely, the above suggestions won't work, but it won't hurt to try. Basically, I think you are going to have to give the cat away. He is just too dominant. It happens. I had a cat just like that, too.

[BrenaSidhe]

---There seems to be two sides to this and not much inbetween huh---

---No kill shelters---
There are tons upon tons of these places all within short distance from my home, and another dozen or so out further... Problem is, these places are full up, so they have foster homes for the cats... The foster homes are short stay homes, [in many cases] never staying longer then 30-60 days before being put into another foster home... They do this so the animals wont think that their foster home is the real thing and become attached... Then anywhere from once a week to several times a week, these cats are loaded up and taken to the big corp pet stores for pet adoption days... They get put into big open cages with no hiding spots and are put in the main walkway...
People and TONS of squeeling children go by looking, pokeing, petting and holding these poor unsettled beasties, for 2-6/2-8 hours depending... The kitties with the most "hits" people inquiring about them, yet not taken home with anyone, are sometimes left at the adoption-pet store in tiny cages... People get to pass by oogling them, but even if someone wants one, they can't be had till the next adoption day, 1-2-weeks latter... The cats that remain 24-7 in the few actual no kill shelter buildings, are on display all the time and kept in small cages... I got my cat from a no-kill agency, she had been adopted and brought back several times over and spent 1-year in several differant foster homes... Her last owner dumped her off in a cardbord box outside the petsmart door.in the cold... This is not uncommon for people to do, right before their time is up , to have to get the animal 'fixed' , the owners bring them back... Yes no kill shelters are better than the insta death, over stocked alternitives, but for those that think the kitties are in stable homes, well their not... Good homes perhaps, but not there long enough [in most cases] to be considered stable by any means... There are cats by the freakin ooodles full in the papers, notes tacked to store boards, pepers nailed to light poles, no one wants kitties, and theres just to many of them...

---I'm not a flag waving declawer by any means, but the alternitive between getting the claws removed and getting rid of the cat, is not realistic... Specially when you've an owner that wants, loves, cares and provides for the cat... They have warm secure homes, plenty to eat and drink, vet if needs require, love, attention, and even safe cool things to play with... To take a cat from a loving home and dump it nito a shelter, instead of declawing is cruel... I've had several cats over the years that have come to me declawed, all have done just fine, one could still climb the damn curtains and did so often... My dad had my mini-bob declawed and he did just fine, he wasn't limping all over or having to re-learn to walk... The 2 others that we had declawed did just fine also, did all the same cat stuff right off the bat, no worse for wear... It was either declaw them or ship them to a shelter, they were given to me as dumpster rescues, big bad assed toms that loved to claw the walls... I called the shelters and besides being treated like an evil monster for considering relocating them, was treated worse for considering declawing... BUT, they had no openings to take them, everyplace in town was full with waiting lists...And, I was advised , that given their guessed ages, and rather wild temporments, that they'd be heavy burdens on the shelters, as they'd most likely not be adopted out, and just take up space for other adoptable ones... So Hmmmmm? what to do??? Find a VERY GOOD VET, find out what differant things they can do inthe claw department and how each thing is done... with a really good vet, it's not a massive , or horrible procedure, with other vets it can be awfull, just find out... We had it done to both when they were taken into be nuetered, they laid around [a little] for a few days and were back rageing about the house soon after... Better than the alternitive, the streets or a unstable foster home/s for years...

---If you can get around doing it with other methods, like those little balls on the claws, you can get the vet to put them on... trimming/buffing... Or my sisters fav, which was sprinkleing enough water on catnip to get it damp, then rubbing it all over their scratching posts... and carpet tacked to the places they scratch... If you still can't solve it, do what ya gotta do...

---I know this might sound awfull to some, but there are some people out here with furnishings and homes that cost them hard earned money to pay for... Even if it's not the best stuff in the world, when you have to actually work for and buy the things you have, and in many cases can't afford to buy more and more as it's distroyed, and consider the truth about the shelter life, this picture starts to look a little differant... Theres also people out here that don't want their homes to look like crap, both could be the best and most loving people around BTW...

[wenrose]

I'd have to agree that having the cat declawed isn't going to stop him from going after the others. He probably needs to be in a one-cat home. Having him declawed just so you can keep him, especially when you have the alternative of giving him to a catless house, is a little selfish, in my opinion. It's not fair to the cat.[/QUOTE]

That was the situation with our cat. We got Rex from a multi-cat home where he was constantly fighting with the other cats. Since he was the oldest and doing the most damage, that's the one they gave us. And this was the DECLAWED cat!!!

Rex seems to get along fine without his claws and is enjoying life as an indoor cat with more toys than half the kids in the neighborhood and a Cat Condo in two rooms. If we get another cat, and it's already declawed, great. If it's not, then I don't think I could do that to an adult cat.

If it's a question of declawing versus having to get rid of the cat, Then I personally would go for the delawing only because there are more cats than there are homes for them.

Peace to You,
Wendy

[Wildstar]

erm. Can you up your font size? I have mine view set at medium, and I was straining to read it! Do you really need your text that small....?


I'm not a flag waving declawer by any means, but the alternitive between getting the claws removed and getting rid of the cat, is not realistic... Specially when you've an owner that wants, loves, cares and provides for the cat... They have warm secure homes, plenty to eat and drink, vet if needs require, love, attention, and even safe cool things to play with... To take a cat from a loving home and dump it nito a shelter, instead of declawing is cruel... I've had several cats over the years that have come to me declawed, all have done just fine, one could still climb the damn curtains and did so often... My dad had my mini-bob declawed and he did just fine, he wasn't limping all over or having to re-learn to walk... The 2 others that we had declawed did just fine also, did all the same cat stuff right off the bat, no worse for wear... It was either declaw them or ship them to a shelter, they were given to me as dumpster rescues, big bad assed toms that loved to claw the walls... I called the shelters and besides being treated like an evil monster for considering relocating them, was treated worse for considering declawing... BUT, they had no openings to take them, everyplace in town was full with waiting lists...And, I was advised , that given their guessed ages, and rather wild temporments, that they'd be heavy burdens on the shelters, as they'd most likely not be adopted out, and just take up space for other adoptable ones... So Hmmmmm? what to do??? Find a VERY GOOD VET, find out what differant things they can do inthe claw department and how each thing is done... with a really good vet, it's not a massive , or horrible procedure, with other vets it can be awfull, just find out... We had it done to both when they were taken into be nuetered, they laid around [a little] for a few days and were back rageing about the house soon after... Better than the alternitive, the streets or a unstable foster home/s for years

Cats are creatures that still have many wild instincts. One of them is to hide pain. In fact, I watched a video for a study on this. They recorded a dog in a room after being spayed. When any other creature was around, or there was a noise, the dog acted like nothing was different about her. When there was no one, and complete silence, the dog started to visibly suffer and even whimper in pain.

Cats will hide their pain. So, you cannot say that they feel no pain after 2-3 days just because you don't see it. You cannot say that a cat does not feel pain every time they walk just because you don't see it. Cats will only show pain when it is so severe it is unbearable.

My cat has a problem of a claw going into her paw. OBVIOUSLY this hurts a lot! It is an open wound and a thing is inside it! But, time and time again, I ask my parents (I do not live with them, or my cat) if her claws are all right, and time and time again they tell me, "She is walking fine, she must be all right." And then time and time again I come home, look at her paw and see the claw is completely inside her paw, and yet she showed no signs of pain.

Cats hide pain. All animals hide pain. You will never know if an animal is in mild to moderate pain through just observation. Cats even purr when in pain, so that is a commonly misread signal.

(Purring is like a drug. So they purr when they want to "get high," either when happy, or sad. They especially purr when in pain.)

Their gate will be changed after a declawing, even if you don't notice it. The foot is a very delicate thing on all creatures. One little change can cause disaster. I have read many articles about how podiatrists have to be so extremely careful to fix feet, for one little problem will cause pain when walking for the rest of the person's life.

This is no different with cats. There is a reason why there is a 20-30% complication rate from declawing! And those figures are on the conservative side! Many think it is more along 50%. There is about (I forget exactly) a 25% chance of permanent physical pain (and that’s only in cats where they could see the pain shown visibly - imagine how many are in mild to moderate pain?), and a 25% chance of behavioral problems after declawing.

That’s all because the foot is an extremely delicate creation, and it is so easy to mess it up.

In declawing, you are removing a significant mass from the foot. The cat must learn to realign itself because there is now less mass behind the pads of the paw, and they walk on their toes. Just because you do not see them relearning how to walk like a kitten would does not mean their legs are not misaligned and must learn how to walk again with a new gate. Their joints do become misaligned, and thusly they are more prone to joint problems like arthritis.

This is more of a problem with the older cat. At least a younger cat might have the ability to grow with this change in body structure, but an older cat is already done growing, and the body is not changing normally anymore.



If you can get around doing it with other methods, like those little balls on the claws, you can get the vet to put them on... trimming/buffing... Or my sisters fav, which was sprinkleing enough water on catnip to get it damp, then rubbing it all over their scratching posts... and carpet tacked to the places they scratch... If you still can't solve it, do what ya gotta do

There are many methods. Clipping is great. I clip my cat’s nails (for the above mentioned reason), but my parents cannot. All they have to do is take her to the vet once every 2-3 months for just $5. It's not that hard (if my parents can figure out how to fit it in their schedual, anyone can).

If you really love these animals, you can take the time out to take them to the vet once a month, or once every other month!

Or learn how to clip their nails yourself. Yes, it does take time and effort, but it can, and should be done. If your cat trusts you enough to clip his/her nails, then that means you have a really good relationship with them. Thusly, you should work to get to that sort of trust level just to have a better relationship with the cat.



I know this might sound awfull to some, but there are some people out here with furnishings and homes that cost them hard earned money to pay for... Even if it's not the best stuff in the world, when you have to actually work for and buy the things you have, and in many cases can't afford to buy more and more as it's distroyed, and consider the truth about the shelter life, this picture starts to look a little differant... Theres also people out here that don't want their homes to look like crap, both could be the best and most loving people around BTW

There are things that must be considered when getting a pet.

1) You will get hurt.
2) Your furnishings will get destroyed.
3) Things will get broken.

It is amazing that people think they can have perfect little animals all the time. A dog once bit someone 2 years ago, and they still say, "Watch out! He bites!" Dogs bite. Cats scratch. It is the nature of the beast. To expect otherwise is ludicrous.

It is a rare day when someone can get a stray and have them behave perfectly in the house. They have been raised in the WILD! They have no concept of what being in a house means. No concept to not scratch.

Why not let strays stay "strays?" Feed them, take them to the vet, give them a place to sleep in the cold, but otherwise stay outside. They might drink antifreeze? Well, wouldn't it be better to live a short and wonderful life, than a long and potentially painful life?

If you are so adament in keeping a wild stray indoors, then take them to the vet and get their nails clipped! Much better than potential permenant pain.

If you really want a perfect cat for your perfect furniture, then get a kitten and raise it yourself. Oh yes, but watch out for the wild teens. They'll knock everything over.

Best choice for when you need to protect your precious possessions? Go to a shelter and get a 6 year old who was given away because of moving, or landlord, or something.

[kewlhippiechick]

I think something got lost mid all the posts...
I love my fur baby, Elph. I rescued him when he had been abandoned at my local renfaire. I have five fur babies, none are declawed. It's just that lately he's been ripping apart my two female fur babies. It's an odd thing, he's never been like this. And I will do anything to keep him.
I've ordered the soft paws. I had looked into those a few years ago.
And as to realizing that cats bite, scratch, etc...I know they do. I don't have a piece of furniture that hasn't been claimed by at least one of my kids! :lol: It's the nature of the beast, as they say.
I just don't want to wipe away anymore fur baby blood...poor girls...
Anyways, thanks everyone for the replies. They all truly helped!

[Phoenix Blue]

I have no personal qualms with declawing cats. Contrary to what someone else here said, they don't seem to ever figure out that they don't have their claws anymore afterwards - which means they're no more likely to bite than any other cat. Additionally, all my cats are indoor-only cats--so they don't need their claws for survival.

[~*Ginger*~]

I just don't want to wipe away anymore fur baby blood...poor girls...
Anyways, thanks everyone for the replies. They all truly helped!

*just a thought*
Are these females in the 'heat' age?
Maybe that has something to do with his fighting them.

Cats fight while their getting it...
Are they spayed?
Maybe he's frustrated cause he can't get any...
*shrugs*
[i dunno]

[Flar's Freyja]

I have no personal qualms with declawing cats. Contrary to what someone else here said, they don't seem to ever figure out that they don't have their claws anymore afterwards - which means they're no more likely to bite than any other cat. Additionally, all my cats are indoor-only cats--so they don't need their claws for survival.

*nods* That's been my experience with cats that came that way. We have thought and talked and hashed and re-hashed, and we've come to the decision that the girls are going to have to be de-clawed. If the caps didn't have to be re-done several times a year, we would go with that option. Several trips to the vet per year to have them replaced is just not feasible. We are not even considering it with the boys since they are not destroying the house.

Yes, we probably shouldn't have more than we can afford - but with what I've seen happen to so many strays, I don't see anything wrong with giving these animals a warm, safe, home, food, and love even if we can't afford extra veterinary expenses.

[Romani Vixen]

I see it as choping off your fingers... Soft Paws are awsome. And if you have any catnip tincture, a few drops on their scratching post works wonders for furniture.

[Flar's Freyja]

I see it as choping off your fingers... Soft Paws are awsome. And if you have any catnip tincture, a few drops on their scratching post works wonders for furniture.

:( The problem is that we have tried that, and they even have a scratching post that they actually do use. I don't care about the furniture. It can be replaced. Walls can't be replaced quite so easily, especially when they belong to someone else. Soft Paws have to be replaced frequently, unfortunately. If they were permanent, it would be a great solution.

[Romani Vixen]

you can do them yourself... trim every few months, and glue em on!

[Wildstar]

Alright, if you are going to have pets, how is going to the vet several times a year an inconvenience?? If going to the vet is too much out of your life, then you damn well should not have any pets.

Also, cats do know they lost their claws (do you really think they are that ignorant about their own bodies?), and it is a scientifically proven fact that declawed cats bite more.

Really now, I'd hate to start a flame war, but the utter ignorance and lack of concern over pets gets me utterly irate. My previous posts have gone into more detail, and every bit of evidence I showed is backed by studies. How anyone could ignore a scientific study and go on simple anecdotal evidence, completely ignoring that humans cannot read pain in animals, is utterly beyond my comprehension.

No possession is more important than a cat's well-being.
No amount of personal pain is more important than a cat's well-being.

Especially when there are tons of alternatives. "It's too hard" "It's too inconvenient" are absolutely no reasons for balking at an alternative. This is another creature's well-being and right to live without pain or discomfort.

You can still rescue these creatures from the "torture" (what torture and discomfort of being strays? They can easily adapt to being wild animals! Just feed them and give them medical care, and a warm place to sleep at night. Premature death? I'll take premature death over a chance of life with pain any day!) without having to succumb them to the chance of life in pain.