Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
potentially flameful- questions about declawing a cat
I am not sure what to do about my kitty.
My H and I separated. Kitty is still with H right now. I have a roommate. He is fine with me having a cat. But I know Kitty loves to scratch at things. He will not contain himself to a scratch pad/post. He just picks an item(s) that he decides would look much better shredded and then gets to work. He has only destroyed two things at the marital home. I really want kitty to live with me. In general, I dont think declawing (just the front paws) is the worst thing in the world but here is what is giving me pause:
a. I dont know Kitty's true age. I am assuming they use anesthesia for it and if anything happened to Kitty I would never forgive myself.
b. Kitty has no teeth. So if he gets out I feel like I am giving him no way to defend himself.
c. Those claw covers will cost too much due to replacements. I am on a fixed budget.
Your thoughts??
Re: potentially flameful- questions about declawing a cat
Please trim or file your cats nails instead of declawing.
I'm sorry about you and your H.
As for the cat, I would absolutely not declaw. Not just because of the anesthesia issue that you mentioned, but also because that surgery is basically cutting of the tip of their toe. It would be like severing your finger at the first knuckle. It's painful and unnecessary, and most other countries don't even do it anymore.
I would get Feliway spray and if you see Kitty start to claw, spray the Feliway there. It simulates the pheromones that a cat naturally releases, so they are less inclined to repeat bad behavior.
I would also make sure the cat has different kinds of scratching posts, and I would redirect him every. time. he scratches something that isn't appropriate. If you aren't home to watch him, I would put him in a cat proof room.
Will he let you trim his nails?
The other reason I wouldn't suggest a declaw is because a lot of studies suggest that cats who are declawed have litter box issues. Two of my three (declawed at adoption) have litter box issues. And litter issues are a lot more expensive than claw caps, so if those won't work then I don't think you want to be paying to clean up/replacement/vet visits for something that can be avoided.
And yes, he probably will be really stressed out if he had no claws and no teeth. Stress and anxiety leads to litter box issues. It's really a vicious circle.
I would bring him with you and see how it goes. The roommate agreed to it, and, having just had a foster cat with all his claws, as long as you supervise/redirect/try Feliway, etc, they really don't do much damage. With my foster, another thing I would do is play with him whenever he started to scratch at something--play until he's worn out. Then he's so tired he's forgotten all about scratching.
Good luck!
Snow!
<a href="http://www.thenest.com/?utm_source=ticker&utm_medium=HTML&utm_campaign=tickers" title="Home DSource: twoscottiesgal.blogspot.com via Amanda on Pinterest
We got several different types of scratching pads and posts until we found something Sherlock would use, but now he doesn't scratch anything but his scratchers. He will occasionally still scratch the dining room chairs (the upholstered part) but he's never broken the fabric and he always stops when we yell at him.
Before I got the tall scratching post he uses he scratched the chairs all. the. time. The scratching post I got was $50 on amazon, but worth every penny.
Hes not at all destructive and he's still got his claws! I do trim them every few weeks so when he does scratch things it's not a big deal.
We have more damage on furniture from his back claws from him slipping off of things, and that's all on wooden furniture. With a little old English, those scratches are easy to cover.
Please don't do it. If I had to choose between disciplining my cat to teach him not to scratch (which was a much shorter process than it sounds like) and dealing with cat urine odor (which can sometimes be impossible to remove, and can destroy the value of a home) I would absolutely choose to keep his claws, and I did. There are some scratches on our furniture, sure, but like I said, almost all of them are from his back claws, which he would have even if he was declawed.
Life and Love at #16 | our married life blog
If declawing has the potential to lead to peeing problems Kitty will keep his claws.
Thank you!
I am an avid Soft Paws user. Check ebay - you can get cheap ones from China. I find they last a long longer than the box says. In fact, I'm taking break with them on Lily (I suspect Kitty was the real scratcher and he has passed away) - I have not put them on her since Kitty passed away 2 months ago and she still has 2 on that I will probably have to trim off myself soon. (and those were the cheap Chinese ebay ones).
It's worth the investment and really is not much money at all. Way cheaper that declawing... it will take you some years before you reach that price in cat nail covers.
This is a viable solution. Declawing is not.
Others mentioned, but to clarify, declawing involves dislocating at the joint and removing a bone the claw is attached to. Research shows that this can lead to chronic lifelong pain and symptoms of that pain manifest in going outside the box and biting, as well as behavioral changes. Check out paw project.org and click on the section pertaining to domesticated cats.
My cats love the cardboard scratchers more than carpet or sisal, we trine their claws every 2 or 3 weeks and we don't have issues. You could try the plastic caps that go over his nails too. We put double sided sticky tape on things we want them to learn not to scratch.
Welp, my contribution will be taken really badly, but I just want to clear a couple things up.
Our cat is declawed on the front. She wasn't using scratching posts. She was using everything else, including my H's legs, causing deep gouges that would take hours to stop bleeding. Infection, anyone? She was ripping the bed and sofa apart. Spray bottles, tin foil... sticky tape. We tried it all. Our last resort was having her declawed. I still believe it was the right decision for our family (sending an adult cat back into the rescue world is like telling them to put her down).
Despite what these posters say about lifelong issues... our cat has none of those. She has no trouble using the litter box. She does not pee everywhere, like PPs say will definitely happen. She is an affectionate and wonderful cat who likes to stroke our faces. I would not be letting her that close to me if she still had her front claws (I still have scars from that time with her) and thats where she loves to be. She shows no sign of residual pain or difficulty. She is a complete indoor cat and does not escape.
Flame me if you will. It was the right decision for our family. We would not be without her, we love her dearly, as does our dog (whom she tries to beat up on occasion, good thing she doesn't have her claws, or she'd have taken his eye out). And we know we don't have to worry about that when we have kids.
a.) This is important. If you were to declaw the cat, I would suggest to get it done as young as possible. (ie, if the cat is used to having claws for years and years, and all of a sudden they're not there, it's a big change. Yes, they do it under anesthesia, and yes, they will give him pain meds. However, as PP's have mentioned, there are a lot of opportunities for this procedure to go awry. First of all, it's hard to keep the incisions clean (think about it. 10 little incisions, that are walked on, and bear all the weight of the cat...(another reason to declaw early--if at all. Kittens weigh less than adult cats, so less pressure on the front paws)...and are exposed to poo and pee in the box daily.) Long and short--I wouldn't declaw the cat if it is over a year old.
b.) The fact that your cat doesn't have teeth is making me believe he is an older cat? Does he like to try and get outside? This would be a problem if it likes to be outside, is an escape artist, etc.
c.) Seriously, the claw caps are the best invention ever. This was the one intervention that saved my kitten's claws. I get mine on amazon (they're not softpaws, or soft claws, just a little knock off brand someone sells. They're the same idea, same materials used) for like 15 bucks and I just buy a tube of false nail glue from cosmetics at walmart for $3 which will last a while. The things stay on for a good while, too. 4-6 weeks. For me, it works out to about 20 bucks a month.
Also, you can train your cat to scratch in appropriate places. Have a lot of places it is allowed to scratch. We have a cat tree and a little play cube, and a scratching board mine can use. Pick the cat up, take him over to the area where he can scratch and rub his hands on it. When you see him scratching somewhere bad, repeat the above process. Redirect him from inappropriate behavior. When he scratches the appropriate areas, reward him. You will need to keep your eye on him for a while to make sure he's being good with his claws, but I did what I just said with my kitten. When I got him I was going to get him declawed and neutered at 6 months. But the first night I had him home, I took him to the play cube and ran his little paws over the sides and just like that he started scratching. Now I don't feel like I need to declaw him since he's such a good boy with his claws.
I hope this helps, and good luck with your kitty!
AMT--just wanted to comment and say that your cat sounds like my Jack. There was nothing he loved more than to dig his claws into our skin and climb up our legs. He was declawed at 6 months with his neutering, and he healed up perfectly and never had any bathroom problems. So, I guess the only flaming you get from me is you made me miss my dearly departed Jackie. :-p
FLAME FLAME FLAME.
I'm very sorry for your loss. I think Penny was about 8 months when she had hers done. It had just gotten too much, you know. She'd climb up daddys legs like they were tree trunks
and me... well. She liked the 'girls'. Few of those puncture marks took a few months to heal.
Source: twoscottiesgal.blogspot.com via Amanda on Pinterest
Our cat lived to be 22..she was declawed and never displayed any of the behavioral issues that are commonly discussed here.
That said I've had two cats past her and I've been amazed at just how well they use their scratching "areas" (we have posts and the little corrugated cardboard mini boxes) and identify them as "their" areas.
I think there are two secrets:
1) Watch how your cat scratches...what do they prefer doing? Our cat now loves to scratch flat on the carpet but generally won't scratch the furniture (not an upright scratcher)....He adores his cardboard scratchers...lays and sleeps in them...and won't tear up the carpet.
2) You have to pay attention to materials...our cat thinks carpet and rope is "okay" but he loves the cardboard. We have a nice carpet scratcher in our screened patio that has the little space to lay on at window height...he totally digs that.
It's kind of meeting your cat where they are at..give them lots of opps for success--we have FOUR scratchers spaced all around the house...
Personally, the fact that declawing is so barbaric that it is illegal is most civilized countries is enough reason for me to never make a cat go through that.
That being said, I have one cat that we took in who was already declawed. We have another cat who has all his claws. The declawed one does not have behavioral issues (yet, knock on wood) other than he will bite if he is overstimulated (not enough to break the skin though). The one with claws does not have any issues at all with destroying things. He has a card board scratcher that he loves. I have heard of people putting double sided stick tape on areas where a cat likes to scratch and it can work to deter them. Feliway spray that a pp suggested works as well (you might find it cheaper on amazon than at the pet stores).
- Martin Luther King Jr.
For the record, no one in this post ever said, EVERY SINGLE DECLAWED CAT has litter box issues. I even said that I have two who do, one who doesn't. But the fact of the matter is, her cat is older (so not a kitten), and you cannot guarantee that declawing won't cause an issue. She could get lucky and her cat could be one of the cats who don't show any signs of having issues because of it. Or she could end up with a cat that pisses all over the place and ends up on an anti-anxiety medication because nothing else will make them stop. Considering one of her concerns is money, I reiterate: pee issues are significantly more expensive and take longer to diagnose and treat than clawing issues.
Snow!
<a href="http://www.thenest.com/?utm_source=ticker&utm_medium=HTML&utm_campaign=tickers" title="Home DThe problem with this is that it's a kitten thing. Every kitten I've ever had has been batshit crazy until about 1 1/2-2 years old. So when you declaw at 6-8 months, you are declawing for normal kitten behavior.
Snow!
<a href="http://www.thenest.com/?utm_source=ticker&utm_medium=HTML&utm_campaign=tickers" title="Home DGood luck!
I would definitely learn how to trim the cat's claws and investigate some of the other helpful suggestions mentioned above!
Why dont you just leave the cat in your room rather than letting it roam and get into your roommates stuff? The cat will be much happier confined than declawed.
We trained our cats not to scratch on the furniture. They are 11 months now and we have had virtually no problems. Just trim the claws regularly. Soft paws are not that expensive. Even on a fixed budget, I am sure you can find room to pay a few dollars a month for soft paws. Declaw surgery is expensive.
FWIW, it's actually illegal in my city to do any kind of cosmetic surgery on pets, including declawing. It's a small city, but still.
My first cat came to me declawed at age 7. He did develop some arthritis over the years, and I sometimes suspected it was because of the way he was forced to walk on amputated toes. He was fine otherwise, but I would never have it done myself.
40/112