declawing my cat?

[Keller]

So my wife and I are trying to find a cat to adopt. We spent the better part of the day traveling to shelters looking for one, with no luck.

When we do find one we want it to be a 100% indoor kitty. We also have a nice place with nice new furniture. So, we don't want the cat (maybe even kitten) going to town on the loveseat.

The obvious solution would be to declaw the cat. But when I brought this up at the shelter the foppish volunteer told us how claws are part of the cats identity and declawing it would be like cutting off your own knuckles. I didn't make much of a deal of it, and generally went along with the guy so he would be done with his soap-box.

When we left the shelter I called my mom, who has been a pet rescuer since she was 20 years old. She said that the new technique is to just snip the ligiments so the cats can no longer use their claws.

Tilone, and others who know about it -- what do you think? Is it really bad to not allow a cat to use it's front claws? Will it go through identity crisis and end up being gay -- or worse? Also, in your time working with shelters, do you ever see decent cats come through? Every cat we saw today was skittish or old. I know cats live to be 20+, but I want one under 5. My mom is currently nursing a litter of 4 from a young mother who wont have a thing to do with the little rascals. I'm thinking when I fly home in May I'll pick one up and bring it back if we don't have any luck with the shelters around here.

Sorry for the ramble, but I know some of you have got some decent advise for me.

[Praefection]

I adopted a cat from my best friend about three years ago. The cat was declawed and has no problems being indoors. Before I brought her home, she spent time outside too and it didn't bother her much. While I'm not a fan of doing it because I don't know if I'd always be able to care for my pets and leaving them without one of their defenses seems wrong.

When I adopted my kitten and his momma who were strays I brought in a scratching post almost right away. They loved that thing and tore it to shreds and didn't touch my furniture. I think if you train your cat/kitten to leave the couch alone there shouldn't be much of a problem but overall it's up to you. I also started clipping the kitten's claws when he was nothing but a ball of fuzz and he thinks the entire ordeal is a game. That seems to help and they prefer their post when the nails start growing back in.

[Shari]

What Praefection said.

Being that its an indoor cat, declawing can be a good way to save your furniture. If you were having it be an indoor/outdoor cat I would naturally have pitched a fit.

However, there are tons of things petstores offer to keep a cat from tearing up your couches. There are of course, the scratching posts, there are sprays, there are plastic panel covers, and there's my favorite, good ole tape. (Watching them freak out when they place their hands on that is quite amusing.)

Anyhow, I DOUBT you will have a hard time finding a decent cat under the age of 5 in a shelter. Most Petsmart stores give out space to adoption organizations to set up an area to adopt cats and dogs out. You might want to check that out too.

Good luck.

[Farquar]

The best solution for all involved:

http://www.softpaws.com

[Edited on 4-9-2005 by Farquar]

[Brattt8525]

The caps work great Keller, and all the things you buy them to scratch on aren't as great as your couch. The caps are humane and they will save having to yell at kitty for wanting to use your good furniture to sharpen its claws.

I myself would take one of the kittens from your mom, your still rescuing a cat and at least your mom is giving them love and they will be affecionate and all that.

I cringed everytime I assisted in the declawing of cats, but mentally it does not scar them etc.

[Nieninque]

Geez...dont cut their claws off.

Just get a scratching post, or if your furtniture means that much to you, dont get a cat.

[Wezas]

The caps look like a good idea.

Growing up, I had two cats (brother and sister). They were both declawed in the front. I assume mom did it because they'd always be indoor cats, she was an avid collector of antique furniture, and she had 2 kids in the house.

These days I'd probably just go with the cap.

[Killer Kitten]

I've only ever had one of my cats declawed, and that was for medical reasons. He used to have some amazing seizures and he'd tear the claws out getting them stuck in the rug. Then the wounds would get infected. Declawing him solved the problem quite well.

I'm not a huge fan of declawing, but doing so will not make your cat 'gay' (although in a neutered indoor house pet sexual orientation is pretty much irrelevant). It will make it more difficult for the animal to climb, which would be a bummer if you decided to spoil him with one of those big cat trees. Except for two cats I have with balance issues, all of my cats enjoy scaling their cat trees, even the blind cat loves feeling her way to the highest perch. She'll turn her face into the sun and I swear she's doing the 'king of the world' scene from Titanic.

I myself prefer the soft paws nail caps now available, or frequent trimming and training to use a scratching post. Still, if it came down to the cat losing his home because he preferred your furniture to his, I'd vote for declawing.

If you're looking for a kitten, give it a few weeks and shelters will be neck deep in them, as kitten season is almost upon us. Or take one of your moms kits, to people who do private rescue every kitten placed is like a gift from heaven. Better yet take two of them, cats are terrific companionship for each other when everybody else is at work.

Good luck with the new addition to your family, my cats have always filled our home with love and laughter.

I don't know where you live, if it's in NYC I know the most wonderful vet in the Queens area. When we moved away I hated leaving him almost as much as I hated leaving my friends.

[HarmNone]

If you can, I'd suggest getting a cat that has been fostered in a private home (like your mom does:) ). Many rescue organizations use "fosters" and the cats from these homes are usually better socialized than those who haven't had the special attention these homes offer.

As for declawing, I've always been dead-set against it, except in cases of medical need. It's a very painful procedure. While it won't make your cat "gay", it can produce a cat who bites in defense, or refuses to use the litter box. These problems don't always develop, but they CAN develop. I don't know anything about the "ligament snipping" procedure, but I'd talk to a vet I trusted before going ahead with something like that. It still takes away the cat's main method of defense. Even a cat who lives strictly in the house can "escape" on occasion.

The Soft Paws Farquar mentioned are a wonderful, humane alternative, if your cat is a furniture annihilator. Personally, we have five cats in the house, and not one of them scratches the furniture. All are rescues, and only one is declawed (he will bite the hell out of you, even just playing, and gets VERY aggressive if he gets outside). Scratching posts and cat trees are not only good exercise, they can help to keep the cat from being destructive.

[Gan]

We had two cats, one clawed and one declawed, both were sisters. [past tense because the clawed one died this past december] The declawed one was declawed after birth when she was given to a friend. When the friend decided to put the declawed cat outside we took it back. Having no claws, she's developed almost a prehensel ability with her paws in that she can simulate cupping her paw in order to pull stuff towards her as well as manipulate very small items just as one with claws would. She is alot kinder to our furniture and carpet which is always a nice thing.

Your cat will adapt and survive just fine either way you decide. Just remember that if you do declaw, you've got to live up to the promise that its to be an indoor cat. If there's a remote chance that the cat will move to the outdoors then leave the claws.

[xtc]

Cat declawing was pretty normal for indoor cats in past years. It has only been in recent years that I have heard of cries of it being inhumane.

I had 2 cats that were declawed growing up and it didn't cause a problem in either.

Last year I adopted a kitten from a shelter, here was the first place I was told that it was mean and cruel to declaw a cat. I have a scratching post and I have tried numerous methods ,suggested by the local humane society, to dissuade the new cat from clawing. So far it has cost my $1000's in draperies the cat has ruined. If I don't find an alternative I will declaw the cat.

Thanks for the softpaws website I will give that a shot as well.

To answer your question, first try scratching posts, trimming nails, dissuading techniques and Nail caps before declawing

[Edited on 4-9-2005 by xtc]

[Jazuela]

I've had three cats of my own, and lived with 24 cats for a time when I was down in Florida. ALL these cats were declawed. Not a single one of them missed their claws.

Furthermore, to say a cat is defenseless without their front claws is silly. Cats grab with their front paws and do most of their fighting with their hind claws. They also have rather sharp teeth.

The one thing a declawed cat can't do is climb DOWN from high places. They can climb up with no trouble at all because again - they grab with the front and do the damage with the back (which is how they get up the trees, by digging in with their BACK claws). But they can't do the reverse, so if kitty gets out and manages to get up a tree, someone's gonna have to climb up and get him down.

The damage they do to the furniture is a mimicry of their natural predatory instincts. The instinct of "marking" trees serves two purposes: 1) to mark their territory with their signature and 2) to sharpen their claws.

If a cat is an indoor cat, the entire house already IS their territory, so they don't need to mark it, and since they have no enemies inside the house, they have no need to sharpen their claws.

I was shocked though, when a veterinarian I spoke with asked if I would want my cat's BACK claws removed. I told him absolutely not and insisted on having my usual vet handle my cat from that point on. I also criticized the vet center to my usual vet, and told her on no uncertain terms my opinion of such a brutal practice. Cats NEED their back claws..even though indoor cats don't need the front ones.

In any case..there's a risk of infection when you get your cat spayed/neutered. There's a risk of death when you give it a rabies shot. There's a risk of problems no matter what procedure is done to your pet. An indoor cat is never exposed to rabies, and yet the vet won't let it leave the office without its shots if you ever bring it in there for something else.

Personally I say if you want a cat AND your furniture, go for the declawing. A 2-day soreness and shredded newspaper instead of kitty litter for a week is FAR less traumatic, in my opinion, then subjecting the cat to its perceived torture of having its claws clipped every month, or having foreign objects placed on them every month. Kinda like being forced to endure fake nails that are so thick you need someone else to zip your pants for you..and having to have it done for you every single month.

Blech..I'd rather just have my nails removed and be done with it, if those were my only two options.

[Keller]

Thanks for the advise. It seems like the consensus idea is to trim and train, so I'll try that. Also, I live in West LA so having an outside cat is totally out of the question. We'll be here at least 6 more years, too.

And for the record the idea of the cat turning gay was more of a shot at the shelter worker who told us the cats identity was in it's claws.

[longshot]

Aren't you starting lawschool in the fall?

Snip off everything you can now... you aren't going to have time to screw with the cat once classes start.

[Keller]

Originally posted by longshot
Aren't you starting lawschool in the fall?

Snip off everything you can now... you aren't going to have time to screw with the cat once classes start.

Yes -- I surely hope I have more than 10 minutes free-time a day. :no:

[HarmNone]

Heh. I keep all my cats' claws clipped, since my grandmother is on anticoagulants and the cats think her lap is the greatest place in the whole house. Quite the opposite of "perceived torture", they all rather enjoy the experience. If you're careful and just take off the tips, they don't mind a bit; especially, since the clipping is accompanied by much petting, purring, nose-loving and other such cat nonsense. :shrug:

[Back]

Well hell, we neuter the bastards, why not take the claws too.

My pal Sal had the wickedest claws in NY. I tried to trim them, but damn if it didn’t end up with us both battled and bruised.

I’d say, go the scratching post route.

[Vixen]

I know I am late in replying. I too have been debating this very thing. We got adopted a cat back in october through a pet rescue thing, and shes very much an indoor cat. She started out okay. She's got her claws and everything, but lately she's decided to test us. I only say that shes testing us because she'll meow.. wait till we look at her, then start scratching the chair. As soon as we pay attention to her she'll stop.
She wont use the scratching post, or anything else. So that didn't work. And I don't know if cats get jealous, but I'm wondering if her new scratching practices have to do with the fact that I am having a baby, and due to doctors orders havn't been allowed to handle her much at all.
So to end my long windedness, how do those cap thingies work? Anyone whos used them? I REALLY dont want to declaw her, it just seems wrong. But I'm really worried about the scratching once the baby comes.. the furniture I could care less about.

[HarmNone]

I was raised from infancy with one or more cats in the house at all times. Never was I injured by any of them. I was taught to treat them with respect, and with love. I did, and they responded in kind. Mom says she handled her cats throughout her pregnancies, just as she always had. It doesn't seem to have wreaked any kind of havoc on my brother, or I.

Just keeping the claws clipped should solve any and all problems. If you want to use the Soft Paws, they just glue one to the end of the claw. Frankly, I've never needed them, but know others who have used them with great success. :)

[Sylvan Dreams]

Declawing is awful. You're not only removing the nail bed, but you're also removing a part of their toes (the last joint). Imagine cutting the tips of all your fingers off!

I have declawed and clawed cats, they all get together just fine. The thing to do with the clawed cats is to learn to trim their nails and do it regularly, and to train them off the furniture but give them things that are okay to claw on should the urge strike.

- Debia's player.

[Latrinsorm]

Originally posted by Sylvan Dreams
Declawing is awful. You're not only removing the nail bed, but you're also removing a part of their toes (the last joint). Imagine cutting the tips of all your fingers off!I dunno, Kitten seemed to be very upset with people who put themselves in the animal's place when it came to spay/neuter.