Getting my cat declawed?

Question

How will my cat react if we decide to get him declawed? Will he get scared and start hiding and being resentful all the time? Will it not affect him too much?

Also, does it hurt the cat to declaw them?

Hes just scratching up all our furniture and rugs, and I have tried clipping his claws, buying a scratching post and scratching mat, and spraying him with water when he does scratch. But now it seems he does it more often, right in front of me.

I dont know what to do with this crazy cat.

Thanks for your help.

Answer 1

De-clawing surgery is so painful that it's the one that pharmaceutical companies use to test out new pain drugs.  Cats declawed as adults often do not recover from the surgery, and that leads to litter box aversion.  The cat may refuse to use the litter box forever after, as his paws will hurt too much.  It also leads to behavior changes like fearfulness, being withdrawn (you'd be withdrawn too if someone chopped off the first joint of your toes and made you walk on your feet), and biting.  No one here will tell you these things, as the cats that develop these issues end up in shelters.  Yes, there are "successful" declaw surgeries, but there are many that do NOT have the rosey outcomes that are being posted about here.  

Have you gotten a proper scratching post for him, as in a tall, heavy one that he can stretch up on?  It needs to be about 3 feet tall.  How about those sisal scratchers that sit on the floor, or the cardboard scratch boxes that you can get cheaply at the pet store or Wal-Mart?  Different cats like different things to scratch.  Try putting double sided tape on the corners of your furniture, cats hate the feel of it on their paws.  And as various people have suggested, Softpaws *do* work.

Do you known that the US is the only civilized country in the world that allows declawing?  It's considered mutilation and animal abuse in most of Europe, and is illegal there.  The HSUS is opposed to it, and a significant number of vets are refusing to perform this gruesome surgery especially on an adult cat.  

Take a good look at what it entails, and decide for yourself if it will hurt your cat or not:

http://declaw.lisaviolet.com/declawpics....

Answer 2

Don't declaw him!!!

Declawing isn't just taking the cats claws off. A cats claw is closely adhered to the bone therefore they permanently amputate the the toe. Think of it as having our fingers chopped off at the 1st knuckle and never having finger nail grow ever again!

It can be a painful recovery period for a cat as they walk on the tips/edges of their feet and the cat litter in their trays can hurt the feet, they cant do natural behaviours because their natural defenses have been taken away from them!!!

You say that he scratches furniture... Well you obviously knew they had claws when you got them and if you didnt like the thought of getting a few scratches and furniture getting attacked, DONT OWN A CAT!!!!

Im saying that in the nicest way possible, because its true, cats claws are their natural defences, and declawing is taking that away from them, and can also cause more unwanted behaviours such as biting and defacating/urinating in the house because they dont want to use the litter tray anymore due to being painful even though cats can mask pain very well, doesnt mean to say they not in pain!

Softclaws is an option (although i dont like them much), but as a short term basis they could work as they would shed off with their natural claws. NOT a long term solution...

Maybe buy him a cheap chair or summin to deter him away from your other furniture, etc.

You could also try using something called a feliway diffuser. It releases natural pheromones that their mother would have released when they were younger and can help them feel more comfortable and at ease in their environment.

Answer 3

how much attention does he get when he is being good?  he is probably doing it because bad attention is at least some kind of attention.

it is a very painful procedure for them and they may never fully recover from it.  there is a good chance of him not wanting to use the litter box, and he will start biting more since you took away his first defense.  

I have seen it WAY too many times that someone declaws their cat and then they can't deal with the behavioral issues that have come because of the declawing and they end up being taken to the shelter.  so sad.

Answer 4

Declawing your cat is a very very bad idea.  It hurts the cat a lot then after they get declawed they can't play or do anything the same as before.  It's like you have a totally different cat if you declaw it.  They also sell stuff at local pet stores that you spray on your carpets and couches and they cat doesn't like the smell so it stays away and doesn't scratch it.  

Answer 5

Declawing is actually an extremely inhumane process that is equivalent to having all of your fingers amputated at the first knuckle.  Yes, it will definitely cause your cat unnecessary pain, and could alter his temperament permanently.

I totally understand your frustration regarding the scratching, but I suggest you give soft paws a try. www.softpaws.com  

Answer 6

I think declawing is cruel and does hurt the cat's personality. They lose their only way to defend themselves and probably become very timid.

Just persist in teaching the cat. If my cat was scratching the sofa, I used to take her gently to the climbing tree and move her paws against it. I think she got the idea.

My climbing tree was hand made - take a long piece of an apple tree with a couple of branches left at the top and cover it with thick rope. My cats loved it!

Answer 7

Do you realize what goes into declawing? It's not a simple removal of the claws but a full blown amputation of healthy toes. Declawing a cat means removing the entire first joint/bone of each toe. It'd be like cutting our fingers off at the first knuckle. Declawing causes extreme pain to the cat and often problems down the line (litter box issues from associating the litter box with pain after surgery, personality changes/biting/and skittishness from having their first line of defense removed, arthritis from having to learn a new way of carrying their weight etc.). I hear people say all the time "better declawed than in a shelter", but in actuality many declawed cats end up in shelters anyway because of the behavioral problems many experience after being declawed.

Did you know it's illegal and considered inhumane mutilation in most countries outside the U.S.? I've personally observed a declaw surgery at a vet and it's not a pretty sight to watch a vet take guillotine nail clippers and lop off parts of toes... very barbaric looking (laser removal has less healing time and pain, but really isn't that much better in the long run). Please don't put your furniture over your cat's wellbeing, it's just selfish. Declawing has no benefits to the cat, only the owner. There are numerous alternatives including scratching posts and surfaces, sticky tape, deterrent sprays, Soft Paws nail caps, and nail trimming. Please read more on this awful procedure before you consider it:

http://www.declawing.com/

http://www.littlebigcat.com/index.php?ac...

http://www.softpaws.com/

Answer 8

would you believe i was in the vets office the other day and while waiting i came across a leaflet about a new product for such a thing its also for cats who spray and generally have bad behaviour its like a plug in air freshener i cant remember the name of it it may be worth asking in your vets office about it

Answer 9

De-clawing is an unnecessary procedure that many vets have stopped doing.  Not only is it extremely painful, but it can lead to other issues, such as biting and not using the litter (too painful to scratch.)  In declawing, the vet basically cuts off the cat's outer knuckle on their toes so it spends the rest of it's life walking on a part of it's body it was never meant to.

Most vets sell Soft Paws.  It's a humane alternative to declawing.  They are plastic covers that are glued onto your cats claws and only have to be replaced monthly.  I would go this route.

Answer 10

Yes it hurts, no I would never do it again, try soft paws.

Answer 11

PLEASE do not get your poor kitty declawed!

Of course it hurts them, how would you like to get your finger nails ripped out?

But one thing you can do about the scratching, you can buy these little claw caps that are little plastic caps that go over each of cat's little claws. It's much humaner, and less painfull.  

Answer 12

h**l get a little scared when you take him into the place, but h**l be fine

he wont be resentful at all...it wont affect him!

if declawing them hurts, they usually dont remember the pain

:)

Answer 13

Declawing is cruel and painful and cam make a cat very upset and have health problems.Why not try soft paws they are cheaper than declawing and don't put your pet thorugh pain.

Here is the link-http://www.softclaws.com/

Also you can get them in different colours or plain clear-

http://www.softclaws.com/colors.asp

Also here are some pictures of cats wearing soft paws-

http://www.softclaws.com/gallery/default...

Answer 14

De clawing your cat is a bad idea to me. When my mom de clawed her cat it ended up being a bad idea. They did not even put the cat to sleep while they done it! But the vets may have changed by now.

Answer 15

It sounds like you really care for your pet and have tried several things to correct the scratching.  Declawing is a LAST resort only.  The American Vet. Association only approves declawing if the only other option is euthanasia.  But there is one more thing you can try...Softpaws.  They work great, are easy to apply, and cheap!

www.softpaws.com

Answer 16

Don't do it. Cutting off a cats nails would be like chopping off your fingers and toes. I'd suggest you read the following websites if your actually considering it.

You can get your cats used to scratching posts.  I get long strips of cardboard at work and glue them together, can put catnipp inside or spray with catnipp junk. Usually it doesnt take long to teach your cat to use these, unless they are really stubborn.  

Keep trying with the scratching posts.  Be positive when he does use it, try throwing cans filled with change near the cat when he scratched elsewhere.

Answer 17

Getting a cat declawed it the equivalent to cutting off the tips of your fingers. He will never be able to go outside, because he will not be able to defend himself. He will be in a trememdous amount of pain.

Answer 18

Declawing does hurt, it is like a human having the fingers removed from the knuckles up.  Plus it is VERY expensive.  Ask you vet about soft paws, I have that for my cats.  They slip them on over the nails and the cats cannot get them off, and they also can't scratch the rugs or furniture anymore.