Question about declawing my cat?

Question

I'm at wits end with my 1.5 year old cat. NOTHING deters him from clawing our woodwork, chairs, carpet, etc. I've even tried softpaws, but he chewed them off. I have always been against declawing a cat, but I have no other option at this point. It's either get rid of him or declaw. If you've had your cat declawed, how does it change their personality? Are they in a lot of pain afterwards? Do you regret doing it?

Answer 1

Don't declaw him! How would you like your toes cut and ripped off? Besides that, if he somehow runs away or gets out the house, he'll need some source of protection, and sometimes teeth always help the best.

Answer 2

you look like women who should never be a mother and now regrets not having time to go shopping and fun with their friends

Be responsible now and don´t do that to your cat instead buy a cat repellent and spray it where you think necessary!

Answer 3

do NOT dewclaw your cat give it away

would like it if your fingernails were pulled out?

animal cruelty is the correct name for (dewclaw)

Answer 4

Is this cat dressed???? Im thinking you need to take a trip to the vet my 2 cats have scratched all the paper in my bathroom because the kind o paper it is nourishes there nails.... Please go to the vet and discuss it with him you should not get rid o him that can make him even worse and it will only upset you when you have to give him away.. can you mail me and let me know how you are getting on with the cat. My e-mail is [e-mail]

Answer 5

i adopted a de-clawed cat, i dont know if her personality changed since i adopted her after she was declawed. it's been 3 years since the surgery but i can tell that every step she takes is torture. She'll just lie around, not moving unless neccessary. she can't jump as the impact makes the pain almost unbearable. she grooms herself in a rather awkward manner etc

my heart shatters everytime i see her like that, she'll so afraid of strangers and other cats as she knows that she lost a form of her defence.

please, don't declaw.  

Answer 6

This is a VERY hot topic and people can and will get into a he says/ she says match.

I took over a male neutered / declawed a year ago. Poopy is a biter and I'm assuming it's because he doesn't have his paws to defend himself with anymore. He's a little grumpy but VERY lovable.

My new kitten(whom I saved from nasty overgrown with cats home) is obviously not declawed  and is attacking my older cat (scratching his nose and tail). I feel I have no choice but to have him declawed as well. If my older cat was mine from the time he was a kitten I would not have had him declawed, as I do worry about the pain for them. I think sometimes you are put into a situation where there is no choice.

Both cats are indoors only cats.

Answer 7

Declawing does not just entail removal of the claw.  It includes removal of the first tarsal of the toe.  Essentially, you will be removing the cat's first knuckles.  This renders a cat completely defenseless.

Answer 8

our cats have always been declawed (my parents choice, not mine, they didn;t know about how it is really done.) and they have been fine. they were outdoor cats too. if you have no other option, Id say go for it, it doesn't really change your cat.

Answer 9

I have 2 cats (a male and a female).  I had to get them declawed for their own safety.  They would play fight and every once in a while one of them would get too rambunctious and would end up hurt.  Finally I had to declaw them.  I was upset at first, but they really did not seem to be hurt at all.  There was a few days where the boy was l*****g his paws, but now there is no difference.  The only difference it my curtains are not clawed up and there is no more blood drawn in their play fighting.  I did not notice any changes in the female's personality at all.  The male was a little more subdued, but not to an extreme degree.  He was more changed when he was fixed.  We are a happy family now and I don't regret doing it at all now.  I hope this helps.  

Answer 10

Declawing your cat involves the vet removing the last section of bone in each of your kittie's "fingers".  It is the equivalent of you losing the top part of your finger, the whole top part with the fingernail.  It is extremely painful for them.  It can cause a host of personality problems as well as litter box refusal.  And if your cat ever ends up outside, he may wind up in trouble without having the benefit of some of his natural defenses.

I'd consider rehoming him - I would never declaw.  Sorry you are having such a hard time with him.  Cats do what cats do.

Answer 11

I have a cat who also used to like scratching things. We didn't declaw her, but I know that cats use their nails for very important, everyday thing. Declawing them, in my opinion, makes them feel very defenseless. It'll be hard for them to do many things. The declawing surgery is basically; imagine someone is literally pulling out from your knuckle bone. That is what the surgery simply is. If you see no other solution, speak to the vet for more possible options. Hope this helped! :)

Answer 12

I am a former CVT. I used to be a VERY vocal opponent to declawing. However, like you, I couldn't allow my cat to shred my furniture. There will be lots of people on here that will give me thumbs down, but tough. I'm not here for points.

I declawed my cat at about 2 years old. I, too, tried everything. I trimmed her nails every week. Tried soft paws. I had her all 4 declawed. I recommend just the front 2. My cat needed time to adjust to not having her claws, but she learned. I have NEVER had litterbox problems with her. She doesn't miss them.

When I had the declaw done, she went under the bed for 5 days. I expected that because the procedure IS painful. I fed her under the bed, and took her to the litterbox 3 times a day. I carried her to the box, but let her walk back under the bed, because using the feet helps the healing process. The rooms are right next to each other so she wasn't walking far.

I would rather see a cat declawed in a forever home, than sent to a shelter. There are those of us who cannot afford to buy new furniture because the cat has wrecked it. If you can find a vet who does laser declaws, the procedure will be more expensive, but will be worth it, because it causes less trauma and pain. If this is the choice you have to make in order to keep your cat, then do it. Don't listen to everyone else. YOU have to live with the cat - not them.  

Answer 13

Yes it causes pain afterwards, as declawing is the removal of the first bone of each toe and the cat is forced to walk on them while they heal.  Declawing can also causes chronic pain and nerve damage.  As far as personality changes some cats become biters when declawed.  

Answer 14

I have 2 indoor declawed cats.  I had them declawed also because of my furniture and carpet, and also to keep them from hurting one another.  If your cat is an indoor only cat, and it is your last option, declawing may be your best option.  My cats do not behave any differently from any other non-declawed cats that I have observed or owned.  They do not walk around in pain.  

The person that said their cat walks still walks around in pain really needs to take their cat to the vet....they may have an infection.  Infections can happen if you do not keep their wounds clean while they are healing.  Of course declawing will hurt them at first and while it heals, but once it is healed, they were back to themselves.  

I don't recommend that everyone declaw their cats, but in a last resort if the softpaws don't work (and rather than abandoning you cat or cooping up in a kennel all day to avoid ruining your furniture), I would say go for it.  I have no regrets.

Good luck with your furry baby! =)

Answer 15

My sister in law insisted on declawing her cat and he never got over it.  He refused to use the litter box and went on only soft things in the house.  Her daughters sweater on the floor etc.  She refused to buy the special litter and had him put down.  

I firmly believe that cats continue to feel some pain and we don't see it because they hide pain.  They feel if they show pain they are vulnerable and can be killed.  In the wild they never show pain as another animal would kill them.  That carries over to our house pets.

I would keep putting soft paws on and hope he gets to like them.  

I have never had a cat scratch where he shouldn't.  I put several of the cardboard scratching boxes on the floors and sprinkled cat nip in liberally and rubbed the loose cat nip on a large scratching post.  ( never use the spray cat nip they have all hated it)  Now I don't have the cardboard ones around she uses the post frequently.  

Don't get rid of him as he will then be someone elses problem.  I think if you don't give up on the soft paws he will give up taking them off.  Try giving him lots of praise as you put them on and treats for being such a good boy etc.  When you see him scratch on the post or the boxes praise him and give him a treat.  Use positive reinforcement and I think that will help.  

Good Luck.    

Answer 16

Keep trying the Softpaws, he'll get used to them.  My cats hated them at first but eventually stopped gnawing at them.

Answer 17

poor kitty, I could never do that to my cats, I love them and respect them WAY too much!

Answer 18

don't declaw your cat. Every time he claws something squirt him with a water spray. ( Don't soak him) He will soon learn and after a while he will know as soon as you pick up the spray. Declawing is an awful thing to do and painfull. Dont do it.