We have recently gotten a kitten. I would like to have her de-clawed. Some say this is evil, selfish and painful for the kitten. Others says t is practical. What is the truth about the pain level that the kitten may or may experience. What is realistic about this decision? What would you do? Please don't be hateful ... I want honost and educated answers not hateful remarks about my delima
Declawing a cat is amputating the last knuckle of all digits. The level of pain is probably comparable to amputating the tips of your fingers and toes. There are some reports of long-term pain caused by the declawing procedure, but it is unclear whether that is common.
Remember that your cat will need to use the litterbox and walk around while her feet are healing. If it is too painful to walk in the litter, your cat may stop using the box temporarily and it may be difficult to retrain her. Also note that animals are more likely to be irritable and bite if they are in pain.
I would not declaw either of my cats.
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If your cat is a very destructive scratcher, there are other things you can try.
Make sure the cat is spayed. Give her a lot of playtime so she won't take out her pent up energy on your drapes. Get acceptable objects for her to scratch and encourage her to scratch these objects. Try getting a scratching object, put a dash of catnip on it, and place it on top of or very near whatever she is in the habit of scratching.
Clip your cat's claws (like you clip your fingernails). This will keep them from getting too sharp and mitigate the damage in the short term. You will need to get the cat used to having her paws handled, so it would be good to start slow.
Try using soft claws. These are little plastic-y caps you can glue over the cat's claws that keep her from puncturing the furniture when she scratches. These take some practice to apply correctly and need to be reapplied after a few weeks.
Before you make the decision to declaw your cat, there are some important facts you should know. Declawing is not like a manicure. It is serious surgery. Your cat's claw is not a toenail. It is actually closely adhered to the bone. So closely adhered that to remove the claw, the last bone of your the cat's claw has to be removed. Declawing is actually an amputation of the last joint of your cat's "toes". When you envision that, it becomes clear why declawing is not a humane act. It is a painful surgery, with a painful recovery period. And remember that during the time of recuperation from the surgery your cat would still have to use its feet to walk, jump, and scratch in its litter box regardless of the pain it is experiencing. Wheelchairs and bedpans are not an option for a cat.
The very first question you need to ask is whether it should even be considered? Do you have a kitten that refuses to use any scratching surface you have provided ( post, cardboard scratcher, etc.) and is destroying everything in sight, or do you just think it might happen?
pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com I have multiple cats, none declawed, and my house is intact. None of my furniture pieces are in shreds.
The laser method is less painful, with quicker recovery. That said, declawing is not simply a trim; it is an amputation. And some cats have changes in personality after declawing. They can become biters and kickers, and there can be litter box avoidance .
Other cats have very mild reactions, although they will still try and flex their claws, even though they are no longer present. You have to make sure your cat stays indoors only.
Too often declawing is done with the idea that something my happen to furniture, etc. Without there even being an issue. That seems extreme and selfish. And it is when there is a problem after declawing that changes the cat's personality that cannot be predicted, that often results in the cat being shipped off to a shelter. And that is unfair to the cat.
If you decide not to declaw, there are a couple of alternatives. One is a combination of careful training to a scratch post ( get the sisal rope kind, treated with catnip - they are very satisfying to claw, if my cats are any indication, and they don't resemble any other material you are likely to have in your house so the cat won't get confused about why one piece of carpet, for example, is OK to claw and the rest aren't) and keeping the nails trimmed. The other is Soft Paws, rubber tips that prevent damage when the cat does claw. Personally, I would recommend using the Soft Paws as a training method (you can buy them at a pet store and apply them, or you can have a vet or groomer do it for you) - they last about a month and that should give you enough time to train them to the post. They can still grab a sisal post with the Soft Paws, and they can't sink their claws into much else, so they learn that the post is the only really fun thing to claw.
pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com
Give it a shot, and see how she does. Most vets will declaw up to 2 years of age, so it's not like you don't have time to try the training first, no matter what you decide to do in the long run.
