Is there any cons to getting an indoor cat declawed?
Monday, March 1st, 2010 at
2:22 pm
Our little kittens seem to be destroying our furniture and also scratching our daughter. We were thinking about getting them declawed. They are only indoor cats and always will be, but could this be detramental to them in any way?
Filed under: Cat Furniture
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Hi there…some cats who are declawed may not fair as well as some other cats and as a result may develop litter box aversions whereas by inappropriately urinating. The understanding is that after surgery the cat’s feet are so tender that when they use the litter box they associate the pain with the sand and thereby believe by eliminating elsewhere will not hurt. Some cats will tend to become more likely to bite as a way to overcompensate for the lack of claws as well.
More about behavioural issues associated with declawing: http://www.pawsneedclaws.com/Declaw___Behavioral_Issues.php
There are alternative methods to clawing to help minimize injury to your young daughter and destruction to the furniture. Rubber nail covers such as SoftPaws a wonderful product which can be purchased at pet stores. The do require reapplication since the cat’s nails constantly sheds/grows. http://www.softpaws.com
Another helpful way to keep nails blunted is to trim the claws regularly. It isn’t difficult and here is an instructional video on how to trim cats nails by Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine: http://partnersah.vet.cornell.edu/node/300
please dont do that…when they get declawed, the first knuckle is removed, and they have no way of defending themselves. i would get a scratch post, and maybe one of the boxes to scratch, and put cat nip on them. there is a spray cat nip at walmart you can spray on a post now too! as for your daughter, im sure they mean no harm and are trying to play.
Their personalities could change–for the worse.
Also, they could turn to biting instead. I suggest you use go to softpaws.com and try those, first.
There are arguments against it. Like it is unnecessary and harmful to the animal. Most of ours still have claws and our carpet has suffered. It has been a recent thing that we are against declawing. But my grandmother has had hers declawed and some of our previous cats were. It never hurt them.
If you can avoid it then try because it still costs money and is a bit stressful on the cat. If you can’t then get it done-it won’t cause you any problems and the cat will be just as fun and loveable afterwards.
Declawing–to humans would be the equivalent of chopping off our entire last joint of our fingertips–not only the nail. Too see pictures go to this website: http://community-2.webtv.net/stopdeclaw/declawpics/
There are many complications that can happen from declawing your cat. Their wounds could get infected, and not heal correctly. That usually happens because they dig in the litter box, getting bacteria into their open wounds before they heal.
When you get a cat declawed you also have to keep in mind that they will never ever be able to defend themselves outside, if they happen to escape one day.
For more information look at the link below
I know people say it is inhumane but if you want to then there isn’t really any cons to it honestly. Just have to take care of them after surgery. Age is the only factor, can’t be too young or too old.
Also you might want to try keeping their claws clipped down and a spray bottle works wonders, so try those ideas first before you get that done. If you clip often they will get used to it too.
I do not recommend declawing and yes, it is detremental to the cat. I agree with the poster who recommended Soft Paws. It’s a soft vinyl cover that is glued over the cat’s claw. I use them with my cats and highly recommend them. They will serve the purpose of preventing damage to furniture and your daughter being scratched, while leaving your cat’s claws intact. When applied properly, the will last for 4-6 weeks before reapplication is needed. I do recommend having them applied at the vet’s office or by a groomer to ensure proper application. One of the links below describes the process of declawing, as well as several ways that it can negatively impact cats. It is written by a DVM, so it isn’t just the rantings of a person who is not educated on the topic. The second link is to the Soft Paws FAQ page, which answers many questions about them. Good luck to you, and I hope that you choose not to declaw.
http://declawing.com/
http://www.softpaws.com/faqs.html
oh no….you should try to condition them not to do that type of behavior…there are all sorts of ways to do this (like tapes sold at petsmart)…declawing is really not helpful to the cat and is most likely really painful…i cannot imagine using my hands (or fingers) without my nails…torture =\
I have two cats and a dog and I had the two cats declawed but only the front claws they are inside cats only yet if they ever were outside the back claws would allow for them to defend themselves
you shouldnt do that, they sell rubber claw covers that allow your cat to keep its claws but at the same time, its safer for your belongings,
Declawing is not a humane practice. It is actually illegal in some countries including Europe. Declawing is not a simple procedure and involves toe amputation. It is painful and requires a lot of recovery time. Please do not do this to your cats. Imagine having the top of your fingers amputated. Try to train them to sit on your lap, play with their feet, gently touch their claws and get your vet to show you how to trim them down with a little claw timmer or nail file.
I had to get my cat declawed when he was a kitten because he was scratching me any my daughter very severely. My daughters legs were getting scarred. he walked around in pain for 2 days but he is fine, and has been fine for the past 12 years. Some people may have horror stories, but as long as you care for the cat properly and watch for infection he will be well in no time.
OK, this is coming from someone who loves their cats to death, all 15 of them. I have had 2 cats de-clawed in the past because of the furniture thing(and my ex-husband), while it was a painful operation and a very difficult decision to make, it did not change my cats in any way shape or form. They were indoor cats when I lived in the city and now that I live in the country, they get to go out during the day and the fact that they are de-clawed doesn’t seem to bother them. My 17 yr. old just passed away and my 13 yr old is sitting right here and she is fine. they both lived and are living a great life. If they are always going to be indoor, and you just can’t get them to stop tearing up the furniture and scratching your daughter, then it might be the decision you have to make..
Kittens, though, are very playful and can be destructive in their early days. I would try everything possible like toys, scratching post etc, before de-clawing. Good Luck, hope this helps
Um, Vira R, cats can’t exactly use their back claws for defense well. Imagine clawing people with your feet, not very effective. I suggest you do not de-claw your cat because it is very in humane and your cat will become more likely to bite.
Our indoor-only cat is declawed and she is very happy. She has more freedom and can go on the furniture and we do not have to worry about her destroying it. Before we declawed her, we tried softpaws. If you have the patience to glue those things on 10 times a day and fight with your cat to keep her still, you should try them. But in my opinion, they are more trouble than they are worth. It is better to give a declawed cat a good home, than keep a cats claws and have to find them a new home.
Declawing is not only very cruel and inhumane, but it can negatively affect the cats behavior. There is even progress on banning the practice altogether.
Some people say that declawing a cat is like amputating the tips of your fingers. In reality, it is much more serious than that. It’s more like removing your entire fingers, which severely limits your ability to perform many tasks that you would normally be able to.
If you decide to own a cat, you must understand and deal with their natural habits. Maiming the cat to save your furniture is extremely ignorant, selfish and short-sighted. Would you cut off your daughters tongue if she said a bad word or answered you back? This is the 21st century and we are considered to be civilized, intelligent people. If you do not know how to live with animals or are unwilling to invest the time and money, then you should not own pets. Animals are not really a good match when you have infants or young children anyway. It sounds like you have too much on your plate and cannot manage it.
Declawing is illegal where I live because it’s classed as animal cruelty, so cat owners teach their cats claw manners instead. With patience and kindness, all cats can be trained, and this is a much more effective and humane alternative to declawing.
Cats have scent glands on their paws, so once they begin to scratch somewhere it leaves a smell that says "scratch here". This is why it’s worth making the effort to train them to use a scratch post, because once it’s impregnated with their scent, they will always scratch in the same place. The article below has lots of advice on how to do this and trim their claws to prevent accidental damage.
http://www.catscratching.com/
This web site also has information and advice on preventing cats from scratching furniture, wallpaper etc.
http://www.celiahaddon.co.uk/pet%20problems/cats/frameset.html
If your daughter is getting scratched whilst playing with the kittens, is she using her hands instead of toys? Kittens don’t mean to harm us, but they’re only babies themselves and don’t realise how much biting or scratching can hurt. Instead, it’s better to use toys that dangle off a wand-stick so that your daughter’s hands are at a safe distance from accidental injury. Is your daughter unintentionally rough when she handles the kittens, as this may be another reason that she gets scratched. Does she know the signs to look out for, such as flattened ears or swishing tail, to say when the kittens have had enough? Cats use their claws as a first line of defence to say "back off", and if they don’t have them, they may resort to biting instead.
I appreciate that your cats are indoor only, but there are occasions when they will sneak outside. If you ever have a house fire or live in an area where natural disasters occur, your cats won’t be able to climb to safety or defend themselves.
I really would urge you to consider alternatives to declawing.