Cat Declawed (a little rant)

Patt

ITA it certainly beats the alternative.

Katzyn

I have always seen mutilating a cat (or any animal) for a humans personal benefit as inhumane, cruel, ect. So yes, I see a person who does that, and I think, "horrible". I see a person who hits their dog for going potty on the floor, and I think "horrible". I see a bird kept in a tiny cage and think "horrible". I see a betta/goldfish kept in a little bowl and think "horrible". I hear/see a de-barked dog and I think "horrible". All of the above is cruelty to animals, in my mind.

I'll never understand why people think it always has to come down to "either the cat gets declawed, or it goes to a shelter and dies". If people were more lenient and actually tried EVERY thing there is, I'm sure there would be less cats declawed and less cats in the shelter, period. I think PEOPLE need to change, not cats, at least, not a physical change. Cats should be behaviourally changed, not physically.

Lovemygreys, you have a problem with your cats scratching after you leave the room? I have a friend who has a problem with her cats on the kitchen counters. The cats are well trained, and know not to go on the counters. But when she leaves the room, sometimes they'll still go up, like you said. But you know what she does to keep them off while she's gone? She keeps them in another room, one with window sills they can go on. Keeps the cats off the counters while she's gone.

Maybe you should try something similar. Keep the cats in a spare room, one without furniture, like a bathroom, or something. Make sure they have a scratching post, or something they are allowed to scratch on. Then you don't have to worry about them doing something they shouldn't be doing.

And/or...

Have you tried using Feliway spray on things you don't want them scratching on? Have you tried Softpaws? Have you tried double-sided sticky tape? Have you tried just plain spritzing them with a water bottle? What about covering the furniture with clear plastic covers? Or getting scratch-resistant covers and/or furniture? Have you made an effort to keep the cat's claws short at all times? There are so many other things you can do, rather than just deform the cat.

Lol, found something I thought was funny and awesome, on a Feliway Q&A section, regarding a declawed cat peeing inappropriately.

Willowy

As I've said before, I do not believe for a second that de-clawing keeps a cat in its home. 99% of the owner-surrender cats at the local shelter are de-clawed, and most are PTS for litterbox problems or biting. I've personally known far more de-clawed cats that were PTS for inappropriate peeing or becoming mean, than cats that have developed a scratching problem. If I saw that de-clawing cats kept them in their homes, I would not be against it. I am for anything that keeps cats in their homes for life. De-clawing does not, plain and simple.

Most cats will not scratch inappropriately, and those that do can be trained to scratch appropriate things in almost all cases. It just takes some effort. I have 8 cats and my furniture is not scratched up. I have not done anything special, and my cats are all very normal. I just put a minimum (very minimum) of effort into teaching them to use their scratching posts. Cats are very reasonable; if you explain things to them, they usually respond well.

I do not love my furniture. Not a bit. I have a hard time finding any affection for inanimate objects. I couldn't care less if it was hanging in shreds from the ceiling fans. But, yet....it isn't.

Most people do not consider cats valuable enough to bother training them. Sad but true. Those that do try usually use wrong methods (punishment does not teach cats anything, it makes them regress), and cannot be bothered to learn the proper cat training methods.

If someone wishes to de-claw their cat (as so many people are deadset on doing), they are responsible for that cat FOREVER. More so than most pet owners. If you choose to make your pet helpless for life, you need to make sure that he never faces a situation that would require the use of his claws. EVER. YOU are responsible for it if he stops using the litterbox or bites people. YOU made that choice. It would be wrong to have him PTS in that situation, because YOU caused it. Unfortunately, I've found that most cat owners who choose to de-claw are not terribly responsible, and are all too willing to have their cat killed if he misses the litterbox even once.

Criosphynx

Both my indoor cats have claws and my furniture is fine.

It was not hard to teach them not to scratch furniture.

Feliway spray is awesome. Catnip is a great tool.

I must also disagree that cats are hard to train.

Some are hard to motivate, but if your cat has motivation is not any harder than teaching an average dog. In fact, i find that cats behaviors stay ingrained longer, and without the constant need for reinforcement. They are different to train in some respect, but its not difficult. They don't respond to adversives.


If you dont' want to bother with training you can use sticky paws (which is basically double sided tape) and the cat wont claw there again. Even after the tape is removed.

And yes... I see lots of declawed cats in the shelter system.

I agree 100%

Willowy

I know......everyone talks like having a clawed cat means that your furniture WILL be in shreds, like cats are a destructive force of nature or something, LOL. Hurricane Kitty, I guess . Very few cats are truly destructive.

Cats have particular needs, and one of those needs is something of their own to scent mark. Even de-clawed cats will rub their little empty paws on something, because the scent glands are in their paws.....scratching behaviors have very little to do with scratching, it's all about marking the cat's scent on the item. Which they shouldn't be allowed to do to your furniture, de-clawed or not; it can lead to worse marking behavior, such as urine marking. All cats, even de-clawed cats, NEED a scratching post (cardboard scratching pads are the best in most cases) so they don't scent mark your furniture.

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sillylilykitty

I hate declawing. I think it should be illegal. You know what. If you plan on declawing a cat when you get it, dont get a cat. Cats have claws, deal with it, manage it, or dont get one. People expect so much from animals, they live up to our expectations most of the time, and when they dont they have to pay. It's not fair, for them. I seriously dont know why so many dog lovers take declawing so lightly. You would think that the people on this forum would understand better with the amazing care they provide for their dogs. And Im sorry to say that they fall short on their cat care. I really am sorry to say it, I really wish people were compassionate to all animals, furred, feathered and scaled. I am not talking about everyone and Im not going to point out any individuals.

One of the things my cat does when she is happy is scratch her scratching post. I assume that that makes her happy to do it. Who am I to take that joy away from her? My cat peed on my bed the other day, should I remove her bladder because she ruined my sheets?

BTW, I love this forum and its members and this just so happens to be the only issue I have with it. But I understand this is a dog forum not a cat forum.

Willowy

For those with young cats, I've also noticed that most cats who do have destructive tendencies grow out of destructive scratching behaviors after they're about a year old. I hate for people to punish the cats for life (could be 20 years or more!) just because of youthful indiscretion. This can be handled by using Soft Claws (best. cat product. ever.) until Kitty has matured a bit. I used them on my cousin's kitten for a few months (they lived with my grandma, and scratching was a big no-no), and now he's over a year old, behaves himself nicely, and doesn't need them anymore. But it was cool giving him blue claws for awhile!

Crazy for Collies

Well Carmi did pee twice outside of the litterbox... but since I had told my mom that was expected she was fine with it and it was cleaned up.

Carmi is 100% inside and is doing fine. She's back to her normal, cheerful self- and miraculously she can still hang on to the bird cage... lol I don't think it gave her any scars for life or anything...

And i didn't mean for this to turn into a debate...

Billiie

You definitely have good points there.. and your came across them well... persuaded me a bit! Heh.

In all honesty.. I never really gave much thought to de-clawing... With the cats we have had in the past, we never de-clawed, but that was because they were indoor/outdoor cats.. My old kitty would roam the neighborhood and come home when she liked.. and our latest kitty I taught her to only roam our yard.. she never left the premises.. but she still was an outdoor/indoor cat, so she had her claws... BUT, if she was going to be an indoor cat, we did considering declawing her.. I never really thought how "bad" it was.

And just to say.. she was never really that bad at scratching the furniture.. she would scratch the carpet though.. but it was manageable because we taught her not to... she was a great kitty. ..




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Katzyn

AWW, Billie! She was adorable!

And I, for one, am sorry, Crazy for Collies. It's just that there are a few of us here who are very passionate about this issue, and we just DON'T understand why other people on this forum don't care. =/ I mean, if I was to post a thread saying that I "defanged my dog because it was chewing up the furniture", everyone would have a frickin hissy fit! But yet, people think it's okay to basically do the same thing to a cat? I just don't get it.

But it's good to hear that the kitty is doing -okay-, and that your mom is much more accepting of the possible problems she may encounter with the inappropriate peeing behaviours. Maybe you could suggest trying Feliway if she continues to pee outside of the litter box? And also getting softer, less grainy litter? With her paws being sensitive right now, I can imagine that normal litter probably doesn't feel too good.

sillylilykitty

Sorry Crazy for Collies, didnt mean to ruin your thread. I am also glad that your cat Carmi is doing better. It's funny that she still can hang off the bird cage, wasnt that the reason she was declawed? Im happy to see that your mom is understanding of Carmi and the things she may or may not do here on out.

Willowy

That's one of my biggest issues with de-clawing......the complete and utter ignorance that surrounds the procedure. IF someone has done their research, they understand the possible side effects and complications that may occur, they know exactly what the surgery involves (use of a tourniquet, removal of bone, tendon, muscle, etc.), AND it's in response to the cat actually displaying destructive scratching behavior which they have tried to remedy with training, and they still decide to de-claw their cat.....well, at least it was an informed decision, and perhaps they'll be more understanding when the cat displays undesirable side effects. In that case I might concede that the operation has kept the cat in its home, hopefully for life.

But so many people see it as a routine operation, something "you just do" to indoor cats, and that bugs me. These are the people who not prepared for any possible side effects, and are surprised when the cat stops using the litterbox, or starts biting the children, or has nerve damage/numbness in his legs from the tourniquet. These are the cats that end up in the shelters because their owners were not prepared to own a cat with a disability (mental or physical). Sad part is, they'll just think "that cat was defective" and will just get another kitten, and will have him de-clawed, and will dump him in the shelter when he proves to be "defective".....and so the cycle continues. They never think to do a little research, never think that THEY'VE caused their cat to behave that way.

I think vets should require people to read an informational booklet before de-clawing their cat. This should explain all possible side effects, complications, and dangers, and then they should make them sign a waiver stating that they've read the booklet and understand it. I think the information alone would prevent many de-claws, just from what I've seen. Of course, very few vets would do this.....de-claws are $100 or more of PURE PROFIT. Vets love de-claws. All the vets I've gone to will actually push de-claws on you when you schedule a spay/neuter. Ugh. I'd pay extra to find a vet that refused to do de-claws.

jesirose

However, people DO get physically scarred. (Also furniture CAN be replaced, but then what? They ruin it again and you keep doing it again? I'm not saying it's a good reason but saying people care more about their furniture isn't fair. I'd rather not buy new furniture every few months because it's all ruined. Telling someone their furniture can be replaced after they've already done it 4 times isn't going to make them appreciate your point of view.)

We chose to have Felix declawed after 2 years of putting up with his bad habits that we could not train out of him. He was rescued from the streets of downtown Dallas as a kitten, and only really bonded to my husband. He would NOT use any type of scratch post, kitty-condo, cardboard scratch boxes. He attacked my legs, hands and feet constantly.

We waited until he was 2, we tried very hard to get him to use proper scratch toys, and stop hurting me. My family had owned several cats that were declawed without problems, so I finally decided to get Felix declawed. (At the time, softpaws hadn't become popular enough that I had heard of them, and I wish I had.)

I think the problem we had was the vet. When I asked to get him declawed, they didn't even discuss it with me. They didn't explain what they would do, what possible problems there would be, or ask if I had tried any alternatives. While he was there, after the surgery, he was incredibly stressed, and urinated and defecated on himself in the kennel. They didn't try to clean him up, and I had to retrieve him covered in his own filth. I can't imagine that was good for his healing.

Once he healed, he did not have any behavioral problems. He still tries to claw everything, it just doesn't do any damage. My cats will always be indoor only cats, so he is not in danger outside. He does have a weird flap of fur between his toes that they said would go away, but never did. He doesn't have any problems using the litter box, or jumping on top of his favorite perches on the mantle, fridge, etc. He is less aggressive now than he was before.

If I could go back in time, would I still do it? Probably not. I now know there are other things that we didn't try, but we didn't know about them. Our second cat was more easily trained. I can't imagine ever declawing my cats in the future, but I think as someone else said, it is better to have them declawed then abandon them.

Most people would get rid of the cat if they can't deal with the claws. Yes, they shouldn't get them in the first place - but so many cats do not have the problems that lead to declawing in the first place. People adopt dogs with behavior problems and can try to fix them, but in many cases they end up being put down. Should people not get dogs because in some cases the dog can become DA or have SA or any other number of problems? What about barkers? Some people chose to use an e-collar after trying other options, should they not have gotten any dogs in the first place? No.

Lastly, when you live in a family home, everyone gets to have a say, but the adults of the house still rule. What mom says goes in her house, unless of course it is seriously endangering people or animals, breaking laws, etc. When you live on your own, you will get to make choices for your own pets that she might not like, and if she comes over, you get to make the rules in your house. My opinion anyway.

sillylilykitty

I totally agree with what your saying Willowy, no one really knows what happens in a declaw and so many vets dont try to educate the clients. Oh, one of the vets that I work with (I work with 4) refuses to do declaws. She really loves cats and wont do that to them. Too bad yesterday was her last day working here

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