[rdhdscrpio]

I simply trim my kitten's claws every 2-3 weeks when I trim the dog's. No problems so far. I had cats in the past that were declawed and it caused major problems with litter box use as time passed (they simply refused to use it any longer).

I would never declaw a cat again.

[care18]

I simply trim my kitten's claws every 2-3 weeks when I trim the dog's. No problems so far. I had cats in the past that were declawed and it caused major problems with litter box use as time passed (they simply refused to use it any longer).

I would never declaw a cat again.

That is untrue I asked many people about the litter box issue before I declawed my cat and they said that they had had no problems. I too have hadno problems. She simply does her business and then cleans her paws.

[kite1]

We've been using soft paws for the past 4 months on our kitten and unfortunately we just can't do it anymore. We put them on and he gets at least 1 to 2 of them off by the next day. When you are doing it that often, they get VERY expensive. The supposed 3-4 month supply doesn't even last a full month. With a baby on the way, and after already trying the more 'humane' alternative, we have opted to declaw him (he is 6 months old now). Just something to keep in mind, those soft paws are NOT all that great. He isn't even overly active, he is just a pretty normal middle of the road kitten, lazy most of the time with spurts of energy throughout the day. I do not recommend Soft Paws. They are a big headache and very disappointing. If they have 1 or 2 off, they might as well have them all off because they can do just as much with 1 claw as they can with all of them.

[care18]

If you go to the right vet and are sure that they do a good job with other cats I see no problem. My cat Kiko acts as though she still has her claws. She is not psychologically damaged and she had no complications. The key is to leave the bandages on as long as possible. I even had to retape the bandages a couple times to keep her from infecting the wound. It was not really a choice for me my mom said have it done or she lives outside for good. To be honest though I would have done it anyway because it did no harm to my cat. Her personality is the same as it was when I first got her at 6 weeks old. Its all a matter of opinion and it all depends on the situation and the vet. My vet is wonderful and she took very good care of Kiko who is my pride and joy. She's the child I haven't had yet. I wouldn't trade her for the world.:)

[carolbcac]

Someone asked about how soft paws stay on. They are glued on using a medical-grade super glue. My experience has been that cats try to get them off the first time around, then get used to them. They stay on an average of six weeks. As the cat gets older and the nails are larger they tend to stay on better. The nice thing about them is that once the cat gets past the "kitten crazies" she may not need them any longer.
While I advise against declawing, which does involve amputation of the toes up to the first joint, I realize that in some cases it is justified. (There are some real hell-cats out there!) Make sure to go to a vet who does the procedure often and does it well, to minimize any physical/emotional post-op complications.

[care18]

Someone asked about how soft paws stay on. They are glued on using a medical-grade super glue. My experience has been that cats try to get them off the first time around, then get used to them. They stay on an average of six weeks. As the cat gets older and the nails are larger they tend to stay on better. The nice thing about them is that once the cat gets past the "kitten crazies" she may not need them any longer.
While I advise against declawing, which does involve amputation of the toes up to the first joint, I realize that in some cases it is justified. (There are some real hell-cats out there!) Make sure to go to a vet who does the procedure often and does it well, to minimize any physical/emotional post-op complications.

I agree with you on this. I didn't want to get kiko declawed (my mom made that decision for me) but I see now that she would have tore our house apart. She still tries to sharpen her claws even though she doesn't have any and if that's any indication of what it would be like everything in our house would be destroyed or on its way to being destroyed. I don't regret it now but before I felt that it was inhumane. She is still able to defend herself and that was my main concern when it was done. That if she got outside by accident would she be able to survive.

[kashumz]

FYI guys no we didn't get her declawed. I convinced my dad not to.

[Saria21]

I had one of my cats declawed. I don't recommend it due to the following:

1. It is extremely painful for them after the procedure.
2. They need them to climb trees.
3. They used them to protect themselves from other animals.

I would never do that to a cat again.

I am semi against it too but only 1 of those is correct... My parents have a cat that been declawed... It took about a week if I can rememeber for the front paws to fully heal after the procedure. After that the cat barely even noticed it didn't have front claws... It was an indoor /outdoor cat and it caught mice, birds, and other wierld looking things... It also climb up trees no problem even with out claws. She's about 13 years old now and she's really actives at times... I had thought all about those threes reasons but owning a cat that had been declawed made me realize that the cat still can be a cat just like it would be with claws... and also people say bites from cats can be bad... infections from scratches are much worse if not treated properly... I remember on the news about a woman being infected by a cat scratch that had cause damage to her reproductive system which made her unable to have children.

I do agree about the pain though but just think having the pet spaided or neutered is just as painful... especially males when it gets its nuts chopped off...

[Saria21]

So like I said my cat is over 10 years old been inside and out still lively... is able to defend herself in her own way... like they say Life has a way for everything.

If people think declawing is inhumane how about tails on coccer spaniels... they aren't born with short tails they get them cut with in a few weeks of age.

[Ren6]

The thread is over two years old, and the kitten didn't get de-clawed.

[Sariss]

I do agree about the pain though but just think having the pet spaided or neutered is just as painful .... especially males when it gets its nuts chopped off....

Getting a female cat spayed is probably a lot more painful.

[shazamataz]

Getting a female cat spayed is probably a lot more painful.

I agree, a lot longer recovery time.

[QueenG]

They fall off a lot I used the stick ons for my kittens and they would constantly fall off... I'd be putting a few back on each day and I would glue those on very well!! I have always had my kittens declawed and all of them were happy and very friendly! Like any animal they treat you as you treat them! If you love your cat than your cat will love you!
I have to say all these things you read can make you worry but the declawing of a cat may yes be painful as any surgery but in conjunction with a neuter/spay they have the proper medicines and you can ask for a mild take home pain killer for those first few tender weeks ( mine were always back to their rambunctious selves in as little as 2 weeks)

[Sariss]

To play the devils advocate with the declawing thing...

All of my cats are declawed. They always have been.
However, they won't be anymore. They have always been declawed because that was the rule at my parents house. All cats got declawed. My black cat wasn't going to, but when I was forced to move home for a year, it happened then.

One of my cats suffered nerve damage from the declaw, and it still bothers him to jump down from anything higher than 4 feet. His damage came from an old-school, poor technique.

All the other cats are fine. We still do declaws at work - it's becoming rarer and rarer each year, but they still do happen. We ONLY declaw cats with the surgical CO2 laser, as it is the most effective - it cuts the recovery time in half, no need for those little booties, and it just seems to WORK better.

In the many MANY declaws I've seen.. besides my own cat which was done by a crap vet with a shoddy technique (she got fired after that iirc), I have never seen problems - and while they do occur, they are not as common as most would make you believe.
We had one owner who was convinced that her cat bit her more after it got declawed. Well duh. The cat was BALLISTIC, and used all teeth and all claws to attack you, then when she got it declawed at 4 years old for that reason, it just bit more because it couldn't scratch.

That's not to say I don't condone it. I've had it done because it had to be done. Now that I live on my own I would only ONLY consider declawing if I had exhausted all of my options and nothing was working.

Just my two cents. Yes, it's painful - what surgery isn't? The cats we declaw act no different post-op than the ones simply getting spayed or neutered. They are walking, using their litterbox, hopping onto ledges, etc within 12 hours usually.

[morgaine300]

I actually totally agree with everything Sariss said. (Don't have a heart attack.) I just never bother saying so cause I know I'll just get bombarded -- it's such a hot topic.

It does carry more weight coming from someone working at a vet's. I volunteered at a vet's for a couple of summers in high school so I saw a lot of declaws. I never saw problems either. Out of all the cats I've had, only two have been declawed and neither of them ever had any problems. (The second one was at a clinic where they keep them for a couple of days for the entire purpose of making sure everything is OK.)

I think a lot of it has been exaggerated also. It's like everything else -- you hear about all the bad stuff, but not the stuff that didn't go bad.

I've heard that it does depend a lot on the vet and whether it's done correctly, and I've always wondered whether the problem ones were bad vets. It's nice to see a semi-confirmation of that.

However... I don't "condone" declawing either. I felt bad getting the one done (had to do it due to where I was living and didn't have the financial option to move), and I too would only use it as a last resort. (And I have the scars to prove it.) So I really don't like doing it.

It was just nice to hear this from someone else.

Just curious... what the vet's opinions are on the matter? I've always meant to ask mine but keep forgetting.

[Sariss]

Our vets seem to have the same opinion as mine, and like me, have only ever seen one or two cases where there were problems, in the literally hundreds they've seen/done.

[morgaine300]

Interesting.

[shazamataz]

Hey Sariss (or anyone), do you know roughly how much declawing costs?

My partner really wants a cat but my only concern is it destroying the furniture, I would let him have a kitten if it could be declawed.

[Sariss]

That varies huuuugely, so I couldn't give a rough estimate. Just call around.

[shazamataz]

That varies huuuugely, so I couldn't give a rough estimate. Just call around.

That's all right, thanks anyway...

The cat that I posted about a while back (a stray) is pregnant with her second litter and if all goes well we might be taking one of them.
We did not think she would be able to have kittens due to an injury which is why my mum never caught her to get her spayed.