OT: Cats and I think having to declaw my newest!!!

[mama2be]

http://home.nc.rr.com/ourbabytristan/images/cinder.jpg

Anyone who knows me here will have to know I love pets and have done my fair share in life (and will continue) to yank ones from shelters supply them medical care and to find homes for them. So I start this with please be assured that my pets are my children too.

To avoid debate and crying all day I should probably just ask for support and successful stories of declawing a cat.

I will have this cat FOREVER and in the event something happens to me and DH before it's time our critter's care is all arranged with a nice amount of mula for the couple knowing that pets cost a lot of money to take care of. This cat will never ever be an outside cat unless she got out on her own but we would spend our last breath finding her.

So with that said...Cinder my newest addition of about 6 months is doing a lot of damage with her claws...she is constantly clawing my furniture and my chairs that I have had custom covered with fabric of my choosing. My desk of wicker...chairs...and I think the final straw is a huge theater style leather sofa that was a good $7,000 ON SALE. If you are near it from every jumping up on it it has small slices on it. Sure I can live witht he damamge to date but I hope she lives a good 15 years thus multiplying my damamge by 30 times is unbearable. My vet (like a friend) urged me not to declaw her. I'm starting to think that I need to take her to a "cat only" hospital where they are so pro cat that I'll have her in the best hands.

Please any great stories on how well your cat did after such a procedure would help me so much!!!

Again she'll never be without a home and she will never be outside!!!
I know those are huge issues...she is stuck with me :)...

Thank you in advance!!!

[Momof3Labs]

Neve,

The declawing issue is tough - the anti-declawers are very graphic!! Since I couldn't decide, I adopted my cat from the shelter already declawed - hehe, decision averted.

My neighbors recently got a kitten from a shelter and wanted it declawed. Their vet (same one we go to) responded with this: If declawing the cat means that this cat will have a good indoor home for life, then it is the best decision for this cat-owner combination.

My brother and SIL have two cats that are not declawed, and they have said that their next cat will come from the shelter already declawed - their two aren't that destructive, but it doesn't take much. They have gone through a lot trying to train them, but it just hasn't worked 100% for them.

We may get blasted for this, but I for one will support you in your decision (either way) - you know where to find me!

[mama2be]

Lori thank you...I guess I look at it the way their vet described it in that Cinder will have a better in door life if I do this. I will encourage her to jump up on the sofa, sit in my lap etc... so much more. I am so happy for those that adopt the declawed cats from shelters as you and I know many of them never find homes due to that...

Schooner is not declawed but he does minimal scratching and I am willing to live with that that he does.

http://home.nc.rr.com/ourbabytristan/images/schooner.jpg

And even if I were to train Cinder to not scratch at all the jumping of the sofa causes her back claws to dig in...

For those that would blast me I can only remind them many people would give up a pet for such a thing and Cinder kitty will never ever have to worry about that...

Thanks Lori so much!!!

[bethwl]

Have you heard of or tried Soft Paws? They're little plastic nail sheaths that you apply with nontoxic glue. You have to reapply every few weeks to one month approx. Also, how long have you had your cat? If s/he (I forget which!) is only six months old, s/he's probably not been with you too long. It took my husband and I at least six months(or more) to appropriately train the cats we adopted. We also trim their nails at least every week to two weeks to minimize accidental damage from just normal jumping.

Please don't feel I am attacking you, but I feel very strongly about not declawing cats (and if you must have a declawed one adopting them from shelters already declawed). I would certainly rather see you keep your kitty and can tell from your posts that you love your pets.

[gremlin44]

Um, you mention the rear claws being a problem...

Have you spoken to your vet about this? Most vets will NOT remove the rear claws. A standard declawing is front paws only...

From my vet's (a cat only vet) website: "Declawing all four feet of a cat is not recommended. It greatly increases recovery time for the cat and the risk for complications are much higher. While a cat is recovering from a declaw it's front feet may be sore. A cat can at times adjust the bulk of it's weight to it's rear feet for comfort. This of course is not possible with all four feet declawed."

[smilequeen]

I'm a non-declawer too, but I have a non-scratching cat, so easy for me to say.

I think, if it were me, I would try the soft paws first and see if that worked...also the double sided tape or aluminum foil in the places where she likes to scratch.

If all else failed, I would declaw though.

[JulieL]

My bestfriend found a vet here where we live that will declaw the cat's front claws w/out detaching the first knuckle. It is a more humane way to do it. Maybe you can call vets around where you live and see if any practice the same. I almost declawed our cats too, and have had the same anxiety. Her cat did so well and bounced right back. Hope that helps some.

[alkagift]

I'm sorry you're struggling with this, it certainly can be stressful--I have a cat as well and she's selected a couple of antiques to pick at, but nothing too awful.

I've slipcovered my chairs while training and used a noisemaker, double-stick tape and heavy vinyl thingies that they sell in Petco to cover the attractive spots. Nothing seems to work as well as LOTS of good sisal scratching posts (we learned the hard way that one isn't enough--try one per ROOM) and keeping my kitty's nails trimmed at least weekly! My Scout gets one treat per foot!

I hope it goes well, a leather sofa is an enormous investment!

Allison
Expecting #1 5/27/03

[egoldber]

Neve, I feel for you on this one.

We have two cats. One we adopted from the shelter when he was a few months old and he had already been declawed and neutered. Easy decision on our parts. Our second cat we adopted as an 8 week old kitten. When we talked to our vet about his thoughts on declawing, he said that if we were going to do it, he recommended doing it as young as possible. He sees a LOT of older cats coming in to be declawed after doing damage and that the surgery is then much harder. We struggled at the time and decided to go ahead and declaw (he was about 16 weeks at the time). His recovery was very quick and with no problems. Neither of my cats seems to be troubled by not having front claws. I would do it again, but I do still feel bad about it, and I totally understand how you feel.

And I think that Lori has a good point, giving a cat a good home that would otherwise not have one is a lot more than most people do. And to be honest, there is NO way that I would personally have the time to trim my cat's nails every week. I didn't do that before having a baby, much less now.

Good luck on your decision!!!

[MartiesMom2B]

Neve:

My beloved Guiness (may he rest in peace) was declawed in his front paws. Mike always grew up with cats and they have always been declawed in the front. We go along the lines that its better to have the cat declawed and in a safe home than the cat to not be in a home at all. My heart goes out to you.

***I've seen Neve's sofa. It's beautiful. It would be a true shame if it was ripped to shreds***

Sonia
Proud Mommy to Martie 4/6/03
http://www.mcdyer.com/MartieSurasky.htm

[twins r fun]

Neve,
I am such a cat person and have 3. When I was growing up, we had a family cat that was always really mine. My mom would periodically threaten to declaw her and I would have a fit. So I thought there was no way I would declaw my own when I was in charge. Guess what, all three are declawed. I guess it's a litle different when you're the one paying for the damage and watching your own things get destroyed! We did them when they were older because that was when we moved into a house. We had seen the damage they had caused in an apartment and decided it was too much. We did them one at a time because of the cost and every single time I took a cat into the vet I left crying. But everything is fine now. Two of the cats were 6 when we did it and recovered just fine. The other was about 3 and he had a complication with the wounds closing (which was painful for him) and had to go back in-he's also fine now. I've heard that cats will lose their playfulness when they are declawed, but that didn't happen here. Honestly, once they had recovered fully, it was like nothing had happened. I felt and still feel somewhat bad for doing it, but I have to say they are way more traumatized by me having children than declawing them. And I actually feel worse for disrupting their happy little life by introducing two crying, attention hogging, and now chasing and tail pulling little boys than I ever have for declawing them. Good luck with your decision-you just have to do what is right for you an your family.

[zen_bliss]

what beautiful cats!

give the softpaws claw caps a try... you can use them front and back and you shouldn't have to reapply them for several months at a time. i suspect declawing would be as traumatic for you as for kitty because I know how you love your animal children!!

a lot more information is available now about declawing =amputation of knuckles and ligaments... west hollywood just outlawed it... but certainly, 'tis better for a cat to have a home declawed than to go off to the shelter.

here are a few vet wholesale price sites for a MUCH better price than the vet's office. we've had a bunch of special needs foster dogs stay with us over the years and these sites made it possible (the blind, diabetic boy taught us a lot about love and the power of adjusting -- he was amazing!)

www.petedge.com
www.kvvet.com
www.valleyvet.com

[bethwl]

It takes my DH and I about five minutes to trim the nails of both our cats, so time isn't really an issue. Some cats resist, but this is a training issue, as well. You have to get them used to it and I suggest giving a treat each time to make them forget that you're doing something they don't like (a morsel of tuna works wonders).

Also, as a cat owner, I would probably not choose to ever own a leather sofa. Regardless of intentional scratching, part of life with a cat is that these animals have claws and will leave little marks on things. So I choose upholstery that doesn't show marks as easily. I also use decorative throw blankets in areas where the cats scratch unintentionally (like the top of an armchair where one cat likes to jump up and sit).

The effect that declawing will have on cats is as individual as the cats themselves. Some will "bounce back," but you never know how your cat will react. I have read that some cats will become more prone to swiping and biting after being declawed because they know their preferred method of self-defense is gone. While not all declawed cats are like this, I notice a fair number that do swipe and bite more (I'm a shelter volunteer).

[dogmom]

Neve, I feel for you. My DH and MIL are firmly in the no declawing camp. (We were just talking about it yesterday.) Our two cats belong to my DH, so they got their claws and I got large chunks of my woodwork missing and don't talk to me about furniture. My mother always had her cats declawed, including the ones I grew up with. People are right, they weren't happy for a while, but they healed quick and never were the worse for wear as far as I can tell. It took my cat longer to recover from getting spayed. As far as leather furniture, I'm sure you have it for the same reason I do, dogs! It's so much better at retarding dog smell. It's funny, the cats are so much smaller and have done way more damage to the house than the dogs. We had a big go around this fall because I was pregnant an loosing it because one of the cats was peeing on a regular basis in the family room. Nothing wrong with her, she just goes through phases of deciding the place to pee was not necessarily the litterbox. She had been doing it since before I was pregnant, but after 9 months and trying everything there was to try, I lost patience. I was this close to making my DH get rid of her. Luckily for my marriage she stopped for some reason.

Unfortunately I will probably just never consent to having cats again after these two die because of the declawing issue since my husband refuses. I dont' wont to feel like I may get blessed with a particularly destructive cat and not have much recourse, which I'm not sure is for the best. Maybe after my DS starts destroying the house I think more fondly about the cat issue. I look at it as a matter of coping. We all can only cope with so much before you lose it. And if that cat clawing everything up is making you lose it, declawing is not the worst sin you could commit.

Jeanne
Mom to Harvey
1/16/03

[jubilee]

My cat Micah is declawed on all 4 paws, and I don't regret it. He still thinks he has claws and still "scratches" the couch, but it doesn't do any harm. He was declawed when he was 6 months old, when I had him fixed. He had a few days of bandages, but once those were removed it was like it didn't happen. Micah was okay eversince. I am glad we did it

[mama2be]

You might not choose to own a leather sofa ....but I have one and had one pre this "newer cat". My old cat (also a rescue who had been attacked and was near death from getting attacked by a fox in Washington DC) was not a scratcher so when purchasing the sofa it was not a consideration). I guess I just assumed all cats were like him when I picked out this gal who had been at the SPCA just a month shy a year!!!! and with 158 other cats in there at the time she'd have spent her life there in a little cage I am certain!!!! You can't give a pet away in parts of the United States even with a bonus of $1,000, we live in that kind of area!!! Dog Fights and cats as bait happen in this state (I had no idea it happened anywhere in the States till I moved here)...

I take great pride in my home and things that I and my husband work very hard to have. Anyway my post asked for support and success stories of those with cats that had been declawed and am happy that others have offered me some other things to try becasue I am willing to do whatever it takes to keep her clawed and living with us. BUT the idea of not purchasing somehting I want or to get rid of it is not an option...

When it comes to supplying homes for animals, fostering, transporting, and paying huge bills for animals that need care (that are not mine) I have stepped up to the plate and have taken my bank aco**** to zero on critters that were not even mine. So I can only assure you that I do what is best for many animals.

[mama2be]

Thank you everyone for your replies...sorry I didn't get back to everyone yesterday I was so swamped cleaning and cooking for alittle shin dig here...

I am so happy that many of you have offered other tings I can try first and can only say I want to beable to say "I have tired everything" so I can not thank you enough. Cinder is such a big part of our household. She walked in here from day one with a tail that sticks straight up in the air liked she owned the place (and she does!!!!). Schooner has no tail and you know curses her under his breath for flaunting her tail so high!!!

I told Steve we should start cutting her nails and he thinks the puncture holes woud be worse if we do that due to them being thicker holes...

Thank you ladies for all of your input!!!

[jennifer13]

Neve, thanks so much for your response to my other post, glad that I have some thoughts for yours.

File this under things to try: I have 3 cats, 2 with claws, 1 declawed in front. The 2 with claws were BIG scratchers, ruined everything but it was junky furniture anyway. Then my husband and I got married and I inherited his very nice couch, and his declawed cat. I worried very much about my scratching cats, but I found the most simple, miraculous thing: at any pet store, it's just a basic cardboard flat thing, about 2 inches thick, that sits on the floor. It comes with catnip. My cats scratch the heck out of the thing and they have left the furniture alone. And these are 8 year old, badly trained cats! YOu have to replace it probably once a month (terrifically overpriced at $12), but it's the only thing that has worked. It is the dumbest, most low-tech thing, but for some reason they love it (they never touched the scratching posts). The other thing to try is tin foil- put it on the arms and back of the couch, cats HATE the stuff and it can train them to stay off of things (I have tin foil in the bassinet right now).

However, if you find declawing is the only way, I think what you are giving to the cat far outweighs the negatives of declawing. Our declawed cat is just fine. It is my understanding, though, that declawing the rear claws is much more damaging. Good luck!

Jennifer
due 5/8, still waiting

[mama2be]

Jennifer thank you so much I am going to go and check that out...I can't imagine it so I hope they'll know what I am talking about. I am so willing to try everything ahead of time. I guess I should ti foil the sofa BUT I so love her sitting up there sprawled out on the sofa. She came down for our party last night and laid on the sofa and every one commented about how friendly she is...I wish I could let her stay on the head part but just not jump up on it and scaratch it. It is the chairs and desk she sharpens her claws on.

Thank you so much!!!

[mama2be]

I'm going to glance thru those sites...great info to know!!!

[jennifer13]

Look at Petco or Petsmart, should be with the scratching posts. I've seen it in 2 sizes, one about 6 inches across, and one about 14 inches across, and it's about 12-16 inches long or so. The checkout clerk sometimes makes a snide remark for paying $12 for cardboard, but it's worth it! :) Also, when one side gets used, flip it over. My cat who scratched wood especially loves it- if your cat is scratching the desk this might be the thing for her.

[cara1]

The only thing I'd be concerned about is if your other cats do have claws, they would be on an "uneven" playing field when they play and fight, and I would not want her to be hurt. Also, if your other cats are running outside and playing, but she can't, you might have a problem.. Our cat growing up was declawed; no problems; it was great. Our cats now have claws, and we've just grown to live with the destruction, just like the cat hair. I think whatever you decide will be okay for your new cat, but just think about what sort of relationship she has with the cats that are already there. If they have adjusted to the new addition well already, I'd think you'd be in good shape. Good luck.

[mama2be]

They are both indoor, if I didn't put that in my post than I meant to......and Schooner the other one is such a wimp and very non aggressive...Cinder on the other hand rules the roost...chases him...claws him...and is in total command!!!

Living with the destruction with a $7,000 sofa and thousands and thousands spent on fabric covered furniture for I hope a good 15 years or so is not an option!!! We don't have the money to replace things like that...

Not an option...but thanks!!!!

I guess I'm just a bad person!!

I edited my post to add...(but it didn't take it for some reason)...to add I am not living in a home and trying to make it appear like I don't live amoungst dogs and cats...I have five pets (or they have me) and I tolerate the fur...the occassional scratches, the poop smell with the newest, decapitated stuff animals all over my yard...meatless bones all over my yard, and a husband who is so allergic to the dogs that his DR described his allergy as "the worst dog exclusive allergy she has ever seen". I say this because I am not someone who is trying to "prevent" what animals do I so tolerate my home as being full fo critters. And anyone who has ever stepped in it can attest to that!!!

[zen_bliss]

neve, i had a quick look at my hard copy catalogs...

the scratchy thing jennifer13 suggested is called the Bizzy-Kitty Scratching Pad (at least in the KVVet catalog) and is only $4.99

the nail cap kit is $12.99 in the petedge catalog.

one more site: www.lambriarvet.com

for anyone with multi-pet households, these sites are also a great way to save a LOT on flea control and prescriptions (for example Frontline for $25 instead of $40 retail)... the less we'd pay was more $$$ to help other rescues.

[mama2be]

You are the rolodex of the boards-You are awesome!!!!
Great info to know...I am going to order some of those things right now!!!!
Wish us luck everyone!!!