To Declaw or not declaw

[Unkotare]

that is the question.

Back in February, I got a new cat to replace my companion of 15 years.

I didn't declaw the old cat because he was sufficiently mellow to where that wasn't an issue.

this new cat, while affectionate, seems to like to use it's claws whenever possible- on the furniture, on me, etc.

I'm reluctant to declaw, but obviously, the damage the animal is doing is going to set me back quite a bit, and there is always the liability if she claws a guest.

If you are even considering it you are a piece of shit who doesn't deserve to have a pet of any sort.

 

[JoeB131]

that is the question.

Back in February, I got a new cat to replace my companion of 15 years.

I didn't declaw the old cat because he was sufficiently mellow to where that wasn't an issue.

this new cat, while affectionate, seems to like to use it's claws whenever possible- on the furniture, on me, etc.

I'm reluctant to declaw, but obviously, the damage the animal is doing is going to set me back quite a bit, and there is always the liability if she claws a guest.

If you are even considering it you are a piece of shit who doesn't deserve to have a pet of any sort.

Well, since the other option (if none of the other options work) is sending her back to the shelter and having her put to sleep.

Again, it's an issue of liability, if she claws one of my guests.

Now go away and work out your issues on someone else's time...

 

[syrenn]

god is a great deterrent..... well that is what i call it anyway... lol....he comes in the from of a spray bottle. Put the bottle on stream...don't say anything... just spray away when you catch him in the act. Have a bottle for every room.

Doing anything after the fact... they just look at you and don't understand.

They make special nail cutters...don't use human fingernail clips.

I do have a squirt bottle I use when she does things she shouldn't do.

And, yes, I was using the special cat clippers. Like I said, I owned a cat for 16 years before I got this one. I think the problem really is that I've forgotten what young cats are like.

LOL.... i love kittens! And yes... they can be a handful. Mine have taken to stealing anything that is not locked down...and hiding it!

 

[Uncensored2008]

Get a dog.

And feed the cat to it.....

 

[JoeB131]

god is a great deterrent..... well that is what i call it anyway... lol....he comes in the from of a spray bottle. Put the bottle on stream...don't say anything... just spray away when you catch him in the act. Have a bottle for every room.

Doing anything after the fact... they just look at you and don't understand.

They make special nail cutters...don't use human fingernail clips.

I do have a squirt bottle I use when she does things she shouldn't do.

And, yes, I was using the special cat clippers. Like I said, I owned a cat for 16 years before I got this one. I think the problem really is that I've forgotten what young cats are like.

LOL.... i love kittens! And yes... they can be a handful. Mine have taken to stealing anything that is not locked down...and hiding it!

I just found a stash of 30 pens under my couch...

Not sure why she likes pens so much.

 

[Ringel05]

I will add my advice to the other excellent comments here.

Please do not declaw unless the only option is giving the cat back to the shelter. Sticky tape, cat repellent sprays, all these things can help. Talk to the vet for other options.

We rescued an adult cat from the roof of a supermarket many years ago. She was our first cat ever, and she shredded our furniture. No big deal, we thought, we'll get her declawed. Only after the fact did we discover that declawing is like cutting off your fingers at the first knuckle.

Outside, a declawed cat is totally defenseless, and will not live to see out the year. Please, try using tape, repellent, providing sisal scratching posts next to her favorate scratching locations (put a couple of cat treats on the base of it). Lots of stuffed mice and cat toys to alleviate boredome.

Never, ever hit your cat... not its paws, not its rump... just don't. The cat will become fearful and hand-shy, and may end up being a biter/fighter every time you go to pet or touch it. Cats are fragile creatures, and they know it. Please. Gentle love will gain your cat's trust, and once it realizes that the sisal posts are much better for scraping the dead husks off their claws that flimsy furniture (which you have protected with tape), there will not be a problem.

Let us know how it goes.

Outside, a declawed cat is totally defenseless, and will not live to see out the year.

Boy do I beg to differ on that claim. First it's unproven, it's a construct of the no declawing crowd, second every one of our cats go outside under supervision, it hasn't stopped them from catching mice, moles, birds, etc or hold their own in the rare fight with neighbor's cats who are clawed. Not to mention our youngest 6 year old has chased dogs, including German shepherds out of the yard.

 

[Kooshdakhaa]

god is a great deterrent..... well that is what i call it anyway... lol....he comes in the from of a spray bottle. Put the bottle on stream...don't say anything... just spray away when you catch him in the act. Have a bottle for every room.

Doing anything after the fact... they just look at you and don't understand.

They make special nail cutters...don't use human fingernail clips.

I do have a squirt bottle I use when she does things she shouldn't do.

And, yes, I was using the special cat clippers. Like I said, I owned a cat for 16 years before I got this one. I think the problem really is that I've forgotten what young cats are like.

Don't know what style of clippers your using...but I like the little "scissor" style the best. They look like a little pair of scissors. What I like about them is you can see exactly what you're doing...and you can easily see where the "quick" is and cut above it.

I trim the claws of 6 cats on a regular basis and have become very adept at it. But give me those "guillotine" style clippers and I'm useless. Seriously, if you don't have the scissor-style cutters, they're the easiest of all to use, give them a try.

 

[Kooshdakhaa]

I will add my advice to the other excellent comments here.

Please do not declaw unless the only option is giving the cat back to the shelter. Sticky tape, cat repellent sprays, all these things can help. Talk to the vet for other options.

We rescued an adult cat from the roof of a supermarket many years ago. She was our first cat ever, and she shredded our furniture. No big deal, we thought, we'll get her declawed. Only after the fact did we discover that declawing is like cutting off your fingers at the first knuckle.

Outside, a declawed cat is totally defenseless, and will not live to see out the year. Please, try using tape, repellent, providing sisal scratching posts next to her favorate scratching locations (put a couple of cat treats on the base of it). Lots of stuffed mice and cat toys to alleviate boredome.

Never, ever hit your cat... not its paws, not its rump... just don't. The cat will become fearful and hand-shy, and may end up being a biter/fighter every time you go to pet or touch it. Cats are fragile creatures, and they know it. Please. Gentle love will gain your cat's trust, and once it realizes that the sisal posts are much better for scraping the dead husks off their claws that flimsy furniture (which you have protected with tape), there will not be a problem.

Let us know how it goes.

Outside, a declawed cat is totally defenseless, and will not live to see out the year.

Boy do I beg to differ on that claim. First it's unproven, it's a construct of the no declawing crowd, second every one of our cats go outside under supervision, it hasn't stopped them from catching mice, moles, birds, etc or hold their own in the rare fight with neighbor's cats who are clawed. Not to mention our youngest 6 year old has chased dogs, including German shepherds out of the yard.

Sorry, Ringel05, but that's not the norm. If a dog really came at the cat and the cat batted him with her soft little declawed paws, the dog would just grab her. Same with other cats. I know that your experience has been good, but it's not how things usually work out for a declawed cat outside.

 

[saveliberty]

god is a great deterrent..... well that is what i call it anyway... lol....he comes in the from of a spray bottle. Put the bottle on stream...don't say anything... just spray away when you catch him in the act. Have a bottle for every room.

Doing anything after the fact... they just look at you and don't understand.

They make special nail cutters...don't use human fingernail clips.

Spray bottles aren't always effective. I had a cat that would simply flatten his ears and close his eyes until you were done squirting. Then is was right back to whatever he wanted to do.

 

[Kooshdakhaa]

god is a great deterrent..... well that is what i call it anyway... lol....he comes in the from of a spray bottle. Put the bottle on stream...don't say anything... just spray away when you catch him in the act. Have a bottle for every room.

Doing anything after the fact... they just look at you and don't understand.

They make special nail cutters...don't use human fingernail clips.

You are right on, syrenn. No need to say a word when you spray them, on stream for best effect, and you need to catch them in the act.

Actually, squirt guns work well too. : )

 

[Kooshdakhaa]

god is a great deterrent..... well that is what i call it anyway... lol....he comes in the from of a spray bottle. Put the bottle on stream...don't say anything... just spray away when you catch him in the act. Have a bottle for every room.

Doing anything after the fact... they just look at you and don't understand.

They make special nail cutters...don't use human fingernail clips.

Spray bottles aren't always effective. I had a cat that would simply flatten his ears and close his eyes until you were done squirting. Then is was right back to whatever he wanted to do.

Not at all the norm.

 

[JoeB131]

Outside, a declawed cat is totally defenseless, and will not live to see out the year.

Boy do I beg to differ on that claim. First it's unproven, it's a construct of the no declawing crowd, second every one of our cats go outside under supervision, it hasn't stopped them from catching mice, moles, birds, etc or hold their own in the rare fight with neighbor's cats who are clawed. Not to mention our youngest 6 year old has chased dogs, including German shepherds out of the yard.

I'd have to agree there.

My brother gave me his cat to babysit for a week while he went to Wisconsin. First night the cat is here, he busts his way out of my apartment by pushing out a screen. Since we have coyotes in the area, I figured this poor cat was toast, and I'd never live this down.

(My brother was unconcerned. He said to his wife, "That cat will break out of Joey's apartment before we get to the cabin.")

Four week later, one of my neighbors caught this cat, identified him though the chip in his butt, and called my brother to come pick it up.

And this cat was declawed both front and rear...

FOr anyone concerned, I'm probalby not going to declaw my little friend. I agree that's too harsh. I'm going to work this out.

But I'm amused that we are horrified at the thought of declawing cats, but pay no mind to castrating them.

Sorry, you gave me a choice between my fingertips and my 'nads... I go with keeping the 'nads.

 

[saveliberty]

Okay, thanks for the up date Stubby.

 

[syrenn]

god is a great deterrent..... well that is what i call it anyway... lol....he comes in the from of a spray bottle. Put the bottle on stream...don't say anything... just spray away when you catch him in the act. Have a bottle for every room.

Doing anything after the fact... they just look at you and don't understand.

They make special nail cutters...don't use human fingernail clips.

Spray bottles aren't always effective. I had a cat that would simply flatten his ears and close his eyes until you were done squirting. Then is was right back to whatever he wanted to do.

Next in line is caned air. Works great flushing them out from under the bed too.....

 

[syrenn]

god is a great deterrent..... well that is what i call it anyway... lol....he comes in the from of a spray bottle. Put the bottle on stream...don't say anything... just spray away when you catch him in the act. Have a bottle for every room.

Doing anything after the fact... they just look at you and don't understand.

They make special nail cutters...don't use human fingernail clips.

You are right on, syrenn. No need to say a word when you spray them, on stream for best effect, and you need to catch them in the act.

Actually, squirt guns work well too. : )

God works in mysterious ways....

 

[saveliberty]

Canned air costs money, the good ole vacuum cleaner is available.

 

[syrenn]

Canned air costs money, the good ole vacuum cleaner is available.

yeah.. but it works.

 

[Provocateur]

With my work schedule, I don't have time to be fair to a dog. I have time to be fair to a cat since a cat could care less if you live or die. Also, my condo association doesn't allow dogs and they've evicted owners for keeping them.

Do you ever want to own a nice piece of furniture? To some, I suppose it doesn't matter.


Get rid of the claws or get rid of the cat. Seems pretty simple to me.

Why should anyone take advice from you since you obviously have no feelings whatsoever about animals?

Don't be so melodramatic.


I have always owned pets. Dogs for decades and my current cat for the last 7 years. I have always loved the cat, but I actually only started to LIKE the cat after we had her claws removed.

And by the way, she often goes outside in the front and back, by choice. She lets us know when she wants in and out.


I already got rid of one couch because of her. When I bought the new leather one, I wasn't going to go through it any further.


I wonder if circumcision is as offensive to those people here claiming animal abuse.

I have found that the population that is always up in arms decrying animal rights are the same ones that will go to protests to protect a woman's right choose third term abortions.

I.e. a liberal.


Crazy world we live in.

 

[saveliberty]

Canned air costs money, the good ole vacuum cleaner is available.

yeah.. but it works.

4 all Iz noes, ur cat iz tieping all of this...

 

[Provocateur]

I will add my advice to the other excellent comments here.

Please do not declaw unless the only option is giving the cat back to the shelter. Sticky tape, cat repellent sprays, all these things can help. Talk to the vet for other options.

We rescued an adult cat from the roof of a supermarket many years ago. She was our first cat ever, and she shredded our furniture. No big deal, we thought, we'll get her declawed. Only after the fact did we discover that declawing is like cutting off your fingers at the first knuckle.

Outside, a declawed cat is totally defenseless, and will not live to see out the year. Please, try using tape, repellent, providing sisal scratching posts next to her favorate scratching locations (put a couple of cat treats on the base of it). Lots of stuffed mice and cat toys to alleviate boredome.

Never, ever hit your cat... not its paws, not its rump... just don't. The cat will become fearful and hand-shy, and may end up being a biter/fighter every time you go to pet or touch it. Cats are fragile creatures, and they know it. Please. Gentle love will gain your cat's trust, and once it realizes that the sisal posts are much better for scraping the dead husks off their claws that flimsy furniture (which you have protected with tape), there will not be a problem.

Let us know how it goes.

Outside, a declawed cat is totally defenseless, and will not live to see out the year.

Boy do I beg to differ on that claim. First it's unproven, it's a construct of the no declawing crowd, second every one of our cats go outside under supervision, it hasn't stopped them from catching mice, moles, birds, etc or hold their own in the rare fight with neighbor's cats who are clawed. Not to mention our youngest 6 year old has chased dogs, including German shepherds out of the yard.

Sorry, Ringel05, but that's not the norm. If a dog really came at the cat and the cat batted him with her soft little declawed paws, the dog would just grab her. Same with other cats. I know that your experience has been good, but it's not how things usually work out for a declawed cat outside.

Generally you don't remove the hind claws, so in a battle, they could (and would) use those to defend themselves.


Ours has been out in our residential neighborhood for years amongst dogs and other cats without a single issue. She stays near the front of the house, and doesn't venture too far away. Every circumstance is different.