Did you declaw your cat?

[penn19]

I declawed mine. If I ever got another cat I would do it again.

 

[Coconut36]

Once again with the condescending tone.

And there was no need to go searching for links to tell me what the procedure entailed because as I told you I was well aware before my cat went in for it.

I could care less what other countries think. Heck in some it's just peachy keen to stone women that doesn't mean I'm going to run out and buy a bag of rocks. I do know of my own personal experiences with it and that is what I based my decision off of.

My cats were no worse for having had the procedure done. They were/are still able to run and jump and play the same as all non disfigured cats. And have had no medical issues whatsoever.

Each person needs to make the decision for themselves. What will be best for them and their pet is what matters.

Yep my tone in condescending. Anyone that actually knows what it entails and still does it is beyond my comprehension. How absolutely ridiculous to make a comment about countries stoning people in this context or as a comparison.

You do what you have to do to justify what you did. I stand firm that declawing is animal cruelty and that is more than just a personal opinion and is noted by other countries and respected organizations as such. I, as well as many many animal shelters also maintain that if someone is going to do this they should not have a cat.

 

[ZephyrHawk]

My current cat is front declawed.

Our other cat died a few months back, but originally came to us delcawed (and spayed, she was dumped on a PetCo doorstep with no history). By the time our new kitten was old enough for spaying and declawing our older cat, who was the sweetest animal you've ever met, was getting comments from the vet about the partially healed injuries on her back. Tiny kitten was one fierce player, and older cat never fought back. The answer was to remove all claws from the situation.

I have had cats that were clawed, and I have had cats that were declawed. They have never acted any differently from one another. All were happy, well fed, well cared for animals. My declawed cats have always been able to defend themselves if they wanted to (they have these things called teeth for biting, and other things called legs for running away). I had one storied hunter who would bring dead mice to our doostep without the necessity of claws (and claws would not have defended her from the car that ultimately claimed her life).

I would probably not declaw a cat just to save my furniture, but obviously, I see good reasons to do so. Also, if the choice is between someone who feels they cannot give an abandoned kitty a home without declawing, or a clawed kitty going to the gas chamber, yes please, for the love of God, take it's claws off and give it a happy home for life.

 

[pixiewings71]

No, I would not declaw my cat, inside or not, it's just not right. We have 3 cats, not 1 is declawed. We have scratchers all over the house and all 3 cats use them, we have scratchers in the garage, all 3 cats use them, we have pieces of cardboard all over the house. lol If your cat is scratching your furniture try double sided sticky tape, or try the plastic carpet protectors that you buy from a roll, they are pokey on 1 side and plastic on the other, put that on your furniture (my ex-sil did that, she stapled it up but you can use double sided sticky tape), the cats will stay away. They don't like the plastic nubs that stick out. Please consider all alternatives before declawing your cat. Thank You

 

[marie1203]

We have 2 cats neither one id declawed. i don't agree with the process and I just wouldn't do it. I don't think you are crazy. My cats have never damage any furniture with their claws.

 

[WowLookAtThat]

Originally, when I was thinking of getting two cats I was going to declaw them but I did the research and decided that it could be too painful for the cats and so I just decided to trim their nails when needed and for them to learn to use scratching posts. I felt it was a good decision. Other people suggested I declaw because they are indoor cats but I couldn't do it knowing what harm it could cause to my pets. At first they did scratch at my couch but now that they are older they love to scratch at their cat tree and my orange cat,Tom scratches at his old post that I got him as a kitten.

 

[luvmick]

We have two cats,not declawed.I volunteer at an animal orphanage and we will not adopt a cat to someone who says they are going to declaw them.

 

[topolino]

None of my three are declawed, and I'll never declaw any cats I may get in the future. I've had cats all my life, and even as a kid, when there was far less awareness about the topic, my parents never had any of our cats declawed.

I consider it cruel and barbaric.

 

[Wendy31]

We have a cat who will have been with us 17 years this September.

Even though she's an indoor kitty, we did not declaw her because I was afraid if she got out she wouldn't have any kind of defense.

That said, she's shredded a recliner (which we no longer have), clawed a sofa & loveseat (use to be our main furniture now they're in our playroom), clawed our current living room sofa & chair, & is working on the leather loveseat in our family room.

She's also picked carpet in various areas of the house.

It's frustrating.

 

[luvmy3]

I have had a cat de-clawed in the past, but the one I have no isn't. Since she has now been trying to open mine and dh's new dresser drawers, I'm regretting not having it done because she has ruined my furniture. And yes, that does bother me to shell out thousands of dollars for something nice to only have my cat think it's her new toy. I'm not going to have her delclawed, the water bottle has worked wonders to keep her away, but if I knew then what I know now I would have done it when we got her.
I don't have any moral issues with it, I'd rather see a cat without claws in a home, than a stray or abandoned cat with claws on the street or in a shelter.

 

[themilesfamily]

The first cat we ever got was from the Humane Society when she was 1 year old. Someone had already declawed her, (all four paws), and then decided they didn't want her and took her to the HS.

The next cat we got came to our house as a stray, pregnant and eventually had two kittens. We kept all three and didn't declaw any of them.

I would never have a cat declawed.

One of the stray cat's babies did start clawing at our carpet and furniture. We just got some scratching pads/toys and sprayed them down with catnip to get her interested in them. That's where she goes to scratch now. It's worked out very well.

 

[luvavacation]

I have had cats that are declawed and not declawed. As a previous poster said, sometimes, it is better that a cat be declawed but be in a loving home than not be declawed and taken to a shelter.

With my family's experience, the laser declaw was the way to go. See if your vet offers this. I would only consider a laser declaw if I have to do this again. Our cat (kitten at the time) that had this done was up and about after a night at the hospital as if nothing had happened, even though we did our best to keep her from jumping and running. Didn't matter, she was not going to be slowed down.

I believe some cats are fine with their claws, and can be trained not to destroy furniture and our skin. However, some cats can't. This cat of ours in particular was a shelter cat that was found starving and ill, and reacted to every kindness by scratching viciously.

Give it food, it scratched your hand. Pet it, it scratched you (though she wanted to be petted!). Clean the litter box, she scratched you. Sliced a 4 inch gash into my daughter's chest as she slept one night because she rolled over while the cat slept and scared the cat (we assume).

However, we were not going to abandon this little girl, and we knew she had a good home with us, she just didn't know how to act without lashing out first. It was to the point where no one wanted to be around her, yet she wanted to be loved and craved our touch, she just didn't know what to do with it. I couldn't see staying away from her the rest of her life because we were all afraid of being scratched.

We declawed her front claws, and she has been so much easier to love now. She still has her back claws, and still can give a good scratch, but she has been here 7 years and is the picture of a healthy, happy cat. Maybe declawing isn't the answer for every cat, but for this one cat, it was better than heading back to the shelter where no one would give her a chance to be loved. Here, she is loved and protected. I do not regret doing a laser declaw for this cat. It is not something I would do with every cat, but for her, it was the best choice.

 

[PollyannaMom]

My SIL had her indoor cat declawed when my niece was a baby because she was afraid the cat would scratch. She thought it was the responsible decision. But a couple of years later the cat snuck out - and was attacked and killed by another animal. The poor kitty couldn't defend himself, and couldn't climb a tree to get away. I don't think she's ever forgiven herself.

 

[VAfamily1998]

We've thought of getting a cat...but we want an adult cat (not a kitten). I am most attracted to the idea of getting a cat that is already declawed. I read about how declawing is done, and don't want to do that to a cat...but if someone else has already done that, and needs to rehome their cat...

 

[Art 1]

If I were to get a cat it would have to be declawed.

 

[*JoGo*]

I have a cat that is front declawed. We got her from a shelter and she was turned in that way. While I don't like the thought of the surgery, it was already done. And I will admit, it was one of the reasons we wanted her.

I have a 1 yr old Savannah from a breeder. While I wouldn't have declawed him, in order to adopt him I had to sign a contract saying I wouldn't. He has snagged up a good bit of furniture and started tearing up the carpet.

We have scratching posts. I've bought different kinds. And the declawed cat loves them. I've bought sprays for the furniture and it definitely has a scent to it. It also needs reapplied often... Or maybe my cat just doesn't care. I'm hesitant to spray him with water as he loves water and I don't want him to be afraid of it, but we just got new living room furniture. We did not get leather or microfiber because we knew those wouldn't last a week.


Growing up, my mom was given a kitten. He was declawed and was always running out of the house. We would try to get him, and he could make it up certain trees. Eventually he got out and we couldn't get him and we never saw him again. When we got another kitten, my mom never had her declawed in case she got out. And she loved going out but always returned. So while she snagged up the bottom of the couch, we were glad she wasn't declawed. It made us feel better when she was out.

 

[charming23]

All the cats we have had have been front declawed. The two we have now are and are perfectly fine. In fact four years ago when we got them declawed they came home the next day as if nothing happened. The reason we got them declawed was Caly had a deformed paw and the claws were growing into her paw, and Cleo was destroying our furniture. They are both strictly indoors.

 

[DharmaLou]

if my vet offered to declaw my cat, I would be looking for a new vet. It is animal abuse, no matter how people may try to defend it. It would be the same as having your toes cut off at the first knuckle.

It also alters the disposition of many cats that have the procedure done, and in the case of my next door neighbor's cat, it killed it.

 

[furb & dez]

You have to wonder if the same selfish people who advocate declawing are also hunky-dory with de-barking a dog.

If you can't be a responsible owner of an animal without mutilating it, perhaps you shouldn't own the animal.

 

[Planogirl]

We did have one cat declawed many years ago and I felt really bad when I realized fully what was done. He would not quit clawing things no matter what we did and we had a lot of other cats successfully trained to not claw. I felt bad causing him such pain plus we took away his defense.

I wonder about the laser declawing. I still wouldn't do it personally but is it less painful?