To declaw or not to declaw?

[bellack1]

Ok I know this is a VERY touchy subject. Personally I would rather not declaw because I think its kind of cruel. The only reason I'm considering it is because my apartment is furnished and any damage little Cocoa does I have to pay for and I know they will overcharge. I'm leaning toward just keeping her and Patches' nails short and providing a scratching post and see how that works out but I notice her already scratching the carpet and Patches tore apart my dads couch- so much so the fabric opens so he has his own get away inside the couch . Anyway I was just trying to hear everyone else's thoughts.

[Mary_NH]

here's my take (argument) it's stuff - replacable. Yeah expensive - but to a cat their claws are PRICELESS.
If you had a fire what would you grab first? Your cat(s) or furniture? It's simply stuff (one reason why I have never owned a new living room set).
And declawing an older cat is never ever a good thing. It's much tougher for them to recover, more painful.
Try soft paws. I've never used them but I've read on other cat boards where people have success with them.
Don't declaw them over stuff...you will never forever yourself, especially after seeing the pain they will come home in.

[tled6448]

use soft paws nail caps. you can look at them on jefferspetsDOTcom. This is a good way to keep your cats from scratching the furniture. It is definately better then declawing cats!

[Chessmind]

Hi. I am very much so against declawing. Please really look into it, before you declaw your cats. It really is a cruel thing to do. It's illegal in many parts of the world. I'm hoping it will also become so in The USA soon. Often people think declawing is just removing the nail, but it's much more than this. The whole first joint is amputated. If you look at our hands, would you be willing to have a doctor amputate the first knuckle from all ten of your fingers? Declawing is a painful and an unnecessary procedure.

There has been a lot of long term studies done on amputations and it's been concluded that people and animals will always have pain in the areas where the body parts were removed. Also because the first joint has been amputated, the cats have to walk differently. Meaning declawed cats often have problems with their spine. Basically in a nut shell, when you declaw your cats you are sentencing them to pain and suffering. It really is a cruel thing to do. I consider it to be torture (hence why it's illegal in many parts of civilized countries).

Please just clip the nails, and use the soft paws. Also have multiple scratching posts in your home (tall ones/cat trees, cardboards ones, roped ones and so on). You can sprinkle cat nip on them to attract them (not all cats love cat nip, but most do).

Please do not declaw. If you love your cats will you will choose kinder options. If it doesn't work out, you can always try and find a home for them. They would be better off with someone else, than spending the rest of their lives as declawed cats. Declawing really is a very sad thing.

Thanks for listening and don't take anything I said as a personal attack on you. I'm against declawing, not against you.

[Bente]

I very much agree with the others: don't declaw. Declawing is illegal here in Norway (and in most of Europe I think) and it's not without reason...

[Cassie]

While you have alternatives like soft paws and nail clipping, I see no reason at all to even consider declawing as an option.

Clipping or capping take very little time and are very cheap to have done at a groomers if you don't want to do it yourself.

[vene]

Nail clipping really does make a difference. When we got new couches, we purchased those 2 foot long cat scratching posts in the corners and have saved the couches. You can sprinkle cat nip on the scratching post to encourage them to use it. Place double-sided sticky tape on the areas you don't want the cats to scratch and they will stop.

[Angel]

I would have to go with the others aswell.

I wouldn't declaw her maybe just clip her nails once and a while so they aren't to long.

[bellack1]

Don't worry Chessmind I didn't take it as an attack against me. I knew this was a touchy subject. I don't want to get her declawed and I'm not going to. I thought it was cruel, just recently I learned they actually amputate the digit. I never knew that, I thought they just took out the nail. It should be illegal in the US too. I noticed a difference in scratching when I do clip their nails.

Thanks everyone 4 your thoughts.

BTW Cocoa is getting so big so fast!

Heres her playing with Patches:

[Chezza]

What a lovely picci, and congrats on your decision not to have her declawed, it is a very very horrible procedure for them, and takes time to heal, infections are always on the cards and you can end up with more problems for kitty than the original problem.
Glad you decided not too.

[t_chelle16]

[Bente]

Great picture I'm glad you decided not to declaw

[Chessmind]

Great pic! I am so glad you will not have them declawed them.

[Mary_NH]

love the pictures. Took me a minute to figure out where one started and the other ended LOL

[vene]

What a cute pic. Love it!

[Goldy Cat]

Excellent decision not to declaw

I agree with
Declaw = amputation and mutilation

the pic of your cats is sooo cute.

GC/Mel