LoveToKnow Cats:AllComments

From LoveToKnow Cats

Comments

Hi Lori,

I agree that it is a personal choice. It is a fairly painful procedure for the cat, but most heal quickly. In the past, we've declawed our cats and I've never noticed a personality change either. I'm not certain what I will do the next time I get a new cat. I plan to adopt an adult cat from the shelter next time, so the procedure may already be done.

-- Contributed by: LoriSoard

I have declawed all of my cats (5) and have not noticed any behavioral/personality changes in them. My cats are very loving and sweet. I only removed their front claws, not their back,which they still need for scratching themselves. I never let my cats go outside. I understand why people want to discourage people from delawing their cats. It's really a personal choice. I choose to have my cats declawed when they were still very young. I think it's more traumatic for them to have it done when their older. I wouldn't recommend it on older cats.

-- Contributed by: Lori B

Hi Wilkerm,

I'm so sorry to hear that Cracker-Jack is so sick. Has your vet taken a look at her? It sounds as though she may have some type of infection. I hope she gets better soon.

-- Contributed by: LoriSoard

Hi I had my cat declawed 3 months ago. Cacker-jack is 4 yrs old I thought at the time it would be good due to my funiturer she was hard on it. But now she is very sick, and never been the same cat since, I wish I had not done it. She was so depressed and her personality had changed, and now she is so sick, I might have to have her put down. I am very depressed.

thanks...

-- Contributed by: Enter your name here

Hi Sarah,

Take a deep breath. I know there a lot of competing viewpoints on this topic and it can be stressful deciding what is the best thing to do for your cats. There are many issues to consider. For example, we had a male cat who would come up and claw you on the legs. He wasn't being mean. He just did it. You can catch some illnesses such as cat scratch fever, not to mention it hurts, and also you don't want the cat clawing visitors. We had him declawed.

Ultimately, you must decide what works best for your situation. I can tell you that yes there is some pain involved for the cat, some of which can be eased with medication, but there is still time to heal. Before you have a cat declawed, you should really make sure he/she will be an indoor cat. The cat will no longer have any defenses without claws and if declawed front and back won't even be able to easily climb a tree to get away from predators.

You may also want to discuss with your vet recouperation time and whether it is a good decision for your cats. Really, no one can make this decision but you. Good luck! I know you'll make the right one for your cats.

-- Contributed by: LoriSoard

Well Geez! I can't figure out if I should get my cats declawed... Just got 2 new 7 month olds from a friend who couldn't care for them any longer and When I was younger all we did with our cats is get them declawed or they already were! Now reading all this what do I do?! It's inhumane but at the same time it takes away some stress of having claws... 1 cat that is the boy he scratches and I have really expensive suade couches and I am terrified of him messing them up... The girl isn't so bad... atleast that I have caught... They are not outside cats so....geez kinda stressing about this!!

-- Contributed by: Sarah

Hi Amy,

Your grandfather sounds like an interesting man. Thanks for sharing your perspective. Declawing is a decision each owner must make for their cat. There are pros and cons to it, like anything. Sounds like you have great cats too :)

-- Contributed by: LoriSoard

All three cats we have had in the last 25 years have been been declawed. Not a single cat was "depressed" or got aggressive or retreated. I think we put too many human feelings and behaviors on animals when they just don't feel that way. The greatest thing about them being declawed, besides not having to trim their nails, buy nail 'covers', clawing trees, etc., is that my cats stay in their yard. They sit on the deck, roll in the sun and when they hear a strange noise, they run back in the house. No worries about them running up a tree, killing a bird or getting into cat fights. Audrey, not to be mean, but maybe she got an infection (I have seen some unterile vet operating rooms) or did she already have an illness and it was made worse by the surgery? Don't blame the declaw. Our latest two cats had spay/neuter and declaw at the same time. We would not have done the surgery if they came up positive for Feline Leukemia or worms. I have no problem declawing all four paws. My grandpa lost a couple of finger tips to the first knuckle and it didn't stop him from doing anything nor did he whine about it (he also had a leg crushed when he was 15 and didnt whine).

-- Contributed by: Amy

Hi Audrey,

I'm so sorry to hear that this happened to your cat. Did the vet do an autopsy? Sometimes that will help determine the cause of death. It is also possible that she had a reaction to some of the medications.

-- Contributed by: LoriSoard

I was ignorant at one time to what declawing really was. I recently moved out of my parents to go off to college and when I got my first place I also got a couple of cats. I thought that declawing was just something you do. All the cats I had growing up had it done. So I scheduled to have my babies declawed. They were only 9 months old. Since they were my babies of course, I took them the a cat clinic that only treated felines. I thought they would get the best treatment there. I picked up my cats after the surgery. They were ok but my little girl wasn't acting so well. So I looked up side effects of it on the internet. So I assumed she was depress. Two days later she was DEAD. She was in perfect health till this surgery. The vet couldn't tell me what happened.

-- Contributed by: Audrey

Hi Philip,

I'm so sorry to hear of your loss. If it isn't too late, I would take the cat to the vet and ask for an autopsy. Those pet owners who have experienced problems with pet food typically notice the symptoms coming on over time, but with last year's recalls, you certainly can't rule that out. If you still have the can, I would keep that as well.

-- Contributed by: LoriSoard

My 2yr old domestic short hair cat died the other night. It showed no signs of any type of sickness. It went to sleep on my bed and when I woke up for work it had died sometime that night. I fed it a 3oz can of Iams new recipe (chicken)

-- Contributed by: Philip Cottone

Hi Carma,

Welcome to the world of cat ownership. I have heard many feline owners complain about this same problem. There are a few things you can do that might help:

Place rocks or marbles over the soil. The cat more than likely enjoys digging in the fresh soil and this will inhibit him from digging.
Spray around the base of the planter with some spray from the local pet supply store that discourages cats from coming near the area.
Orange peels can work great. Cats do not like them.
Purchase nylon netting at a fabric store and place the netting over the soil. A slit from one side to the center will allow you to place the netting around the plant.

Never use moth balls as they can be toxic to cats. Good luck!

-- Contributed by: LoriSoard

I have a six month old kitten. How can I keep him from destroying household plants? He has found a passion for digging the roots up. When we get up in the morning the floors are covered in plant soil. help

-- Contributed by: carma

Hi Dominique,

Being declawed wouldn't make your kitten more aggressive. She is probably enjoying the drama created by your reaction when she attacks. Like all children, kittens need to be taught some boundaries so they know how to behave better when they grow up. When your kitten begins to behave aggressively toward you, put her on the floor and walk away. This way she doesn't get your attention for a drama reward.

If she persists in misbehaving, keep a water bottle handy and give her a good squirt in the face when she's being naughty. This is the kind of attention she will definitely not appreciate, and it should teach her not to scratch and bite.

Thanks for your question and good luck.

-- Contributed by: Kelly

I have a fifteen week old kitten. She is very aggressive at times. When we try to pet her she usually attempts to bite and scratch. She has not been declawed so what explains the behavior?

-- Contributed by: Dominique
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