Is this inhumane?
 

We have a cat and he's probably 2 years old. We adopted him from a rescue center and he's gotten really mean and loose with the claws. He will be in the middle of cuddling and suddenly scratch the crap out of you!

This morning he was sitting under the recliner and my step daughter was in the recliner eating breakfast. He reached up and raked his claws down her legs in two quick moves, causing her to scream in pain with a mouth full of food!! What if she had choked?? Every time he scratches her, it always gets infected and sore. We need to stop this from happening.

My husband wants him declawed. He's an indoor cat only. He hates the outdoors and he's all white, with pink ears, nose, ect., and prone to skin cancer if he is out in the sun too much, so we keep him inside.

I sort of agree with my husband about declawing him, but I feel like he's too old and it would be a hard recovery because of his age and maybe possible infections...

Has anyone had a cat declawed when they were older? Can it, or should it even be done?

Its getting to the point of declawing him, or getting rid of him, and I don't want to lose him. :(

Any info or advice would be apperciated.

I've never had a cat de-clawed. No doubt its painful. But I would think its like getting a rescue dog spayed about about 2 years old, which I have done. I would just say make sure to follow the vet's aftercare instructions to prevent infection. And when my dogs have had surgery, I've always been given the option to get pain meds for about a week afterwards (at extra charge). I can't believe that it's even an option NOT to. THAT is inhumane. Just please get him the pain medication if you get him de-clawed.

Indoor cats don't need claws for climbing/catching prey the same way outdoor cats do. The vet will probably recommend that you change his litter to shredded newspaper to avoid getting kitty litter in his paws while they're healing, and extra pain meds should do the trick. Good luck!

As a retired Animal Health Tech I need to tell you that it is much better to have a declawed cat than one that ends up in a shelter because of it's behaviour!! I have had all of my last 8 cats declawed and they still exhibit the behaviour ( think sharpening claws on furniture) but without the destruction. An indoor cat doesn't need to have it's front claws for defense -when a cat is fighting for it's life they use their back feet so I never recommend all 4 feet - but some Vets will do that too. Do get the pain medication and using shredded nespaper or the littler made from pelletted newspaper is a must. We use it anyway because it doesn't track all over and you can flush it. Good Mews and Yesterdays News are 2 commonly available brands . Good Luck! :)

I'm not sure if it will be an issue where you are, but sometimes it's difficult to find a vet who will declaw a cat at that age. The other unknown factor is whether or not the declawing will cause behavioural issues- which happens sometimes. I agree that it's better to try than to have to surrender him- and no one wants to live with a scratcher.

You could try capping his claws first and see if that's sufficient. You can buy do it yourself caps, but I would take him to a groomer to get it done. The only problem is that it would be an ongoing expense because they only last for about 6 weeks. Again, I'm not sure how much that would cost where you are.

Either way, I commend you for trying to make it work. So many people wouldn't even bother to try. :(

I used kitty caps on my cats and they stayed on 4 months before I finally took them off myself--used a nail clipper and came right off. I would have reapplied, but the cat hasn't tried to claw furniture yet and this was 6 months ago. Every cat is different. I got mine at petsmart pretty cheap.

I agree that it's great you are trying to keep the cat and not just giving it away. I know when we got our cats we had to sign a contract that we would not have them declawed. I am not sure if all vets still do it or not, but if it's your last resort than I would think it would be better to have the cat still have a happy home, but be declawed than to loose it's home and possibly die in a shelter :( But, you can also try the nail caps, I never tried them with mine, but I know other people like them.

Thanks everyone. He's such a smart kitty, but I don't know why he seems to take extra pleasure in attacking my step daughter. She's becoming afraid of him and I can't blame her.
Thanks for the advice about the shredded newspaper. I might switch to that now over kitty litter. I am thinking about training him to use the toilet. He's smart enough to do it.
We have some research to do before we do anything. Caps might be a good idea too.

Have you tried trimming your cats claws? I trim our cats claws 2x/month. If they happen to scratch us, it doesn't break skin or hurt. It is more like a tickle.

I do think declawing is inhumane though. It is more similar to removing the tips of someones fingers. I would urge you to seek alternatives to declawing, whether it is caps or trimming.

I don't recommend declawing. It's painful for the cat. Before I really knew what declawing was, I had my cat declawed as an adult, and he never walked the same again. Instead of that loose, fluid movement cats have, he walked "clunkier". They remove the first knuckle when they declaw, so it would be like having your toes amputated at the first knuckle.

I worked at a shelter and handled hundreds of cats. I also grew up having cats, and had cats as an adult. These are the things I recommend instead of declawing:

Clip your cat's nails. We had a cat that we HAD to clip her nails regularly. Even with all her toys and scratching posts, her nails would grow very long and irritate her. It's very easy to clip a cat's nails. If need be, get a helper and wrap the cat in a towel with the paw you are going to clip out, and the others inside so he can't scratch you. Have someone hold the cat, and you gently press the toe so the claw comes out, clip it close to the quick, the little white or pink part of the cat's claw, but DON'T clip the quick. It's painful and could start bleeding. After a while, your cat WILL get used to this, trust me. You just have to be consistent. This won't stop him from scratching, and isn't as good as claw covers, since it's possible he could still break skin, but it won't be as likely. Now on to my favorite...

I like the claw covers. We've used them on cats we had before, and ultimately, they are NOT that expensive. We used Softpaws nail covers. They're about $20 for 40 nail caps, and a pack will last you about 5 months. Considering a declawing surgery can cost upward of $200, nail caps aren't that bad of a deal. ;) They come in all kinds of colors, and clear in case you don't want your boy wearing "nail polish". ;) We put them on ourselves when we clipped our cat's claws. Here's a link to their website: http://www.softpaws.com/

To stop him from scratching furniture, get a scratching post, or a couple, and spray it with catnip spray. Get a spray bottle and fill it with water. When your cat starts to scratch furniture or people, or starts getting too rough, spray him and say NO! Keep it up and be consistent. Don't play with him using your hands or feet EVER. Always use a toy. I like laser pointers and these toys that look like fishing poles with feathers instead of a hook. If he starts going for your hands/feet/legs, spray and say NO.

Please reconsider declawing. It's really a very awful process. Many places have stopped doing it and even declared it inhumane and illegal in some countries.

I'm vehemently against declawing. When I got my cat Callie (she'll turn 9 this year) I had her declawed because I was dumb and had no idea what I was really doing. I've severely regretted it ever since. I really urge you to try trimming or soft paws out to see how your kitty does. I would worry a lot about your boy since he's a few years old now too.

I think this site is a great resource to help you in your decision. I am SO glad you're taking the time to do your research, I just wish I had :(
http://www.declawing.com/

+1!!!! Outstanding advice here, and I also agree with Nelie's post. In the last 23 years, which comprises my adult life, I've had 5 cats - currently have 3. When I inquired about declawing with my first two kitties, I had the forethought to ask the vet if she had ever declawed any of her own cats (she has several dogs and cats). She said she wouldn't do it on her own pet -- described it to me as a person having all your fingertips removed at the first knuckle (OUCH!) --- not merely having the nails removed. She said it was akin to an amputation for a person. So, yes, I would say an unnecessary amputation is inhumane.

She also warned me that some declawed cats become biters - not such a great payoff.

Unfortunately the caps never worked well for me, but then again, I haven't tried them for years. Scratching posts - in a couple of rooms - and the water bottle if needed have been very helpful. Maybe you could try some of these strategies and see if they help.

Good luck! I can tell you want the best for your kitty, and it can be a challenge, but a conquerable one!

not related to the claws at all

does your cat have blue eyes?

My mom declawded the front paws of her 3 cats. My husband & I decided against that for our 4 cats. We have many scratching posts around the house. I also clip their nails regularly. But they are very good about not scratching the furniture. They NEVER scratch us either, unless they are laying on us, and get scared, lol! We actually tried those caps..only because we have girl cats & the caps come in different colors. It looked like they had painted nails, lol!

Buy scratching posts for every room. Even one for the door (my cats love those!). The spray bottle helps too. It is a good training technique.

A little OT but where do you find these? The only flushable litter I've found is Swheat Scoop (wheat based litter). But it still tracks like regular litter. I'd love one that doesn't track!

Smart and willing are not one in the same. My cat rebelled against this. He new how to use the training box on the toilet, but he preferred to go on my clothes, bookbag, etc.

I have done both ...
We clipped our old cats nails and she never scratched any of us. As she aged, she scratched furniture and things less so I didn't clip her nails for years before she died.
The cat we have now had his front paws declawed before we got him. He still hunts, has been in the odd tussle with the neighbour's cats ... and he does just fine. He's a pretty big cat and doesn't like grooming. I'm not sure I'd be able to clip his claws. I'm glad I don't have to.

I am against any unnecessary discomfort or pain for any animal. I would hate to see your cat in pain or having to have any amputation. I would also hate to see your kitty back in the shelter where it will end up God knows where.

Do whatever you are willing to do. Clip, cap, or whatever else? Fantastic - you are a great and patient pet owner and she is lucky to have you!
Are you willing to live with a sometimes mean cat? If you are, thats great too. If you aren't, declaw. It IS better than getting rid of the cat.

FWIW, we did have great results with the caps.

I agree with what some of the above posters said...I am against any unnecessary discomfort or surgery for an animal, BUT, if the alternative is returning the cat to the shelter, most likely that'll be the end of the cat's life...which is far, far worse than even an elective surgery. So I'd give alternatives a try, including the caps, and if there is no alternative that allows you to also keep the cat, then opt for declawing.

I am a vet assistant, and i have seen many declaws preformed. Basically the cats claw is clipped off right before the first joint, and then the paws are wrapped tightly for about 24 hours. After the wraps are removed, the cat is placed on a white towel to see if there is any seeping of blood. The cats are asleep during the proceedure and for most of the remaining day. Most of our kitty patients go home the next day with no problems. And most dont seem to be in any pain or really sore. I wouldnt reccomend getting an outside cat done though. It is really up to you. Since he stays inside thats good.

I am against de-clawing. It is DEFINITELY inhumane there are so many other solutions to scratching. Not only will you cripple your cat for life, the cat will probably develop other behavioral problems. A lot of cats that are de-clawed start having litter box problems. Others become mean and start biting. Cats walk on their toes and when they are de-clawed every step is painful.

Please don't have this done! De-clawing is outlawed in a lot of countries because it is inhumane. Vets who de-claw only do it for the money. There is absolutely no benefit to the animal. You can easily train your cat to stop scratching!

http://www.pawsneedclaws.com/Declaw_...ral_Issues.php

Warning Graphic Pictures
http://www.pawsneedclaws.com/Declaw_Information.php

http://www.pawsneedclaws.com/Cat_Scr..._Solutions.php

Don't declaw your cat. It can be very painful, and there are cats who do not recover in the same way, physically and emotionally. My mom had her cat declawed, and ever since, she's been a big time biter. Since she feels fairly defenseless, she bites, hard, and with little to no warning. If your cat is already somewhat physically aggressive, biting could become just as big of a problem as scratching is now.

I would suggest trying the caps. I've heard a lot of people have success with them. Also, ditto on keeping the claws clipped close.

Does he give any warning about clawing? It could be that he has gotten overstimulated and that's why he will suddenly bite while cuddling.

Have you tried a Feliway diffuser? It seems to help anxious cats stay more relaxed at home. It could help keep him from feeling as stressed out.

How old is your step daughter? Does she come and go frequently? Cats don't like change, so it could be that her changing presence makes him a bit nutty.

It is a painful surgery, with the risks of permanently altering a cat's personality. Please do not go that route unless you have thoroughly exhausted all other options.

I would definitely try a few things before declawing.

1) Clipping the nails. I've been clipping my cats nails since I've had them and they don't mind. I sit in very good light, squeeze their paws until the claw pops out, and trim the end (you don't want to cut too far down, that's what the light is for, so you can see the ends of the nail easily).

2) Feliway or some other kitty calming stuff. When we were moving, we got a Feliway diffuser that plugs into a hallway to calm down my anxious kitty. It was spendy, but it was great for a couple of weeks.

3) Positive reinforcement - I bought some bonito fish flakes at the pet store which my cats LOVE. When they were very young, I started taking them over to the post and getting them to scratch, then giving them a fish flake. Now, they run over to the post, looking over their shoulder so I'll come give them a treat if they scratch. They also run to the post if I shake the fish flakes and ask them "what does a good kitty do?"

4) Negative reinforcement - water bottle, can of pennies. If the kitty scratches, squirt or shake the can loudly. Say NO. My kitty Diego loves to tussle, but ever since he was young if he starts to bite or scratch too hard I say NO loudly and remove my hand. Now, he normally keeps his paws velvety and just mouths me when we play (he occasionally gets over excited and must be told no, but then he's "sorry" and licks my hand to apologize).

While I'm completely against declawing, I wouldn't want you to give up the kitty to a shelter to be killed.

I refuse to have my cat declawed, so I use soft paws.

http://www.softpaws.com/

They are tiny caps that you apply. They work like a charm. At first my cat wasn't thrilled with them, but she's been wearing them for just about 2 years, and doesn't even mind getting them put on anymore. They can also be found on eBay for cheaper, and I just get nail glue from the drugstore.

I would try other ways before I resorted to declawing. Is there a reason the cat JUST randomly started acting out?

GL!

I'm interested that so many people have commented that they are against declawing but support it if it's the only option besides taking the animal to a shelter where it will likely be killed.

I live in a community with a no-kill shelter, and all the surrounding towns and communities have the same. I guess I have always taken the no-kill Animal Humane Society for granted. Don't they exist around the country too?

Walking2lose, the fact of the matter is that a lot of those kill shelters end up full and can't take any more animals. I know a couple of months ago, we found a stray cat and I called no-kill shelters within a 100 mile radius of my house, and none were able to accept another cat. Sometimes no-kill isn't an option, unfortunately.

No kill shelters exist everywhere but they're FULL.

We had a momma and three babies turn up in our yard last fall. They were clearly inside cats who had been dumped because they were DETERMINED to come in our house and not at all afraid of us.

Every place we called (and we called everything within a few hundred miles) said they had six month waiting lists, even if we were willing to make a huge "donation" to help with care. I was in a panic because it was about to start with cold weather. Someone finally gave us the number for a lady who worked with a no kill foster program and we basically begged her and then took them in for her to see them. We were lucky in that she took to them immediately so she kept the mom and agreed to foster the babies herself till they could find a home.

It took about a month for us to find someone to take them, even with us offering to donate a lot of money PER CAT to cover food, vet, having them fixed, etc. It's not as easy as just "take them to the no kill shelter" there's a lot of begging and luck involved.

Even then a lot of cats will live out their lives in the shelter. There are so so many more cats than homes.

Aside from all that, I still say try everything in the world before you resort to declawing.

All of our no-kill shelters are always full. To the point where they foster pets out to volunteers.

It's sad.

Yep - basically, a shelter that is "No Kill" is almost always going to have to turn animals away. Either you euthanize animals because you don't have space, or you turn people away when you run out of space...but no one has unlimited space to accept unlimited animals.

I always felt that so-called "kill" (AKA standard) shelters got a really bad rap. Anyone can be "no kill" with selective intake. For example, the shelter where we got our dog was "no kill" because they only ever accepted animals that were originally adopted out by the shelter, or that were imminently and immediately adoptable with no training or medical treatment required. They did not accept ANY dogs or cats with behavior or medical issues of any kind unless they originally adopted that animal out, required a rigorous behavioral and medical intake to ensure the pet was adoptable, and charged significant fees for surrendering a pet...this in addition to rejecting a pet because they're full, which is common. Sure, once the animals GOT IN to the adoption program, the shelter kept them until they were adopted (and our dog was an example of that, since she was in the shelter for 9 months, almost unheard of in shelters. She was an owner surrender originally adopted out by the SPCA, so they took her even though she did have some mild behavior problems. Had she not been originally adopted out by that shelter, they would have rejected her)...but pets with any medical or behavioral issues are turned away, even if the shelter has space.

"Kill" shelters, though unappetizing and upsetting for animal lovers, are necessary to take all of the animals that space and behavior issues make unacceptable to a "No-Kill" shelter. And in most cases, a standard shelter (like the county animal services shelter, which almost all counties have) is mandated by law to take all animals brought to them, so they just don't have the option to be "no kill". No one at those facilities relishes the idea of putting an animal down. But if you're taking all animals in need of shelter, either by choice or because you are mandated by law to do so, there is no way to do that without euthanizing animals for space, behavioral, etc issues.

I completely agree mandalinn. The shelter I worked at was a kill shelter. It was heartbreaking sometimes.

Your kitty can still be declawed, although the vet I work for, prefers to do them very young. You might check and see if anyone in your area does laser declawing and check that out.

Since kitty was under the recliner, did your stepdaughter jiggle the chair and scare him? Perhaps he's been trapped under recliners before. Plus she had food, another possible trigger. Better to eat at the table.

If you don't want to declaw, like many have said a good scratching post and keep those little claws trimmed.

One other thing, always disinfect those scratches ASAP! Cat scratch fever is real, just not an old rock and roll song.

Someone was telling me there's a new procedure they do that doesn't involve removing to the first joint, it's more just removing the actual claws. I have no idea if that's even less invasive or not (losing your toe nails would probably hurt pretty darn bad) but it would be worth considering if this is your only option.

Hi Crystal,
What a tough situation! You have received some very good advice from women who clearly know and love cats.

All that being said, it is of course completely unacceptable that your cat is injuring your daughter repeatedly. Yikes! It seems like you have some hard decisions.

Inhumane is the kitty hurting your daughter. Kids should not have to deal with injuries from pets.
Inhumane is taking the kitty to a shelter where he will probably not be adopted but will probably be euthanized.

Other options would be trying to adjust the kitty's behavior, using the the little nail caps or clipping them, or trying to find the kitty a new loving home. But if that doesn't work, than it looks like declawing the kitty would be the next choice.

Twenty years ago I had a kitty and she was declawed and it didn't seem to pester her too much. I know, I know, "n of 1" and when we know better, we do better, but really declawing seems a better option than a shelter. And human kids come before furry kids.

Have you checked with your vet? He or she might have some behavioral modification ideas, know of another home if that is what is necessary, and offer you their medical opinion on declawing.

Does your step daughter tourment the cat? I have a cat that if I pick on him too much he'll claw at me viciously but thats because I bug him that way. Usually I have slippers on and he'll rip them apart with my feet in them. I wouldn't declaw the cat personally but I don't know it's completely up to you.

No way. She leaves him alone and just pets him. She's 10 and knows how to handle cats and other animals. She was minding her buisness and eating when he attacked her.

I think the caps might be the best idea too. I'm gonna print out some of this advice and show it to my husband and than contact our vet. He's due for his rabies shot so I need to take anyway.

I REALLY don't wanna declaw him and its a last resort. I couldn't hurt that sweet little face. Thats him in my profile pic.

Oh and if for some reason you have a feisty cat, swaddling is effective for nail trimming. We have a wannabe feral cat and for the first couple months of clipping her nails, we had to swaddle her.

And yes I've heard stories of cats getting declawed that actually turn to biting. If your cat is declawed, and then starts biting, what would be your option?

I also agree with a water bottle and plenty of scratching posts. You can also doing scratching posts rubbed with catnip.

Not me! I would rather see the cat re-homed with someone who would be willing to take the time to train it than be declawed. Declawing is an excuse so that we humans can be lazy. It's cruel, plain and simple. Dropping the cat off at a shelter and not trying to place the cat in a different home would also, in my opinion, be lazy.

Training options for the OP:

Have your step-daughter build a relationship with the cat. Have her feed him treats. Maybe teach him to do some simple tricks. Do some research on petting aggression. Since you said he was getting fiesty when you pet him also. My cats are all clicker trained. They all know very simple but helpful behaviors. The cat may also be bored and swiping at the step-daughter because he wants to play. Get some lure toys and play with him, get your step-daughter to play with him with lure toys.

http://www.amazon.com/Bird-Cat-Catch...6526206&sr=8-1

That toy is a favorite at my house.

http://www.amazon.com/Karen-Pryor-Ge...6526246&sr=1-1

Clicker training kit and book.

You can teach the cat with positive reinforcement not to scratch your child. It takes some effort, but it's well worth it.

If I had the choice between being killed and having every finger tip and toe tip taken off at the first joint, I'd take the maiming. I'd also hope to have narcotic pain meds available if I were to have all my toe and finger tips chopped off.

Heck if the choice were death and having any amputation, I'd choose the amputation, but that doesn't mean I think the decision should be taken lightly (even if it were only my earlobes - which is why I oppose tail and ear docking too).



Humane societies and SPCA's are generally not no-kill shelters, because the organizations realize that prolonged suffering is worse than death. It's the SPCA and the Humane Society that no-kill shelters are opposing. No shelter wants to put down animals, especially healthy or treatable/curable ones.

Most no-kill shelters just leave the dirty work for the humane societies. It's the humane societies that take in the sick, dying and behavior problem animals, and do the best they can with them.

Most no-kill shelters refuse to accept any animal that isn't young, healthy, and easily adopted. Often, if an animal in a no-kill shelter becomes gravely ill, the animal may be left to suffer, or the animal may be taken to the humane society or the shelther will "adopt" out the animals to a local veterenarian (who then euthanizes the animal). The no-kill shelter can then still claim a zero kill rate with a clear conscience.

Worse, some no-kill shelters are operated by "collectors," or other people with good intentions, who take in far more animals than they can care for properly. The animals get sick and suffer, sometimes for years before the SPCA or humane societies are able to confiscate the aminals. If it does come to the point of confiscation, in many cases, most of the animals will end up having to be euthanized.

This happened in my county. It was absolutely awful! They removed over 200 animals from a place only set up to house 50 or so.

This is very true. When it was time for us to expand the kitty family, we tried a no-kill shelter nearby. It was a reeking horror full of stressed-out, unhappy cats in miserable living conditions. The woman who ran the shelter insisted on holding up so many hoops for us to jump through before adopting from her--things like a visit to our home to make sure it was cat-friendly and all kinds of unnecessarily personal information about sleeping arrangements (ours, not the cats')--that we soon realized she had no intention of letting anyone adopt one of her cats.

That no-kill shelter was accredited, yet it was sanctioned animal collecting more than anything else.

We wound up adopting from the SPCA. They didn't ask us about our bed, how often we argue and if we ever raise our voices, how often we had visitors in our home, and so forth--they just had us fill out some reasonable paperwork and let us take our boy home.

To get back to the OP, I hope that trimming or SoftPaws works out for you. We trim our guys' claws down and they tolerate it remarkably well. Just about anything is better than returning a cat to a shelter, though. Anything you can do to ensure that both the cat and your family and friends can live together peaceably is better than that.