SHOULD WE DECLAW OUR CATS REAR PAWS?
She is starting to disaster up the seat with her back paws. Jumping upon as well as off the lounge mainly. Would it be the bad thought to do this? Her front paws have been already declawed.
Thank you,
Lawerance Retman
http://downloadit4free.com/mesothelioma&20cancer/
WOW! we didn’t know it was such the large deal. It was usually the question, and, Ocimom, "you have issues babe". Lets not take this to the personal turn ok…
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Onychectomy (Declawing)
Everybody that is thinking about getting their cat declawed should read these websites. To see what declawing really is. It’s not just a simple surgery of removing the “claw.” It’s an amputation of 10 digits.
Please do not get your cat declawed. Most of the problems with declawing have nothing to do with the actual surgery. Declawing is the worst thing you could ever do for your cat. Most cats that do have problems are not visible. Most of it has to do with their back muscles. Cats need their claws in order to stretch properly. That would be like a human not being able to stretch when they wake up it the morning. Can imagine how stiff you would be? So that results in back problem their whole life. And because cats are VERY good at hiding pain/sickness you can’t really tell.
http://maxshouse.com/facts_about_declawing.htm
http://www.declawing.com/
http://community-2.webtv.net/zuzu22/stopdeclawtemporary/
http://www.theanimalspirit.com/declaw.html
http://amby.com/cat_site/health.html
http://www.avma.org/issues/policy/animal_welfare/declawing.asp
Also you should know that when a veterinarian declaws a cat without trying everything else possible they are breaking the AVMA (American Veterinary Medical Association) guidelines: Declawing of domestic cats should be considered only after attempts have been made to prevent the cat from using its claws destructively or when its clawing presents a zoonotic risk for its owner(s).
Please at least consider other option before declawing.
There is an alternative to declawing:
http://www.softpaws.com/
Sprays:
PETCO Bitter Break Training Spray
Nature’s Miracle Best Behavior Pet Training Aid
Here are a few household items you can use to stop a cat from scratching:
Double sided tape (or packaging tape, if it’s on a flat surface-that’s what I used when my cat would try to "nurse" on some blankets and she never touched it again)
Water bottle spray
Can of air
Aluminum foil
A bottle/can with something noisy in it (shake it every time the cat starts scratching)
Ginger root (rub it on whatever it’s scratching)
Also you can trim your cat’s nails back once a week.
Scratching post
Another website on how to stop it:
http://www.catscratching.com/
Also when you do get a scratching post, if your cat doesn’t scratch it at first you can get some catnip and rub it on there. Or they sell catnip spray.
Video of a declawing:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=niMgBGfMgFc
Also people think it’s ok if they get it done laser. NOT TRUE. Please watch this video. It’s kind of long, but it’s worth it. The part about laser is 10 minutes 44 seconds into the video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaEx-qe2wBw
All of the stuff below is from research and the websites listed above and where not written by me.
A few quick facts:
The cat’s claw is not a nail as is a human fingernail, it is part of the last bone (distal phalanx) in the cat’s toe.
Declawing is not a “simple”, single surgery but 10 separate, painful amputations of the third phalanx up to the last joint of each toe.
Many vets and clinic staff deliberately misinform and mislead clients into believing that declawing removes only the claws.
"Declawing is actually an amputation of the last joint of your cat’s "toes". – Christianne Schelling, DVM.
“Fifty percent of the cats had one or more complications immediately after surgery…. 19.8% developed complications after release.”
Many cats also suffer a loss of balance because they can no longer achieve a secure foothold on their amputated stumps.
"Among 218 cats relinquished to a shelter, more (52.4%) declawed cats than non-declawed cats (29.1%) were reported by owners to have inappropriate elimination problems."
Psychological & Behavioral Complications:
Cats who were lively and friendly have become withdrawn and introverted after being declawed.
Others, deprived of their primary means of defense, become nervous, fearful, and/or aggressive, often resorting to their only remaining means of defense, their teeth.
In some cases, when declawed cats use the litterbox after surgery, their feet are so tender they associate their new pain with the box…permanently, resulting in a life-long adversion to using the litter box.
Other declawed cats that can no longer mark with their claws, they mark with urine.
Many declawed cats become so traumatized by this painful mutilation that they end up spending their maladjusted lives perched on top of doors and refrigerators, out of reach of real and imaginary predators against whom they no longer have any adequate defense.
A cat relies on its claws as its primary means of defense. Removing the claws makes a cat feel defenseless. The constant state of stress caused by a feeling of defenselessness may make some declawed cats more prone to disease. Stress leads to a myriad of physical and psychological disorders including supression of the immune system, cystitis a
NO!
It is extremely cruel and evil to declaw a cat!!!!
Please don’t declaw her…
No,never again would i declaw my pet.Go to a pet store and they have tips you can put on their nails.
No, most vets won’t even do it because it takes away their only line of defense if they get out. They won’t be able to even climb a tree to get away from any predators, dogs, raccoons, etc.
NO. I think you should just buy one of this filing trimmers.
pedipaws.com
It’s like twenty dollars. So compare a $20 dollar trimmer, to an expensive surgery that will tear up your cat’s paws. You can actually reuse a trimmer.
its very cruel to declaw a cat.. but since youve already done it to her her front, let her have her back ones at least thats all she has left.
me personally i would and i have, cut the claws as far back as possible, dont worry the cat will get over it and it wont be able to claw the lounge any more, thats a bonus, right there.
Your cat would be totally defenseless outside if you were to do that.
You created the problem in the first place by declawing her. To declaw the back feet is not only inhumane but it puts her at serious risk for other behavior problems.
What happens when she starts biting more and using her teeth on furniture or in defense – will you pull out her teeth.
IMO you should take the cat to the shelter where someone MIGHT be willing to work with her problems that YOU created!
When your cat is peeing on other things because you’ve mutilated her even more, then what happens?
This is what made me decide to not declaw my cat http://maxshouse.com/facts_about_declawing.htm
I think the PediPaws idea is a good one. I’ve even seen it in Wal-Mart, so that could save you on shipping. I don’t agree with declawing cats, but I definitely understand why people do it. We barely have a recliner left thanks to my cat…. Anywho, my main concern with taking out her back claws is that it could make jumping more difficult for her. They need to propel with their back legs, and their claws help with that. I think it’s just a con to owning cats, but hopefully the pros outweigh that. Good luck. Hope this helps.
I have never declawed the back claws. about every two weeks I sit down with the cat in my lap with her back to me so her back feet are in the air and carefully clip the back nails with nail clippers. I only cut a little off the top, so I don’t draw blood.
I personally do not declaw my cats at all all – front or back paws. We inherited an already-declawed cat and she got out and was killed by a dog and we always wondered if she would have been able to defend herself or climb a tree better if she had her claws. So since that, no one in my family declaws cats. We start them out really young teaching them to tolerate having their claws clipped. I clip their claws weekly and all 3 of my cats tolerate this fine. They are all indoor cats, but IF they ever did get out I’d feel better knowing they had their claws. I think it’s unfair to alter animals to accommodate our own needs – especially when it is painful and compromises their safety.
No you certainly shouldn’t declaw your cat’s rear paws, you’ve done enough damage already by amputating her front toe ends without compounding it by crippling her back paws too. Back claws are not as sharp as front claws so I fail to see that much damage can be done by them, your cat may be marking your furniture in jumping on and off but surely you could spare the poor creature further surgery by putting a cover over the place she jumps.
If your cat recovered from having her front toe ends amputated then you were very, very lucky, don’t push your luck or you could end up with something like this http://clawsforever.ning.com/group/advicebureau/forum/topics/pictures-of-declawing-1
Do you realize that declawing is banned in 38 countries of the world because it is cruel and inhumane? To bring it down to your level, how would you like to have your finger ends amputated, then go back and have your toe ends amputated too?
To the person who mentions "taking claws out" do a bit of research they don’t take them out, they amputate the final bone in each toe which the nail grows from.
Erin P’s answer is excellent, you should read it, visit ALL the links and learn why declawing is a barbaric, brutal and cruel thing to do to cats.
Front or back, it matters not, you have deliberately had your cat mutilated, causing her extreme pain, lining her up for serious health issues (arthritis, urinary tract infections, fear aggression. lameness, spondylosis) all because you couldn’t be bothered to learn how to trim her claws and train her lovingly to use scratching posts and scratch pads.
Clearly you care more about your furniture (not living, not sentient) than you do about your cat (living, feeling, sentient) or else you would not have had her declawed in the first place – now you consider subjecting her to the most painful surgery a cat can have. Have you ANY idea of the agony that poor cat will go through? Do you know how much pain she is likely STILL in from losing the first bones in her front paws? Problems from declaw surgery surface months, years later in the form of floating bone fragments, distorted internal scar tissue and these events are AGONY. Do you even KNOW that declawing isn’t declawing at all, it’s actually AMPUTATION of the first toe bone?
Soon declawing will be banned in America. It is already illegal in 38 countries around the world, who all consider it to be such a barbaric and inhumane procedure that it is not tolerated and is banned. New vets America are unwilling to perform declaws, soon no vets will be allowed to do it.
Now, if decide that your furniture is the winner in this materialistic world of yours – and you relinquish your poor cat to a shelter – know this, because she is declawed, she is more likely to resort to biting as she no longer has her claws for defence or exploration, she is more likely to develop innapropriate elimination problems – this will make her difficult to rehome and she will be killed – yes, killed, all because YOU thougth more of your inanimate furniture than you did of a living, trusting, loving animal.
SHAME ON YOU FOR EVEN CONSIDERING SUCH BARBARITY!
Only the most uscrupulous vet would agree to declaw your cat’s rear paws. Only the most unscrupulous vets agree to declaw cats at all now. You’ve already put your poor cat through the worst operation possible and if she hasn’t already or doesn’t in the future suffer any consequences from that, then you are very fortunate.I won’t say she is fortunate, because she isn’t, she is a disabled cat ! You owe it to her to make the rest of her life as happy as you can,not to put her through another painful risky mutilating procedure to take away the few remaining toes she has left.
Is your furniture so important ? Surely not !!!
Very bad idea.
You caused this by declawing her to begin with.
Do you understand why cats actually have claws? Why they scratch?
I would suggest rehoming this cat with a loving family, and not getting another cat until you have done more research and fully understand why cats have claws, and why they scratch.
You could have so easily prevented this.
I cannot believe that anyone that loves their cat would consider for a second, mutilating it a second time. Why don’t you just rehome the cat if your furniture is more important than the health and safety of your cat.
Declawing the front paws already has put this cat at risk of arthritis, stopping using the litter box, and becoming aggressive and biting. Adding to her pain and agony by having further brutal surgery peformed is bordering on cruelty to animals in my opinion.
Please learn to trim your cat’s hind claws, cover your furniture with slip covers and give your cat a break. She is just being a cat and is doing nothing wrong.
Troublesniffer
Owned by cats for over 40 years
Member: Cat Writer’s Association
Fiercely opposed to any feline declawing