<p>I would love insight from any of you that have insight or personal experience with this. My 2 cats are 3 and 8, both indoor cat’s strictly. They do not claw furniture excessively, but occasionally. I will be soon living with my fiance, and am nervous with them and his leather furniture. They do have a carpeted cat tree, and the cardboard scratching boxes, but still occasionally like to scratch my sofa (thankfully not where it shows.) I have tried the sprays that are supposed to deter scratching, but they don’t seem to work. It seems the few people I have gotten advice from are either adamently against it or they say it is fine. Opinions please?</p>
<p>A vet I once called to have the procedure done on my kitten called it “mutilation.” I was so intimidated that it took me months to call another vet – who, of course, did it with no problem.</p>
<p>I suspect this thread will generate lots of strong opinions.</p>
<p>VeryHappy, were you satisfied with the procedure, and did your cat seem to be “mutilated” or in extreme pain?</p>
<p>I don’t like it, but then again, I’m also against clipping tails and ears in dogs. It just seems cruel.</p>
<p>My recommendation are little tips they put on claws. I had a friend who put them on her cat, in pink. They aren’t permanent but if the cats scratch nothing is damaged.</p>
<p>Not in extreme pain at all. A little tender for a few days. But, of course, the cat didn’t talk to me, so I really don’t know.</p>
<p>And we do have two Australian Shepherds whose tails were docked which, if I were in charge, I wouldn’t have done.</p>
<p>Our cat had it done and there was no problem. He runs and leaps like crazy and sharpens his “claws” on our couch. He also intimidates our retriever and can still catch mice. However, declawing becomes a more serious procedure when cats are older. Ours was about 12 weeks old at the time and the nail bed is not as formed as it is in adult cats. Older cats usually require stitches and young kittens don’t. You might be better to try as trojanchick suggests and buy the claw tip things.</p>
<p>Sounds like fake acrylic fingernails.</p>
<p>I had considered the claw tip things, however, there is not a chance in heck either of them would sit still enough to have them put on. I haven’t consulted the vet yet, just the vet tech, who said that the 8 year old would need blood work done to see if she was a candidate.</p>
<p>Based on my experience, it’s unlikely the cats will scratch leather. </p>
<p>Scary story for you to consider: It seems that some cats (particularly those that are not kittens when they are declawed) will start to spray. These cats usually wind up in the pound where they are viewed as not adoptable because of the spraying problem.</p>
<p>Typically, cats will claw to get your attention (or goat). Just have a squirter bottle full of water handy - they’ll get the message.</p>
<p>The claw tip things are called Soft Paws I believe. Some pet stores sell them, mine does not. Some groomers will apply them for you.</p>
<p>I hate doing that to cats, however, found it a necessity with one of ours. She was pulling up the wall to wall carpeting as fast as we could replace it. Came downstairs one morning to find my couch and curtains in shreds. She was 12 years old when this started after we moved. I hated to do it, but it was either the claws or our furniture and we had tried to keep her under control for several months and suffered quite a bit in losses from her claws. She did absolutely fine and lived another 8 years. </p>
<p>We did not declaw our other cat, and we now have two kittens that we are watching carefully. We have spray bottles and squirtguns everywhere and the instant either of them claw at something other than their scratch posts , they get sprayed. Hopefully that will do it.</p>
<p>Do female cats spray, and after being spayed? Oh, and yes, I know for a fact that my 3 year old likes leather, caught her on a hotel couch! :(</p>
<p>I observe my neighbor’s female cat (who has been spayed) mark her outdoors territory every single day. She acts just like a tom when she does this.</p>
<p>I would ask you on a humane basis: don’t do this. It would be like having your fingers cut off at the knuckle, not merely your finger nails. And frankly your cats are way too old to have this done to them. Cats use their claws to bury their poop and there’s evidence that lack of claws may increase risks of infection. They use them to make tiny scratches for scent - which is important to their experience of the world. They hear each other’s claw patterns walking because cats relate to the world through their ears. And it’s very painful: imagine having your fingers cut off. That cats hide their pain is not an excuse. I’ve had cats that broke teeth with the stumps showing and hid it. I had a cat hide an abscess until she literally stood up, passed out and fell off a chair. We can’t help but show pain but cats survive by hiding theirs. </p>
<p>There are many, many alternatives. First, if a cat isn’t now a big scratcher, it won’t become on. But consider, for example, a simple thing like Boundary. It’s a cat repellent you can spray on a paper towel and put on an object you want a cat to avoid. You can leave a paper towel out and the cat won’t go near it for weeks because it can smell the odor long, long after you can’t. </p>
<p>And also consider what would happen if you must give up your cats or if they get out. They couldn’t climb a tree to escape. They couldn’t fight back if attacked. They couldn’t hunt - and without claws, they can’t catch mice well at all.</p>
<p>my cats have all liked to scratch leather (just look at my sofa), curtains anything at all. so have had all cats we’ve owned declawed (front only) . they do appear to be in a fair amount of discomfort for a few days following…but within a week, they have all been back to normal, walking fine and no apparent problem.</p>
<p>ps i dont think cc likes me! i think it is at 300 posts that you officially become a member…i have been stuck at 299 for the last 5 posts i’ve made!</p>
<p>You can achieve peaceful coexistence with a fully equipped cat, but it takes some work. If you get the cat as a kitten, start clipping its claws yourself at an early age and the cat will grow up thinking that this normal. If you provide the cat with a designated piece of furniture that is ok to scratch, and spray the cat with a water bottle when it starts to scratch something else, most cats will get the idea. I’ve found that most cats seem to be attracted to wicker, so something like an old hamper works well, as does a 3x5 sissel rug (which most cats will start using as a scratching platform almost immediately because they like the texture – try sprinkling some catnip on the rug to get the cat to hang out there until it gets the idea. Declawing a cat essentially involves pulling out the claws with a surgical instrument that resembles a pair of needle nose pliers while the cat is under anesthesia. While virtually all cats recover just fine from the declawing procedure, don’t kid yourself into thinking that this is a pleasant experience for the cat – how would you like to have all of your teeth removed while under anesthesia?</p>
<p>Hi ga2012mom
There is a thread (I’ll have to find it) about indoor climbing cats and id discussed de-clawing. Those softpaws things were recommended.</p>
<p>parent56-
Go post in a non-cafe or non-parent forum thred and <em>presto</em> you will hit 300 posts!</p>
<p>We do not declaw our cats and sign agreements to that effect. We have a big leather couch and none of the cats have ever scratched it. It is not humane to declaw.</p>
<p>thanks jym!!! i’m finally a member (after 2 1/2 years) do the parent or cafe posts not count at all?</p>
<p>^^ Welcome to full membership, parent56!!! The cafes definitely don’t count. I dont think the parent forum counts, though every now and then something seems to count, though not sure why.</p>
<p>As for inhumane, we know some folks who “de-barked” their dog. that seemed mean. So when he barks, it makes this hoarse (not horse!) sound. :(</p>