My Sister Is Going To Declaw Her Cat

Wonderfulcat

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Perhaps that cat would be happier living someplace else. :/

Why don't they even have a scratching post and expect the cat not to use its claws? They should have picked a different pet! Like a goldfish...
 

Kflowers

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If your sister told you she has a scratching post and she didn't, I think she deliberately set the cat up to scratch the furniture so she could say, 'See, we have to have it declawed." This realization on the husband's part should make him feel manipulated, as he was, which should help.

We got soft Paws the claw caps. They did keep our cat from clawing us, but she immediately started clawing the sofa to get them off. I admit, it might have coincided with the time she was ready to start scratching anyway. She had a horizontal scratching post, and I think she wanted vertical. That taste depends on the individual.

I think your sister hates the cat and enjoys manipulating her husband. I'm not at all sure she likes you.
 
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mwallace056

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If your sister told you she has a scratching post and she didn't, I think she deliberately set the cat up to scratch the furniture so she could say, 'See, we have to have it declawed." This realization on the husband's part should make him feel manipulated, as he was, which should help.

We got soft Paws the claw caps. They did keep our cat from clawing us, but she immediately started clawing the sofa to get them off. I admit, it might have coincided with the time she was ready to start scratching anyway. She had a horizontal scratching post, and I think she wanted vertical. That taste depends on the individual.

I think your sister hates the cat and enjoys manipulating her husband. I'm not at all sure she likes you.
I don't believe that was her intention, i think she just didn't want a scratching post because it didn't match her house
 

amethyst

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Perhaps that cat would be happier living someplace else. :/

Why don't they even have a scratching post and expect the cat not to use its claws? They should have picked a different pet! Like a goldfish...
Actually goldfish make terrible pets if you actually care about them. Unless you have a large pond for them to live in or roughly 100 gallons per fish they will likely suffer and die young. They can grow well over a foot long and can live decades if properly cared for.
 

Kflowers

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There are a lot of high decor scratching posts just on Amazon. I think IKEA has some and lots of other furniture places. She could probably get Ethan Allan Bombay look scratching posts if she tried.
 

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It literally took Greg and Arnold 5 minutes to learn to use their scratching post. I laid it on its side, rubbed cat nip on it. I put the cats one at a time on the post and gently made a scratching motion with thier paws.........done! That was all it took.

I also use the posts as part of their attack games when they play with their wand toys.

The cats savagely attack the posts trying to grab the wands. This keeps the cats familar with the posts and they use several times a day.

We now have 3 of these posts around the house, so the boys are never far from a post.

Now they ONLY scratch on their posts, NO where else. We dont have to watch them or worry at all.

20181207_102614.jpg


The 3 posts were all bought second hand at less than half price.
 

Pjg8r

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It also helps to rotate scratching posts. I have about three (one sisal, one cardboard angled, one cardboard flat) that I rotate at the end of my couch. If I put one in the cabinet for a few weeks it’s amazing how excited they get when I bring it back out. We do have vets in my community that still declaw (grrrr) but even they won’t do it unless the cat is neutered. We have a local shelter that has had a declawed cat as a permanent resident for years. She still sprays and cannot be around any other cats because she bites. It’s very sad.
 
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mwallace056

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does anyone have any recommendations for a nice looking scratching post? i will send them to the husband and see whats he thinks.
 

Kflowers

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Wayfair has 31 pages of scratching posts with 48 posts on a page
 

Wonderfulcat

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Actually goldfish make terrible pets if you actually care about them. Unless you have a large pond for them to live in or roughly 100 gallons per fish they will likely suffer and die young. They can grow well over a foot long and can live decades if properly cared for.
I didn't think of that. It was just to mention any pet without claws. ;) We keep goldfish in a large pond. :) But perhaps she doesn't have the room.
 

Wonderfulcat

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I don't know much about claw caps but I was told once that the cat can't move the tip of their toes freely and can't keep their claws in. It would be like if you had your fingers constantly stretched out without the possibility to relax. I understand if cats try to get them off. But perhaps there are different types.
 
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mwallace056

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just learned from my other sister, they did have an scratching post cause she saw one there when she was on their house, so maybe they throw it away?, sure would like to know what type of scratching post it was
 
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LittleShadow

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I don't know much about claw caps but I was told once that the cat can't move the tip of their toes freely and can't keep their claws in. It would be like if you had your fingers constantly stretched out without the possibility to relax. I understand if cats try to get them off. But perhaps there are different types.
I will admit, because the caps are FAR more visible than the natural claws, it does create the optical illusion that the claws are always extended, so I can see how this idea was formed, and it does sound logical if you've only seen pictures and never interacted with a cat wearing caps. However, in practice, this isn't the case except in the sorts of situations where people mess things up horribly just to be able to claim a thing doesn't work.

If you get too large a size, and use way too much glue, there might be some possibility of some problems. Most likely, it would be related to super gluing skin, not inability to flex toes, but I'll not deny the outside possibility of someone gluing a wildly oversized cap over the entire toe, instead of just the claw. It would be pretty clear you'd done it wrong though, on par with thinking acrylic nails for humans should cover the first knuckle in addition to the nail level obvious.

Properly applied, claw caps end a touch before the base of the claw, and don't impede normal claw motion at all. The instructions explain how to fit the caps, and how to check that you have purchased the correct size. My cat Molly had no trouble or evidence of discomfort in her caps, other than disliking the application process, probably due to having to sit still and the extended length of time it took compared to a normal claw trimming. I also watched her flex and extend her claws in the caps, and double checked her range of motion in the caps, and it was no different from her range of motion without them.
 
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