Declawing A Special-needs Kitty... Justified?

BubblesMomma

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I've always said I would never declaw a cat, but now I find myself faced with having been suggested to consider it by my vet, and I'm in need of some advice.

Background: My cat, Bubbles, is a 3 year old rescue whom I adopted when she was just over a year old (two years ago next month). When I adopted her, she was "flagged" as a kitty with biting aggression, and was suggested not to go to a home with kids. Seeing as it was just me at home, I decided I could work with her to try to keep her from biting.

Turns out I am the third home this little beauty has had. We've had great luck on a "no biting" command thus far, but what I wasn't prepared for was the trauma that having to maintain her nails would cause her.

Bubbles has FHS (Feline Hyperesthesia Syndrome). This means she has some "flare-up" type episodes that we deal with, but in general, she does not enjoy being touched because it causes her physical pain. She will only cuddle on her own terms (usually tucked into my side), and she enjoys head pats and gentle, brief touches, but overall, being touched causes her a lot of distress.

That being said, she will not let me touch her feet, not even for a second. She also has no interest in scratching posts or similar, and so her front nails become extremely long and sharp and are in need of trimming every month. I've always brought her to the vet for this, and originally, they had success wrapping her in a towel, with one person holding her and another clipping her nails, but each time, she is extremely vocal and violent (due to the pain she suffers) and ends up stressed out from the endeavor.

However, in the last six months, each visit has gotten more and more traumatizing for her. There have been many appointments where I've brought her to have her nails trimmed and the vet techs simply say they are unable to handle her to do so. In August, it was decided that the only way they could get her (then unreasonably long and sharp) nails cut was to sedate her, so we did that, and then tried the soft caps to see if that would work.

The soft caps only lasted a month or so, and now we're back to square one, with the vet saying we must sedate her to trim her nails, and I'm thinking, this can't possibly be a healthy solution, can it? Sedating her every 4-6 weeks to clip her nails?

Her vet has suggested I consider having her declawed, to remove the source of stress and pain of having her nails trimmed regularly from her routine. It goes against everything I have believed up until now, and it almost makes me feel like a bad cat-mom to even be considering it, but all things considered, it also seems like an option I should contemplate.

My reasoning has nothing to do with me or what I want, only because I want to de-stress my special needs cat, for whom stress and anxiety actually worsens her condition.

If you were in my position, what would you do?
 

Wile

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Hi Bubbles. This is a really tough situation, and something that I feel divided by. Keep in mind that my comments don't come from a place of experience, so you might feel that they don't really respond to the severity of your situation.

On the one hand, if there is absolutely no other way of managing your cat's nails then I do feel it does justify the medical necessity of declawing. Ingrown nails are a very likely outcome for a cat that won't scratch and won't stand to have her nails clipped. On the other hand, I kind of think that she is "just a cat" (meaning that humans are much larger than her and can physically manage her) and a bit of stress for both of you for a few minutes once a month is a small price to pay in exchange for her getting to keep her claws.

Can you give a bit more information about what you have tried in terms of scratching posts? Is it possible that she might respond better to a different style of post, or a texture or scent?

I guess in the end my question would be for you to seriously consider who this procedure would be for. If it is just for the benefit of the vet techs at your current practice, I would say it isn't worth it.
 
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Willowy

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Considering she's a biter already, and de-clawing has been know to exacerbate biting behaviors, I don't really think that would end well.

Some people have had success teaching their dog to scratch a board with sandpaper on it. I wonder if she'd respond to clicker training for that. Might be worth a try!
 

rubysmama

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Hello and welcome to TCS. Bubbles is a beauty.

I'm sorry you're in the position to have to debate the pros and cons of declawing for your Bubbles. While recognizing that she is a special case, a couple things still come to mind.

1. declawed cats sometimes turn to biting when they are stressed or feel threatened, and biting is something you've mostly stopped.
2. because declawing is more than just removing the claw, there is the possibility that Bubbles would feel phantom pain, which would therefore not lessen her pain issues.

Are there are cat only vets in your area? Maybe they would be more experienced with treating cats with FHS.

I would definitely get a 2nd or even 3rd opinion before proceeding with the declawing. The last thing you want is to makes things worse for Bubbles and yourself.

I'm sure you've already Googled everything you could find on the subject, but TCS does have some articles which I'll post the links to in case they might be helpful.

Feline Hyperesthesia

Declawing - More Than Just A Manicure
Declawing - Post-surgery Care And Complications
Declawing And Alternatives
 

Mamanyt1953

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Given her previous biting issues, and knowing that those are almost certainly pain related, I'm very much afraid that declawing would exacerbate that issue, and she would resort to full-on biting again. At first glance, it sounds like one of those cases where there is a medical necessity for declawing, but on further reflection, I have a sinking feeling that the pain from the procedure and the residual pain that could last the rest of her life would only make her bite more frequently and more fiercely.

If you need help finding a feline specialist in your area, this site has a search-by-zip feature. DO choose the "Cat Only" option and not the "Cat Friendly" option.

AAFP | American Association of Feline Practitioners

BTW, welcome to TCS. You are NOT alone with this issue anymore, and we will assist in any way we can!
 

BlueJay

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Oh that sounds like an awful situation! I don't know if this will help, my kitten isn't as difficult about feet stuff, but it is SO much easier to trim her nails while she is sleeping. My kitten sleeps all afternoon, so I wait until she has been asleep a while, and then go sit really close to where she is, close enough to trim but not touching her yet. I usually end up waking her up, but she goes right back to sleep. I give her 10-15 minutes and then move slowly and quietly to trim her nails. I only do a few nails per nap, eventually I wake her up and she is annoyed with me for waking her like that. I also sometimes trim her nails while she eats her favorite food. I hope things get better!
 

Mamanyt1953

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Another vote for finding a feline specialist.

Maybe I missed it, why do her nails need to be trimmed at all? Does she not use scratching posts?
~waves hand wildly~ I KNOW! I KNOW! I had to go back and re-read, but no, she isn't big on scratching posts.

Now, that said, some cats are vertical scratchers, some are horizontal scratchers, some are angle scratchers...but ALL of them require a large enough post or pad that they can stretch their muscles out while scratching. And they all have a preferred material for scratching. The issue MAY be the type of scratch posts/pads.
 

Kflowers

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Speaking of scratching posts.

Over the years, of the many surfaces that my cats enjoyed scratching the one thing they adored was a 1950s style Americana sofa.You can still find them. It had that particular knobby fabric that is woven to have little white bits of fabric standing up on it. With wing chair wings on each end. The cats adored it. They attacked it with enthusiasm. The 7 of them pretty much finished it in 3 months, but if you multiply that by 7 you've got 21 months of scratching post for one cat. These sofas aren't very expensive and you probably won't mind replacing it regularly.
 

Kieka

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~waves hand wildly~ I KNOW! I KNOW! I had to go back and re-read, but no, she isn't big on scratching posts.

Now, that said, some cats are vertical scratchers, some are horizontal scratchers, some are angle scratchers...but ALL of them require a large enough post or pad that they can stretch their muscles out while scratching. And they all have a preferred material for scratching. The issue MAY be the type of scratch posts/pads.
Thank you! I reread it but I must be off in my own world today.

I would try different scratching options and see if you can't find that perfect material. I know my boy hates most vertical scratchers but will gladly use a horizontal one. Cheap area rugs are great for allowing a cat to fully stretch out and scratch horizontally. $20-30 bucks, weigh one side under a piece of furniture and replace every few months.

Another option is a log. It's not for everyone but if you have a fireplace, patio, mud room, laundry room, etc where you can easily clean up any bark it can make a great scratcher for a cat who doesn't like cardboard or sasal wrapper posts.

You can also get catnip spray to attract the cat to the post or sprinkle catnip on horizontal scratchers.
 

PushPurrCatPaws

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BubblesMomma BubblesMomma - it's heartbreaking to read your post, and I cannot imagine being in your position. I do think that declawing would not be the best thing for your cat and when I read your post, what immediately came to my mind was another recent thread here when another member posted something I likely would not choose to do with my own cat (and I said so in the thread, since I've found my cat to be "trainable"). However, if thinking of alternatives between declawing in your case (I'm against this unless a cat is having severe physical issues with polydactyl toes) and this new idea another poster suggested during that different discussion thread, I find myself wanting to offer this "clipnosis" idea to you for your cat to try (e.g. try it with the vet techs).
--hat-tip to @Elphaba09--

Please note, that I read in the material & links that Elphaba09 provided that this "clipnosis" works best with a CALM cat at the outset, not one that has already become agitated and nervous... so you have to take that into consideration.

please read of the idea introduced here:
How Do I Train My Cat For Using An Inhaler?
 

white shadow

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Hi BubblesMomma and welcome to the forum !

There is a fairly new protocol for the management of 'difficult'/aggressive cats who require veterinary handling - and, who would otherwise be extremely difficult - near impossible - patients.

It is safe and without concern for repetitive use.

It is given at home a couple of hours prior to the office visit. It can be mixed into a small amount of food, eliminating any administration difficulty.

If I were in your position, I would be trying out this simple and proven technique before any other consideration.

Here is how one Vet clinic describes it: Introducing Gabapentin: Gentle Sedation For Fearful And Aggressive Cats - Boston Street Animal Hospital

Here is the 2017 research study on its use (share with your Vet): Effects of a single preappointment dose of gabapentin on signs of stress in cats during transportation and veterinary examination. - PubMed - NCBI

Hoping this offers you an alternative.
.
 
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BubblesMomma

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Can you give a bit more information about what you have tried in terms of scratching posts? Is it possible that she might respond better to a different style of post, or a texture or scent?
I've tried pretty much anything I can get my hands on. Horizontal, vertical and hung against a door, free-standing, sisal, cardboard... She certainly preferred the horizontal style over the vertical, but would still only use it for a few seconds, and then ignore it for WEEKS. She ultimately prefers the corners of my carpeting, which is not preferred by ME because I rent, and have to pay for the damage upon move out. However, the damage being caused is not my priority or reason for contemplating the declaw.

It's been awhile since we've tried a cardboard scratcher... I may make a run to the pet store and try one of those again. I also used the link Mamanyt1953 Mamanyt1953 provided and there is an AAFP vet about 6 miles away that I think I will bring her to for a second opinion before making any decisions.

This is certainly not an easy decision, and my inclination is to NOT declaw her unless I absolutely feel I've tried everything else possible. Her quality of life is most important here, and I certainly owe her my due diligence before choosing a surgical solution.

Thank you all so much!!
 

KarenKat

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If she likes carpets, what about getting a heavy piece of wood or something and attaching thick carpet to it? Maybe there is something you can mimic from the apartment corners? Just a random idea. I'd worry about declawing causing more pain, so maybe consulting with the vet and asking that question would be good.
 

BlueJay

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Could you put scratching carpet over the carpet corners? They would already be in her regular scratching spot, and could help protect your actual carpet.
 
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BubblesMomma

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BubblesMomma BubblesMomma - we never, ever refuse pictures, you know! ;)
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What kind of person am I to not include a photo of my brat, I mean, cat!

20181010_210042.jpg

She's a bit strange in the very best ways. She has been my little sidekick for 2 years now, and just want to do right by her.

Headed home with a new scratcher to try, and left a message with her vet to discuss the option of using gabapentin before her visits (this option seems like it could be precisely right for her!)

Thank you all so much. I feel a little less like a bad mom now!
 

talkingpeanut

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I think the biggest consideration for me would be that there is no guarantee that being declawed would lessen her pain or stress, and is in fact likely to worsen it. It changes everything about a cat's posture and their way of interacting with the world. If she is in constant pain from the declaw, instead of just stressed by going to the vet, her life will certainly not be better.

I'm impressed by all you are doing here to find the best solution, and I think you can do better than the declaw. Hopefully another vet will be able to offer more options.
 

Mamanyt1953

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OH, what a darling! She really is a little beauty. I SO hope that the gabapentin gives her the relief with the vet visits that she needs! I HATE that you both are going through this.

No, not a bad mama, just a tired and frustrated one, and one feeling alone and at the end of her rope. Hon, this happens to everyone with either a special needs cat (or dog) or a special needs child, at a much greater degree, at some point or another. It really does. I worked in mental health for years, so I know this. You start feeling isolated and alone, and like nothing you do is going to help, and there is that desperate love that you feel, as well. And then you find a support group, and you take your first deep breath in FOREVER, and begin to think again, instead of reacting and trying to stomp out forest fires.

My cats, to date, have been pretty normal, but when I was young, we had a mentally challenged cocker spaniel...sweetest pup ever, but...not wired quite right. We had to housebreak her every couple of months, because she just forgot. She didn't know how to bark, either. LOL, a friend's lab taught her, patiently looking her in the face and saying "woof" over and over again. One day, the mailman knocked with a package. Sugar let out a huge ARF! that scared her so badly that she ran under the bed and never barked again. When she slipped past my dad and ran into the road right in front of a car, my dad sat there in the road, holding her and crying for nearly half an hour. Yes, I know that desperation to do SOMETHING to help, but not knowing quite what, other than just loving them on their terms.
 

spac

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Is it possible to try putting a muzzle or e-collar on for the brief time it takes to clip the claws? Maybe then you could clip them at home? Clipping the front claws should take one minute tops.
 
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