Help, my mom is set on declawing my cat

cheadle

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I'm 20 and live at home. I'm primarily responsible for my kitten but my mom covers the vet bills. Whenever we had cats before, they were declawed and it never seemed to cause any problems but I still was uncomfortable with the idea. I told my mom before that I didn't want to declaw this cat, but now she's pushin more and more to get him declawed because sometimes he rips chairs and blankets when he is climbing. Aside from that, he doesn't really exhibit that "scratching" behavior; he doesn't use his post.

Today we took him to the vet for his last set of shots and my mom asked the vet about declawing him. Of course the vet said all his cats are declawed, that it's fine and not cruel at all, and that it's cheaper to get him declawed and neutered at the same time. Idk what to do because if I don't win this I'm going to feel like a terrible owner, but I can't guarantee my mom that he's never going to "ruin" her bedspread again (and even if I did, she wouldn't believe me). I just don't know what to do. I think of him as "my" cat, but as long as I'm financially dependent on my parents he's still the family's cat.
 

Kat0121

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Hi and welcome!! 


You are absolutely right to be concerned about the effects of declawing on your cat. It is one of the cruelest things you can do to a cat. This is what you need to do. You need to sit your mom down and have a calm discussion with her about what declawing REALLY is. It is NOT a manicure. It is the same thing as cutting a human's fingertips off at the first knuckle. Ask her how she'd feel if someone did that to HER?

Cats are not possessions. They are family members and need to be treated as such. No one would subject a child to anything like this. I know that YOU understand this and I applaud you for trying to stand up for and protect your cat. 

You will need references to show her. Use these

http://www.pawproject.org/faqs/

http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/cats/tips/declawing.html?referrer=https://www.google.com/

Please let her know that it is completely unnecessary and there are other methods of keeping the cat from destroying the furniture including:

Keeping the cat's claws trimmed

Soft Paws claw covers- these are available from Amazon and other retailers. The vet can show you how to put them on the first time then you can do it yourself

Providing the cat with plenty of scratchers to use. Scratching posts and cardboard scratchers are available at many retailers both in store and  online. Keeping a scratcher near an item that the cat would normally use will give them an alternative. If the cat is not using the scratcher. try spraying it with catnip spray. 

Please also let your Mom and that incredibly irresponsible vet know that if declawing were "fine" and "not cruel",  then why is it ILLEGAL in all of the following countries?

  • England
  • Scotland
  • Wales
  • Italy
  • Austria
  • Switzerland
  • Norway
  • Sweden
  • Ireland
  • Denmark
  • Finland
  • Slovenia
  • Brazil
  • Australia

  • New Zealand
  • Serbia
  • Montenegro
  • Macedonia
  • Slovenia
  • France
  • Germany
  • Bosnia
  • Malta
  • Netherlands
  • Northern Ireland
  • Portugal
  • Belgium
  • Israel
 

talkingpeanut

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I would rehome the cat before letting it get declawed. It is cruel and only benefits your mother. They will be amputating parts of his toes. It leads to arthritis later in life and behavioral issues often.

It's great that you care and you are concerned. Maybe the cat can stay in your room when he's not supervised?

Add more scratching posts, and different kinds, in front of places he is scratching. My cat loves the cardboard kind. Give him a treat whenever he uses the post.

Are you cutting his nails weekly? Have you considered nail caps like soft paws?
 

foxxycat

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Have you tried different styles of scratching posts? I have one cat who doesn't like vertical scratchers. I found an
"S" shaped scratcher which she prefers over the traditional ones. She also likes the ones that lay horizontal on the floor. You may have to try different ones=some cats prefer those sissle rope instead of carpet. some people have used actual pieces of log with the bark removed.

Declawing is not normal anymore. Many people have learned to train their cat not to destroy the house. Kittens have tons of pent up energy and its good to play with them daily for several hours to wear them out. you can redirect bad behavior so they don't scratch the furniture.

Please let your mom know that many vets now don't do declawing anymore.


this one is at walmart for $20-you may have to order it online though. this is a good mixture of vertical and horizontal


this is the "S" scratcher that my Honeybee loves. She lays beside it and flips it over-she loves scratching on it and I dangle toys on the ramp and lip part and she claws the bejesus out of it. Far away from my hands. Wand toys are recommended to keep from getting shredded.

This "S" shape is also $20 at Walmart.

Just a few cheap ideas to see if it helps deter furniture scratching.

you can use double side tape on furniture or tin foil. they don't like crinkly sounds of the tin foil but some cats don't mind.

I just leave wrapping paper on the floor-or a paperbag-she prefers to sleep on a pile of paper rather than the sofa=so its a cheap way to entertain her.
 
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Lyzzie

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I'm so sorry you're in that position.

How old is your cat?

There are a LOT of other things to try instead of declawing (it's illegal in my country btw).

Here's an article about declawing, you could show it to your mom :
[article="22411"]Why Cats Should Not Be Declawed  [/article]
Not using the scratching post, I found that a little weird.

You can try playing with a wand toy and get the toy along the post, to show her what's the feeling is like when she scratches.

Or spray some catnip on it.

Or maybe try a horizontal scratching post instead of a vertical.

Cats usually like to stretch while scratching, so maybe your post is not high enough?

Placement is also important.

There's also trimming the nails, it's not that difficult, and with a few treats it's easier.

There's something called "soft paws" that can be used on the nails. I'm not very familiar with it but here's some info :
[article="29683"]How To Stop Your Cat From Scratching The Furniture  [/article]
And here's another article about the alternatives to declawing :
[article="29667"]Declawing And Alternatives  [/article]
Where do your cat come from? I'm just wondering if you have any papers on him, that would show is "true owner".

Don't give up, it's not going to be easy, so don't hesitate to come back here for support.

Right now, you're the best advocate for your cat's health and well being
 
 
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cheadle

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Thanks everyone for your answers so far.

He does let me trim his claws when he is relaxed, so I will try to do that more often and get them shorter. I might be able to get my stepdad on my side as well. I will consider the soft paws, I know petsmart sells them for pretty cheap... Hopefully they don't drive him nuts. Right now I guess my best strategy is to just show her that it's not necessary and that we don't need to spend the money.

Edit: also when I meant he doesn't use his scratching post.. I don't ever see him scratch other things either? The only time he potentially damages furniture is when he climbs all over the place like a little monkey. Is this unusual?
 
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bubastis

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You should not do it! My mom insisted my cat get dewclawed. Years later she got outside. Got trapped somewhere and couldn't climb out. Was lost for 7 weeks. When she was found she looked like a skeleton. She was never able to recover and sadly passed away. I LOVED that cat. Still hard to talk about.
 
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Lyzzie

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Edit: also when I meant he doesn't use his scratching post.. I don't ever see him scratch other things either? The only time he potentially damages furniture is when he climbs all over the place like a little monkey. Is this unusual?
How old is your cat? Since he's not neutered yet I'm guessing less than 6 months?

About the neutering, try and see if there's a low cost spay/neuter vet near you, maybe you will be able to afford that on your own?
 

dboucher

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Please note the question on your cats age. I had a very bright cat who used her paws, and claws, to pick things up.
But she couldn't be taught not to claw furniture, and my wife insisted she be declawed when we bought a house and all new living room furniture. Brandon was about 3 yrs. old.
What a Disaster ! Brandon immediately after Sat facing corners: she lost all interest in life. She was dying. I brought her joi de vivre back by playing with rope toys, and immediately stopping the toy when she pounced on it, letting her think she had grabbed it. It was a tough battle, but luckily we won. I will not declaw another cat. Ever.
If the cat is a Very young kitten, you may be able to declaw without such severe depression for her. Any signs your cat uses those claws, do Not do it !
Put catnip on your scratching posts, then when she claws anything else, nicely take her to a post, and reward. Never scold for scratching ! , that may be seen as getting attention by the cat, even if bad attention, and can reinforce the behaviour. Be Very patient, always take here to her post and Always reward use of the post at any time with a treat.

Much Aloha !
Doug on Maui
 
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romeo911

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Hello I have. Persian named Romeo and I had him declawed and if I could have done this again I would never I mean never done this. This is protective utentils so to speak. What if he had got out and couldn't defend himself. It also helps with balance.
 
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cheadle

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How old is your cat? Since he's not neutered yet I'm guessing less than 6 months?
He was born in mid-April, so 4 months I guess?

I sent my mom the humane society article and she relented. I trimmed his front claws short and I'm gonna look for some furniture he can climb on and scratch. I really don't think he will be very destructive at all when he grows up.
 

Lyzzie

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IMHO he's still very young, at this age they're still furry little typhoons!

Play with him a lot with toys, not your hands. Wand toys are awesome for this.

Some cats can be destructive if they're bored (that's not true for all cats, but still).

You can also give him a "cat TV" : a cat tree, or flat furniture high enough to match the high of the window, fluffy pillows or soft blankets to make him a comfy bed, and strategically placed next to a window, where he's gonna be able to watch the world go by, birds, people, trees,...

Training with treats and scratching post, they're really a lot you can try.

About trimming, you can do the back claws as well, he's using all of them

I sent my mom the humane society article and she relented.
That's great!

So, is declawing off the table?
 
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grrr cat

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Try putting tin foil on item you don't want him to scratch.  The house might look like a space ship for a month or two but they usually learn to not scratch anything but their scratchers. 
 
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cheadle

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I didn't mean to start a debate though I suppose it is a controversial issue here. I don't blame my mom for wanting to declaw our cat, because it's what her family has always done, and what she's always done, and her vet is telling her that it's ok. She has also assumed so far that cats can't be trained to not scratch so declawing them is necessary to keep a cat indoors. I'm not saying that way of thinking is right, but it's not like she's doing it to be mean or abusive, she loves our cat very much. The way I see it, it's not necessary, doesn't benefit our cat in any way, and can possibly cause issues further down the road, so I'd rather manage his scratching (which, like I said, isn't even that bad) in a less extreme way. Thank you everyone for the suggestions. I will try tiring him out w/ play as well and make sure he has lots of appropriate stuff to play with instead of furniture and "people things"
 

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I am sure you didn't intend on starting an argument-but hopefully you can help educate your mom.

I have seen people toss declawed cats outside because they pee on the carpet. Its because the cat litter hurts their paws. so mention to mom that does she want to have a cat pee out of the box? for me I would hope that she will see how the next year goes-he is VERY young-they calm down by the time they are 2 so its only 2 more years=if she can manage to keep her sanity by then and of course appropriate places to scratch-I think you will find less issues with scratching.

I also cover my sofas with microfiber covers because my cat likes to claw the couch-so I keep it covered and she doesn't scratch it but if it slips off then she does scratch. So we have to keep her occupied with play and cover the furniture.

I hope it all works out for you!
 

Kat0121

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I didn't mean to start a debate though I suppose it is a controversial issue here. I don't blame my mom for wanting to declaw our cat, because it's what her family has always done, and what she's always done, and her vet is telling her that it's ok. She has also assumed so far that cats can't be trained to not scratch so declawing them is necessary to keep a cat indoors. I'm not saying that way of thinking is right, but it's not like she's doing it to be mean or abusive, she loves our cat very much. The way I see it, it's not necessary, doesn't benefit our cat in any way, and can possibly cause issues further down the road, so I'd rather manage his scratching (which, like I said, isn't even that bad) in a less extreme way. Thank you everyone for the suggestions. I will try tiring him out w/ play as well and make sure he has lots of appropriate stuff to play with instead of furniture and "people things"
That's the thing. Most people are like your mom and don't think about what declawing really is. They are not cruel, they are not animal abusers or anything even close. They simply don't know and this is more on vets than anyone else. Many vets don't tell people the truth about declawing because then they would probably not do it and the vet would be out a profit. Many vets are steering away from this now and some are now  refusing to do it.  I think that it's more the old school vets who like to offer the "package deal". 

I believe you when you say that your mom loves her cat. That's why I think that if you sit her down and go over the facts with her that she will look at declawing in a whole new way. 

New York is looking to become the first US state to ban declawing. If this goes through, look for other states to follow.

http://pix11.com/2016/05/22/lawmakers-look-to-ban-declawing-cats-in-new-york-state/
 

Lyzzie

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You're welcome. It's all about information, the more you have, the better. Then you can make an informed decision.

How about your mom? Have you been able to make your case with her?
 
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cheadle

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You're welcome. It's all about information, the more you have, the better. Then you can make an informed decision.

How about your mom? Have you been able to make your case with her?
Yes, she said she won't do it, and I promised to manage his scratching. When I first posted this thread I was scared that she would make a decision behind my back but I know she won't do that now. :)
 

Kat0121

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Yes, she said she won't do it, and I promised to manage his scratching. When I first posted this thread I was scared that she would make a decision behind my back but I know she won't do that now.


Good for you! We are here for you to offer assistance and support for finding alternatives for scratching. This link is a good place to start. 

http://www.declawing.com/cat-declawing-alternatives
 
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