My Sister Is Going To Declaw Her Cat

[Wonderfulcat]

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.

Well, that's good to know. The person who told me about it worked with cats and one day they had a cat with capsand they were like I described before. Perhaps the owner did it all wrong.

 

[Kflowers]

The best way to put the caps on, regardless of what the package says, is to pay the vet to do it. The vet has a second person to help. If need be the vet can lightly sedate the cat. In our case is wasn't expensive at all $28. Had to be done once a month because she spent most of her time pulling them off. It was better than spending that time attacking my feet.

 

[mwallace056]

Good news, i convinced the husband not to do it, and they're looking into buying a scratching pole, hopefully they will be able train him, i sent him a few articles (including the TCS ones)on how to get him to stop scratching

 

[mwallace056]

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.

View attachment 268952

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

i read that it not recommend to take their paws and make a scratching motion on the post because it can be a huge turn off for them, but ig it depends on the cat?

i suggested to the husband when they do get a post, is to play around the scratching post everyday until the cat is using it with consistently, i also suggested rubbing catnip on it, i also suggested getting more than one scratching posts and told him there some nice looking posts on wayfair.com and amazon if they are concern with looks or wants one that matches the house

 

[mwallace056]

I want to thank everyone who offered me advice or supported me

 

[kittyluv387]

Your persistence paid off. This is fantastic news!

 

[leo12]

Tell her to put catnip on all the scratching posts, and make sure she has several in each room. I found my cats are attracted to the tall ones rather than the flat ones, and the tall ones can be put in front and block the favorite scratching place on couches and chairs.

 

[LittleShadow]

Yay!!!!!! I'm so happy you convinced them! Also, if their cat isn't seeming to care about catnip, silver vine is a catnip alternative it may react to. Best wishes!

 

[mwallace056]

Tell her to put catnip on all the scratching posts, and make sure she has several in each room. I found my cats are attracted to the tall ones rather than the flat ones, and the tall ones can be put in front and block the favorite scratching place on couches and chairs.

I suggested all that to the husband, hopefully they follow through

Yay!!!!!! I'm so happy you convinced them! Also, if their cat isn't seeming to care about catnip, silver vine is a catnip alternative it may react to. Best wishes!

hopefully the training will go great, and they don't feel the need to declaw him or surrender him to a shelter, i will tell the husband that, another would be honeysuckle?

 

[Wonderfulcat]

The best way to put the caps on, regardless of what the package says, is to pay the vet to do it. The vet has a second person to help. If need be the vet can lightly sedate the cat. In our case is wasn't expensive at all $28. Had to be done once a month because she spent most of her time pulling them off. It was better than spending that time attacking my feet.

I've never seen caps in my country. I don't even know if my vet is familiar with them. Anyways, I'm lucky my cats don't attack my feet so I don't need to do anything about their claws.

 

[Kflowers]

Wonderfulcat SG was rescued at 5 weeks and missed that important time with her mom and sibs. After a year, I remembered that hissing at them usually worked. One hiss and she threw herself away from my foot and attacked her own foot. She bit her foot as hard as she'd been biting mine and screamed. She never went for my feet again, not teeth nor claw. Though sometimes I could see her resisting. Our compromise is that she can attack my feet if I have on my fuzzy house shoe boots which come up over my ankles. She approaches slowly, checks to be sure I've got the boots on and not just socks. For boots she attacks, for socks she holds back.

Feet attacking is the main reason you try to get kittens in at least pairs, so they fight with each other and not your feet.

 

[Wonderfulcat]

Aww, only 5 weeks.
Glad the hissing worked. I use that, too. My husband thinks I'm a little cat crazy but it works. It shows them your limits just like when they hiss at each other in the middle of a playful fight.
We always have more than one cat. Actually we always have four.

 

[Kflowers]

kittens are easier in bunches.

 

[Wonderfulcat]

kittens are easier in bunches.

Exactly.

 

[ailish]

I don't know, she is just tired of him scratching everything and everywhere, he does have one scratching post near or in his favorite place and supposedly its a good one.


i doubt she will read any article but if you want to? i will try getting her to neuter him before declawing

Just a thought. My cat has a good clawing post near where she likes to claw, but unfortunately it is sisal and she NEVER claws sisal and therefore won't touch it. She likes rug or upholstery. Not all cats claw like to the same things (which I didn't know when I bought the scratching post everybody swears by), so maybe she needs to be provided with the kind of clawing material she prefers. The one cat I knew who was declawed was a biter, YMMV.

 

[Kflowers]

You could get a carpet covered scratching post, many of mine liked that. Tf she doesn't care for it, go to a fabric store that has heavy fabric for furniture, buy some that matches the decor and cover the post with that. I'd use dental floss rather than ordinary thread to sew it on. Glue might work, but I've never used it so I don't know.

 

[mwallace056]

They're going to get him neuter, the husband suspects he have been spraying, he just doesn't know its the dog marking or the cat, or maybe both?

 

[Kflowers]

If they get a small cheap black light they can find the spray spots, clean them with enzyme cleaner, which will keep the cat and/or dog from spraying the spot again. You gotta do this or you'll have constant territorial marking. That dude didn't think of territorial marking really makes me wonder about his vet school, unless, of course, he just did large animals like horses and cows.

 

[Jcatbird]

I am so happy you convinced them not to declaw her! Yay! Great work! You really rock!!!! You saved this cat from a lifetime of suffering!!!!
If they worry about looks they can customize the cat s ratchets. I just recovered our scratching posts with new carpet to freshen them up. You can get carpet remnants at flooring supply stores to match everything in your house. No more difficult than recovering the seat of a dining chair. They can be sewn on using a large eyed needle and cording. Just make sure that if you use glue it’s strong but not a toxic chemical that can come off through the carpet. I actually used rubber back throw rugs this time and they worked great. My cats like to claw carpet so I also use the same rubber backed mats anywhere they like to lay down. They can be tossed in the washing machine, are easier to clean than a bed or blankets and they help protect anything a cat jumps on to. The kitties love them.

Again, awesome save for that cat! You did a wonderful thing!

 

[meowpassion]

I am so happy you convinced them not to declaw her! Yay! Great work! You really rock!!!! You saved this cat from a lifetime of suffering!!!! Again, awesome save for that cat! You did a wonderful thing!

awesome news, agreed x 10000 times