To declaw or not to declaw...

[onlyadream]

Penny is clawing the house and shredding everything. We've had her for about 2 years (she was a stray) and I didn't want to get her declawed, so I bought a scratching thing (that she does use) and I tried to glue little plastic things on her nails (which was a disaster). Now Penny is trying to open drawers to any piece of furniture that has them (wrecking everything). She also claws at the back door to get out (the door is a brand new Anderson slider -wood). One week old and it was all scratched on the bottom. We're now going to get wood floors and my hubby said that either her claws go or she does. What should I do??? :(

[Haole Girl]

1. Would you like your fingers chopped off at the knuckle?

That's basically what you'd be doing to your cat.

[TZ]

2. I say don't declaw...

There are other methods to try. Besides declawing an older cat usually causes even more behavioral problems, including not using the litterbox which, IMHO is a much worse problem than scratching. I think there are some claw covers that can just be put on like a glove...

[bicentennial_baby]

3. Have a Vet put on the SoftPaws

if you can't do it yourself. Declawing is wrong, period.

[Rhythm]

4. Seconded...

The vet can always sedate your feline friend in order to apply them.

Declawing is mutilation.

[BeachBaby]

8. +1

[onlyadream]

15. I'm going to call him and ask if he does this sort of thing..

How often would it need to be done? I tried using the soft paws but they came off quick; I'm guessing that I didn't put them on right since it was very hard (took two people).

I hate this. Hubby is also on the fence about this... we had made one appointment about 6 months ago, but then cancelled it.

[FKA MNChimpH8R]

21. Amen!

Declawing is cruelty. The poor kitty doesn't know any better. It's just being a cat. A frustrating, goofy, infuriating and lovable cat. :)

[Orsino]

5. Try trimming her front claws.

Better yet, let Mr. Ultimatum do the work if it's that goddamned important.

Another option is to confine Penny to a room with a scratching post, then gradually allow her access to other areas of the house, spritzing her with water when she scratches elsewhere. She seems to have decided that everything is a scratching post, but you can turn that attitude upside-down with training.

[zanne]

6. NO!

If the kitty ever slips outside (and they always do), she'll be absolutely defenseless. Please don't do it.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

7. use softpaws. dont declaw. its a bit mean and if she falls down she will die

i said this to my coworker, who went ahead and declawed her cat anyway.

then cat fell off something and died. they lose their grip. kinda like losing your fingers.

[onlyadream]

14. I didn't know that...

I tried softpaws and it totally did not work. They were off within a day and were VERY hard to put on. I also got the darn glue all over my kitchen counter (and it won't come off). :(

[Bertha Venation]

9. Please don't do it. In my opinion . . .

. . . no home furnishing, window treatment, etc., is worth the pain your cat will go through.

[LynneSin]

10. Before you declaw - have your fingers chopped off at the knuckles

if you like then go for it - declaw away

[onlyadream]

16. Then how would I type on DU? nt

[LynneSin]

17. We're only chopping them off to the top knuckle - you'll have stubs

thing is, it's horribly cruel to declaw your cat. There are other options - try the softpaws

[NV Whino]

11. First option:

get rid of hubby.

Then a combination of squirt gun, and some double sided sticky tape (you can get it at Petco) on all surfaces she likes to scratch. the tape is about 2 to 3 inches wide and comes in strips about 18 inches long. Works like a charm and doesn't damage surfaces.

[onlyadream]

12. I have to get that!

I also could use that to keep her of the kitchen table & counters! Thanks!

[leftyclimber]

13. I think the "why you shouldn't declaw" issue has been covered at this point.

That said, another product you can try is called "Sticky Paws" and is basically a double-sided tape that won't damage furniture. Cats don't like the feel of it and won't scratch where you've placed it (although they may give it one or two tries before they stop). I had a cat that was hell-bent on demolishing my favorite chair and that was the magic bullet, so to speak.

If you keep her claws trimmed they shouldn't damage wood flooring, although you might have to train her not to scratch on any throw rugs you put down.

A lot of what you're describing falls under "acting like a cat," IMO. Does she respond negatively to being squirted with water? Some cats do, some cats don't. If she does, try keeping a squirt gun/bottle near the places where she's being naughty, and squirt her when she starts doing something you don't want her to. She'll stop eventually.

[Jamastiene]

18. Declawing is cruel and unusual punishment.

If something should ever happen and your cat gets outside, they will be completely defenseless and unable to even climb a tree for safety. Plus, they cut the cats fingers off at the knuckles. Ouch!

I had it done to one of my cats when I was younger. I'll never do it again. Three dogs ripped the screen off the door, came inside and dragged my two de-clawed cats outside. One, Chrissy, did manage to get inside of a shed outside and made it. The other one, Jett, was ripped up unbelievably and had to be put to sleep. It was so bad, my aunt would not even let me look at him or pet him on the way to the vet. I'll never make a cat defenseless like that again.

I have learned to use strategically placed throws on my furniture to keep the stuffing inside. Other than that, I don't know. A few slight marks on the stuff they scratch never really phases me, but that's just me. :shrug:

[Dora]

19. She's not going to hurt your wood floor unless she pisses on it.

Her clawing is not misbehavior, it's a natural instinct. How would you like it if somebody decided to chop off your fingertips because they didn't like you doing what comes naturally?

A cat will not damage a finished wood floor with its claws. The only way for a cat to damage a wood floor is to pee on it. Urinating is not the problem you have. Unless you do declaw her, and then she might start pissing everywhere as an alternative. It's happened to other people I know.

Install a pet door on your sliding door, and she won't scratch at the door begging to go out. Be proactive. Stop blaming her for expressing her needs. I had a cat door on a slider once, and it was wonderful.

Give her some cat toys that indulge her natural curiosity and are mentally stimulating. Perhaps she'll stop digging at your dresser drawers. Make sure drawers are shut all the way - any drawers that are the slightest bit open will attract her interest.



I think your household isn't cut out for a cat. Find a home for the cat that will accept her for who she is. Don't cut her up.

[onlyadream]

23. Is it okay to let her out??

She claws at the door b/c she sees the dog go in and out - and many times she darts out and we spend up to an hour trying to get her back in (not fun at all). I would let her go outside if I knew that she would stay in our yard (a 1/2 acre fenced in). But we live on a street where cars go fast and I've seen many animals killed in front of my house (including cats - one I think was Penny's mother). So I worry that she'll squeeze under the fence and end up in the street.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

30. Cats aren't going to stay in a fenced yard

And they shouldn't be let out on busy streets (many will argue they shouldn't be let out at all).

[mike_c]

20. get rid of hubby rather than mutilate your cat....

I'm NOT joking. Tell your husband that you'll declaw the cat if he has all of his fingers amputated at the first joint to demonstrate that it's no big deal.

[Lost in CT]

22. Don't declaw... as someone suggested above softclaws. nt

[Arugula Latte]

24. NO!!!!! NO!!!!!

Seriously -- Please don't consider that!!! That is butchery!!!

[Richardo]

25. "Not decraw! Decraw!"

[MrsBrady]

26. i have many different scratch posts, boxes, toys

I have a two-seater cat tower that has scratch rope all over it. All three cats use it.
I have 3 of those $10.00 cardboard rectangle scratch things that just sit on the floor. These have catnip on them. Two in the living room and one in the bed room.
I have a scratch board hanging from a closet door that they can scratch on too.
We gave the "kitten" (she's about 10 months now, but a very big girl) a designated destroy box. She's torn that thing to shreds, but still plays in it.
It's hers, and she loves it.

Sometimes cat's scratch when they are bored.
We also bought a red pin light at radioshack, like the red sight from a gun or the kind that teachers use to point at things.
Two of the three love chasing this light around. It tires them out, and keeps them entertained.

Trimming the nails does help, because then they won't scratch as much.

I have a piano bench that one cat goes after unless I have it covered with towel. She has completely destroyed it, but it can be recovered.
Don't know what it is about the piano bench. That's the only think I've had trouble with.

Also, I keep a water bottle handy. If they are scratching on a no-no spot, they get a squirt. I don't need to use it much now.
This will work only if you are consistent with the discipline.

I have a Siamese that had her tendons cut because the previous owner thought that that would be more humane than declawing. She doesn't suffer, but I think it must annoy her.
She still scratches at the scratching post. And sometimes I see her pulling at her claws. I think she tries to get that cuticle stuff off her nails, which she can't scratch off.
I have to check her paws often to make sure the nail does not get too long...she can't scratch them down. So, personally, I am against messing with their paws.

I would say trim the nails, talk to the vet, get more scratch toys than you think you need.
I would also tell my husband to kiss my you-know-what.

Let us know what you decide. :hi:

[sammythecat]

27. Find another good home for her.

De-clawing is cruel and inhumane. De-clawed cats can't save themselves from a fall from the precarious places their naturally inclined to go. They can't defend themselves and they can not get proper exercise.

You could try trimming her nails. It's not a perfect solution, but it's far better than mutilation.

Almost 30 years ago we had an old upholstered chair that the cats seemed to favor for scratching. I still have it and 5 cats. It's in taters and everything else is intact. If you have something like that, that you can sacrifice, it might be a solution. Something larger and more stable that they can climb and forcefully dig into is much better than a scratching post. If you have a woodstove or fireplace, a nice big log is attractive too. If it's safe to let her outside at times, that will cut down on some of the scratching. If your house must be perfect in evey way, at all times, then a pet isn't a good idea.

Having ANY animal as a pet is going to require compromise and I think the burden should be on the owner. If someone can't stand barking, then, for god's sake don't get a beagle and then cut his vocal chords. De-clawing a cat is mutilating a cat and diminishing its ability to fully enjoy life. It's the same as if someone amputated all my fingers at the first knuckle. Yeah, I'm still here, but I'm not as good as I used to be and I really, really, wish I had my hands the way they used to be.

If your husband is intractable on this then, for Penny's sake, try to find her another good home.

[SoCalDem]

28. No dilemma at all.. DON'T DO IT !!!

Get your kitty one of these, and cover your furniture..

and get a spray bottle that shoots a stream of water a long distance.. they DO learn.. we have 6, and no ruined furniture:)

[Jamastiene]

34. The spray bottle full of water was the best thing I ever discovered

when it comes to training my cats. It doesn't hurt them, but it works wonders to make them stop whatever it is they aren't supposed to be doing. Plus, later, you can make the sound of the spray bottle and they'll stop just because of the sound. It's amazing how cats respond to a simple little bit of water.

[fizzgig]

35. mine go running at the sight of the spray bottle

it's pretty funny to see them scatter like that

[leftyclimber]

38. I have one that will stop committing crimes if I *say* "squirt bottle."

OTOH, it's really important to squirt at the beginning of the criminal act.

My grandmother had a pair of Siamese kittens who discovered that it was fun to climb the living room curtains. She kept the squirt bottle in the kitchen. She'd see them on the drapes, go into the kitchen, then come back to the living room while the kittens were in mid-climb -- SQUIRT.

She ended up training her cats to climb halfway up the drapes and jump off. :rofl:

[SoCalDem]

36. All I have to do is pick it up, and they scatter.. even the non-naughty ones

:)

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

29. Have the vet put on softclaws...declawing is cruel and inhumane

Would you want somebody to cut off the tips of all your fingers? Because THAT is exactly what declawing is. It's illegal in much of Europe, and it should be illegal here as well.

My vet won't even perform it, because it's so cruel to the cat and it often leads to issues with the litter box (digging in the litter is torturous after the operation).

[Burma Jones]

31. We had the same problem with two cats whom we've raised from birth

What we did was to use canned compressed air (what you use to clean keyboards etc) to dissuade them from scratching several places we want left alone. This worked very quickly and now they claw the indestructible LL Bean wool braid rug and the posts we've provided instead of more valuable places.

[ipfilter]

32. I have hardwood floors and four cats.

The finish on the floor is harder than the cats claws. You will do more harm to the floor by accidentally dropping stuff than the cats will do with their claws.

[fizzgig]

33. her claws aren't going to damage the floors

i have hardwood floors and have no problem with our three cats. ask your vet if they'll put on the soft paws and if they have any other suggestions about training.

[MajorChode]

37. I'm not going to enter the claw/declaw debate

However, your wood floor is going to get scratched, regardless of whether you declaw the cat or not. If scratches bother you, then get a light colored wood and a matte finish so the scratches aren't as obvious.

Trying to keep a wood floor from getting scratched is just silly and besides they look better after a few years when they get worn a bit.

[distantearlywarning]

39. Please don't do this!

:cry:

Here is just a partial list of some of the consequences you and/or the cat could potentially face as a result of declawing:

Permanent pain for the rest of the cat's life
Permanent personality changes
Litterbox problems (and believe me, if you think a few clawmarks in furniture is a major problem, wait till you have a cat that won't use a litterbox...you haven't known hell on earth until that happens)
Heart problems - cats without claws can't exercise their chest muscles properly, including the heart, which leads to weakness and strokes and heart attacks early in life
Cat is unable to defend itself against predators
Cat is vulnerable to falls
A month or more of serious pain for the cat during healing, during which time it is agony for the poor creature to stand or sit
Permanent fear of you, or the vet
A risk of infection or death from the surgical procedure
If your cat ever accidentally gets out of the house, it will be unable to cope with much of the outside world and may die before you can find it

If you don't want to take our word for it, read some of the horror stories on the web about what happens to declawed cats.

Declawing is illegal in other civilized nations - for a reason! It's a horrible, horrible, brutal procedure, like someone cutting all your fingers off. You will be torturing your cat if you declaw her, make no mistake about it. :cry: Is furniture worth torturing a sentient being?

We have two cats, claws intact, as well as wood floors and some very nice furniture. With the exception of one drawer in the kitchen (where the cat food cans are kept), we've never had any problems with scratching on important stuff. Here's how we did it:

1) We provided them with lots of opportunities to scratch other types of things. They mostly use floor cardboard scratchers like this one: http://www.properpet.com/category/cardboard-cat-scratchers/ Our cats love these and preferentially use them, but we also have a cat tree with sisal posts, which they occasionally use. If you get a sisal post, it needs to be big and sturdy enough that the cat won't feel that the post might fall over on top of it. A lot of failures to get cats to use a post are due to the instability/small size of the post. We also have an old, beat-up office chair in a back room which they are allowed to abuse to their heart's content (picking our battles). End result: no scratching on our new expensive living room furniture

2) We let them go outside in our fully fenced, cat proof yard. We installed this system here: http://www.catfencein.com/ and a cat door at the back door. Was it expensive? Yes. But not as much as replacing a brand new Anderson patio door would be, I bet. They scratch on the fence outside, and on the logs outside, and they run off all their energy in the yard, and they don't whine or scratch at the door or tear around the house making noise at 3 am. End Result: We have the happiest, most tired, highly stimulated, and thus the best-behaved young male cats in the neighborhood, no joke. Visitors regularly comment on how well-socialized and well-behaved our cats are. It's because they get to be obnoxious monsters outside and then can act like civilized beings again when they come in the house. Also, if your cat is used to being outside because she was a stray for a long time, she's probably *always* going to be obnoxious about wanting to go out. You probably won't be able to change that desire in her, nor the negative behavior associated with it (whining, scratching, being annoying), so my suggestion is to try to work with her about it - find a way for her to experience the great outdoors safely. There are many ways that people have found to deal with this problem, cat fencing is only one of them. If you or hubby have any carpentry skills, maybe you could build her an enclosed cat run or a window box?

3) We use consistent discipline, including the squirt bottle, but also verbal praise & correction. We pick our battles, and correct them over important things, NOT *everything*. When we were teaching them what to scratch on when they were little, we praised them profusely when they used the scratchy boxes, and said "Ah Ah!" sharply when they scratched on something they weren't supposed to. When they stop doing the behavior that was corrected, they get praised for that. This has to happen *immediately* after you see the behavior, or it doesn't work. The "Ah Ah!" does the trick 99.9% of the time for us - we've only had to use a squirt bottle twice in the entire time we've had them (once for persistently climbing the curtains, once for persistently climbing a XMas tree). One application of the squirt bottle was adequate in both instances - the behavior stopped instantly and permanently.

4) We accept that they are cats, who have different needs and desires than we do, which may or may not fit so well with our lifestyle. And we work to figure out what we can and can't change about them and work around that to find pragmatic solutions that work for both parties. Example: Cats need to scratch. That's non-negotiable. Instead of trying to stop them from scratching, or take away their natural, important ability to do that, we provided options for them that did not involve our new living room furniture, and found ways to communicate with them to encourage the kinds of behaviors we wanted. We also treat them with respect and dignity, as one would a roommate, albeit one that doesn't pay the rent or speak English very well (so they only get part of the vote around here). And amazingly enough, they very often return the favor. Cats are not furniture or decorations in one's house, they are sentient beings who have feelings and needs which need to be taken into account. And there are certain things that just go along with cats that just have to be taken into account when you live with them. One is clawing. Another is pet hair. If you can't deal with that, then you probably shouldn't have a cat.

5) The kind of polyurethane that goes on hardwood floors is extremely durable, much more so than the poly put on furniture or doors. To my knowledge there is not a single scratch mark on a floor anywhere in our house made by a cat, despite having fully-clawed Kitty WWF wrestling matches and Indy 500 races around the house on a daily basis for the last two years and a brand-new hardwood floor put in right before we got the beasties. Hubby and I have done a lot more damage to the floors than they have. If your floors are your only concern, you can probably rest assured that your kitty will not be able to tear up your floors like she did your door. Also, cats don't like to scratch on horizontal smooth surfaces, so I doubt she will even try to be destructive in that way.

6) You said you tried the SoftPaws and it didn't work so well. Maybe have a conversation with your vet about the issue?

Hopefully this was helpful for you. Please please don't declaw your poor kitty!

[onlyadream]

40. okay okay okay - I won't do it - promise!

I didn't want to do it, but now (after reading all the posts) I just couldn't do that to her. I'm glad that she won't destroy the floors, my dog probably will though...but that's another story.

Okay, I do use a water bottle and have a scratch post that she loves. I could put another one upstairs, so I'll do that.

The main problem (with the drawers) is that my wonderful hubby and daughter (two peas in a pod) NEVER close the drawers all the way. So Penny likes to investigate, and now she tries to open them herself! One thing I noticed: In the morning, Penny used to sit patiently in the hallway waiting for me to get up (to be fed). I even noticed how good she was, unlike my old cat who would be extra bad to get me out of bed. All of a sudden, she is starting to do things that she knows I yell at her for. I think she realized that this is a way to get me up. The answer is not to react to this (so she stops) - which is what I'm doing. I'm also covering the furniture with pillows and so far it seems to be working.

As far as letting her outside: I KNOW she wants to go out so badly and I want to let her out. My dog gets to romp around all day long, and poor Penny sits by the window watching. That fence idea might do the trick. I guess I could close up all the holes at the bottom so she can't squeeze out and put that cat fence on the top.

Question: do you think a cat can climb a 6 foot vinyl fence? My yard has some of these (from the neighbor's).

[distantearlywarning]

41. That's so funny!

Cats are all alike, I swear.

Ours also get a bit obnoxious if they have to wait too long for us to get up. If it gets to be 9 or so on a Sunday morning, one or the other of them will start rummaging in the stuff under the bed, making noise. I know they only do it because they are trying to get us to pay attention, because they never do that at any other time. We try not to react also, because we don't want to reward them for that irritating behavior! :-D But they know that it wakes us up anyway - they can hear us breathing and talking. I have to say, though, that waiting 3 hours for us is pretty good for a little impatient young cat (they usually get food and attention at 6 am, so waiting till 9 is probably the limit of their tolerance).

They also want to know what is in every drawer, and every box, and every bag. Closed doors drive them nuts, and they sit outside them and fuss and fuss (chirp? mrrp? chirp? MEEP! MEEP!)

We put chicken wire all around the bottom of our fence before we put up the cat fencing. The system has worked amazingly well so far - one of them got out once and we found out it was because of a little gap we didn't quite cover all the way at the top. What's funny, though, is that when we found him he was totally terrified and trying to get back in on the other side, but couldn't because the cat proofing works both ways. I didn't know whether to laugh at him or be mad for scaring us like that. I think he learned his lesson because he's never tried to escape since that time (and we filled in the gap).

I think cats can climb anything, any kind of fence.

[Bryn]

42. White Cedar Wood scratching post works best

Carpet covered kind does not work. Out of desperation I bought white cedar wood scratching post...it worked! Cats love it. I bought it in 1999 and today it is still good!!! Cats cannot resist this one. Unfortunately they're hard to find in any pet stores. I bought it at Pet Supermarket in Miami. I know you can order it online, but more expensive. I bought it for 35.00.

[LostinVA]

43. Go ahead if you believe in torturing your pet for the rest of their life

It messes kitties up for the rest of their lives. It's equivalent to having half your fingers chopped off. should be illegal.

Try Soft Paws, scratching posts, or don't worry about your furniture.

[carlyhippy]

44. keep her claws cut all the time, it kinda helps

I have a male that has clawed up every doorframe in my house. I have another one that I had declawed as a kitten. I couldn't do it again, I couldn't put him thru the pain the other cat went thru. he really likes those cardboard scratching posts, but he shreds them in a couple of days. When I am getting his food ready, he acts like he is going to scratch on my brand new kitchen cabinets, I say NO and he so sweetly brings in the claws and makes the "massaging" moves on the cabinets with the claws tucked away haha, he is so cute, the little bugger.

[onlyadream]

45. That's cute...

Penny retracts her claws too (when playing). Sometimes she seems surprised when she accidentally scratches us - we call her Edward sissor hands.