I heard it was bad to declaw your cat. But, my brother has two cats and had them both declawed. They have been fine their whole lives. They still go through the motions of acting like they are scratching up the leather sofa. But, there is no damage so...no worries. Are cats supposed to suffer mentally from being declawed or something?
Declawing is a touchy subject that many people feel very strongly about. Having had a wife that works in a vet clinic, here's how I view it: - It's performed surgically, under anaesthetic, so the initial pain and the recovery time is minimized as much as possible. - Declawed cats lead perfectly happy, normal lives. Their agility is unchanged, and they even pretend-scratch (without the damage) frequently. - For many people, it's either declaw the cat or give them up. A declawed cat with a home is better than a clawed cat roaming the streets. The US is already overpopulated with feral cats: we don't need more. Some people draw the analogy off cutting of your fingertips, but it's just not the same. Cats aren't human. They don't use their claws to write, draw, type, eat, etc. The closer analogy would be having a doctor surgically remove your toes, but even that is inaccurate, in that toe removal would be readily visible and would throw off balance, whereas claw removal is neither readily visible nor effects coordination. Humans dwell on things emotionally. Cats just adjust. Don't anthropomorphize the cat and think that you're torturing him/her. One note, though: if the cat is going to be an outdoor cat, you SHOULD NOT declaw the cat. Outside the house, the claws are the cat's primary defense against predators. Without them, if they are attacked, they're pretty much dead. But for an indoor cat, I say you're fine getting him declawed.
Voicing a passing thought is generally considered pretty casual, no? Doesn't seem like you're considering everything, as I see no mention of possible litter box problems, increased tendency to bite, or long term joint problems.
A little late to the thread but I am someone that never thought in a million years that I would own a cat. I have always been a big dog person and I viewed cats as too independent for my liking. Then in late 2008, the guy that was living next door was being forced to move because he wasn't paying his rent. My wife and daughter didn't really care about that; all they cared about was that one of his cats could be available. And sure enough he let us keep one of his cats that he had been leaving outside. Zeke (or as my wife and daughter spell his name, "Zeek") is the only cat I have ever seen that will actually come to you when you call his name. The wife and me have always said about him that he thinks he is a dog. She wanted him declawed because she was afraid he was going to ruin a lot of furniture in our house. Since we were going to keep him inside 100% of the time, I didn't really object. The post by BetterThanI that is below this is 100% spot on, IMO. I have found that cats are much EASIER to take care of and maintain than dogs. Whenever we take our dogs to the vet, we are always paying outrageous prices it seems and we are always taking them to get groomed. With a cat, you won't have to worry about that, now you might with the first trip to the vet but you are lucky that you got this cat when it was a kitten and not when it was like a year old like we did with Zeke. Anyway, I have been fully converted to a cat fan and plan on having one as long as I live. I couldn't imagine what life would be like without Zeke. Congrats on your new cat - I know you are going to enjoy him!
I don't think so..it's just being factual. How was i suppose to "voice it" via a keyboard so that it isnt taken as casual? Anyways, it is a potential option for a potential problem, albeit i would not do it.
Never mind.. I realized this was an old thread. I see after reading more that you did keep the kitten
i found a cool kitten once. i swore it was a keeper and the family was ready to keep it. but, the kitten was too cool for school and bailed on a whim never to be seen again. when i saw said kitten jumping in the air after birds and climbing up trees to get after them... i was sold that i wanted that kitten. but, the kitten had bigger goals in mind apparently. i miss the little guy. be careful...or your kitten could bail for loftier goals as well.
what is a good age to declaw a cat if you are going to do that? we just had our two cats pass away and I was thinking maybe declawing our next one(s)
Look at your statement: possible litter box problems, possible biting problems, possible joint problems. As with any surgery, there are risk factors, but they are very, very low. And as a person who has owned over ten cats in my lifetime (all declawed), known countless others who have had even more (all declawed), and talked to vets extensively on multiple occasions, I've never encountered a single person who has had those issues. Not one. Ever. Can declawing lead to thoses issues? It's a longshot, but yeah, I guess. But then again, you can die from getting plastic surgery. Doesn't mean some people shouldn't get it anyway. Case in point:
