Okay…we got a cat from the Humane Soceity in March. She’s been an amazing kitty. Loves our dog, well behaved, very cuddly…but, she’s a clawer. We have brand new furniture that cost us a lot and she’s well on her way to destroying 1 arm of the loveseat, her favorite spot. I wouldn’t dream of giving her away. We have tried everything. Multiple scratching posts, different heights, materials (some of which is the same fabric of the couch set), rubbed in catnip, water squirting, pennies in a can, everything our vet and others suggested.
I have booked her an appointment for laser declawing tomorrow. It’s our last resort and I can’t help but feel awfully about this. I know how much pain she’s going to go through. And, she’s getting spayed at the same time. sigh
Am I nuts in being upset? Will she be okay? Anyone else had laser declawing done?
Laser declawing won’t cause her any pain at all. As I understand it, the procedure takes the claws away up to the point where they would normally protrude, and prevents them from growing again. It’s a totally different prodecure from the previous standard, which was more of an operation and has been compared to amputating a finger at the first knuckle.
While I can understand feeling guilt over taking away her claws (I’ve been there), she won’t feel a thing and won’t even notice they’re gone. My cats still “sharpen their claws” even though they don’t have any (in the front).
Yeah, seriously. I worked as a vet assistant for several years. Declawings really aren’t as bad as people make them out to be. Within a few days, kitty is happy again and generally doesn’t feel / remember a thing. This was back before laser usage, so I can only assume laser declaws are even quicker to recover from. Don’t feel bad about the kitty, she’ll be fine.
Imagine having your fingers amputated to the first knuckle. That is what declawing does. I’ll be back with some faqs, but I beg you to reconsider, even just delay until you know more about the procedure. Please.
Arcana - I did NOT post this to be berated with more guilt. I HAVE read the FAQ’s. I’ve been reading on it for weeks, why do you think I feel so bad about this??
Arcana, I beg to differ. Yes, it is amputation. But it’s amputation of a part of the paw that the cat, unless needing to claw something, doesn’t use, nor will it particularly ‘miss’. Amputating parts of a human’s manipulatory digit is different, as we use the darn things for, well, manipulation.
Besides, wasn’t the purpose of this thread to -not- make her feel more guilty about this?
Guilt absolved, so says me. I’m the “parent” of one four-year-old declawed female kitty. She was also spayed at the same time, though the laser wasn’t available. She had no problems with the surgery. I figured it was the only way I was going to be able to keep a furniture-shredding apartment-dwelling cat. You’ve done all you can to keep her from scratching, and I’m sure you’ll continue to provide a great home for her, right? It’s a lot better than the alternatives! You do what you need to do, period. I’m not a big fan of declawing, but I did it.
*Side note, call the vet and ask what the aftercare will be like - you may need non-clay litter for your kitty’s healing paws.
have you tried softpaws? www.softpaws.com it is kitty nail caps. They are supposed to work great. I have never tried them though, I just keep my kitties nails trimmed and they don’t damange anything.
My inlaws had there cats declaws and I would never do that to a cat. It really is awful
Did anybody notice that she’s having the claws LASERED? From what I know, that’s not nearly as bad as the “traditional” method. I was able to trim my cat’s claws, but if I hadn’t, I’d have considered declawing him. Those covers would have lasted MAYBE five minutes on him.
Don’t feel guilty. Better a declawed kitty than a kitty who is kicked out or returned to a shelter – which I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t do, but which DOES happen.
Kalhoun - I would have to pretty much bubble wrap the entire couch. Not only does she scratch the arms, she’ll lay on her back and pull herself around at the bottom of the couch, she’ll stand on the back of the couch and do the happy-claw. She does it to everything.
Zebra - We trim her nails frequently, and she doesn’t mind it really. But it doesn’t help the shredding factor much.
Oh, I see. You want to ease your conscience because you already know the faqs and you feel guilty. Your priorities are obviously set. My sympathy to your cat. If you just don’t think about it, it won’t hurt you a bit.
>you may need non-clay litter for your kitty’s healing paws.<
Quite so. The wrong litter can get into the wounds and cause infections and other problems. The cat will probably still love you. Doesn’t really have a choice, does it?>^…^<
"Declawing involves 10 separate, painful amputations. It is a serious surgery, not just a manicure. The British Veterinary Associations calls declawing an “unnecessary mutilation.”(2) Indeed, it is illegal in Germany(3) and other parts of Europe.(4)
Declawing a cat involves general anesthesia and amputation of the last joint of each toe, including the bones, not just the nail. Possible complications of this surgery include reaction to anesthetic,(5) hemorrhage, bone chips which prevent healing, recurrent infections and damage to the radial nerve, pain, and possible abnormal regrowth of the nails.(6) The nails may grow back inside the paw, causing pain but remaining invisible to the eye. Declawed cats need regular X-rays to monitor this problem. Declawing results in a gradual weakening of leg, shoulder, and back muscles, and, because of impaired balance, declawed cats have to relearn to walk much as would a person who lost his or her toes."
