Cat, not BDSM, related question...

[Private_Label]

Declaw or not

Lately we've have a lot of threads with people talking about their pets and this question is for the other cat owners. Have any of you have your cats declawed and if so what, if any, were the complication and were there any significant changes in your cat? ...

Edited to add: If anyone knows another way to teach him not to scratch without taking his claws I am more than willing to hear it, otherwise this was just the last straw.

1.) buy a good pair of nail clippers and keep his claws trimmed. My cat needs it at least once a week, and occasionally one will get sharp sooner. If you notice it, clip it. It also heels their claws healthier. (It's also a good thing to get the cat used to being handled in this manner too)

2.) Provide plenty of other "scratch friendly" things. Note:This really didn't work well with my cat - she still likes scrtching the bed more than her scratch post or cat tree, but the artificial turf covering the shelves over the windows she loves to scratch. Covering the corners & boxspring with Vinyl (a smooth surface with no purchase) discouraged her for a while. What a cat finds attractive I think will vary from cat to cat - mine likes tight wove berber carpet rather than the usual slightly shaggier cat tree/scratching post carpet, or sisal rope.

3.) There are claw tipping kits ("Soft paws") that you glue over the nails to protect furiture, etc.

As mentioned by others, declawing can make a cat more timid due to the loss of a defensive weapon. Plus, I would like to add - if the surgery is botched the toes could end up deformed and in constant pain. I personally don't think it is a good idea to declaw for this reason.

If your cat is scratching you - try to figure out why. Static electricitry often builds up in the cat's coat and they react to it at levels we don't notice when petted. A damp rag will help with this, as will spraying a brush with anti static spray and then brushing the cat.

Also pay attention to the personality of your cat - some like lots of attention and petting, while others would rather not be touched. Respecting a pet's need for personal space can decrease the number of "random" attacks as well.

 

[Private_Label]

I don't honestly believe he means to claw me. He's still young and likes to play rough and since he's feline that naturally includes his claws. However I can't curb the behavior. The face thing was a first and like I said before I don't think he truly meant to claw me but simply meant to bat my face and didn't think he'd hurt me anymore than his playful lil headbutts to wake me up when he wants breakfast hurt me.

When my cat was a kitten she used to bit my hands quite a bit in her exhuberance. It hurt. My solution: when she would get that wound up and bite, I would hiss at her and stop playing with her and gently push her away (set her on the ground if she was on a couch). After a while she learned that biting was not acceptable behavior and if she used claws I would not play with her. Not she keeps her claws sheathed (most of the time) when we play. When she "bites" it is not with any force - more like mouthing my finger or hand. If she gets too rambunctious (i.e. likely to forget the rules) I stop playing. Most pets will learn the rules as long as you are consistent with your reaction (i.e. stopping play).

 

[FurryFury]

Well the surgery is done and my baby is home. It went well and he is as playful and affectionate as ever. He has to take antibiotics for two weeks and they gave me pain meds for him for the next three days. He was totally happy to be home and ran all over the place making sure all his stuff was where it should be and exploring all the new toys his guilty human bought for him.

The vet told me to try and keep him from jumping off the furniture but the first thing he did was jump up onto and then off the bed about five times. He was so cute! and didn't seem to bother him at all. Right now he's curled up in the closet and giving an annoyed look cause I did laundry while he was gone and he likes to curl up in the clothes basket when it's full.

Anyway I just wanted those that showed concern over this decision to know he was o.k. and say thank you again to everyone that weighed in with advise for me. It was truly appreciated.

A for everyone!

Caela

I'm glad your baby is home and doing well!

Fury

 

[DVS]

Thank you, I was worried he'd be mad at me when I got him home but he's been happy and just adorable. He finally decided he's run around enough and is curled up and sleeping on the window ledge.

I don't think the emotion would be anger at you, but more likely confusion at his inabiltiy to grab hold of thngs like he used to.

I'm glad he seems to be doing well, so soon after surgery.

 

[caela]

I'm glad your baby is home and doing well!

Fury

Thank you Fury!

 

[caela]

I don't think the emotion would be anger at you, but more likely confusion at his inabiltiy to grab hold of thngs like he used to.

I'm glad he seems to be doing well, so soon after surgery.

Thanks DVS. He actually seems to be adjusting to the change quite well and has already figured out how to just hold something still by pressing his paw down on it or between both paws. He might just be young enough to simply bounce back quickly but it really doesn't seem to bother him at all. He took a long nap after running around like a fiend for a little while and now is just his normal little self.

 

[Private_Label]

Thanks DVS. He actually seems to be adjusting to the change quite well and has already figured out how to just hold something still by pressing his paw down on it or between both paws. He might just be young enough to simply bounce back quickly but it really doesn't seem to bother him at all. He took a long nap after running around like a fiend for a little while and now is just his normal little self.

Glad to hear he is doing well Caela. The one time I gave my cat pain meds, she had fallen from the top of the bathroom door and snagged a claw on the towel on the way down and pulled it hard. Thankfully it did not require surgery, but the doc gave me antibiotics and a pain med for her. The pain medication really wiped her out (she ended up sleeping in her box on top of the wardrobe for a day so that I had to take the box down just to be sure she was there - she was and fairly loopy. At that point I decided no more pain meds for her and once the effect wore off she was her normal bouncy self. and yes she has gotten up on top of the bathroom door again... at least the shelves over the windows are higher so she prefers them now.

 

[DVS]

Glad to hear he is doing well Caela. The one time I gave my cat pain meds, she had fallen from the top of the bathroom door and snagged a claw on the towel on the way down and pulled it hard. Thankfully it did not require surgery, but the doc gave me antibiotics and a pain med for her. The pain medication really wiped her out (she ended up sleeping in her box on top of the wardrobe for a day so that I had to take the box down just to be sure she was there - she was and fairly loopy. At that point I decided no more pain meds for her and once the effect wore off she was her normal bouncy self. and yes she has gotten up on top of the bathroom door again... at least the shelves over the windows are higher so she prefers them now.

Cats---no Achraphobia in them. I love it, too. I've always loved high places, too. One of my favorite things was to sit in a tall tree on a summer afternoon and let the wind sway the tree. Maybe I'm part cat. Meow.

 

[Bandit58]

Well the surgery is done and my baby is home. It went well and he is as playful and affectionate as ever. He has to take antibiotics for two weeks and they gave me pain meds for him for the next three days. He was totally happy to be home and ran all over the place making sure all his stuff was where it should be and exploring all the new toys his guilty human bought for him.

The vet told me to try and keep him from jumping off the furniture but the first thing he did was jump up onto and then off the bed about five times. He was so cute! and didn't seem to bother him at all. Right now he's curled up in the closet and giving an annoyed look cause I did laundry while he was gone and he likes to curl up in the clothes basket when it's full.

Anyway I just wanted those that showed concern over this decision to know he was o.k. and say thank you again to everyone that weighed in with advise for me. It was truly appreciated.

A for everyone!

Caela

The bit about curling up in the dirty laundry basket brought back memories of our little black and white kitten. My daughter had only had him for a few days and he hadn't been allowed outside yet, but I couldn't find him one day After looking all over the house I decided he might be behind the fridge or something and would come out when he got hungry

About an hour later I had to go...well you know and walked past the bucket that we put the dirty clothes in and lo and behold there he was fast asleep. I don't know how he got in there because it was an old nappy bucket that would hold about 20 litres of water and it was fairly tall. However he would go to sleep in there quite often until he got too big to fit comfortably. I think he liked our body smells! He would also curl up on clothes we had worn that had been left on beds etc.

I miss him (he lives on the farm with my daughter and is still terribly spoilt from what I hear )

 

[caela]

The bit about curling up in the dirty laundry basket brought back memories of our little black and white kitten. My daughter had only had him for a few days and he hadn't been allowed outside yet, but I couldn't find him one day After looking all over the house I decided he might be behind the fridge or something and would come out when he got hungry

About an hour later I had to go...well you know and walked past the bucket that we put the dirty clothes in and lo and behold there he was fast asleep. I don't know how he got in there because it was an old nappy bucket that would hold about 20 litres of water and it was fairly tall. However he would go to sleep in there quite often until he got too big to fit comfortably. I think he liked our body smells! He would also curl up on clothes we had worn that had been left on beds etc.

I miss him (he lives on the farm with my daughter and is still terribly spoilt from what I hear )

Awwwwwwww that's so cute! I agree that some cats like the scent of you and that's at least partly why they curl up on your clothes. When I went to house sit for my mom I took a basket of dirty clothes with me (why take them to the laundromat when I could do them there for free) and since they seemed to help keep him calm when I wasn't there I didn't bother washing them until the very last day. I'd get there after work and almost without fail he was sleeping on the clothes.

 

[caela]

Glad to hear he is doing well Caela. The one time I gave my cat pain meds, she had fallen from the top of the bathroom door and snagged a claw on the towel on the way down and pulled it hard. Thankfully it did not require surgery, but the doc gave me antibiotics and a pain med for her. The pain medication really wiped her out (she ended up sleeping in her box on top of the wardrobe for a day so that I had to take the box down just to be sure she was there - she was and fairly loopy. At that point I decided no more pain meds for her and once the effect wore off she was her normal bouncy self. and yes she has gotten up on top of the bathroom door again... at least the shelves over the windows are higher so she prefers them now.

Ooooooo that's an adarable shot Private! You have a cute lil kitty.

The antibiotics and pain meds that Rhys is on don't seem to make him loopy but then he doesn't get them all at once either. I tried using the syringe to just give him the dose and decided that was a bad idea when the whole dose ended up on me. It gets mixed into his food now since that was the other option the vet gave me for it. So he ends up getting a bunch of little doses through the day instead of just one big dose and he seems happy as a clam.