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What are your thoughts on Declawing your cat?


Oliver

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We got a baby Bengal cat which is a breed of half domestic cat and half wild cat.. so we were thinking of declawing her since we have leather furniture and stuff that could get damaged very easily.. so I wanted to ask people here on their experiences and opinions on this

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Don't do it, it's very unethical. It's the equivalent of cutting all of your fingers.

Instead, you can cover your furniture, get scratching posts for your cat, and train him. I've heard Bengal cats can be easier to train than the other breeds

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though your concerns with your furniture are very valid, i think declawing is a horrible thing to do as it can be very physically and mentally damaging. if it makes you feel any better, i was worried about my couches etc. when i got my cat too but his (hes now fully grown) claws are still too small to do any significant damage other than very light scratches

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Ohhh. This is a very very ugly question to ask as it could easily cause a barrage of anger, chastisement, and hostility. I'll keep it simple: NO. Declawing is the disfigurement of the cat' digits and increases discomfort, negative behavior changes, and lifelong arthritis. There is no simple or painless declawing technique. FYI in many countries declawing is actually illegal. Try to find an alternative (most of which can find on the Internet).

 

And so far all the comments have been gentle/pleasant. I hope they remain so as it looks like a genuine inquiry from the OP.

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My boyfriend's mum declawed their cat once. The cat became utterly depressed and let itself die not long after it.

Just don't do it. It's torture, plain and simple. If you're more worried about your furnitures than your cat, then you clearly don't deserve to have a cat, and are not ready for it in the slightest. Especially NOT a bengal.

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Please don't do it.

 

Pets require sacrifice. For example I bought a beautiful cream couch that I love, but I have to keep it covered the majority of them time, because my dogs paws will leave marks on it. I could teach them not to come on the couch but then I would miss snuggling with them. So I cover the couch instead.

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Don't do it, it's very unethical. It's the equivalent of cutting all of your fingers.

Instead, you can cover your furniture, get scratching posts for your cat, and train him. I've heard Bengal cats can be easier to train than the other breeds

 

 

though your concerns with your furniture are very valid, i think declawing is a horrible thing to do as it can be very physically and mentally damaging. if it makes you feel any better, i was worried about my couches etc. when i got my cat too but his (hes now fully grown) claws are still too small to do any significant damage other than very light scratches

 

 

Ohhh. This is a very very ugly question to ask as it could easily cause a barrage of anger, chastisement, and hostility. I'll keep it simple: NO. Declawing is the disfigurement of the cat' digits and increases discomfort, negative behavior changes, and lifelong arthritis. There is no simple or painless declawing technique. FYI in many countries declawing is actually illegal. Try to find an alternative (most of which can find on the Internet).

 

And so far all the comments have been gentle/pleasant. I hope they remain so as it looks like a genuine inquiry from the OP.

 

 

My boyfriend's mum declawed their cat once. The cat became utterly depressed and let itself die not long after it.

Just don't do it. It's torture, plain and simple. If you're more worried about your furnitures than your cat, then you clearly don't deserve to have a cat, and are not ready for it in the slightest. Especially NOT a bengal.

 

 

Please don't do it.

 

Pets require sacrifice. For example I bought a beautiful cream couch that I love, but I have to keep it covered the majority of them time, because my dogs paws will leave marks on it. I could teach them not to come on the couch but then I would miss snuggling with them. So I cover the couch instead.

 

 

Please do not declaw your cat. Look into alternatives like SoftPaw. Declawing is like chopping your fingers off at the first tip and strips them of their primary form of defense. Plus cats use their claws when climbing in order to get a good grip.

 

 

the reason I am asking is because the person I am getting the cat from declawed all of her cats because she has 4 kids and they were scratched many times.. so I am just asking lol.. I am not saying I am doing it.. I just wanted to see what people's opinions are from people who might have done it.. and people who didn't//

 

Please keep in mind that this is a first time I get a pet so I really have no idea with these things..

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It can be nerve-wrecking adopting/owning a new companion. Trust me I know. I think I went to the vet 5 times in the 1st month. So it makes since all this is new to you. No one can make you do something you don't want to do or persuade you to not to do something you want to do. I only suggest researching the true meaning and impact on declawing. And if you really do pursue declawing PLEASE research a very reputable vet who knows what they are doing to try to mitigate as much risk/harm/consequences to the cat. A cheap or low cost declawing is a sure sign the cat will likely experience poor recovery.

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I'm not sure what country your from, but in the US most pet stores sell "kitty Caps". They are rubber nail caps you can put on your cats nails, although that can be expensive to keep up with as nails grow and the caps fall off.

 

Declawing is a painful procedure but a lot of people still opt to get it done. With time the cat usually makes a full recovery, but in some cases it can lead to behavior changes and possible arthritis. I've seen some cats develope an aversion to their litter because it's too painful for them to use.

 

It's ultimately your choice, if you decide to do it make sure it's done by a reputable Veterinarian, and ask if they offer pain medication in recovery (surprisingly not all places do). Veterinarians usually prefer to declaw kittens around 5-6 months as recovery is easier on younger cats, so I wouldn't take too long making a decision.

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the reason I am asking is because the person I am getting the cat from declawed all of her cats because she has 4 kids and they were scratched many times.. so I am just asking lol.. I am not saying I am doing it.. I just wanted to see what people's opinions are from people who might have done it.. and people who didn't//

 

Please keep in mind that this is a first time I get a pet so I really have no idea with these things..

 

Yes unfortunately a lot of cat owners opt to do it, either because they don't realize the damage it does to the cat or because they simply don't care.

 

Cats are very smart, once they know they're not allowed to do something they won't do it. If you let your kitten know it's not okay for him to scratch the couches he won't do it. Just make sure to get him scratching posts to make up for it. And cover your couches just to be extra cautious.

I have 3 cats and they all know what parts of the house are off limit

 

If you needed more information on cats, their diets, behaviors, ask me.

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Yes unfortunately a lot of cat owners opt to do it, either because they don't realize the damage it does to the cat or because they simply don't care.

 

Cats are very smart, once they know they're not allowed to do something they won't do it. If you let your kitten know it's not okay for him to scratch the couches he won't do it. Just make sure to get him scratching posts to make up for it. And cover your couches just to be extra cautious.

I have 3 cats and they all know what parts of the house are off limit

 

If you needed more information on cats, their diets, behaviors, ask me.

I'll keep you in mind! thank you very much lol

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Don't do it. It's completely unnatural for the cat. Besides, you can always regularly trim their nails with specialized clippers just for cat and dog nails to prevent them from ruining your furniture/accidentally hurting people (I had to clip my previous foster kittens' nails every 2 weeks because damn, when they try to climb on you with their sharp claws, it HURTS and being kittens their claws grew quickly) or teach them to only scratch in designated areas (like a scratching post or scratching board/piece of carpet). 

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If it's done well, normally cats adapt well. Most of the horror stories are from botched jobs, and I think laser is the best way to do it. 

 

I know plenty of cats who are declawed and they're fine. They scratch things like they have them, their gait is normal. They're like any other cat. That said, it's not recommended. It is surgery, they will for sure be temporally in pain.

 

You can train a cat not to scratch. You can have their nails trimmed, or a coating put on to blunt the tips. As it's a kitten, if you get them used the having their nails filed/trimmed when they're young, they'll tolerate it well as adults.

 

And it goes without saying, but if they'll ever be outside you can't mess with their nails. It's cruel to rob them of their ability to defend themselves. 

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I've never declawed my cat, just feels too mean to take away something they use so often. It's true cats can really damage your furniture but if you get a good scratching post that takes care of the problem. I don't judge other people for doing it but I don't think I could ever bring myself to declaw a cat.

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