I agree-declawing is barbaric. Can you imagine trying to shovel litter with stumps? How painful that must be, even after they've healed. My BIL lost the tip of one finger over a year ago and still has pain in it. Imagine a cat losing the tips of all front paws. :(

Great post Stiffchick!

My Tigger is not declawed. I got him from a petstore rescue when he was 1 1/2 years old........I purchased a small scratching post and it only took a couple of times to clap my hands when he started on my chair. He got the meaning and got to the scratching post.

With that said, in my younger years we had a cat and her kittens destroyed one sofa while we were gone from the house. Unfortunately I had the next cat declawed.....my vets only suggestion was to give him a separate room, well that was Impossible so I went forward with the procedure............just my experiences. [my cats are inside kittys]

I have just been given a6 month old cat. He is neutered but is NOT declawed and he will never be. I keep thinking what it would feel like to have my finger nails removed. He and my toy poodle get along great. They hide each others favorite toys and love to chase each other around.

Please don't declaw. My s-i-l did and her cat will bite her at the drop of a hat. She can't grab her with paws when playing
so she takes her only other option.

Please listen to this lady-I had a cat declawed and it was the worse thing I could have done!! DO de-sex but pleasedo not declaw!

I would certainly get him fixed but NOT DECLAW. His paws will hurt for the rest of his life and he will be in pain when the litter in the box irritates his paws. PLEASE don't. You might want to check with a vet because they do have things to prevent from getting scratch, He is a baby and must be taught just like a dog.

Update on the kitten: we've decided to have him neutered but not declawed. My DH clipped his nails and he is not as aggressive with the dog. Hopefully this will do the trick. He already has a couple of scratching posts so time will tell.

Thank you!! You sound like great cat parents! Keep a spray bottle of water handy-it's a pretty good training tool for cats.

Ask the vet about Soft Paws. They glue them over the existing nails and they only have to be replaced every so often. I have never used them but others have said they're pretty effective.

In Australia they have a cat enclosure system called Cat Nip-for pictures and ideas-http://www.catsofaustralia.com/cat-e...m#.UpJiDsSThbQ. I used this for my fur babies and they loved it. they could go in and out as they pleased-climb, sun, prowl and hunt without being in any danger from other animal. I never had a problem with exercise or behavior when they had this outlet. Now they are older and just lay about the sunroom and deck. LOL. Please don't de-claw this baby-you will regret it for the rest of his life. Your vet SHOULD discourage you from this action.

thank you-thank you-thank you!!!!!

I'm so glad to hear this--that kitten has been on my mind and in my heart since reading the posted topic. Lord love you and your husband too! I just cry when I think about the story re my cat's declawing ..he suffered so much and now he walks like he's on hot coals. I can't make up what someone else did to him, but I am trying.

Your new cat...
 

I am so thrilled to hear you have decided to be a good cat people! Your kitty will need to sleep test every quilt you make, play in anything you leave out, and curl up around the sewing machine just as you sit down to sew, in other words, you will be owned. Congratulations.

I was in Joann's, waiting in line to have my fabric cut. There was a lady that came to pick up all the cardboards that once held fabric around them. I just casually mentioned, you must be getting those for stash organizing. NO, wrong!! They are to be scratching stations for her eight cats.

In all seriousness, declawing is like having someone cut all your fingers off at the first bone from the tip. I also read up on it, and what I find most uncommodating, is that when the cat walks, it totally throws off their whole body posture, and they will end up with all kinds of joint and arthritis issues more so over time than a cat that is left normal. It is not normal position or posture to walk with this much "length" taken away from their front legs.

Hooray! Thank you so much for being an awesome cat caretaker. If you associate good things with nail clipping you will never have a problem. All of my cats allow me to do it and some are so laid back about it they lay on my lap belly up and let me do it while laying as limp as a wet noodle. Cats can be awesome companions. I have dogs too but all my cats are now oldsters and my pups are basically that, pups (2 YO and 12 week old) so the cats give them wide berth.

Thank you, thank you , thank you for deciding not to declaw.

You are so right -- his favorite place to play is on my sewing table. He is very interested in the sewing needle going up and down. I have to keep one hand behind the needle to guard him from getting his paw caught. He is quite the character.

I never wanted a cat. Last year DH (recovering from a stroke) decided that he needed one then a second. One has decided he's mine. The other owns DH. Miss Katy was an adult clawer when she arrived. DH told her no while holding her paw gently but firmly. It took about 2 weeks for her to get the idea (she is not quite bright). I have always heard that declawing a cat is abusive and dangerous to the cat. There are a large number of unhealthy unwanted feral cats in our area, often becoming coyote food. Spay/neuter programs are available in most places.

BTW, my neutered male is a total delight. He cuddles very sweetly on my lap IF I have a lap quilt there, otherwise on any other quilt. He and my dog have become friends, requesting door opening for each other. Tiger has learned to turn on the motion-sensor light to notify his dog and us of his need to come in. Of course, he investigates everything.

My kitties adore bark texture. They also prefer to stretch horizontally. So, they get logs. One lasts years here, and it's free nearly always.

My blind cat needed a declaw as he's a bit of a genetic mess, so his claws were growing sideways. We tried everything, even clipping and filing daily. But his poor feet were getting worse as he got bigger, and he couldn't walk without crying in pain. He's still more delicate when walking, and he prefers steps vs jumps to get up and down. But, he's a normal enough kitty now, and he's less protective of his feet. But, he does nip if he's scared.

I kept a little squirt gun near my older machine when Bruno moved in, anytime he got too close to the needle, he got squirted in the butt. He learned real quick not to get close to the thing that moves. He learned, and I can sleep at night. Just be careful not to get any part of the machine wet. (That is why I shot him in the butt, furthest part of him from the machine. 12 years later and when I am sewing, he will come say hi, but he won't get near the needle.)

I'm glad that you are not declawing your kitty. If not done properly, it can mess them up. From some of the stories in this thread, it sounds like some were not properly declawed. My brother had a cat declawed and the vet must have clipped the artery because his paws wouldn't stop bleeding. The poor kitty had to be put down. Maine Coons should never be declawed because their toes are different, plus they are smart enough to train not to scratch. Ours like to scratch vertically- our dom. Long hair likes to scratch horizontally. He likes my carpet.
Please watch your kitty in the sewing room as they like to eat threads and sometimes pins. Mine kept trying to "catch" the needle as it was sewing. She is no longer invited into my sewing room. Most of all enjoy your furbaby. They bring loads of entertainment.

How do you "properly" cut off a cat's limbs? No matter how it's done, it's not proper (unless it's for a health reason like QuiltedCello's cat).

YAY it is also easier to clip nails when they are very,very sleepy

I have three cats: one 7 year old female brown tabby, one 2 year old male orange tabby and a one-year old female Maine Coon mix. They came from cat rescues to us as kittens except for the Maine Coon; we rescued her off the street at 5 weeks old. None of my cats are declawed. We have lots of toys, several scratching posts and clip their claws every 10 days. I never had an issue with them clawing up my furniture etc and we have several leather sofas/recliners :) Of course, they hog every scrap of fabric in this house but that is another matter LOL

I too have three. one is still very timid but one of her siblings was timid also and none of the others were. she, however, had to be chased away from the back of the sofa at times! they never bothered it when it was against the wall, now that it is out in the room, the back is fair game it seems. other than that, they are good cats.

I am not promoting declawing, but just saying there are health risks and inproper ways to perform that surgery. Like amputation by surgeon or buzzsaw. I wish no one would declaw their pets. Unfortunately before i understood what was involved we declawed our first 2 cats. There were no complications with their surgery but one became a biter. When we bought our Maine Coons we had to sign a contract with the breeder to nueter and NOT declaw which we happily signed.sorry for the confusion.

3 here also :) My big guy was an itty bitty little ball of fluff who I picked up during an ice storm. He's my big mush ball of love. My girl is the queen diva in the house, and she does not put up with crap. She's an almost ugly cat, but I went to the shelter to get another cat and the cat I liked didn't like me, and she trotted right up, sat in my lap and chirped at me, so I took her home. Then my little blind guy, who isn't so little anymore. He's from a local cat rescue, because I'm a sucker, and I can handle (or think I can anyway) if he has a drastically shortened life.

The only furniture they claw at is an ancient couch with that almost burlap type 70's textured fabric. I can't really fault them for that, they don't touch any other furniture, and they don't damage the cushions, just the fabric. So I toss a blanket over it, and claim I'll eventually get it recovered.

If I'm sewing, they are mostly good about leaving things alone, they do like to grab scraps to run off with, and my girl likes to sit on the cutting table. Oh well, she makes a good weight to hold the fabric down. If I'm not sewing, they are naughty and try to eat thread and pins. Thus, all that is kept in a latched cabinet drawer system.

I'm soooooo sooooooooooooo glad you are not having your kitten declawed. I agree with all the posters who have given the reasons why they should not be declawed.

I have no cats now, just my baby Gracie (avatar), but I did have a Maine Coon for almost 12 years. I tried the scratching posts that you can buy, and they "sorta" worked, but not all the time. We had a fireplace and the logs we used were about 20" long. We had one split vertically down the middle. I took one half and propped it up against the wall in the den, with a towel behind it to protect the wall. The other one was farther back in the house, set up the same way. She absolutely loved the natural bark of the half-log, and used it all the time. In fact, she used it so much that after a couple of years she actually wore the bark off on one section of it until it was smooth. After I put the logs up for her to scratch, she never ever touched a piece of furniture. I think she really enjoyed the natural feel of the bark. I very strongly and highly recommend this method. Good luck with your sweet baby.

Count me as another high-five for not de-clawing your cat! Years ago I had an acquaintance who de-clawed her kitten's front feet, and that poor kitten walked only on his hind legs for months. Broke my heart every time I saw him. The owner thought it was funny.

I have a friend who has 5 acres and several rescued cats, both indoor and outdoor. She gave me very good advice - do NOT buy carpet-covered scratching posts! It only teaches them that it's okay to scratch carpet. Get the sisal rope covered posts, or bark like a previous poster. I think those materials are healthier for the cats anyway.