185 thoughts on “Cat Laser Declawing-Should it be done?”

1. Opps – I forgot the link for the AVMA statement on declawing – here it is:

   http://www.avma.org/onlnews/javma/apr03/030415c.asp

2. I didn’t notice, 4GreaterGood, where did you say you got your vet degree? My vet, whom has been my vet for many years, got his from Purdue University, one of the best vet schools in the US. As for him making money from this procedure, I checked online and most vets charge $250 – $500 for laser declaw, my vet is charging me $131. I don’t think he’s making lots of money (factor in the cost of equipment, meds, etc.). Also, as Shari pointed out, he did his own cats, too. If it was just to make money, he would not have done that. He has studied animal anatomy, have you?

   I urge you all to read the AVMA statement on declawing – please pay particular attention to points 6 and 7.

   Apparently, my comments on what all I had tried were ignored. I have tried other avenues and declawing was not a decision made lightly. I cannot compromise the structure of my home. If it was just the furniture, so what. It is my walls and doorways that are being damaged. I don’t want to create a bad environment of continually yelling at my cats; that is not good for them or for me.

3. I really think most vets are there because they love animals and will do what they think is in their best interest. Her vet declawed his own cats – I doubt he did that for the money. And while Bill clearly speaks for himself, there are many of us that agree with him.

4. Do you really think it is a good idea, Tina, to get advice from the veterinarian who will make money declawing your kittens? Of course your vet will advise you to do it… he or she stands to make the money from doing the procedure. God help your kittens, poor things. And Bill, speak for yourself. No sane person would dignify your inane comments with a response.

5. After about an hour long discussion with my vet (who owns 2 cats that he declawed with laser) and the vet tech (who also had her kitten recently declawed with laser), we have decided to declaw our two kittens. My vet explained to us the differences between how a human hand works and how a cats paw works. He explained in detail that cats do not use the last digit for walking or anytime that the nail is retracted. It is not the same as cutting your fingertips off because they do not work the same.

   I have two older cats who are already declawed (they are each 12 years old). We had them declawed using the traditional method when they were kittens and they have been fantastic over the years with no ill effects. They still make the same scratching motions, but they don’t tear up us or our furniture or house. The new kittens are scratching my walls. I have 2 huge towers that they climb and scratch all over, I have 4 scratching posts scattered through the house and I have used the No Scratch spray on my walls and doorways. I have even tried the Soft Paws. Currently I have aluminum foil on all my walls to discourage scratching. After talking at length with my vet, I feel that this is the only choice I have to live in harmony with my two lovely new kittens. So in my opinion, if one has tried to correct the behavior and is unsuccessful, then declawing is a valid method of keeping your cat/kittens in a loving home (rather than re-homing them). All the fanatics have done is create another layer of guilt for good and loving pet owners to work through before they make the decision to give up their pet or declaw them.

   It is an extremely difficult decision that should not be taken lightly – however, I do not think that owners who opt to declaw should be put down. We are making the decision based on information that was carefully gathered and with much thought and consideration as to what would be best for the entire family unit (pets included).

6. I’ve been searching for this precise info on this topic for a long time.

7. So much passion here. Look: ever since I left the dairy farm (with our beloved barn cats) 30 years ago, all my cats have been front declawed – but they have also been strictly indoor cats – a critical protection for the cat. What has been the result? Happy, healthy cats, family members, who have led long, playful, joyful, affectionate lives. Tiki arrived in our lives as a clawed cat and we had him declawed. Boo joined us years later, was also declawed, and he and Tiki played together vigorously, running and roughhousing, for years. Boo lived to a ripe old age of 18 years and I love him and miss him so much. Finally, Hunter came into my life 2 years ago, and in that case I rescued a cat who was already declawed by a previous owner. He did have a biting problem – but it was also apparent from his fearfulness and timidity that he had been abused – and that, not the declawing – was the source of his problem, for in a few months’ adaptation, he no longer bites (probably for the first time in his life, he has a loving human owner and he has finally figured out that a human can be a FRIEND). He is my joy. He also has remarkable tensile strength and skillful grip in his front paws, almost like hands: and again I remind you, he is declawed.

   The hysteria that equates declawing to torture or maiming is misguided, disproportionate, and is completely contradicted by my own 50+ years’ experience as a pet owner with wonderful cats (the last of whom had to learn that humans are pretty cool, and that they are sources of support and friendship).

8. Given the overall state of California’s economy and government budgets it would be pretty hard to argue it’s anything other than insane.

   Just because a mob of nitwits in Kalifornia get a law passed doesn’t make it anything resembling sane.

9. Did you know that eight cities in California, including all of Los Angeles and San Francisco, have banned declawing of all cats? Did you know that the State of California banned declawing of all exotic species and large cats state wide? Do you think that all of California’s law makers are insane as well? Don’t worry, it will be illegal to declaw cats in your state in the near future. I suggest you do a little reading. Your ignorance on the subject is obvious.

10. Enough already with the hype. Declawing works. It’s been done safely for decades. It is NOT mutilation. Spare us all the inflammatory rhetoric! Plenty of cats have gone on to live healthy, loving, pain-free lives after it. Sure, like ANY surgical procedure it’s not without it’s risks, this is true for people too.

    As for biting and children, get a life. Are you that desperate to support your insanity that you’ll stoop so low as to bleat “think of the CHIIIIIIIIILDREN!!!!” Puh-leeze.

11. Katie, Please don’t do it!!! ESPECIALLY if you plan to have babies. It’s not worth the risk. Declawed cats will resort to biting rather than scratching, and cat bites are much more dangerous than scratches – particularly on children and immune compromised people. children tend to provoke animals, and without claws, cats naturally bite instead.

    Declawing the front paws will not prevent claws going into your legs when the cats jump off your lap.

    For the fraction of the cost of declawing, you can have your cat’s nails trimmed by a mobile grooming service once a month or at the vet’s office. They typically charge no more than $5 or $10 and the claws are no longer sharp enough to penetrate skin or grip fine fabrics.

    PLEASE DON’T MUTILATE YOUR DEAR ANIMALS! LASER IS NO DIFFERENT THAN A KNIFE, THE PAIN IS EQUALLY SEVERE! READ MY PREVIOUS POSTS WITH SCIENTIFIC BACKUP INFORMATION. PLEASE HAVE SOME COMPASSION. DECLAWING CAUSES A LIFETIME OF PAIN.

12. Thank you to all of the comments! I have to “kittens” Coco is just over 2 years and Tigger is almost 1 1/2 years. I have said from the beginning that I was not going to have them declawed. Since I said that, I’ve gotten rid of 1 couch, slipcovered a chair that has the side completely shredded and built a cat post/tower and purchased a post. I have scratches all over me, and the carpet in my previous and current apartment is being torn to shreds. They run, play, chase, stretch, and knead against my skin. When they jump off my lap, their claws sink into my skin and when I play with them, well, my arms and hands look like I’m the proud owner of a new kitten. I’ve used Soft Paws caps, they spaz and throw a fit each time I try to do that. They fight me when I try to trim their nails on my own. So for me, I have no choice. I’ve put it off and done the research and will be having them declawed together. I’m choosing to have the laser surgery for the kitties, which are my fur babies. I’m nervous for them, and I’m nervous that they won’t be themselves afterwards, but I’d rather do this than get rid of them. Right now, there are no children in the home, but I know if they keep their claws, I won’t be able to keep them when we are blessed with children. Thanks for reading!

13. Jenn, if you haven’t declawed your kitten yet, I urge you not to do it. PLEASE try the other options first. Kittens are easy to train. Put catnip on the scratching posts, place sticky tape on the furniture, trim the kittens nails. It is easy to do. I have four cats, none of them are declawed, and not one has destroyed anything in my house.

    For all of those who have stated that their cats are fine, they are not looking into an xray and have not been told by their cats that everything is fine. Cats are notorious for hiding their pain, at all costs. It is instinctual – showing pain makes them vulnerable to prey.

    Declawing is a misnomer – it is not simply removing nails. The procedure is a full amputation of the last bone in each of a cat’s toes, and is often performed without post-operative pain management. There is no difference between laser and conventional methods, despite the hype. Typically, immediately after the procedure, the cats go completely mad inside their cages bouncing off the walls because the pain is so intense. Over time, the irritation is so painful that roughly 30% will stop using the litterbox and 60% will develop the habit of biting. Declawing has severe long term health effects as well. Without claws, cats will no longer be able to stretch the ligaments in their shoulders, which invariably leads to arthritis. Furthermore, the fragments of bone left in the paws are pulled back under the paw, creating a pebble in the shoe effect, which often leads to infection. Unchecked, this infection can lead to kidney failure. Often nail bed tissue is left in the bone fragments, which results in germinal nail tissue growing randomly under the skin – that is terribly painful. Tendons that are cut to remove the bone are attached to the paw pads and pull, like a rubber band, the pads under the paw so the cat will be walking on bone rather than pads – again painful. This causes the cat to walk on its wrists rather than on its toes, and the paw pads begin to shrivel and dry up. Hard and crusty paw pads are also painful, and likely to crack and bleed.

    Sure you may save your furniture, but in the long run, you may have to replace carpet because there is no way to remove the smell of urine when your cat no longer uses its litter box. You may wind up giving your cat to a shelter when it starts biting you.

    I have been researching this issue for more than 9 years. I also owned an albino Persian who I had declawed. After declawing, he lost his fun spirit, he NEVER used his litterbox, and after several years he walked with a limp. He died of kidney failure from the unchecked infection in his feet. I regretted declawing him from the moment I brought him home, and promised never to do that again. Since then, I have made it my personal mission to educate people about the detrimental effects of declawing. I am not a radical, just rational. Look at the facts before you decide to subject your cat to mutilation. There has been a lot in the news lately because 8 high-profile cities in California have banned the procedure, including Los Angeles and San Francisco. The leaders of those cities have deemed the procedure cruel mutilation and torture. The state of California banned declawing of all large, exotic species cats because of the crippling effect declawing has on them. Certainly the politicians would not have subjected themselves to media ridicule if the facts did not support their position.

    Please don’t declaw your kitten. I hope that anyone else out there considering the procedure thinks twice before rushing into it. Please protect your animals from pain and unnecessary mutilation. They have no voice and it is up to us to look out for their best interests.

14. Jenn, I made my decision before the cats scratched things up. The cats are still as loving as they have always been and have the behavior they had before the surgery. It’s been over two years with my current cats, but have had the same results with my previous ones. It’s still surgery, so it does need to be thought through and talked with the vet before having it done. Good luck with your decision.

15. We have adopted a 6 month old Maine Coon mix that will be joining our family in a week.

    While some sites and people condemn this procedure or consider it to be a “last resort” option, my husband and I are considering laser declawing before scratching is even an issue. Has anyone else shared this opinion? How is spaying and neutering a “necessary procedure”, but this is so frowned upon? After adopting 2 dogs years ago from a local shelter, we are very aware that pets can be costly even when they are perfectly healthy. This procedure can be done while she is young, healthy, and able to quickly recover. I grew up with cats and know that scratching damage is inevitable. Are we running the risk of damaging our relationship with her if we allow her to cause thousands of dollars in damage to our home first?

    We have purchased scratching posts and toys to welcome her to our home, but we are still weighing all of our options. Has anyone declawed their cats BEFORE they regularly scratched family members or furniture?

16. I just had my kitty laser declawed. He is just fine and my furniture will be spared. I spoil my baby so so much and he will never be in a postition to have to defend, he will be with me always. I think that the people against it are trying to scare people away from it with nasty rumors, thus scaring them away from adopting because they dont want there house shredded up, so sad, for you are leaving more kittys homeless.

17. I hope I am not to late to help. I foster kittens for an animal rescue group and all have been easily trained to use the Purrfect Post. The website is the same name, http://www.PurrfectPost.com. I have the basic post and they are very happy with it.

18. Thank you for this site, it really makes me feel better, and I would like to apologize in advance for how long this post is.

    I’m in a tough situation. I recently moved into my dad’s house to save some money for school. I found 3 adorable kittens in his backyard, under a pool raft. I made the decision to catch them and save their lives, as there are hawks that fly around that could have killed them. I felt guilt taking them from their mother but I felt like I was doing the right thing. A week later, I took them to the vet to get a check up and make sure they were healthy. The vet said they were perfectly healthy as far as she could see, without doing bloodwork. She said they were about 4 weeks old and would have strayed from their mother anyway, within the next week, so I did save their lives. My dad said he didn’t mind if I kept them. They will be indoor cats. He said to litter train them and keep them from biting. They were feral and did not like humans whatsoever. With my boyfriend’s help, we trained them and made them so very loving. They purr all the time and are so cute! We named them Sebastian, Sookie and Rockstar.

    Now is the problem: My dad says declawing is a MUST. He has very expensive leather couches and they are already a little scratched up. My dad said either I get them declawed or they are OUT. I have done extensive research and some of the things I’ve read online are horrific. I understand where he is coming from because it is HIS house, but these are my babies. I’ve grown so close to them. I would feel so bad to see them in pain!

    We have tried the spray on furniture solution to deter them, and it doesn’t work very well. Soft paws only work so well, and fall off too quickly and over time the costs of them for 3 cats will add up. My next resort is a cat tree/post. I would have gotten one a long time ago but my dad thinks they’re ugly. Yeah, I’m in a lose-lose situation. When I save up enough money, move out and get my own place again, then I will get one for sure.

    I hate to say, I finally came halfway with him (if that’s what you would call it) and suggested laser declawing after reading about it online. I know it is STILL painful for them, but websites say it’s LESS PAINFUL, no or minimal bleeding and they heal much faster. He called some vets and he said it is too expensive. I said I would pay the remaining cost (which I don’t have right now but I was desperate!) and he will still pay what he would have initially for the regular declaw. He said okay. My next problem is our kitties are about 3 months old now, and he wants them done within the next month. They need to be spayed and neutered as well, so I suggested waiting until they are 6 months old (which some vets told me is the minimal age for spay/neuter) so we can just have one, big surgery all at once for them so it will be less traumatic. He said cats forget and don’t have feelings like humans do and they won’t care. REALLY??? Do they TELL him that?! I am furious and just want to scream at him! I have no idea what to do. Either I get them declawed or he kicks them out. He IS my father and I love him, but I also love my kitties. They are my children. I’m so sad and I don’t want to hurt my kitties. I need some insight on what to do and how I can get out of this, or what I can tell him. 🙁

19. I have had 2 types of cancer, and prior to my last surgery my beloved Sam passed away of old age. Having had a large amount of lymph nodes removed, I am susceptible to infection in both arms – so when I went to adopt a new cat my oncologist said no, unless it is declawed. The cat shelter I went to asked me if I was going to declaw and I answered with an honest ‘yes’. Well, I might as well have been the guy who shot Lincoln. They barred me from the place and put me on their ‘hit list’. I then went to a pet store where they were having an adoption day, they were thrilled that I adopted a 5 month old stray and could care less about the declawing – they just wanted the kitten to get a good home. Abbey is a joy, and she is just fine after the laser declawing. She loves to come up to me purring and likes ‘touch me’ with her paws. I feel she is telling me ‘thank you’ for saving me.

20. Hi Christi:

    I hope I have your name correct.

    I have read your “story,” and I couldn’t agree more. I’ve had SO many pet-friends=Cats through out my life and all have been inside only, and declawed. Each of them have NEVER behaved any differently. They still walk perfectly; scratch at the furniture, rugs, etc.

    The very first cat friend of ours was over 39 yrs. ago, and she was one of the first cats to ever be declawed in our State; and, her Vet at that time was skilled. She reacted after she healed, the way I’ve described above. I have NO problems with having any of our cats declawed, because we have a “Skilled, Profession Caring Vet,” who is trusted to the max by us and he loves ALL animals.

    I’m getting a new kitten soon, and as soon as she’s ready to have her hysterectomy, she will also be declawed at the same time. Any surgery – for both humans and pets – is painful immediately afterward. However, we ALL heal, and, so do they.

    With Hugs & Smiles,
    Babs

21. My story regarding whether it is humane or inhumane to declaw cats is a relatively simple one and is based on my experiences with cats as pets.

    I have had 5 cats as pets in 27 years. All have been declawed, female cats. My first cat was a Turkish Angora and was declawed when I adopted her at approximate age 1 year. I adopted her from a breeder of Persians who had acquired this cat from her children. The breeder thought that declawing a cat was an exceedingly inhumane thing to do and she indicated that the cat that I was to adopt would be traumatized and maladjusted (extremely timid) for life. I named this cat “Lydia”.

    Lydia “adjusted” her way through 3 additional kitty sibblings over the course of 21 years, 4 relocations (by car) within 3 states, house, apartment and condo dwellings…the loss of a kitty sibling to cancer. Lydia died at age 22. She lived a full and glorious life.

    I (personally)declawed 2 of the 5 cats that I have had as pets; but all were declawed. ALL have lived very long lives filled with antics, affection, adventure. The last cat that I adopted (and the only one that I currently have) is now nearing 19 years old. She still romps like a kitten! Nearly each morning, I awake to find my carpets strewn with “kitty litter” (i.e., various and sundry toy rats, birds, sacks, etc…)

    Do not make the decision to declaw a cat lightly. Seriously consider ALL alternative behavior modifications first (if scratching is the issue). Choose your vet as you would your own physician. Assume FULL responsibility for the EXTRA responsibilities that come with “parenting” a cat that has been declawed. Personally, I FIRMLY believe that indoors is the FAR HEALTHIER/SAFER/WISER elective…and I “swear by” Hills Science Diet.

    In the final analysis, for me, “the proof is in the ‘purring'”…19-22 years later.

22. I would like to thank Christi for opening up this subject on the web for people to view and think… This has created such great space and aknolwdege for people who struggle with the subject. I believe anybody care to view all this on the web, and actually doing the posts are all animal lover and with kind heart. My heart goes out to you for those of you have struggled long and hard on your decision and myself is one of you. 8 months ago, i was struggled very hard on if I should declaw my little boy – Angel , while doing some research on the internet, i found this site, and while some of the extreme harsh posts are very hard to read, I can also see those people’s great compassion & intention towards humanity. I also received great comfort and confidence from this site on many of the sucessful stories of laser declaw knowing I m not alone in this struggle.
    At last , I found peace in my decision which is i will exaust all possible ways to not go with the procedures, but if in 6 months, the situation is not changing, I will do what i have to do to either find him a new home, or go with the procedure. The result is I did sucessefully train my little boy Angel, so i did not go with the procedure, it is with some efforts, and the efforts are still on going daily, but it is manageable.
    Thank Christi and everyone posted here for your kind intention and great compassion towards animal.
    Blessings…

23. I’m a veterinary technician in CA, USA, and I really like this site as a well-considered “other point of view”. I personally am not a fan of declawing, but I do understand that for some people, it’s that or get rid of the cat. And people who blow off that response with “oh, then you shouldn’t have a cat” need to look around. I agree that you should not buy a pure-bred cat and then turn around and de-claw. I agree that you should try alternate solutions. I’ve had my cat since she was 1-day-old (yes, hand-raised monster kitten). She’s now 8 yrs old, and despite many attempts at all the normal solutions, she scratches the hell out of my furniture, including carpeting. She also likes to pee on the carpet, despite having 3 clean litter pans of her own, and yes, I’ve tried everything. For me, ok, all my furniture is second-hand, and she’s grown out of using her claws on people, so my kids are safe, so I live with it. For most people, her behavior would be unacceptable. She also bites when mad, so Soft Paws? not an option. I trim her claws regularly, but that doesn’t even slow her down, damage-wise. I choose not to de-claw her, but if someone else were in the same position, I would not criticize them for doing it.

    IF you are choosing to declaw (and yes, it should be a last resort) – younger and thinner is better, no question. Laser is the ONLY acceptable alternative, also no question. I’ve seen it done both ways, and the difference is astonishing as far as the cat’s recovery goes. I do recommend a fentanyl patch be placed before surgery, it’s a pain patch that gives them about 90+% relief from pain for ~3 days. They should ideally stay in the hospital for at least one full day, mostly to be kept closely confined and make sure the paws are doing well. Experience is a must, on the part of the vet. I’ve seen inexperienced vets butcher cats even with laser, cutting pads and unnecessary tissue; make sure your vet really knows what they’re doing!!!!!
    Afterwards, really truly follow your post-op care, don’t blow it off even if the cat seems fine – that’s usually what leads to the post-op complications. E-collar – a must. Newspaper litter (like Yesterday’s news) – a must. Confinement, ESPECIALLY from jumping or climbing!!!!! – an absolute must. Use all your meds, antibiotics and pain meds as directed. Be prepared before your cat comes home – where will it stay? A bathroom, a large crate? Tell the kids to leave the cat alone, don’t let the cat play with the other pets, etc…..

    And if your vet doesn’t keep them at least a day after surgery, recommend a pain patch, send home antibiotics and pain meds, have the above post-op instructions – then I would seriously question that vet’s ability to properly care for your cat, and look around for other options.

    And yes, strictly indoors is the way to go, declawed or not, for the vast majority of cats. THEY ARE NOT WILD ANIMALS, they are domesticated pets and we need to take care of them properly. This is not a safe place for them – cars, wild animals, feral cats, bad people…..

    Ok, I’ll jump off the soapbox now, good luck to all of you, and thanks again for posting this well-balanced and informative site! 🙂

24. I had my boy Spike for 14 years. He was declawed and I and he had absolutely no problems or complications. I did have it done as a kitten. It has been a while since my loss and I have just adopted a 2 1/2 year old female Abby. She claws everything in site. My whole house is covered with blankets house coats etc. I am looking into seeing whether she is too old to declaw. Some of the postings I read are so negative and extreme it is hard to make a decision. Jessica on this site seems to think declawing is illegal everywhere but the States. Living in Canada I know this to be untrue. Did not she not realize this negated everything that followed in her posting. For those who do not agree with declawing a more rational arguement goes much further. I am still undecided although my vet will perform the procedure up to three years old and recommends a skin absorbed pain maintenance be done the day before the procedure. As with Spike, Abbey would return home the same day. “No” seems to work to stop her mid track. Praise when she scratches the appropriate areas. BUT this does not stop her from continually scratching everything. I have had to stop this posting twice to stop her. I fear the choice will either be declawing or finding her a new home.

25. Has anyone experience with tendonectomy-my 2 cats allow me to regularly trim their nails, but the destruction continues….

26. snowden,

    How long is long-term? I do not believe that what you say is true, not for the majority of cats that have been declawed. Two of my cats got declawed four years ago and they are perfectly fine. And they are 6 and 8 years old.

27. Ann, thanks for the update. I always hear stories from people and it’s nice to get a follow up. All the cats I have known that have been declawed (including before there were laser declawing), never showed any side effects or negative traits. I’m not saying it can’t happen, but from my experience, it’s not the norm. The two cats I have now are still doing fine (it’s been 1.5 years since they were declawed).

28. Dear Ann,

    In the short term your cat will not exhibit any symptoms of pain because it is against their instincts to do so – exhibiting pain makes them vulnerable. The dangers of declawing are not obvious immediately after the surgery. The long term effects are more dangerous, as declawing takes away a necessary anatomical movement, which allows a cat to stretch its muscles from the end of its paws to its shoulders. Without this movement, your cat will eventually develop stiffness and arthritis. Furthermore, keep your eyes on its paw pads. They will shrivel up over time, and will slide back under the foot, which will cause your cat to lean its legs back to avoid walking on the amputated bones. You will also need to monitor its pads for infection, as any bone fragments still attached to the ligaments which snapped when they were cut during the procedure will be annoying (like a pebble in the shoe) and it can cause an infection that will be very difficult to detect. Untreated, this type infection can lead to kidney complications.

    I’m not saying this to make you feel badly, I am saying this because there are others out there still making the decision, and no matter what it looks like now, the long term effects of declawing are dangerous and detrimental to the welfare of the cat. For more information, please refer to my post #23602 on June 27, 2007 or visit pawproject.com.

29. I posted earlier and wanted to update anyone who reads this. I finally made the decision and had my 7 yr old cat laser declawed (front paws)in October. He stayed overnight at the vet and I brought him home the following day with 2 days of pain meds. As of right now, I am 100% satisfied with the results. He showed absolutely no side effetcs and has had no personality changes. The day I brought him home, he was jumping off the table onto the kitchen floor like normal. I can touch his paws and he does not flinch or anything. He has not changed in any way from how he was prior to the surgery.

    I know everyone has their own opinions, but I think a majority of the people (not all) on the web who condemn laser declawing are those who have not actually had a cat who went thru it. They are speaking out of speculation and ignorance, without any proof of the actual outcome.

    Anyway, it was a tough decision for but and I feel as though I made the right decision.

30. Hi everyone, I’m Jessica, and I stumbled upon this website after months of debating the cat de-claw issue. I am 110% against the declawing of cats.

    There is a very good reason why it is illegal everywhere EXCEPT the United States. It is a painful surgery both before and during the healing process.

    Anyone who says it didn’t hurt their cat is wrong! I mean the cat cannot speak, it also hides pain because it is instinctually known that when they are hurt they are easy targets. So they hide it. So how can any human come on here and say with 200% certainty that their pet has no pain?

    Growing up I had a kitten, and my parents had it declawed when I was 7 years old. I didn’t know what a de-claw was, I was so young! As she got older, Muffin got horrible arthritis in her front legs only. Sure cats are suceptible to arthritis, but she had it nowhere except for her declawed feet. She was unable to stand up properly, she would wobble around, and limp until she got her footing and got used to being on her feet. I will not be convinced by anyone that this was not in direct coorelation because of the declaw. Cats are digitigrade, they walk on their toes. I’ve heard from doctors that doing a declaw when the cat is a kitten and a couple months old, it is not as bad as a procedure as when a cat gets it done when it is one, two, three years old and past that. The reason for this they told me, was that the part of the cats toes that connect the nail to the bone isn’t fully formed yet so it’s not a terrible procedure. However they did inform me that they do not perform this surgery on older cats, as at that age the cats nails have adhered to the bone and it is extremely painful.

    At 23 I adopted my own cat, Rexie, who is a wonderful little angel. He loves his scratchy post and all 20 of his claws. He doesn’t claw the furniture, he attempted it as a kitten and very quickly got the squirt bottle on his little bum and he learned not to scratch anything but his post.

    My parents adopted a little girl and from the beginning I told them how against declawing I was, and they were in favor of it. I persisted and I am happy to say, Bella went in for her spay today and did NOT get a declaw! I am the happiest person alive today, the feeling is wonderful knowing I informed them and they did not go through with it.

    I know everyone has their own believes, but the amount of people on here saying they are going to declaw their 1, 2, 3 year old cats is outrageous! You do it young, or you don’t do it at all! Or you just don’t do it at all period! 🙂

31. My furry friend, Chaos… Yes… And he acts that way. Loved to scratch and claw everything. And the laser declaw was definitely worth it. It appeared less painful and I made sure that he would be well taken care of and well medicated to ensure that he was as comfortable as possible. Now I can play with him and rough house more because he isnt destroying my hands and arms! He still gets me with his back claws though, ouch!

    =^_^=

32. Hi. I appreciate all of this discussion. My kitty (Xenobia) loves to scratch EVERYTHING. I have put Soft Claws on her for a year and besides the hassle of that process being a two-person job (she tries to bite!) if even one of the Soft Claws falls off she can do a lot of damage with ONE CLAW! She is friendly, sweet, loves everyone (even the big dog) but she is wrecking my furniture and carpet. A friend suggested laser declawing and I made an appointment but I’m feeling guilty – one of my friends thinks this is tantamount to medieval torture. I’m glad to find sanity.

33. Just a thought – we had a cat for 21 years. She was a stray kitten I brought home one day. We never had her declawed, she played and ran about and pretend-attacked us, she would “knead” us when she decided laps were a good place to sleep …. and she NEVER clawed us. Never so much as a scratch, let alone blood.

    Just so everyone doesn’t think declawing is a necessity for any “safe” interaction with a cat.

34. Thank you so much , Christi to put on this site.
    My cats are my babies, to me they are no difference than human babies. their love is even more pure , more sweet than human child as it is truely unconditional. The decision if declaw my baby or not has tormentated me so much to the point i almost decide to put them for adpotion thinking i might not deserve them if I can not put this declaw idea out of my mind. Big part of the reason is the horrendous , nasty things said on the internet and everywhere else about parents who struggles with situation like this. The guilt and what’s have been said about people making the tough decision like us is almost unbarable.
    I have no doubt this procedure should be the last resort after everything else has been tried and not effective, and plenty time is given. Even that , it is still a heart wrench decision to any true animal lover. It is especially so for people like us. Great deal of people leave their cats outdoor and killed by wild animal, illness or cars becuase it is simply too destructive to keep them strictly indoor due to their behavior problems. Is that truely better than declawing ?

    Kittie is my first girl,and was declawed and lived a good life, died of liver cancer few years ago. Sweeite is my 2nd girl who now is 12 years old, also declawed, lives a very happy and pampered life, both strictly indoor. In both of my girls, it was a very tough decision to make, and yet, the outcome are positive, they are happy, and quickly recovered. But, becuase of all the nagitive things said about declawing, I have made decision to never have aother cat in my life after Sweetie even I see them as my child.
    Then, Angel came, a stray cat, beautiful, affactionate. I can put him in an shelter, or have him myself… To avoid declawing, i have him as outdoor cat, but, recently he was bite by wild animal, so at last, for his best interest, we decide to put him indoor strictly.
    Right now, I am still trying everything else over again to avoid declawing….It is not easy as my sweetie is declawed, i m concerned with Sweetie’s safty too. It still might work out just fine. I have great hope it would !
    Your site and the people talked on it offered me great insight and comforts to know not only I am not alone in this painful struggle, but also to acknoweldge that i am not bad, evil, insensitive, or all those nasty things said about people like us. We are also people with love and compassion and wants to give our child the best life and doing everything we can to make it happen …

    Thank you for your understanding, and insight !

35. My first cat was an indoor-outdoor cat who was killed before he was one year old. Trying to recover from that death, we rescued another kitten who was also an indoor-outdoor cat and HE was killed just before he turned one year old. After that, I decided to rescue a new kitten and have him be our first indoor-only cat. I decided to front-declaw him for many of the reasons mentioned here on this site. He lived for many years and was a wonderful cat with no health issues. We have never had a problem with front- declawing.

    Our kittens/cats have each been around four to five months old when we had the surgery done. Our cats are usually a little tender and gentle with their front feet for a couple of days, and then they are back to their regular, playful behavior. We have had (and still have) wonderful cats with no behavior or health issues whatsoever.

    We don’t get scratched up. We can trust them with small children who come to visit. Our furniture and curtains look great. My cats are the love of my life. They have all been rescues. I always carry around pictures of them and spoil them rotten. Of course I don’t want to hurt them, but we must live with them comfortably and front-declawing has been a reasonable solution for all of us.

36. Hello my name is christine and i have a 1 yr old sealpoint siamese cat named Mika. I recently had her spayed and declawed. The declawing is the worst thing I’ve ever done to my poor baby. She doesnt seem to be recovering very well. She drags her poor right paw and the vet seems to think it’ll be ok in 4 to 6 weeks. Its been 3 weeks and she is still not any better. The vet gave me pain meds and antibiotics for her but still doesnt seem to be working. All Mika does now is want to sit in our laps and sleep. She was so spunky before the surgery and I wish i had never done it. I cry almost every day for her. Please dont declaw your cat. !! I am at my wits end and I dont know what to do for poor Mika. Anyone have any suggestions…I live in Ontario Canada and I want to know if the surgery was done properly or if it is just a side effect and will she ever be the same???

37. oh, i also did a bit of price research…and (at that vet’s) it’s $238 approximately per cat front-declaw…including anestesia,actual surgery, and medication needed.

38. hi, i posted earlier in july….and i found out some more very interesting info on laser declawing…

    i was getting observation hours in at a local vet clinic (to go to college to be a vet or technician) only a few weeks ago. And, while i was there, i took the opportunity to ask 2 of the vets there if they did declawing.
    (i was observing spaying surgery then…and i noticed they removed the dew claws on the small dog on the table, because they said they could tear if the dog’s not careful, and for dogs they have no serious need for them so they routinely remove small dog breed’s dew claws)…
    and they said ‘yes’. :’do you think it’s safe?’
    answer: ‘yes, if it’s done correctly.”
    ‘do the cats seem to be in pain and how long is recovery? can it be done with older cats, say 7 years old?’
    their response:’the cats aren’t really in horrible pain after or during surgery in most cases. it’s just like any other surgical procedure. plus, they get pain medication and such for any infection etc. just like after you get them fixed. it’s preferred to do it at the time of fixing really, so they only have to undergo anestesia once.
    recovery time is normal too, from a few days to a few weeks. for most cats it is not traumatic at all, and only in rare cases do the cats become more aggressive towards other cats from feeling vulnerable, but those cases are also the only ones you hear about because they are negative.often the stories are inflated too, and are not from the owners,but from their friends or someone who ‘heard of’ a pet who had rumored behavior problems that “maybe” associated to declawing.
    then she told me all of her 3 cats are front-declawed, AND, /to my relief/, were all between 1 and 5 years old when declawed (she got them from a shelter and they were declawed there where she used to work, and, they are all lovable cats and get along great ^_^)
    “…so they weren’t kittens?”
    vets’ response:’nope. and we can do older cats too…but, cats around 7 like yours, and older of course, do take longer to heal after surgery. but it can be done. as long as they are healthy cats, they should have no problems or minimal under anestesia, and recovery time should be a few weeks as always. However, older cats are more prone to infection if they aren’t given the proper litter replacement (torn bits of newspaper, preferrably without much ink). not that we have many older cats in for declawing here, we have yet to have a complaint that their cat(s) are ‘traumatized’, at all.

    my comment:’i was asking because i was considering getting my 2 7year olds and a 2 and 3 year old front-declawed and everyone makes it sound like it’s a horrible, torcherous act. so the anestesia and procedure is just like spaying and neutering then?-only you are just removing the front claws, right?’
    vet:’yes, only the front claws…only on indoor-ONLY cats. we make sure they keep the back claws because those are only for defense, not territory marking, or offensive attacking of another pet or human or object. they need the back claws for extra protection on the off-chance they do get out, but it is not safe for them to be outdoors,on their own,once declawed in general. yes, your cats should be fine, and if it’s neccessary don’t feel bad about it. you are right to be concerned that they fight. they can do some serious damage to eachother, especially if they’re not simply fighting over territory. people will start rumors about anything. and until they’re doing the surgeries themselves, they can claim it’s horrible and inhumane all they want.it’s definately more humane than the thousands of people we get every few MONTHS trying to put their pets to sleep because they don’t ‘have the money for surgery’ or are ‘tired of their pet’… it’s also better than the abuse cases we have seen people resort to. (earlier that day i saw 2 orange cats come in after their owner’s neighbor shot them in the leg! how sick and cold is that in comparison??)
    so for everyone who claims it’s not worth keeping your pet, we know better.

39. I just came across this when I searched for info on laser declawing for my 7 yr old cat. I am finally moving into my fiance’s house next month. He has an extremely nice house with leather furntiure that’s NOT cheap. One (even accidental) jump on the sofa and it will most likely get torn. It seems though as even if my cat WAS trained to use a scratching post, that he could and would still unintentionally scratch up things, like when he stretches, pounces, and jumps which are all natural behaviors for a cat. Either I find him a new home or get him declawed (laser of course)…I am still trying to make this awful decision….

40. hi, i read all of the posts…it took a few hours, but i have done a LOT of research on this topic and am only 17 now…but there’s a whole bunch of info i have to pour into a few paragraphs so i’ll start by saying i am trying to decide whether or not to get my 4 cats declawed.

    it has nothing to do with the furniture,and, in fact, i convinced my mom to let me replace my carpet with tile in my room, just in case. i also have the edges that stick out on the walls carpetted and my bed legs so they scratch that and not the wood (we couldn’t afford metal framing). I have i think 37 books on cat health and care because i plan to go to college for a vet technician next year and i am studying.

    i have always thought declawing was a horrible and irresponsible thing to do, however, i have some major behavioral problems in a few of the cats.
    my major dillemna is that 2 of the cats are my 7 year old babies,(2 girls not spayed)and i am terrified of something going wrong under anesthesia…the other 2 are males( 2years and 3years old…both neutered).

    i wouldn’t have even considered it except the 1 boy was wild as kittens, and was never properly weaned(mother was hit by a car and he was less than 4 weeks old in the woods on the side of the road…my uncle’s friend heard mewing and found them). of 3 kittens in the litter, 2 died except the one i took and nursed myself with bottles of cat formula and specilized medicines for a blow-fly larvae that lodged itself into his chest and had to be removed immediately..discovered that when wiping milk from under his chin.i told my uncle but he never got the other 2 to the vets and they died in only 3 days.

    all of our cats are rescues from less than a month old, and they are family and i am not giving my kids up for anything in the world. i am VERY educated on cat health, psychology, and behaviors…however, i cannot push aside that over the last 2 years he has developed a horrible habit of biting-not hard-but biting, and scratching your feet and hands when he lies down or when he rubs against you..the vets said it is likely he wasn’t properly socialized by siblings and mother as a kitten and the traumas from the larvae near death experience can be the very obvious causes, along with any other stresses.

    problem; he’s a 20-pound cat at ideal weight for his structure, and he bites EVERYTHING from people to the other cats..who are older and only a fraction his size and weight(the girls are about 5 pounds each which is small)…and they constantly are hissing at him when he approaches or swatting at him to stay away. the youngest boy rough houses with everything and thinks the other cats are scratching toys and that includes the 20-pound cat who doesn’t like it very much. 4 cats growling and snarling at eachother is a major problem.

    the one time he bit my hand when i went to pick him up, and so i firmly said that was bad and got him calm,but he didn’t have a chance because my ‘protecive’ kitty growled and jumped on him, spitting and fighting into the corner of the room where she had him backed against the wall..it was scary,and she only stopped when i pulled her off of him,and still getting a large gash on my arm when i picked her up (but she was aiming for his face)..and then she purred and licked my cheeks when i grabbed her like everything was perfect. (and in the 7 years i’ve had her, this is the very first time a few weeks back that i’ve ever had a scratch from her..and it wasn’t even aimed at me)….she had a bloody nose too from him, and she tore a clump of his fur off his side with her claws.

    i am pinned against declawing,*especially* in older cats,but there’s no other choice,and mom said it’s that or a shelter…..i am thinking i would much rather the declawing. besides,the 3yrold doesn’t have a chance in a shelter(i’ve volunteered at 3 local shelters)with his biting..and my other cats i’ve had WAY too long to give up just like that,and the older ones won’t even let anyone but me and my mom hold them…pet them maybe,but beyond that they only come to us,and are extremely loyal with me.

    it’s just that the one cat has been mostly blind since she was a kitten…you know how? ironically, she got it outside in winter with the onset of pneumonia cause some lady wouldn’t let them in, and she got into a fight with another cat and had her corneas torn,which developed an infection and now she has chronic conjunctavitis that can never be fully cured because it was too bad when we got her.

    i believe declawing is the only solution to making sure i can be in the same room with all 4 cats together and not have to wear thick clothing to try to stop fights…

    they all have separate food dishes, beds,toys and litter,and it’s not a jealousy or territorial thing…it’s the boys playing rough and hurting the older cats,who scream when they jump on them napping and start to scratch their sides like they’re a toy….it’s nerve-racking. i cannot sit idly by and watch them torment eachother,that’s cruel,and i think this situation definately warrants declawing as the best LAST LAST LAST resort available, to my cats that are sweet around people, but may do some serious harm to eachother if i don’t prevent it soon….

    i was considering laser declawing because i heard healing is better and the surgery is more accurate and less extensive. and as for arthritis, that is a common health problem that can be found in ANY aging cat, as it progresses with age, not a lack of claws…
    also, i would strongly reccomend only doing this if your cats are strictly indoors,and,only doing the front claws so they still have back claws for some form of protection.

41. I agree with Lindi, you have to make the choice you’re comfortable with. I’ve always had cats that were declawed (as well as all my friends and family) so it wasn’t as hard a decision for me to make.

    A little over a year ago, I adopted two cats and told the previous owner, I would wait before declawing and try a few things. I did, and while I was doing my research I found this blog. I did talk it over with my vet, and with any surgery there is always a chance something can happen.

    I opted for laser de-clawing (they didn’t have that with my last cat) and it went well. Finding a litter they could use while they healed was a little challenging – settled on Yesterday’s News (or something like that). We did have a small incident where the boy managed to pull what was on his paw off, so he did bleed a little, but took him to the vet to get a bandage put on so he wouldn’t do that again. I think the problem was the e-collar was too small so he had no problems reaching his paws.

    After all of that, there personalities are the same as they were and they are just as loving as ever!!

42. Hi Brianna. I had the same experience. I came looking for some guidance and with questions about declawing, however I met rude people (specifically Jan) who answered questions or statements with fire and fury. I declawed my cat after putting it off for a year. Yes I cried, yes I was sad…but my husband left me with no choice. He said the cat had to be declawed. So I did. My baby was so happy to be home after three days at the vet. After two days he was walking 100% normal. Within a week it was as if the surgery never happened. I’m not saying I did the right thing. But I did it and my baby is fine. He never lost one ounce of his beautiful, spunky personality. I don’t have any regrets. Just make the choice that’s right for you. not everyone will agree with it.

43. I realize the risks of declawing my cat. She’s going in on Thursday for the laser declawing. I am doing this as a last resort. This decision came about AFTER a lengthy talk with my vet (who happens to be my brother-in-law).

    For those that say, “Well, have you tried…” Yeah. I have. I’ve tried scratching posts of various materials, rewarding for good behavior, moving her as she’s scratching the couch to the right place to scratch. We’ve clipped her nails and even tried the Soft Paws nail covers. I’ve tried double sided tape, plastic couch protectors, foil and even spraying my couch with “no scratch” spray (which she licked. Yes, she licked the couch…). She is played with daily and has lots of toys to pounce on, so we feel her scratching is based on marking and sharpening–not because she wants attention. We have tried it all.

    Keep this in mind: sometimes pet owners make choices that we all don’t agree with. But we have to trust that those pet owners are making the best choice possible. For us, declawing her is the last option because she is destroying our furniture and bed. We were told that the laser declaw is the best option for her healing time & comfort. I am putting trust in my research and vet consult. If something happens to our cat, I’m well aware of the risks. It’s part of being a pet owner.

44. I”m really torn after reading these posts. And I’m also offended by certain posts calling confused people looking for help (people like me) ignorant, selfish and barbaric. I love my cats, I talk about them like they are my children, and I treat them like they are my babies. But I adopted one of my cats last year, and she destroys furniture, carpets, matresses – in fact, I’m probably going to have to pay a lot of money when I move out of my apartment. The thing is, that really upsets me, is that I’m generally opposed to declawing because i AM afraid of hurting Chloe. But I have a lot of trouble clipping her nails because she’s too squirmy and her tiny nails are buried in long, white fur – I’m afraid I’m going to hurt her every time I try to trim them! Plus, she doesn’t like treats or cat nip, so convincing her to use scratching posts isn’t working either (it worked for my other cat). I also got plastic for the couches, but she just finds another spot on the couch. There’s holes in the matress and the couch. I don’t know what to do!!! I’m so afraid that she’ll be upset by the surgery, and I don’t want to traumatize her…can anyone truly explain the risk of adverse affects without calling me an ignorant barbarian? I’m actually quite intellgient and civilized, so some advice on the true risks, and any other thoughts on preventing Chloe from scratching would be welcome.

45. I have had cats all my life, and except for my first cat Squeeks, RIP who died when I was 15 at the age of 15, was the only cat that was declawed on the decision of my mother. All of the cats that I have had since then, I refused to get them declawed when I found out that it was like removing the tips of my fingers. I just couldn’t do that to them, on top of the fact that they were all inside/outside cats who would go out to use the bathroom and run around in the woods.

    Right now, I live in an Apartment in the center of town on the second floor of the building. I can’t really let my two cats go outside, nor would I ever let them outside in this environment. I love them far too much to do something like that.

    Anyways, I am going to college in the fall, and its hard to do that and have a full time job. I was never good in school as it was!

    I was recently offered a place to stay for free. This was under the stipulation that I help around the house and around the yard. Show proof of enrollment and keep my grades up. Get my cats declawed (Ouch!). And help to restore the home.

    All things very easy, except for getting my cats declawed. My youngest one, Zilly (Short for Godzilla) she is about 12 to 18 weeks old, not old enough yet. But, my other one, Chaos 2yrs old, is a little bit overweight. He was already neutered about 4 months ago around the time I moved into my apartment.

    I really need to move into this place because its MUCH closer to the college I am going to, and its a free room, and much closer to my girlfriend. I’m just afraid of what kind of adverse effects will arise if I were to get Chaos fixed. He scratches on a scratching box that I bought, but he still scratches on other things as well. And that really wont go well if I am trying to help restore a house in the historic section of the city if he is scratching it all.

    I really don’t want to have to declaw him or Zilly, it just seems wrong to me. Also, I don’t have a lot of money, I am barely able to make my half of the rent with my roommate. I’ve just looked into Soft Paws, but I’m not sure how those with work with a finicky part Siamese like Chaos.

    Any advice? And sorry for the long post!

46. Well I’ve gone back and forth on the idea of declawing my cat for a couple of years now. I have found this site very helpful and it seems to me that there is a definite risk with declawing. I just can’t tell if the no major issues are the exception or the standard. It does seem apparent that a qualified vet is very important. Everything I have read about laser surgery indicates that not all vets are equally trained in performing this procedure and that if someone is not, there could be significant complications. My cat is 7 now. I got him when I still lived with my parents and then he stayed with them when I moved overseas. Then he was in an apartment. Now that I have my own place I have found that his scratching tendencies have become less tolerable. When it’s not your place – parents, apartment, etc maybe you don’t notice behavioral problems as much – at least I didn’t. So there probably is some shame on me for not focusing enough on training him when I was younger. Regardless of the past, I have a situation that I need to deal with right now.

    I’ve been here three years and have already replaced my carpet once. As for alternative measures. I tried Soft Paws for awhile but they do not stay on and he is actually still able to do damage with them on. He doesn’t like cat treats at all. I buy them and he ignores them. Catnip gets his attention for about 2 minutes and then he’s bored again. Scratching posts – forget it. He couldn’t care less – even if you put his paws on them to simulate the scratching action. His preferences are my pleather ottoman (good thing it’s cheap to replace) and my bedroom carpet right around the joints to the wall or door (not so cheap). He has also destroyed by daybed cover (no longer sold so cannot be replaced) and is now working on some carpet tiles (replaceable).

    I decided last Summer that I’d do it. I talked to my vet about it and she had blood work done since he was a bit older. Everything was ready to go, but I just couldn’t do it. However I am now at the point again of considering declaw. I worry about the bond I have with him being damaged by my frustration with his scratching as well. So now I’ve had the bloodwork done ($180 again!) with my regular vet but am looking to have him laser declawed at another vet who actually performs the laser surgery – comes from a strong referral. My vet does not as she says she doesn’t feel adequately trained to perform that procedure.

    I used to tell others about the horrors of declawing – I wouldn’t necessarily judge those who have had it done but I did feel that it was a bit selfish, and now I find myself in their position. I guess there is some selfishness to it, but I do feel that it is an individual decision. As I sit here waiting for the other vet to call me back for my consultation, I still don’t know for sure what I’ll do. I am posting this just to share with others how difficult this decision has been for me. I know the decision is not a frivolous one and I appreciate all the guidance – pros and cons – that I have found here. It will hopefully allow me to make a more informed decision.

    Sorry for the long post!!

47. I have a 7 year old Ragdoll cat that is not declawed. I previously had 2 cats for 17years that were declawed as kittens. They never had any problems at all. I also “adopted” a neighborhood Himalayan who was NOT declawed but since he was an outdoor cat when I found him, it was difficult to keep him indoors. The Himalayan was not declawed and never scratched carpeting, furniture. I chose not to declaw my Ragdoll because I thought I could clip his claws myself and with proper training I could prevent scratching. Well, needless to say this has not worked. He never allows me to clip his claws without a fight and has a mind of his own. He has destroyed my furniture. Forget scratching posts…. he was never interested. He prefers my furniture. I am thinking of laser declawing but am concerned he may develop litter box issues. Has anyone heard of this? I am really torn because I may solve one issue but develop another major one. I have tried soft paws. They only work for a very short time and my vet does not use them. It’s impossible to apply them myself. Any suggestions? Thanks

48. I love you web page. I work for a veterinarian that will do laser declaws only and it is required that all have a pain package in office and to go home. I am the only one that assist with this procedure and I love it. Very rarely do you see any bleeding and you do not have to wrap the feet like you use to with the old guilteen method. What a mess. We have done cats of all ages and various sizes. We have done all 4 feet before, but do not recommend it. The lady that had all 4 feet done was diabetic and could not get scratched. This is for Jonathan, have an older cat declawed does pose some risk, but there are new anesthetics and if your cat has surgery talk with your regular vet and make sure you have the bloodwork done before hand. It really tells the vet how things are working on the inside. Don’t be affraid to ask questions, they are the spokes person for your cats health. If you don’t get the answers you want ask another vet. Good luck.

49. My girlfriend and I recently moved in together, and each brought a cat into the relationship. Her little orphan Annie – who is about 7 lbs – has been declawed, but my big Mr. Frank – who is around 21 lbs – has a full set of claws and has recently been leaving cuts around Annie’s eyes. We think they are simply playing, but he is so much larger and “equipped” that Annie has become timid, and we are not sure what to do because we do not want her to be bullied or even worse become infected as a result of the cuts.

    Mr. Frank is about 9 years old I believe (he was rescued so we are unsure of the exact age,) and the most loving cat to every human who would have the pleasure of petting his beautiful fur; but I think we may be forced to declaw him for the sake of Annie (who was also rescued.)

    I understand that most people on this board are polarized in their “opinion” – but what I am seeking is an account from someone who has had an older cat declawed. Thank you!

50. Well I will say this. I was totally ignorant of all the possible outcomes of declawing till recently. I have a bengal cat I recently got “Laser” declawed and my trusted vet ensured me that there were absolutely no worries whatsoever, and that they did it all the time. The outcome was horrific. When I picked my cat up his paws looked bad, his pads on his feet were sooo bad, but they said that in two weeks he’d be back to normal. After a week I brought him in and that day he seemed to be bleeding more than before. The vet looked at him and then took him in the back. As I waited in the waiting room I heard my cat whelping for quite sometime and when he returned he had bandages/wraps on all four paws. I brought him home and within 10 minutes the front leg wraps had come off. I was amazed by how small in diameter the little socklet things were, that were placed around his paws. The vet told me to keep the bandages on for 4 days and then bring him back for a checkup. The day before the checkup one of the hind leg wraps came off and what I saw was the saddest most horrible thing. I felt bad, sick, and mad. His paw looked 10 times worst than what it did that Monday when I took him in and on Monday it looked plenty bad. In my anger the next day I decided not to take him back to that vet and I took him to another one for a different opinion and they were shocked that he told me to keep the wrap on for so long although wrap or not she said that in her 5 years of vet experience she had never seen a declaw go so badly. The vet took the last wrap off and started hydra-therapy on him and will be staying over for the next few nights. After the laser declawing my poor cats paw pads were so mutilated it’s just wrong and I feel wrong for it.
    Ultimately how I feel on the subject now. The fact is that declawing can go severely wrong and severely harm your pet. My couch looks like shredded wheat but if I could rewind time I’d happily deal with the shredded couch. Although I’m certain that many procedures go well and make owners happy the main factor is, that you are putting your cats life, livlyhood, and happyness at risk. It’s a gamble so before doing it really think about it and seek to find an alternative. Sebastian will be coming home in two days and the new much more considerate vet is hoping, although not certain for a full recovery. I may have a handicap cat for the rest of his life because of this….

51. HI Christi,

    I just wanted to say thank you for this site, I just had our 5 month old kitty laser declawed and he is doing just fine. I personally do not think this is a inhumane thing to do to a kitty that might not have stood a chance as a stray in the first place. We provide a loving home for our kitty and he is happy and treated just like family. I can rest easy now knowing that he is not scratching up my daughter who happens to have sensitive skin and we have to be extremely careful with her condition. I recommended for people to do the research and to draw there own conclusion if wether they feel comfortable with doing the declaw. I do think it is wrong though for people to make such harsh comments and to make you feel guilty about the decision to declaw..it is ok to have your opinion, but it is inhumane in itself to downgrade others and to belittle when they have no idea how good of a pet owner that I am sure most of these people are who have had there kitty or cat declawed. It is very uneducated to act in such a matter.
    Again, thank you for your forum.

52. Is that really a necessary comment Jacob? Why do you care what people discuss? I would assume that people would generally view this website in hopes to see other people’s opinions on the topic. And that is what they find, with the exemption to your post.

53. This is yet another example of a group trying to push their beliefs on to someone else in regards to a very private matter. If the person has made a commitment to keeping the cat and keeping the cat inside, it is none of my business if they pay to have their cat de-clawed. Likewise, it’s not my affair if they have twelve cats with claws, as long as they don’t impact my life. Shouldn’t we be putting our energy and passion into solving the problems of war, hunger, and unequal access to health care that seem a bit more important to me than a person’s pets.
    Animal cruelty would almost certainly not describe the type of operation that laser de-clawing constitutes, and as a result this topic has been inflated into a far more serious problem. This misplaced enthusiasm for an essentially false cause makes these inflammatory comments into a call-to-arms for all good citizens and animal lovers.
    Hell’s bells. Oh, sugar.

54. I’m sure plenty of folks will give you grief for considering it, but I had a cat declawed around 3 years old that went on to live another SEVENTEEN without incident. It’s clear you’re motivated to do what’s best all around for your pets. Continuing to give them a good home certainly can’t be discounted.

55. Barbara asked if there was another alternative for declawing and I came across one that I thought I would share.

    Tendonectomy is a surgical procedure where the ligament is cut on the underside of each toe to prevent grasping motions. The claws remain but the cat cannot extend them.

    Because the incisions needed for this procedure are so small, the recovery is minimal. No bandages, no special litter, no blood spotting. There are usually no stitches to remove and the tiny incisions are closed in surgical glue.

    Because the cat can no longer make grasping motions, the claws will naturally grow in a circular manner into the foot pads causing pain and infection unless the owner is able to trim the nails on a regular basis. (The tendonectomy patient will require life-long regular nail-clipping.)

    I am also considering declawing my four cats. I have tried everything and I am tired of my nice things getting ruined. But at the same time I will not get rid of my cats. Soft Paws don’t work b/c they just take them off. They have scratching posts, which they use, but they also use my door frames, leather sofas, expensive bedding, pillows, anything that dangles, etc. I have sprayed everything. They have cat nip, doors knobs have hanging scratch boards and bags on them. They have mice and balls all over the place. Play toys and connected houses, etc. i cut their nails myself. I have a water bottle that streams across the room when they do something wrong, i.e. eat my plants! They are spoiled! So yes I have tried for those that are anti declawing. I have read all of the posts and I am still on the fence with my decision, however, no one’s comments will sway my final actions. So please no negative comebacks.

56. Christi,
    I feel you did the right thing for you and your cats.There are situations that declawing is a last result alternative. And I (politely) do mean making it a last resort as in it is going to be euthenized and declawing will provide it a home.BUT I,because of personal experience, HAVE to as a rule,AGREE with Jan. LONG TERM and in years to come it causes behavior problems and territorial problems especially in multiple cat households.Scratching is also a form of marking territory.If they can’t mark they will spray..especially if they have not been spayed or nuetered.I declawed my Oscar… by laser; the negative results were not immediate…it happened over time.He began biting he was defensive each time you went to pet his head.. and instinctively started biting. Then he started spraing everything-everywhere to mark it as his..Prior to declawing he was the perfect baby and trusting and affectionate. Declawing him traumatized him to such an awful degree..that I can NOT explain it..Even my vet agreed he was traumatized and confused.He resorted to wild feral behavior and was a danger to sleeping children- if my daughter rolled over it scared him and he attacked her face. It was awful…thing is we adored him!!!!!!!!!!!!!We tried for 11 months 2 sets of furniture and numerous carpet cleaning to work with him…Nothing worked…..We even resorted to trying to adopt him to a child and cat free home…somewhere he would feel less defensive and relax.We couldn’t even put him on our porch… because WE had removed his protective claws.We thought the human society had found him a safe loving home. The new owners had him put down within 3 months. It broke our hearts because our cats all 8…yes I am the cat woman… are additions to our family. I WILL never advocate except under extreme situations….which is probibly wrong also…to declaw. I am thrilled your cats are doing great. But be careful as an advocate..MOST cats do not do well.I regret Oscars fate it has been 2 years and my daughters still cries when she sees his picture.. She is 18….and still grieves.I suggest owners make there home cat friendly..replace carpets with wood floors no leather ect…. (softpaws are great!!!)I know this is not always affordable…but if they truly are members of our family and our “kids”.We clip our kids nails… why not our fur kids? I am sorry I have when on and on….It is just that declawing is not a first option… but a LAST LAST LAST resort…only if it saves the cat from death by giving it a loving home…Lets face it we adore our cats and for people who HAVE TO…I say that shakily… declaw…at least make sure you lecture your vet on lots of pain meds and doing a slow, safe—not botched job…to treat your cat lovingly…(the butcher) and then I would take a day off work to hold and baby your kitty..make sure pain is minimal..
    As you can tell I am slighly mixed on this. but I guess I just wanted to encourage you to be reserved about making it seem like no big deal..cause it really is. Hope I didn’t sound mean or judgmental… I can’t judge anyone… I also did it…. I just adore cats…..and hate to know that one may suffer because of this procedure..I truly believe Oscars death is 100% mt fault.. I should have just got wood floors..I will never declaw again… I’m through.

57. I’m getting a cat after we move in a few weeks and i’m considering laser declaw because I have two young cousins and a small niece and newphew. now the little ones would never be alone with the cat but I really worry about them getting hurt, and I can’t afford to have weekly nail clips and my mom’s pushing for declaw but would that be the right thing to do. I’m afraid that it’s getting to the point where I won’t be allowed a cat without getting it declawed and I’m not quite sure what to do.

58. Well, Milo got declawed yesterday and is home today. He is doing great! He’s laying on my lap purring right now. As soon as he got home he was already trying to play with the other cats!

    YAY! for no more scratches for me, the cats, the furniture and everyone else!

59. I adopted a kitten back in September that was to stay at my boyfriend’s house. The only way my boyfriend allowed me to do this was with a promise to get the kitten declawed. [He has leather furniture.] So, even though I was skeptical about the whole declawing thing, I agreed. [I really wanted my own kitten!] Well, I got the kitten, but didn’t get him declawed right away, because I wanted to wait for him to get neutured at the same time. Well my little Milo just LOVES to play and truly favored those leather couches! This did NOT make my boyfriend very happy. Currently Milo is staying at my parent’s house with me [I’m only 19] and I am talking to vets about prices for neuturing and declawing. I’ve talked to my mom about declawing because we had our other 2 cats declawed about 3 years ago and she told me everything went great with the surgery. I never noticed any negative differences in my 2 other cats what-so-ever. There was one difference in our cat Shadow though, he was much more affectionate towards everyone, making everyone else more that way towards him because he wasn’t scratching anyone any more.

    I just made an appointment for Milo for Dec. 5 to get neutured as well as declawed, and it is going to be with a laser.

    I will post again after the surgery.
    I expect all to go well! :]

60. I had my previous cat declawed, at the age of about 4 years. That cat went on to live to the ripe old age of EIGHTEEN YEARS. This was an 18 month old cat I rescued via the SPCA. I wouldn’t have had her declawed at all but for her resistance to all forms of training against using the furniture. When the clerk at the vet’s office (CHAT in Towson, MD) gave me a hard time about it, I made it quite clear “declawing is certainly better the euthanizing, isn’t it?” This shut the opinionated little idiot’s attitude up QUITE quickly.

    Now I’m faced with the same dilemma with our new cat. This one, again, rescued from the SPCA. The poor thing had been ‘adopted’ once already and returned! She was 8 months old when I rescued her. Now it’s been nearly a year and she is just unable to resist wrecking a pretty expensive rug and has moved on to chairs. I’ve tried tape, foil, a variety of sprays, water bottle deterring, and all sorts of alternative clawing materials (which DO get used, just not to the exclusion of the furntiture).

    So it’s interesting to hear there’s now a laser option. Looks like an interesting solution.

61. Yeah.. and didn’t a certain poster say their last post (back in June) was their last? *sigh* I guess not everyone is reliable…

62. Jeez. Is anyone as sick of some posters here as I am?

63. If you get ANY pet today, you are told to RESAEARCH the pets’ needs BEFORE you get it, not whine about what it does afterwards. The internet is shock FULL of advice, tips and training ideas that work for felines and their owners -Vets are NOT Free, they are a business, and 95% in the US are NOT worried about your cat or after effects of surgery, which YOUR money keeps thriving. The sooner you learn this the better able to make a proper decision- to benefit you AND your cat! Few do, they think their vet is GOD and can make all their pet decisions unbiased, how very WRONG they are…( a business is a business!) only vets who have committed themselves to NOT declaw, and therefore comit to TRUELY care for animals in THEIR best interest can we trust them.

64. This ain’t Dan-
    but he showed me this- I don’t have internet, guess I should be glad…
    You ladies sound just like my former wife, my Ex-wife. Is this bog bogus, or are you ladies for real? I thought at one time maybe you were a vet having someone make up all these letters or the wife of a vet trying to drum up business(?) I’ve been advised: Always remember, you don’t talk extensively to a vet about declawing if that’s what he or she does, they are a business intent on making money, not helping your cat…who pays the bill? Really!

    Before we married I had a beautiful Siamese/Asian cat called Gia. Till I met the x, Gina was the light of my life. Well, Gia and the x hit it off pretty well, but Gia just never quite trusted the wife, (sort of tolerated her). Gia never bothered the furniture, she had a great jungle gym I built her before I got her, but the wife was always worried, despite the fact there were no scratches anywhere.

    Well, one time I came home from work and Gia wasn’t there to greet me. Wife said she took her to the vets’ to be declawed. I just about lost it. I told her I never wanted Gina declawed! She knew I was beyond her sweet talk at that point so she puts on the tears and shows me where the cat scratched her above her wrist. A scratch no worse than people get gardening! She had my cat’s toes amputated because of a scratch that she probably deserved. We were only married 6 mos. when this happened she was always telling me how her dizzy friends had their cats done and that we should too. Poor Gina will suffer for the rest of her life for that whiny high maintenance baggage!

    Poor Gina was never the same, but quite frankly there is nothing like a cat to bring out a woman’s real side. I am happily married now with a loving woman and kids. Gina (now 17) has an adopted sister and brother. My present wife is a giving and wonderfully nurturing real woman. She gives special attention to our poor Gina, and Gina loves her back for her understanding… Our kids (now 2 and 5) were taught from tiny on to respect animals and have never been scratched by our two fully clawed cats.

    I noticed a few of you really use your own claws when anyone disagrees with your excuses for your cats, that is too bad. Guess it’s not your fault, but you gals and guys into the declaw certainly earned yourselves a permanent membership to the ME generation! It’s all about YOU, no consideration or respect for letting animals be what they were meant to be. You have a lot to learn. Times a wastin’, ladies!

65. No, Barbara, unfortunately there isn’t.

    The best thing to keep in mind is that cats aren’t for everyone. They are my favorite,but I wouldn’t hink of holding their claws hostage for a good home, and here they do have a good home, complete with all the things a cat needs, including their claws.

66. Is there a method of declawing an adult cat with less pain and recouperation time than the normal?

67. I had two cats previously, one who lived to a wonderful old age of 15 and one who recently died at age 12 from severe kidney failure. Both cats were declawed the “old way” as kittens. Tip, my 15 year old boy was the best cat I’ve ever known. He was full of attitude, ruled the house, but was wonderfully well-behaved. Kaccee, my 12 year old girl was and beautiful sweet natured cat who would have died on her own because she was just not meant to live without someone doting on her. I adored these cats. However, I am VERY allergic to cats and cat scratches do horrible things to my skin. I have cats despite my allergies (that is what medicine is for) because they are cathartic for me (I have a very anxious personality and they make me relax and laugh). Would it have been better to not adopt them and let them be put to sleep? Or worse live a short disadvantaged life on the streets?

    After much consideration (and recovery from the heart break of losing our Kaccee in February) we adopted two kittens last month. I have been wrestling with the idea of whether or not to have them declawed since we got them. Despite my history I still wasn’t sure, until I found this website. I also visited my vet today (I own a dog as well) and grilled him about declawing. It is not the horror that so many sites out there are making it to be. I will have my kittens declawed within the next few months. Why? Because I don’t want them to hurt eachother (you should see the horrible cuts they give eachother! Especially as one is much bigger than the other), and because I don’t want to not be able to play with them for fear of a nasty reaction (I have been to the doctor more than once from being badly scratched from my other cats with their back claws.)

    I still say that taking the cats in, giving them a loving home, and having them declawed is a much better alternative for them than letting them roam the streets to be abused, starve, or worse.

68. I have 2 children and I have wrestled with the idea of getting an animal for a few years. I didn’t want to get a dog because our yard is not fenced and I do not want a 100 pound dog in my home. (That is the only kind of dog my husband would let us get) I wanted something for them but I was so worried. See, a friend of ours has a son that is blind in one eye. He was not born blind. My friend had purchased a cat and during play one day the cat scratched the child in the white of the eye. This caused an infection due to the feces in the claw of the cat and eventually he was blind in that eye. A horror story but I was scared to death and I had our cat declawed. She is strictly an indoor cat and I have not noticed any difference in her demeanor. I was thinking of the safety of my children and I think most people would keep cats around longer if they are declawed. The clawing is a big reason a lot of people kick cats outside to fend. I hope this information helps anyone with children.

69. I’ve had cats all my life and have never had a declawed cat. I’ve also never had my house destroyed. I noticed that one of the posters stated that she was having trouble because she’d never had a cat before. Thus, I would argue that she is simply resorting to declawing out of ignorance. For example, I raised a kitten in the last year in the same house with some VERY expensive speakers. While the cat was still young, I trained him with treats to scratch one of those cardboard things they sell in pet stores. He responded so well that he would scratch the cardboard just to get a treat. The speaker grilles were never touched. Anyone who really knows and values cats for what they are can tell that there’s something wrong with declawed cats. I have a scratch on my hand right now from a neighbor’s declawed cat that bit me with no warning. Normal cats don’t do that. The neighbors also report that they have problems with the cat biting and not using the litterbox consistently, two classic post-declawing behaviors. I agree with those who consider declawing a barbaric practice symptomatic of selfish, ignorant, callous people, and I think it should be outlawed. To cat declawers–I’d be happy to cut off the ends of your fingers with a pair of poultry shears. Do unto others……

70. This is a wonderful web page (despite some hysterical rants from one person).

    I lost my beloved cat, Boo, after 18 years. Boo had kidney disease and required daily subcutaneous fluid injection to hydrate him once his water drinking instinct could not keep up with the needs of his kidneys. He also required daily enemas during his last few months of life just to keep him comfortable. How he and I bonded through this: you would not believe how deeply I learned to “read” him – and how remarkably he learned, in return, to trust “daddy” to do all I could to keep him comfy. This imperfect human had to learn every nuance of Boo’s gestures and behavior, just to figure out how best to help him during those last months of hospice care with me. (I’m tearing up again, thinking of him – his loss is just 6 months ago.) Boo was more than a friend, then.

    Why am I mentioning all this? Well, sticking a needle under Boo’s skin was a daily medical act – as were the enemas, a procedure deeply alien to his instincts, yet he had to learn to adapt so that it became routine and brought him relief and comfort. He – and I – adapted to do this, to fit his needs.

    So, too, is it sometimes with declawing – I think. I very much respect the anti-declawing discussions because I feel they are motivated by a genuine interest in doing what is best for the pet. The pet has every right to a comfortable life without trauma. But judging from the success experiences relayed here and elsewhere, I suspect it is very possible – if the declawing is done with the utmost care and medical advancements available – for it to be a positive experience for the pet as well as the owner.

    Boo was already declawed when we got him from the animal shelter in 1989; we did not have to make that decision for him.

    I am now healing enough from the raw loss of my beloved friend, that I am starting to research animal shelter websites – and also the controversial topic of declawing – in hopes of adopting another pet companion. Conclusion: I have decided I will deliberately seek out a cat who is already declawed. That will be my choice. It worked so well with Boo – who had a wonderful life for almost 2 decades and was a delightfully happy, very well adjusted, puppy-like cat.

    In 18 years, Boo never developed arthritis in those declawed front paws. He also maintained excellent gripping ability. He loved to run throughout the house for hours a day, in his youth. He could leap from floor to the top of a 5-foot-tall bookcase in one bound – then walk precipitously and gracefully on its lip. The extreme gracefulness of his walk was an amazement to me; to his dying day I marvelled at how beautiful his walking and twisting were, like a dancer’s. Instinctively, despite lack of claws, he would scratch at fabrics, chairs, sofas on occasion – a behavior he seemed to enjoy, as it calmed him. He allowed me to trim his rear claws every few weeks as needed, a nice “together” task for us. Bottom line: I never saw a hint of declawing trauma in him. Rarely (a few times over 18 years) he would use his teeth a little aggressively, though – perhaps as compensation for lack of claws.

    Boo was exclusively an indoor cat, except when I took him outside briefly under absolutely strict personal supervision.

    For generations, many of us have grown up with cats who were declawed, so I don’t for a minute believe the hysteria that declawing ruins most cats’ lives. I do however feel the topic needs careful, serious consideration and every chance for enlightened research and discussion, so individuals can make the right choice based on what is best for their pets and their families.

71. I recently adopted two one-year old cats, and their previous owners had chosen to declaw them. I have grown up around cats all my life and had never had a declawed cat until now. While I can’t say much on the recovery from declawing, I will say that these cats always use their litterbox, they are very friendly, they play with their toys just like any other cat, and I haven’t noticed any of the negative behaviors that I have read about declawed cats. Their footpads do not appear to be atrophied, they look like the footpads of clawed cats.

    After seeing many websites on declawing, I had started to worry about the future health of my cats. It seems like arthritis is a common long-term side effect. But since my cats haven’t had all the behavior problems, litterbox problems, etc. that these websites list, I am inclined to think that maybe arthritis isn’t all that common either. I would think that even non-declawed cats get arthritis as they age.

    The websites on declawing are very scary. While I don’t know if I could ever bring a cat in to be declawed, I know that having a declawed cat makes finding apartments easier, and that not all declawed cats are as affected by the procedure as the websites claim.

72. There is no difference in the pain or long term effects by using a laser instead of a knife.

    I’ve been doing scientific studies on the subject of declawing since 2001, and I have seen first hand the adverse effects of declawing – in the field and in the operating room. There is a reason most first-world nations ban the barbaric practice, and good reasons why the City of West Hollywood has banned declawing all cats, the State of California has banned declawing large and exotic species cats, the USDA issued a national regulation disallowing declawing of any exotic species cat in captivity throughout the U.S. and the AVMA condemns it. The United States is way behind other civilized nations around the world that would never allow inhumane procedures like declawing, dog de-barking, ear cropping, etc. in the name of convenience. We are the barbarians.

    Paul, if you haven’t done it yet, please don’t. There is no difference in the long term effects of declawing by using a laser. It’s like asking if you want to use a blow torch or a guillotine to chop off your head. Both make incisions. Both sever the bones. Both cut the ligaments. And often both are performed without anesthesia.

    If your veterinarians are 50/50 on the subject, let me pose a question to you: How’s their business? Are at least 50% of them needing the extra $200 to $500 for a traditional onychectomy, or up to $1000 to pay for their new laser-style scissors this month and make ends meet? When the CVMA fought the City of West Hollywood, their primary concern was digging into the pockets of the very profession that supports that sorry organization. When veterinarians suggest declawing as a matter of course without explaining to you the deleterious effects of declawing, they don’t give a rat’s ___ about your animal. If any tell you they’ve never seen the ill effects, they’re either lying, or their clients won’t come near them again after what they have done, so they never get to see the effects. In small cats, it can take years for you to notice anything is wrong. Look at the pads. They’re usually attrophed. Ever had an ingrown toenail or a hang nail? Remember how much that hurts? Imagine that feeling for a lifetime. A small cat instinctively won’t show pain because it make him/her vulnerable to prey.

    You think they behave badly with claws? Just wait until you declaw them. You’ll wish you had snags in your furniture when they start urinating on your carpet. If you want to declaw your cat to keep them from scratching your children, just wait until they start biting them instead because you’ve amputated their only other defense.

    You ask whether you should declaw your cat or give it away? GIVE IT AWAY, PLEASE!!! Because once you find the behavioral problems that occur afterward, you’ll give it away anyway. Chances are it will be unadoptable because no one wants to take in a cat that won’t use the litter box or bites children. You’ll save the cat’s life by giving it away BEFORE you amputate its toes. Cut to the chase!

    For those of you who think that getting the ends of your toes amputated doesn’t sound like a big deal, after all, some people lose the ends of their toes and they can still walk – albeit not well, then consider this: what if you had the ends of your toes amputated with a little cigar cutter (or burned off with a laser) without anesthesia, and in the process your extensor and flexor tendons were cut so that you couldn’t wiggle your toes? Now let’s say they left a little piece of the bone still attached to the flexor tendon (underneath), which pulled the little piece of bone under your foot creating a pebble in the shoe effect. Then, let’s say that little piece of bone created a minor infection that created an annoyance, but not enough of a mess to get you to the doctor until it became too painful. So by that time, the minor infection had moved through your blood system, and now you need kidney dialysis. If you had waited any longer, the doctors would need to amputate your foot, or worse, you would have gone into renal failure and died. So I ask you, does this sound like a procedure you would opt for so that you don’t have to clip your nails? If you love animals as you say you do, why would you subject yours to such a cruel fate?

    If you are interested in seeing what declawing really does, please look at some photographs. Go to pawproject.com. Make an educated decision, and for god’s sake, knock off the cat fight, ladies. I’m actually appalled at the posts on this site. Shame on you for hurling insults at each other and ill-advice to people genuinely grappling with the issue. I wouldn’t have bothered responding except for the fact that it pains me to see so much misinformation being spread like a cancer. This isn’t your personal living room. You aren’t doing any good for the cats or anyone by insulting one another in a public forum and providing misinformation. For the sake of the poor cats at your mercy, please educate yourselves before you offer advice on a national public forum accessible to millions of people.

73. While I’ve been considering having my three year old cat declawed, I’ve sought out the remarks of both professionals and cat owners. It seems they are split 50-50 on the issue — at least as far my research yields. However, having read the posts from raving Jan, I have decided to go ahead and have the laser removal procedure for my cat. The thoughtful remarks from pet owners are founded in actual observations made of their cats, both before and after the procedure, while Jan’s remarks are based less on reality and more on ill-informed emotional propaganda, which she espouses via poorly executed tirades.

74. Well, in come the laughing hyenas! Yep the exclamation point is stuck, stuck on you…

    You can always tell the really INTELLIGENT ones, they fight like hell to prove even murder is OK , as long as it serves the purpose for which it was intended. You people are fighting a dying battle. Modern, intelligent, thinking people KNOW how to work WITH nature vs. against it, only selfish, lazy , money -hungry people will advocate declaw, and you know it. Vets who reap the rewards will even advertise it, and stupid people will be sucked in like metal to magnet. Oh well… if you want to be an animial cruelty activist, continue on…

    This is my last post, as I fear the doc is right, you people really DO NOT ARE, except about yourselves and your cruel opinions to support what 23 countries consider CRUELTY!!!!!!!!!!!!.

75. LOL! Jan is so funny! I wonder what else she gets mad about!? She’s so passionate that she ends up turning people OFF of her message. She needs to try better (maybe more friendly or at lease more sane sounding) tactics.

76. OUR mistakes? Hahahaha… sorry, thats amusing. Yes, it MUST be my fault that my cats still claw my furniture even after the scratching posts of every shape and kind, even after the “sticky paws” over EVERYTHING, even after the “soft paws” caps on their nails, regularly trimming their nails, and even after consulting with an animal behaviorist. Yep, its all on me. Right.

    This has been an ongoing battle ever since they were kittens (they’re now 2 yrs old) and its now to the point of either declaw, or get rid of them. Now which do you think is better for the cats?? Animal shelter versus declaw… wow, no contest there.

    What else would you have me do? Oh thats right… live in a dump where they can claw whatever they want. I dont know about you, but i like my nice furniture, and I want to keep it nice.

77. Equating declawing to murder is absurd and socially irresponsible. Shame on you.

    Furthermore, cat’s don’t have “fingers”. They do have toes, but we are meant to think that by removing the tips of the toes, we are somehow altering the way in which the cat walks. This is pure caca, and it’s one of the biggest lies that anti-declaw people like to spread. The bone in question is vestigial and is not weight-bearing at all. It’s akin to extracting a wisdom tooth. But hey, if lying accomplishes a means, isn’t it okay? (guess what?) NO!

    The idea that anti-declaw people like to plant in our heads is that the cats are secretly agonizing over their lost claws and bones. Okay, but it also stands to reason that cats would not also do things to aggrivate pain in their paws, such as running, pouncing, leaping, and other fun activities that all cats do regularly.

    Like I said earlier, people like this like to pretend as if they’re kitty psychologists who can tell what ails your cat and what caused it. And of course, if the cat suffers from any ailment whatsoever, it’s going to be attributed directly to declawing. It’s call post-hoc-ergo-proctor-hoc. It’s an intellectual fallacy that anti-declaw people use beligerantly as they attempt to club your feet. (no irony intended)

    The claims that our screaming harpy is boasting comes from webpages such as this one right here. But notice that the evidence she claims is there is actually not. The arthritis claim comes from a study in which the majority of cats showed to have arthritis in their joints, but there is no actual causal link. And of course, this oversight is blamed on the money-hungry vet in the study. Naturally.

    I’m not saying that there aren’t going to be good arguments against declawing. Unfortunately, the arguments supplied by Jan don’t pass muster. The problem with anti-declaw people like Jan is that they try to throw everything at you, including the kitchen sink, and what ends up happening is that their arguments are so vapid that they’re easily defeated with just a little fact-checking.

    Just some advice, Jan. You may want to buy a new keyboard. Your exclamation point key seems to be stuck.

78. Do any of you brilliant people *pro-declaw* see anything wrong with taking away akitty’s fingers an/or toes for YOUR idealistic mistakes?

79. Lindi- you, too could recieve that award…
    Um, I have no problem with sex, do you? I s that why my posts frustrate you? I’m thinking, yes, this gal is off… the subject is cats, my dear, or haven;t you noticed?…Oh-but of course…this isn’t about cats, but about their lazy owners who seemingly need support in chopping off (amputating) their kitties claws, they need support to pass it around that this is actually OK! Hey! I understand! Even murderers need people to back their reasons so they will feel GOOD about themselves, and HEY, if we have support, isn’t it OK?
    (guess what?) NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

80. Jan is pretty nasty. This is what she wrote me:

    Author: Jan
    Comment:
    Good for YOU , Lindi- now you are up for the super cat-lazy air-head
    award! Oh- and the declaw dummy award is yours also!
    C O N G R A T U L A T I O N S !!!!!!!!!!!!!

    This is so funny! Wow, do you think she needs to get some sex or what? She’s probably the cat lady with no life. LOL. Besides, what I wrote I didn’t actually mean. I wanted to see what she would say. HAHA!

    Lindi

81. I’m still getting my cat declawed, in spite of what Jan said. All 4 of my cats were declawed and were the best little babies ever! I don’t believe it’s inhumane. The laser treatment is an especially good option.

82. THere was no bad languwage in any of my posts, Christi, and you KNOW it!!!!!!!

83. Dr. Jennifer Conrad of the Paw Project (www.pawproject.com )is now, one at a time, doing surgeries to repair crippling damage on tigers and other large cats, she know why cats of all breeds, large and small should never be declawed. I know expert feline vets (successful authors and PHD’s and beyond)who are fighting to pass declaw bans accross our whole country. It is banned or considered inhumane in 23 countries now.
    West Hollywood led the frontier by passing the first declaw ban, now Norfolk Virginia has followed suit.

    I can understand uneducated people declawing, but people who fully know what it is really ought to be ashamed of themselves!

84. Christi:
    I most CERTAINLY CAN, CHristi!!!- I heard another rlady talk just like you- you sound like her echo…now, sadly she had to purt her 7 year old cat down, can’t stop it from peeing-I’ve seen 7 out of 10 declawed cats euthanized between 3 and 9 years old- always the same thing-soiling or personality problems.

    The vets mostly understand early arthritic onset also as from declaw, oh- and diabetes brought on by chronic pain and stress, you guessed it- declaw. But are they going to tell you? Hell no- you pay the bills not the cat.

    I don’t recall calling anyone names either. My intent is NOT to call people names. But as a consultant I am highly offended to hear people telling others it’s perfectly fine, it isn’t, no matter HOW it’s done. I just returned a month ago from a lady’s house whose 7 year old cat hides in the basement and snarls and hisses at teveryone. I very carefully and quietly communicated with this cat. It was declawed in the front and had pain that people were not aware of. I coaxed him out very sympatheticly, and he responded with his eyes. I told the woman his delemma and she understood. At least now everyone in the family understood the poor fellow and things steadily improved. I feel SO SORRY for these animals, so sorry I can’t tell you. Yes, they may seem perfectly happy, but TRUST ME, they are NOT! I just have to vehemently object when people are telling others it is OK to declaw, it’s NEVER been OK, just someone’s very bad idea that became popular. Clawed cats by far don’t have 80% of the odd quirks I hear others’ cats with declaws do.

    Lyssa-
    DON’T!!! PLEASE!
    Laser declaw is less messy, but they still need the same pain meds, still bone amputation, still severing tendons, nerves, ( no blood because laser is BURNING at high speed, so it seals off the amputation, but don’t think it doesn’t hurt)etc…and the problems in years to come still may follow. Why are you thinking of declawing anyway? Is there a problem I might help you with?

85. Hi, I’m considering getting my cats declawed (they’re almost 2) and I was wondering if laser declawing allowed them to still “grab” onto things. I had heard that regular declawing severed the tendon that allowed them to do things like paw open cabinets (in my cats case) or “grab” things with their paws and I wasnt sure if laser declawing was the same. Thanks for the info!

86. Jan~

    I have had one of my cats now for 5 years and the other for 2 years. Also I have owned cats all of my life before this but have never declawed them before now. My parents have cats who aren’t declawed and according to my prior experience and comparing my cats now to my parents cats there is not a difference in how they act, play, health, nothing so I will go back to saying everyone is welcome to their opinion although I definitely take offense to people calling other people names. Do you have proof that this affects the cats badly? I have seen multiple people on this site whose cats have never had a problem health wise or otherwise. Can you prove to me besides calling names or being nasty that this is bad for the cats? My cats are definitely some of the most spoiled cats I know and have never lacked for anything and until I would see undeniable proof with them (that can 100% be linked back to declawing them) I will stick to my guns and say this isn’t as bad as you are making it out to be. Oh and I haven’t removed your posts you just went straight to spam…. Just a reminder this is an open conversation but I will remove any comments who swear or use vulgar language.

87. Christi-
    Um, you have never had any problems because you aren’t AWARE of any!!!!!!! How ong have you had these catrs(now don’t lie, dear)
    I see you have removerd my posts, and totally understandably, you people are full of poppycock, and are furthering the mutilation of animals! HOW COULD YOU?????? For your own selfish, spoiled, idiotic reasons, fine- but please don’t propogate others doing the same- you will find out in time, as so many others do- but no one suffers but the poor cats.

88. Gisel~

    I have made my thoughts clear on the ideas of laser declawing it worked out great for me. My cats still kneed my legs and stomachs when they are loving and still race around an play even though both have been declawed. I have never had any problems from Laser Declawing and even though sites say that you shouldn’t do it because of how it will affect the animals; I can say this my parents never had their cats declawed and we had both of our declawed and I have never noticed a difference between them except to say that when you play with my parents cats who haven’t been declawed they at times draw blood which I no longer have to worry about with mine. Like I have said before this is just my opinion and as you have seen there are many different viewpoints on the subject.

89. I have been searching for months about this topic and all I heard is so negative, that makes you feel so cruel! When you really LOVE this animals.

    I am glad to hear other sides of the story. This is not a thing that you just do for your convinience. I am not happy with the option, but right now my cat is a bit aggresive and I am his favorite scratching post.

    He is lovely, cute and loving, but has two personalities… Sometimes he just wants to bite and scratch me. It is not every day, but I have tried natural medication, scratching posts, sprays, toys, etc. with no results.

    I am NOT getting rid of him, but I am considering laser declawing. Any comments? He will be 1 year old next week.

    Thanks!!
    gisel

90. My cat is 8 yrs old and olny has rear claws, but still is hard on my furniture when she jumps on and off. She is a big kitty, weighs 18lb.

    Thank you,
    Lynne

91. Hi Christi,

    My first cat died last year after 18 happy years. We had her declawed the traditional way shortly after we got her. Because she had been a stray, we were told by the shelter that she would never truly bond humans, and there was some concerns about adverse behavioral problems.

    Ironically, after we got Maddie declawed, the cat seemed to actually change for the better. She was weird around people for a little while, but since she was allowed to play, “scratch”, and be rambunctious, she grew to love her new home and the people in it. With a little time and nurture, Maddie was a wonderful addition to our household. It helped that we never had to scold an already anti-social cat for doing what kitties do.

    What makes me laugh is that in this world, we seem to have a lot of freelance pet psychologists who claim they “can tell” when a cat is adversely affected by their declawing. I was told many times that Maddie was clearly scarred from her experience, as evident by her put-off behavior.

    But again, this was entirely due to her being abandoned as a kitten, and in that regard, she had actually IMPROVED.

    Now, I know this post was about LASER declawing, but I just wanted to bring to everyone’s attention that even with traditional declawing measures, how claims of adverse effects can be manufactured with post hoc rhetoric. In other words, they take any behavioral problem your cat may be exhibiting and, without substantiation, attribute it to the fact that it’s been declawed.

92. It is completely up to you and I can only tell you my experience since I have only done laser declawing. It is a little more pricey but our cats did come home without pain, instantaneously running and playing all over. They did have to use special litter for a while so you might want to get them using it before they come home. No blood, no pain they were in for two days and then home good as new. I haven’t noticed any change in them either. Hopefully that helps somewhat.

93. Hi. Im am currently doing some research on declawing our cat. I rescued my cat (Mannix) from a shelter. She is a wonderful cat, with some not so wonderful clawing habits. She has a scratching post and uses it quite often, but still claws at my furniture and more often the carpet around the door jams. I live in an apartment building and rescued our cat as a therapy animal for my son. Mannix is a large cat, she weighs about 15 lbs (she is not fat) and LOVES to play, but sometimes her size gets the better of her and she ends up scratching someone. I have noticed too her getting her claws caught in the carpet and on the upholstry on the couches. We are planning on having her declawed but not until we research how our vet does it. Ive checked into the laser declawing online a bit, becuase I saw some pictures of the “traditional” declawing. Im just wondering if anyone has any suggestions as to which way to go.

94. Thank you for helping me decide to get my cat declawed. She is three years old and a real handful. In the near future we will be getting a dog and I was rather worried about her scratching the dog. Both my daughters are covered in scratches from her and it has been a concern of mine. She is an indoor cat and only goes out on a leash. Reading your article has made me feel better about getting it done.

95. Thank you for your sensible comments. I adopted a cat from a rescue shelter. He is a very high maintenance cat. My husband and I work and cannot play with our cat during the day. When we get home, he goes berserk trying to get our attention. He races through the house and jumps on the furniture and tried to climb the curtains. None of that bothers us except for the fact that he has shredded our sofa, chairs and several pairs of drapes. We have bought him numerous toys and several scratching posts, but he still gets excited and scratches things. We decided to get him declawed so he won’t tear up all our furniture, drapes and wallpaper. He can still have all the fun he wants, but he will no longer be destructive and we will all be able to live in harmony.

96. we adopted our cat when he was three years old. we had him declawed a couple of weeks later. it didn’t alter his personality or have any other bad side effects. he was a large cat, a little over 12 lbs. all was well within a week.

97. What I reccomend is finding a vet in your area who does laser declawing procedures and talking to them about how they think a seven year old cat would adapt to being declawed. My cats were both declawed when they were younger and I can say they haven’t had any bad side effects in fact they appear to not even realize they are missing anything but I can’t say for certain that an older cat who has had their claws for all their life would adapt as well. Has anyone else had their cats declawed at an older age? See the blog post titled Laser Declawing also as it has some other thoughts on declawing. There is also a vet who has posted on that strand so maybe she could advise you.

98. Hi, I’ve been searching around for some help on this topic. I have had a cat with me for the last 7 years,since he has been born. I used to live in the basement of my parents house until this weekend when I moved into a new apartment. My problem is that my cat scratches everything up. I have tried to discourage him and got him a scratching post and a few other things but nothing has worked. I want to bring him to my new place because he only really gets a long with me and right now he is just in the basement of my parents house until I can figure out what to do. Don’t get me wrong it is furnished and he has food and water and my family tries to play with him but he won;t let them. So its basically him living like that for a year til I can get a house or get him declawed to live with me. Like I said he is 7 yrs old. Any advice on what to do would be great, I need some assurance if I get this done it will be ok.

99. I’m so glad that people like you are finding my site. People have to realize that sometime if declawing is what it is going to take to safe the cats life then that is the most important thing in the world. My cats have not had anything bad as a result of declawing and I hope the same for you. That is an amazing story and I’m glad there are people as caring as you out there to save cats like that.

100. I just wanted to tell you that I found your article very helpful. I have decided to have my cat declawed and have been getting nothing but negative remarks on how insensitive I am and how I am going to scar this animal for life. To understand why these comments are so hurtful, you have to start at the beginning. About two months ago, a young woman who lived in my apartment complex moved out. She basically put the cat, who I have renamed Wesley out in the streets to fend for himself. When I first saw the cat, he didn’t look too bad. Three weeks later I saw the cat again. He was very skinny and his fur was matted. Everytime someone would walk through the vestibule doors of the apartment building, he would try to get inside away from the rain, traffic and noise. Several of my neighbors had been leaving food out for this cat, but when I asked if anyone would take him in everyone had some reason or another why they could not. One evening while on my way home from work, I noticed some teenage boys watching the cat as they made plans to “get him”. That night I couldn’t sleep and the following morning called the neighborhood vet to see what could be done. When the vet told me the horror stories of what people had done to some of the stray animals that had been brought to their office, including someone taking a hole puncher and putting holes in a cats ear, she ended the conversation by saying that if I could take the cat in, I would probably be saving his life.

     I went out and bought a cat carrier, a cat bed, toys, the best cat food the stores had, the best litter, catnip, scratching post, videos and books on cat behavior(because I have never in my life owned one), as well as contacting the local police department to see if I needed to at least try and track down the previous owner before I took the cat in.

     After about 2 week, Wesley had become comfortable enough to realize that when I reached out to pick him up that I was not going to hurt him. One evening while working on my computer he went to jump in my lap for a kitty massage and almost slipped off(I had on shorts) On reflex he dug his claws in so he wouldn’t fall and I ended up having to go to my primary doctor to make sure I didn’t need stitches. The next incident took place when he attempted to run across the living room carpet and his claws got snagged up. I tried trimming his claws and got scratched up in the process. The pet groomers will trim his claws, but I dont have the finances to have that done as often as it needs to to be effective. My choice to have him declawed has nothing to do with furniture, it has to do with wanting to provide the most safe and healthy environment for the both of us. I read another article written by the American Animal Hospital Association that states,

     “Scientific studies indicate that cats with destructive clawing behavior are more likely to be euthanized, or more readily relinquished, released, or abandoned, thereby contributing to the homeless cat population. Where scratching behavior is an issue as to whether or not a particular cat can remain as an acceptable household pet in a particular home, declawing may warrant consideration.

     So to all the critics out there, not everyone wants their cat declawed because they don’t want their homes destroyed.