Laser Declawing

Posted on by

We recently got our second cat laser declawed.  Our first cat it went pretty smoothly with only a slight infection afterwards.  We had highly reccomended it because its supposed to be significantly less painful for cats and when they come home the only thing special you need to do for them is use a special kind of litter.  They are not supposed to have any pain and there is not supposed to be any blood or treatment after the surgery.  With our first cat that was pretty much the case but with our second cat after 3 days he was still favoring his paws and therefore we needed to take him back in.  He is now on morphine and has broken open 4 of his wounds since his surgery.  He doesn’t seem to care and I probably worry more then he notices it as it doesn’t slow him down.  If I had to look at reccomending laser declawing I would still reccomend it I just would warn you even if there isn’t supposed to be any problems after the surgery it all depends on each cat that has it done some will and some won’t but it definitely does not seem to slow the cats down at all. 

362 thoughts on “Laser Declawing”

  1. Jan~

    I have only ever removed one post from here and that was because of vulgar language. Everyone has the right to their own opinion and I respect what everyone has to say therefore I leave all the posts on here. If I was deleting comments don’t you think I would have eliminated yours by now? They may not get posted immediately but they do after I have seen that they went into moderation. The only time I will eliminate a comment is if it has vulgar language or is completely inappropriate.

  2. God Bless you , sweetheart, and thank you for all you have done for all those strays! You are an angel!

    No, I have not had diseases here becasue each new *newbie* is put in isolation till they are tested for everything. most are clawed, but the declawed dumpees are so pathetic I want to cry! I could write a book (and probably will)…So VERY sad!

  3. One of the reasons the incidence is higher for kitties that have been declawed showing up in shelters is,at least in this area, is that once that is done they cannot be put outside, they could not survive, around here a lot of people get kitties and then get tired of them,…the old mind set of kitties are ..an expression I hate…(A dime a dozen). What happens in this little neck of the woods, is when a person that is older dies and has a kitty that is declawed and cant find a home right away they end up in the shelters… the reason also around here the ones that are not declawed dont, is because so many people around here, when they get upset that a kitty wets on the carpet , etc, etc, they just dump them along side the road instaed of paying to take them to the shelter. This is being cruel.
    Our shelter is in Petersburg Indiana,Luckly that one shelter is a no kill shelter, however they are very crowded. Most here will not buy a kitty from a shelter when they can get one off a farm or a stray. I have givin this shelter donations, especailly when they first opened, but now I am on total dissabilty and all I have is SSI, which is barely enough to live on.
    at any rate.
    the “rescue ranch”, belongs to a friend of mine, that has a kitty site on the web, and takes in many kitties. One is missing a leg, others have like diabetes, etc.
    a lot of us on the web, will post in our groups, of kitties in our state or areas that need homes, and we try to help find homes, or help transporting from one state to another.
    I myself over the years have taken in over 50 kitties, many of which I kept till they died of old age. some I found homes for. These were kitties where a mother cat has been dumped, and hit by a car, and neighbors find the kittiens and bring them to me, many times only at 3 days old, and I foster them and find homes.
    I hate to see kitties being bred, and sold, when there are way too many kittes allready around in need of a home. These kitties die, while people buy pure bred kittes.
    then there are the back yard breeders, that will buy a pure bred kittie wihtout papers for a pet, and then breed it anyway and sell as pets. Or allow it to breed with a stray and sell the kittiens as half breed kittes. these are things I find cruel.
    I belong to kitty clubs named, fat is fun, Critters, DaAGency, CLAW, Fuzzy kitties, etc. A lot of wonderful people in these groups, that take in kittes and find homes for kitties.
    Im sorry, I thought you were trying to say these diseases only happend to kitties that were declawed, becaus eyou said..why does this never happen to any of mine. I guess you have just been very lucky to have many kittes and noe of them end up with a disease, when they can live for over 20 years.

  4. Wow!
    Thanks!
    I do wonder how many posts were removed here-looking at the numbers! Never thought about it, but thought I was alone on this itsy bitsy blog. Bet many who also hate declawing wrote that were removed. eh?
    Thanks again, it feels good to hear the truth, and also from a vet that truly loves animals, especially cats, which many don’t.

  5. I have been reading posts here for several days now. Though I stumbled accross this little blog by mistake, I must say I was quite unprepared for so many negqative aproach comments towards cats and the attitude towards an elective surgery that , were it not for the money, probabluy wouldn’t even be taught in vet school!

    Jan, yours were the only positive comments, unfortunately. I am wondering if there were others, were they removed?

    At the clinic I am employed with at present we refuse to do declaws. We realise it is a lucritive business, but prefer to do only necessary surgeries, certainly not bone amputation on a healthy feline!
    I am at a complete loss as to how anyone can say they love an animal, yet pay to have something so very unnecessary and, yes, cruel, done to ther pet.

    I usually don’t comment on these blogs, and this will be my last and only. BTW, my wife and I have four indoor only cats, 3 cat trees and our beautiful furniture is still beautiful.

    Jan, keep telling it like it is, but I wouldn’t waste my time on this blog, it’s clear these people love themselves and their posessions, not their cats.

  6. Sheila- you say you velong to many rescues, can you name just two for me?
    Thanks
    Because what you say is true, but no one is insinuating ONLY declawed cats have these problems, just the the incidence is much greater. I know rescue groups all over the country, and would be very interested in learning the names of ones you belong to…or the name of a couple of your shelters.Where are (they) located?
    Thanks alot.

  7. I belong to many rescue groups, kitty clubs, kitty groups, and there have been many, many kitties that have arthritis, dieabetis, and pancreatitis, that have not been declawed, If you have never run into this, then you have not been around that many kitties, or people that care for them.
    I have rescued kitties for over 40 years, and many have been abandoned that had there claws, and many have had diseases , that have their claws it not sonmthing that only happens to kitties that have been declawed.
    also many kittes in our shelters have been put down that have all their claws from behaviour problems.

  8. Christi-
    I am not trying to be negative, just trying to WARN, OK?
    I have heard hundreds like you over the years coming back to cry to me later about their precious cat’s diabetes, arthritis, behavioral problems…on and on and on…WHY?
    WHY don’t I have any of those probems…except with the declaw rescues???

    I am NOT trying to hurt anyone who has done this but DEFINATELY sway those who are think ing of it, it is a huge mistake (as well as an unnecessary one) …IF YOU REALLY LOVE YOUR CAT! PLEASE! Don’t do it and give yourself excuses later…they fall on deaf ears here.

  9. I don’t have to know any one of you! Just reading your posts gives me full reason for doubt.

    People who abuse their kids say they love them beyond a doubt, explicitely and completely. So why do they abuse them? Perhaps that is the way they were raised, that you have to…(WHAT???)- Oh yes- the OLD WIVES saying…spare the rod , spoil the child / Skip the training, declaw the cat. Same thing, people repeating mistakes over and over and over…it all comes down to what does LOVE mean to you? Hmm? Whatever is best for YOU(?) or your cat(?)
    Ther is absolutely NONE of my furniture damaged here-NOthing…nada..ZERO damag…um-would you believe after 30 years and litterealy hundreds of cats and kittens that have experienced my facilities????
    My sister used to talk like you ..yep, I finally helped her poor misunderstood declawed cat in his later years, now she has 4 in her house, all CLAWED, all using their OWN furniture…(imagine that?)

  10. I dont know if I can respond to Jan here, but let me tell you that you Jan dont know anyone of us to say that we are cruel or that we think they are just animals or hostages.

    I love my cat. I have slept on the floor by his side when he is sick and i have awaken at 4:00 am in the morning if he meows just to ckeck he is alright.

    Doing this declaw thing is not what i will consider the ideal solution. I dont thing is a funny or light thing. It was just a decision I had to take due the circumstances. Very personal choice and you have to respect that.

    I am not saying all cats should be declawed I have had cats before and never done it before. Sadly, this time it was different, but you have no right to say that I dont care.

    Every person has their own reasons. Some might sound convincing, others might not, but you dont know anyone of us to tell.

  11. Jan~

    I don’t care if you disagree about what I feel about this but putting people down because of their viewpoints I will not tolerate. You say you don’t use bad language and I’m sure you are going to say that you don’t put people down but even just telling people that they support cruelty is a method of that. I have been to your site and I have not written nasty things on your site. People can view your site and they can view mine and can make their decision based off of each. If you have noticed a common thread above, 9 out of 10 people have complete success with laser declawing. You say your a consultant and thats great but how the heck can you tell a cat is upset and the reason behind it is because they got declawed just from looking into their eyes. Sorry to say but that sounds a little out there for me to believe. Like I said though you have the right to your opinions and I have the right to mine. Please discontinue commenting negatively to every post on this site. If you want to give people a different view point I will post your site on here and they can go there from here if they would like to see what your view point is: http://www.janskids.com . Thank you for your view point but please leave this discussion open to everyone (people who believe your way or not). And yes I will delete your posts if they are too negative (example: “Christi Awards).

  12. Yep, Hon, lots of people have experienced what you have, and that is why it is so VERY wrong for people like Christi to advocate such a cruelty!

    I guess if you want to believe you aren’t cruel you will seek support…it just makes you feel better, but for someone to actually say it is OK to have this barbaric thing done to a precious animal is unforgivable!

    I can see why she likes to remove my posts, however, but please note- I use no bad language, just totally DISAGREE with her VERY FLAWED opinion and ideas, they are immature and totally without reference other than heresy fron those who want to be supported in their very bad decisions to ruin their pet’s chances at happiness, (Perhaps they feel they are *just animals* -sso there fore deserve to be treated like hostages, who will be given a home ONLY if their toes are chopped off- so what if they suffer for the rest of their lives as long as you are being adored and iolized after you tak e away their most precious posession, so what , who cares, right?

  13. Hi!
    After much research and thought I declaw my cat. I wished I dod not have to do it, but it was my very last and only option.

    It has been a little more complicated than I thought. Its been 14 days and he stills lick his paws and sometimes i found mini blood spots on his bed. I know he is an older cat (1 yr.) so the recovery is longer, but has somebody else gone throuh this?

    I took him to the vet after 7 days of the surgery because I notice he was hurt on one leg, but he jumped from the doctors counter and opened 2 wounds, so he needed stitches.

    Now it has been 7 days after that and I see some dry toes (like almost healed completely), but some are still reddish, like not healed yet. Thats why he is still in a room where he wont get hurt again, until he is coompletely fine.

    But he wants to play badly and is not happy to be confined to one room. Besides that, he eats well, plays, etc.

    Can somebody has experienced this after laser declawing?

    Thanks!

  14. It is the attitude more than anything else. If you can’t discuss a matter without the agression and in the patronizing manner that you do, people may be more inclined to talk with you deeper into the subject.
    If you would like to discuss the subject of declawing in a progressive fashion, I would recommend that you do so in a respectful manner, and likewise people will respect your opinions and give them the time and consideration that you would like.
    If it is beyond your power to deal with people in a polite manner because of their opinions on declawing, perhaps you would be better off using your energies elsewhere. Whilst people appreciate any advice and facts when considering declawing their cat, unfounded and provocative comments do not benefit anyone other than the person who posts them in getting something off their chest.

  15. Shar: You may call it belittling people, I and millions others like me, just think it’s common sense. Which many people have precious little of.

    Am I going to pat a person on the back for being cruel? Hell no! Sorry. People like you who talk of *favorable results* with declawing are furthering a situation that belongs in the dark ages with ghosts, gobblins, ans sorcerers.

    If you are too busy with your life to train a kitten right from the beginning, you and the kitten would be better off just not meeting.

    If you think it’s OK, why do you people need all the support? HMMMM????

    My daughter had a brand new home, gorgeous furniture and two little tots. Never once have those kids been scratched by any of her 7 CLAWED cats. Never has there been a scratch on her furniture orcarpet. But then, she started them out RIGHT with tall sisal posted cat trees. I know of HUNDREDS who do the same. I also know people who just don’t bother keeping up with training, covering their furniture and getting an honest to goodness up-to-date feline education (from feline experts)-most vets are NOT, and they also are unwilling to help declaw laws go through because of the thousands $$$ it generates into their clinics.

    DECLAWING IS TOTALLY UNNECESSARY, and yes, it’s cruel-for the cats’ entire LIFE. Think about it.
    ( More cats wind up euthanized for behavioral problems declawed than clawed…imagine that?)

  16. Thank you for your comments Shar.
    I too, have observed favorable results from declawing and also don’t appreciate the tone of some of the no-doubt well intentioned admonishments by those who oppose the procedure. I am still considering the issue and appreciate all the information cat people share from their personal experience.

  17. Dear Jan, as you obviously think that patronizing and belittling people is the way to make them change their minds about this subject, it makes me wonder how educated you could really be. Having worked for a vet, or ten vets, or a hundred by no means makes you an expert. Not even all vets will agree when it comes to many procedures. We think nothing of yanking out animals reproductive organs and even call it humane, “controlling the pet population”. However, have we taken into account the ramifications that going without those reproductive hormones can inflict on a cat? There is always a price to pay in any decision to alter an animal, whether it be spaying/neutering or declawing. If it means that a cat or kitten will have a long life in a loving home as opposed to being put down to keep our animal shelters from becoming overcrowded, don’t tell us that we’re bad people for declawing our cats. I had a pure-bread himilayan cat that we had delclawed as a kitten…he lived very happily, not even knowing he had no front claws, for 18 years! 18 YEARS! He never suffered any personality defects or ill effects of any kind from the surgery and our house and family did not have to suffer the ill effects of him clawing the furniture or us. Thank you for your opinion, but don’t continue to belittle people for making the decision that was best in their situations…it’s simply RUDE and only strengthens my resolve that your opinion is invalid.

  18. Well, Claire, I *keep posting* in hopes that I will change someones’ mind for the sake of poor animal that was unlucky enough to wind up in a home where people *just don’t get it*…
    My Doctor is from Germany and also lived in the UK. I hven’t a clue what part YOU lived in or where in the world you get your information about *most of Europe*- but most of the europeans plus 15 other countries OUTLAW declaws, fin it barbarious, as I do.

    JUST TRYING TO SAVE SOME POOR KITTIES CLAWS FROM THE CLUELESS…

    HOw HORRIBLE to declaw a cat over a year old!!!!!! You really should be ashamed of yourself.

  19. To Jan
    -Yes I did trim my cat’s nails every couple of weeks, this made very little difference to what he did with his claws.
    -We have bought various scratching items for him, even covered them in catnip. No change. Being near the window seems irrelevant to be honest.
    -No one has ever encouraged him to play rough, it is his personality ever since we adopted him.

    Your comments are patronizing to think that we haven’t considered all your suggestions. Also just so you know, as for indoor cats in the UK, you can only do that if you buy them privately or breed them yourselves. An adoption agency will not allow you to rescue a cat if you intend to keep it indoors. I know because I checked it out in depth when I lived there. And to be honest I would rather adopt a kitten from a shelter any day than buy one.

    I am not sure why you keep posting, because you are not changing any beliefs of the animal owners here.

    And an update for those who may be interested: Our cat has been home now for a few days. We have dutifully given him his painkillers for the days following his surgery and he has got better and better. The first day he was very dozy and we tried to leave him to sleep and recover whilst keeping a very close eye on him. A day in he began eating and drinking again although he again kept very much to himself. The past couple of days though he has come right out of his shell. Coming for cuddles and purring. The stitches still haven’t dissolved yet but there have been no problems with the wounds or infections so far. Also we haven’t noticed any major personality changes past what you would expect in surgery recovery. The results will probably be more clear in a week but we are very hopeful for a full recovery.

  20. DON’T DECLAW!!!!
    And Please, don’t give yourself excuses-instead, give yourself some education! It’s FREE, you know(?) Don’t listen to people who say the cat is the same after, it’s NOT. Declawing is cruel no matter how you do it.

    #1- um, did you try TRIMMING your cat’s nails on a weekly basis? Don’t say you can’t- even if you only accomplish one or two nails a day- you have made PROGRESS.
    #2 Get the RIGHT scratching post- a tall one with sisal coverd posts, good sturdy base, put it where it will be used, where your cat likes to be- like in front of a window…
    #3 Again- I always urge clients to PLEASE-DO NOT encourage cats as kittens or adults to play with fingers and human parts, that just isn’t too smart, right?
    #4 My doctor is from Germany, my friend from the UK, BTH have always had indoor ONLY cats, both find declawing a dispicable and barbaric thing that only people in the US do- because it’s EASY -on them, they want people to assure them it was OK to do it- NO ONE wishes to say they actually did a great deal of harm to their pet, but guess what? If they declawed they DID!
    Sorry- that’s the facts folks, you can’t sugar-coat cruelty.

  21. Claire~

    I know it was a hard decision to get your cat declawed as I went thru it also and cats do not like going to the vet but I hope that everything goes as well as it did with our cats. Both came home and it was as if nothing had happened (with the exception of using different litter for a few days). The vets told us not to let our cats jump afterwards but even with that the cats still did their very best to try to jump and run (even as we tried to stop them:) ) as if they didn’t notice anything different. Please do share how it went and thank you for your comment here I appreciate it.

  22. After several months of agonizing about declawing, we put our one year old male kitty in today. It was not a decision that was taken lightly at all. I have always been against declawing in general. This is mainly because I grew up in the UK and nearly all cats there are outdoor kitties and the trend there is to keep them far less domesticated than cats in the US. From what I’ve seen, it is similar in the rest of Europe.

    I have held back from declawing for the past few months while everyone around me has tried to encourage me to do otherwise. Our furniture is not that important to us, we’re just out of college and all of our furniture is mis-matched and 3rd or 4th hand anyway! So that wasn’t an issue. However, he can be quite rough with his play (we joke he is more like a puppy in attitude!) and really gets his claws stuck deep into our sofa and has difficulty getting them out. It seems to be getting worse, so we didn’t know what else to do. We love him immensely and chose the laser surgery because I could never quite come to terms with the other method. That was hard enough to commit to in itself and it was very upsetting to drop him off at the vet this morning because I know that he will get distressed when we are not around as he has done before. Right now I am feeling very upset to think about the surgery. The guilt trippers can congratulate themselves on a success with me I suppose. Though I know now it is a good solution for both human and kitty in this case, both of whom have been injured by kitty’s claws, and also for the future when we hope to have a child and still have kitty with us.

    It goes without saying that we will keep a close eye on him when he comes home, and follow the instructions to a T and care for him. I have hope that his recovery will be smooth and he will return to us the same cat that left this morning as he is quite a robust little kitty!
    I shall update here on how his recovery has been so as to help anyone else still considering the laser declawing. We all want the best for our cats and to make such an important decision, I would say to critics, we all believe this choice is the best in the long term and have not made it frivilously or whithout careful research and deliberation.

  23. Once again (3rd time I am commenting!)
    Cats do not NEED their reproductive organs to be happy on a daily basis…
    But cats DO need their toes, and fingers, just like YOU do, without them they are MAIMED, clubfooted!
    Do handicapped people get along fine, sure, manydo of them, some don’t, same with animals. They are usually even better than humans in overcoming physical obstacles, but some aren’t, some are euthanized because of problems caused by declw! Oh yes! I have worked in vets’ offices as well as shelters. What YOU don’t know may not hurt you, but it hurts plenty of poor kitties who have owners who would prefer to stay in the DARK AGES!!!!!!!!!

  24. Trey,spaying and neutering benefits both cat and owner. Intact cats spray to mark their territory and attract the opposite sex. Intact females and males are prone to diseases too numerous to mention besides ending up losing their homes due to wandering, spraying, aggression, not to mention offspring that are haphazardly given to the first takers with no question as to responsibilities.Cats do not need their reproductive organs for happiness as they are not used on a daily basis, and not missed when taken. This is not true of the declawed cat. I have observed declawed cats with a great saddness. Few people will pick up on this and later problems are never blamed on declaws, no one wants to believe it so they don’t It’s that simple. Who wants to believe they knowingly harmed their beloved pet? What VET will admit he or she knew of the complications (such as diabetic or arthritic onset due to stress and lack of support by claws for the skeletal system) the cat and owner may face later? No,they will say *no one knows why this happened to your cat, perhaps it’s hereditary*-after all, the cat can’t talk, and they can’t complain, so people stupidly assume that a cat with ono fingers is a happy cat….DUHH people…

  25. Again, Jan, you claim that declawing changes cats’ personalities. However, if that is a bad thing, again, why do we support neutering which definately alters a cat’s personality?

    And how do you account for the many many cat owners whose cats did fine after declawing?

    Trey

  26. The Lase declawing was like nothing to my kitten. When I picked him up the next morning you would never know that he had had it done. He was playing and acting just like he was before. I am very disappointed by people telling me I am so cruel. I rescued a 6 month old kitten that may not find a home as he was not the small 6 week old kitten everyone looks for. He is a wonderful cat plays all the time and loves us alot. Don’t call us (people who have their cats declawed )as inhuman or cruel. We Love our cats.

  27. Again, you people who are anti-declawing, frequently use the argument that the claws are an “integral part of the cat’s anatomy.”

    If that’s the case, then how do you feel about spaying/neutering? That is genital mutilation, no matter how “noble” the reasons for it are. And the reproductive system is most certainly an integral part of a cat’s anatomy?

    Why is it okay to remove a cat’s genitalia but not its claws? Can any of you answer that?

  28. I never used to think there was anything wrong with declawing till I spent time vollunteering in a shelter and worked several years in a vets’ office.

    Laser declaw may initially be more humane, but the cat is still without an integeral part of it’s anatomy. I have been reading through these posts and anm just shocked that so many people with cats were never given proper advice by their veterinarians! My vet has a phd in veterinary medicine and refuses to do a declaw. That kind of throws the wriench into those making the money with their expensive laser machines. But her clients are happy with their cats, claws, AND new furniture. Imagine that! Sometimes you have to use a little brainpower, eh, mates?

  29. The bottom line?
    No one should EVR hold a cat’s claws hostage for giving them a home. I have had many in my home and have NEVER had anything damaged by their clws, DUHHH, people! Would you declaw a dog because it fought with another dog and injured it’s eye? Would you de-beak a bird because it bit you?
    De-clawing was someone’s not-so-bright idea to alter an animal to please people. Many many more problems have come up BECAUSE of declawing and because people just don’t take the time to learn that cats NEED at least one or more good, tall scratching post TREES, not the fluffy kind from your local petshop, but sisal posts or berber covered posts. NO, you do NOT have to declaw a cat or kitten, EVER! Is it cruel? Most certainly! Try learning to walk without toes or handling objects without fingers and tell me if you feel handicapped.

  30. You know, I don’t consider myself an animal rights activist, but I do consider myself a feline expert. Perhaps you could call me an old lady who really knows cats, inside and out. Having done rescue for many years and personally responsible for the spay, neuter, feeding, medical attention and love of more cats than I can remember throughout my 35 years *into* cats, I feel I have some authority to speak my piece! First of all, in all the years I have known people and cats as a team, I have never known a person to relinquish a cat due to scratching, but I have known numerous instances where cats were euthanized or relinquished due to behavioral manisfestations brought on by the surgical loss of their most precious osession, their claws! They use them to tone their upper body through that vigorous grab and pull, as brakes, as aid in climbing, as fingers to hold, manipulate and grab. To deprive them of their claws because one is too lazy or outdated to know they need a climbing/scratching surface is to admit you’ve never given them a chance, or attempted to educate yourself, to learn why 20 other countries ban it! You would strop giving yourselves excuses for a cruelty that should be banned here too , were it not for the fact that it is a big cash cow!
    How do I know? There is a big difference in the personality and actions between a clawed cat and one declawed, differences that only one in my position, with my experience can sometimes tell. Do I know more than your vet about your cat? If your vet declawed your cat and can honestly say he or she sees nothing wrong with it, my answer would be a definate Yes!

  31. I’m not sure about regular declawing but we had our cat laser declawed a while ago and at the time it cost $300. That included the two night he had to stay at the vets office.

  32. Can someone tell me the cost difference between laser and surgical removal? Just courious. I have a 9 week old kitten and I will be having him declawed as soon as posible.

    Thanks

  33. I’ve been following this debate. I’ve just scheduled my six-month-old Bengal, Lloergan (that means “moonlight” in Welsh, in case you’re wondering) for laser declaw.

    I adore Lloergan, but he is a bit stubborn. He has a bad habit of scratching at my heels when I walk and sometimes pouncing on my face when I’m asleep or on the verge of waking up. It’s clearly meant to be play, but it hurts and I’ve tried training him. Squirt bottles don’t phase him, and I’ve had to resort to sleeping with Bitter Apple under my pillow (If I shut the door, he just scratches that).

    I’m reminded of Sherry’s poor Bella except it wasn’t my puppy’s eyes I’ve been worried about; it’s my own! Add to the fact one scratch on my heel got infected, I’ve decided I need to get him declawed. If I had a child, it would be even more serious.

    Don’t give me this crap about needing more playthings. Lloergan has several posts, a jungle-gym, and plenty of toys and fishing poles. He just has more fun playing with people than inanimate objects.

    Even when Lloergan is in a calm, affectionate mood and wants to do some kitty-kneading on my chest or arm, his claws dig in. I have very sensitive skin and scratch/bruise easily. This isn’t a kitty being naughty. It’s a kitty trying to be loving but still causing pain.

    So for my safety and my guests’ safety, I am going for laser declawing. He’s also going to have his balls cut off, but strangely, animal rights activists seem to support this sort of mutilation. Ask any human male whether he’d rather lose his balls or the tip of his finger, I think they’d choose the finger. I know I would.

    Don’t fall for the guilt-mongerers rhetoric. Animal rights activists are rarely sane.

  34. When I was 10, I got a kitten from a litter that my Dad’s cat had. I was too young at the time to make the decision about declawing him, but my parents made the decision to remove his front claws. He was one of the most loving and affectionate cats ever. He lived happily for 18 years. I know it is not comfortable for them, I have hit the floor in tears when I have stubbed a toe, but for a few days of discomfort, they will live happily in their forever homes without destroying their owner’s belongings. I am about to get a new kitten a little over 2 years after my beautiful SugarBaby’s death…it’s time. My new little love will also undergo the surgery, but it looks like I might look into the laser procedure to reduce the discomfort. Thanks for all your candid comments. ~S~

  35. Hello all,

    I got as far the self-professed “Cat Lover”, and I had to comment about cats having their feet “cut off at the ankle”. That’s crap!

    Yes, cat’s walk on what is analogically their “finger tips”, but you can not be so simplistic (and naive) as to compare cat anatomy with human anatomy. For one thing, they don’t actually walk on the bone that is removed. You see, the bone that is removed, that which is equivelant to a human finger tip, is actually vestigial, and it’s actually the second bone in the digit that they actually walk on. That bone remains intact.

    Anti-declaw websites inaccurately present diagrams of a cat’s foot, as if the cat actually walks on its finger tips. But to do so, they have to completely (and deliberately) misalign the foot, as if the cat walks with its claws extended, which it obviously doesn’t.

    This means that the cat does NOT have to relearn how to walk or any of that other crap that anti-declaw websites claim. You can’t compare the anatomy of two unrelated species, especially when on is bipedal and the other is quadraped. You WILL get your ass handed to you by someone who actually knows what they’re talking about.

    As far as morality goes, I’m sorry to burst your bubble, but human rights DO trump the rights of animals. Your child’s safety IS more important than your cat. Your right to invest in a sofa and keep it scratchfree IS more important than your cat’s freedom to claw.

    The thing about animal rights activists is that if they actually attempted to live by the philosophy they project (they don’t, but IF they did…), they would rightly be thrown in jail. Having rights assumes the responsiblity of respecting the rights of others, but if a cat injures a visitor to your home, guess who’s responsible. YOU are, unless you actually think that the cat, who supposely has RIGHTS, can be taken to court for assault and battery.

    But for those of us who are responsible adults, we have to consider what is in the best interest of human rights FIRST. It’s great that we adopt cats into our homes, and that we provide the cat with a warm, happy family environment, but we are the ones who take responsibility for other people’s safety around our cats.

    Now, if you are actually capable of employing alternatives, that’s wonderful. Granted, I’ve never seen a cat who enjoyed having vinyl Lee Press-On claws put on him nor could resist the temptation to chew them off. But if you claim that they work for you, I can’t tell you otherwise.

    On the other hand, my experience with these devices is that they’re largely unreliable and have a tendancy to fall off. When that happens, the cat is effectively clawed once more, capable of causing damage to your home and injury to people and other pets. Seems they’re not made of magic the way animal rights people would have us believe.

    Now Sherry’s case is particularly interesting, because she has a cat who injured her dog’s eye. Interestingly enough, one of the options open to her is to simply get rid of the cat. What I’d like to bring to your attention is that while you can disown a pet, you wouldn’t apply the same sort of logic if this was your actual children. Like I said earlier, being a human being, you WILL put the rights of other humans above your cats. …unless you’re a psycho or something.

    But that’s not the point I wanted to make with Sherry. Now, Sherry mentions the option of getting rid of the dog as well. That wouldn’t be fair, because the dog didn’t do anything wrong to get disowned by it’s adoptive family. On the other hand, the cats are being locked in a room where they can’t hurt anybody. Where’s the humane treatment in that?

    Of course, the reason Sherry locked her cats up in the first place is that she can’t help but to assume that her rights are more important than her cats’. This doesn’t make her a monster. This makes her normal.

    My problem with anti-declawing people is that they push for legislation against declawing or, at the very least, guilt people into opposing it, so that the choice is effectively taken away from them. What this means is that if cat becomes a problem and if the supposedly “humane alternatives” don’t work, the realistic choice becomes abandonment or second thoughts about adoption… which leads to more cats in pounds being euthanized.

    You love your cat, but don’t pretend like your cat has rights equivelant or even approaching that of a human being. I’d rather see a declawed cat than a cat who doesn’t have a home.

  36. I’ve always come from the standpoint that you can have beautiful furniture…or cats. We buy cheap couches and such so that when they get scratched up, it’s not a huge deal. When my cats occasionally scratch my hands while playing, I just remind myself to clip their nails more often. (They never scratch the kids.)

    Now I have a much more serious problem. After five years of difficult waiting until we were in the perfect situation, we recently, finally, adopted a puppy from the SPCA. We’ve had her two months, she’s a beautiful, sweet collie-cross, and she is now in danger of losing an eye because of our two cats. Timmy (cat #1) punctured her cornea, iris and possibly lens in one swipe, from on the back of the couch, perfectly able to run away. Bella (puppy) was on the floor, not at all a threat.

    That was three days ago. Ben (cat#2) is a beautiful Ragdoll, gentlest cat I’ve seen, but tonight while seeming to be making friends with Bella, he re-injured her bad eye. If healing doesn’t go perfectly, Bella will have to have her eye removed.

    I’ve used softpaws in the past and found them very unreliable, and I clip my cats’ nails regularly. But do I really have to worry for the next ten-or-so years that my dog’s eyes are safe? Or have to choose between the cats or dog? At present, until Bella’s eye heals or is removed, the cats are shut in a bedroom when we can’t directly supervise.

    I’d be interested to hear what some anti-declawing people have to say, because I’ve always been one.
    What would you do in this situation? What should I do?

  37. I love all the stories and the positive experiences that most all of you have had with Laser Declawing. I’m glad this post is helping you to decide what to do. My personal experience was a positive one and I’m glad so many others are having the same result. Thanks for the feedback!

  38. I had my 5 month-old Tonkineses declawed (front) and neutered by an experienced veterinarian who specilalizes in laser surgeries. He spent the night and came home with no bandages. He was a bit groggy from the anesthesia for 24 hours but was playing normally on day two. There was no bleeding, swelling or obvious pain. He was a bit tender jumping for 4-5 days, but is a well-adjusted, happy 8-month old that enjoys life immensely. The newsprint litter was very effective and a 25 lb. bag lasted two weeks for the kitten and his older buddy. No one likes the thought of declawing, but there are valid reasons and the laser is light years ahead of the traditional surgery in terms of pain reduction and speed of healing. This column helped me choose the laser route and I wanted to share my recent experience.

  39. i had my kitten declawed on all 4 paws..with laser…i was amazed at the results…he was back to his normal self the very next day….as if nothing ever happened…i dont regret my decision at all….in fact..it has made our relationship closer than ever…his claws before he was declawed was destroying our bond…it got so bad i didnt even want him on me anymore…he would clime up my legs …my legs and arms were scratched up so bad…i am so glad i went with the declaw…and the laser was great…it was a little more expensive about 190.00 for all 4 paws but the vet who did it was very experienced…no infections at all …no bleeding…no limping….it was great..i highly recommend it….

  40. Well, I dropped them off this morning.. I am writing because my vet hired a new aide that is also very involved in a cat rescue program. She has found homes for hundreds of cats and has 8 herself. She told me that she was very against declawing until she saw the procedure herself and saw that the laser declaw wasn’t bad. After experiencing the procedure and the recovery she made the decision to declaw one of her cats because he was being a bully and hurting the others. She assured me that the cats would be fine and not to feel guilty.. It really made me feel better.

  41. I am taking my 2 cats to be declawed tomorrow. I’ve been nothing but sick to my stomach about it but It has to be done. They are a year old and I rescued both from a shelter. I already bought the yesterday’s news litter and began mixing it in with their regular litter so they will get used to it. I bought 2 new cat boxes as well. Do the older cats do ok…

  42. Do not use soft paws, it is a SCAM!
    Got it for my cat, they don’t stay on, they get caught everywhere and the can can easily injure himself trying to get free. 40 claw covers come with super glue and 4 disposable nosles, the problem is that you don’t replace 10 at a time, you replace 1 or 2 and so you run out of the nossles really quickly and wothout them the whole set is useless.

  43. I had my two kittens declawed by laser surgery. I brought them home the next day and they didn’t seem to be bothered by it at all….they ran around the house and played. My kittens are and will remain indoor cats who have a nice home. They also came from a shelter where evenutally they would have been put down had they not been adopted….so, what is better, declawing or letting a cat be put down???

  44. I am against declawing, unless it is an absolute last resort where all else fails. My own mother had to make the decision to declaw her cat after her matresses (including the boxspring) had been destroyed, as well as her couch, loveseat, table/upholstered chair combo, and 2 rugs. The carpets were starting to get ruined as well. She tried the sticky tape, catnip, scratching posts, cat condos. Kitty didn’t care for any of it. Even though she is now declawed, she still constantly mimics the scratching. Some cats seem to not be able to learn, or just don’t want to.

    Once again, I am not for declawing, but sometimes it is necessary as a last resort.

  45. I am getting my 2 cats declawed on Monday and I was worrying that it will hurt them and was trying to look around for information. I stumbled on your site, read the first few entries, and then found it all so interesting and informative. I read every entry posted. Thank you for making me feel better about going through with it. I do feel bad because it isn’t medically necessary, but the cats are straching the heck out of stuff and my husband said that the NEED to be declawed.

    We live in Hawaii and it is horrible how many stray cats run around here. They dig in the trash for food and cry though the night, and fight at night. It is sad. People that leave here often leave their cats behind and there are strays everywhere. We decided to gets cats and I love them. I think that the life we are offering them is far better than what they would look to on their own. I know that we are keeping them and they will always be inside. We had them fixed and know that they need to be declawed. We love the cats and are very happy with them, except the scratching. 🙂

    I am nervous about Monday, but I think that it is the right thing for our family. Thank you all for your help in making me feel better.

  46. 3 years ago when I considered getting my first cat declawed, I tried to look up alternatives, risks versus benefits of the procedure, etc., and found nothing but a bunch of uneducated opinions.
    The fact is, cats do not use their last digits where the nails are attached to do intricate things such as typing, etc. Like any type of orthopedic surgery such as what a human goes through, the cat is under general anesthesia, has post-op pain meds and within a couple of weeks is doing better. There is a risk of complications with both felines and humans who under orthopedic type surgeries. So much useless misinformation on the web.
    I made the decision to declaw my stray kitty at 4-5 months of age. After bringing him home, he was still jumping up and down off furniture, had no pain, etc. – I gave him pain medicine anyways just be sure of his comfort though. This was standard declaw and not the newer laser stuff.
    For all your biggotted anti-declaw whiners; keep in mind that it is better to have a cat in a loving home for life (and indoors where they are safer from wildlife, automobiles, hazards as antifreeze in the road, etc) than locked in a cage or homeless.

  47. Hi – I got my 4 month old kitten laser declawed and spayed 2 days ago. I litterally cried when I dropped her off at the vet and continue to feel terrible now as she’s home. She’s sleeping a lot and I think she’s in pain. She’s been using her litter box with the newspaper pellet litter. I’m just worried about her demeanor – she doesn’t play at all and is sleeping all the time. Do you know when she’ll recover??? Is this normal?

  48. Maybe the doctor that posted the medical aspect of declawing can confirm for us whether or not the third knuckle is removed in the laser declaw procedure.

    I have two cats (neither one declawed), but luckily, I don’t have problems. I even taught my older one to use a scratching post at 6 yrs of age just by spraying liquid catnip on it for the first few days. He went nuts on it with his claws, then thought “hey, I can use this to scratch!” Now he loves it. We need to know these little tricks. The key is to fool kitty into thinking he/she likes to use the alternative. It’s a form of reverse psychology.

  49. Carol, Sorry that I took so long in answering your e-mail, was away for a few days. I am happy to hear that your kitty is doing better. I also had trouble with mine using the cat box with the paper. I shredded paper towels as my vet suggested, and still they refused to use it. I finally decided to put a layer of litter under the shredded paper, after a couple of days. It helped a little, but they were not happy with it. So on the 4th day, I put the regular litter in the box. My daughter had the same problem with hers. Good Luck

  50. Why put him down? Why not just give him to a home without other cats? Some cats just don’t like other cats. Doesn’t make him evil and certainly doesn’t mean he should be put down.

  51. I adopted an 8 year old cat two years ago and he is still trying to kill my other cat. My home has become a nightmare keeping them separated. It might very well come to having the cat declawed or putting him down.

  52. Hi all,

    My 3yr old cat Brady was declawed 4 days ago. He has only been home for two days and seems to be very tired. He had a hard time at the vet and wasn’t eating or sleeping after surgery.

    Have any of you experienced this? Is it normal for cats to rest this much?

    Carol

  53. Hi Judy,

    Thank you for your email. It has certainly put me at ease. Brady seems to be doing fine. He still seems a little out of it. I think he is still in a little bit of pain but not crying, which is good. He’s been eating and drinking too which is good. He peed yesterday but hasn’t gone to the bathroom which I am concerned about. I think the shredded paper in his litter box is throwing him off. What do you think?

    I stayed home from work yesterday to monitor him. He slept a good part of the day cozyed up on the couch with me. I have plans this afternoon and I hesistating going b/c I don’t want to leave him. Maybe if I go he will be more comfotable?

    Again, thanks for your email.

  54. Carol, I know what you mean on feeling guilty, it’s been 2 mos. since I declawed my 2 cats, and I still feel the guilt, even though I know it was the right thing to do. You can pick up and cuddle your little guy, as it probably, was a little traumatic for him to be away from you, more so than from the surgery. My male cat was,back to being himself in notime. However my female is a little more timid since she had the surgery. I am sure that is from being at the veterinarians and being away from home. She is however getting back to her old ways. Just watch him, to make sure that he is not limping and that he is eating. My male had one of his paws get infected the day after surgery and I had to take him to the vets . But he was given some antibiotics, pain pills and a shot at the office. That night he was doing great. So don’t hesitate to call the vet, about any questions you may have. Also if they put disolvable stitches in , they should be gone in 2 wks, if not take him back to have them removed. The vet didn’t tell me how long it should take to disolve, so at 4 wks. , when they were still there I took them back to have them removed. I really feel that the wrong stitches were put in, which caused them more discomfort. Please let me know how he is doing.

  55. hello,

    i had my three year old cat brady declawed this past tuesday. it was a tough decision but i had to do this as he was ruining my things. i feel terrible. he was crying at the vet and i had to go and feed him because he wasn’t eating. luckily i was able to bring him home this evening hoping he would eat. i am an absolute mess and i feel so guilty for doing this. he walked out the carrier and went under my bed and hasn’t come out since. is this normal? when he comes out can i pick him up?

    any help or suggestions are greatly appreciated.

  56. Judy,
    I had my cat, Kitsy, declawed a little over 3 weeks ago. She is about a year and a half old. She is still limping with her paws a bit. She will do the alternating paw thing while sitting. If I try to touch her paws she acts like shes in pain. I called the vet’s office this morning, told them this, and they want to see her today….So I will be taking her there this afternoon If I find out anything I will let you know.

  57. Hey there. Let me just say this. I just had my 1 year old kitty declawed friday, and I must admit, I did all the research I can do before hand, and there are ALOT of people who think that laser declawing is cruel. Now, in response, let me say this.
    It is NOT cruel to get a cat declawed. As others have pointed out….there are thousands of cats put down a day,and I would rather my cat loose 10 nails, rather than his life! If your cat was clawing up furniture and other expensive items in your house….what would you do? The nail-caps come off, or kitty will get them off one way or the other,if you try to clip his nails, it is a VERY hard thing..because who’s cat will sit still long enough to have it done. If you take the cat to the vet, EVERY MONTH to have it done..that is money gone. SO…you can pay a one time fee to go through the whole process…ONCE..and have the freedom of not having to watch the cat like a 6 month old child. OR….you can continue to pay 20.00 plus a month to take the cat back and forth to the vet to get the nails trimmed. I love my cat as if he is my child, and would never do anything if it were not in the best interest of his well being. But I REFUSE to have to shell of money to replace clawwed furniture, clothes, shoes..because he wants to use them as a scratch post. I’m not saying that you have to be mean to your cats, because I’m not. But if your cat is stubborn, and cannot follow the “no scratch on furniture” rule….then you have to take alternate measures. You cannot allow a cat to have its way and claw everything it feels it wants to…wouldnt let your children destroy things that way, so why would you let a cat?

  58. In response to some of you who have asked whether older cats have problems with getting laser declawing I have only had my cats declawed when they were younger but if you look at the above post by Kris their cat was 6 years old and had no problems with being declawed. As for Judy regarding the lifting their paws I had my second cat do that and still do that to an extent and we called the vet as we thought he was in pain or something. The vet then after examining him (and even trying pain pills where he continued doing it) did inform me that some cats just have tendencies to do this. Not because of pain just a habit. Our cat Chunk continues to do this a year later infrequently but then he also does other odd things like sleeping on his back like he is human:). From what I have been told it is nothing to worry about and let me tell you it definitely hasn’t slowed him down at all as he is tearing after my other cat as I type! I’m so glad that you all are finding this useful feel free to let me know if there are any other topics you would like information on!

  59. I had my 2 cats laser declawed 2 mos. ago and all is going well with them. They are running all over the house. The only thing I was wondering about and maybe someone can answer this question for me. I notice that both lift their paws, when they sit, alternating both. I don’t know if they should be doing this or not, because someone told me that it can take longer to heal. Has anyone else had this experience. Thanks

  60. I am looking into getting my cat declawed with laser, but my question is. I hear that older cats have a sort of connection with there claws and will have (as fuuny as this sounds to me) psycological problem with there claws being gone. for example I heard that one cat would sit and stare at his paws all day. has anyone ever heard of this??

  61. I would so appreciate the advice of others here. We have domesticated a formerly feral cat, and he has us wrapped around his paws. We decided to let the furniture look out for itself, but the reason we have thought to change our view on this has to do with the cats safety. We are moving soon to a new locale. There will be a much bigger yard, and we want to confine him to house and garden. At this time he is still prowling the neighborhod where he once made his own living. We intend to
    create a predator-free area, and raise the garden wall, AND use specialty cat fencing besides, but MUST keep him from climbing. Climbing is the issue, rather than aesthetics.

    Question: is there an age span apprpriate for this procedure (Laser)?

    My feral male is 5 or 6 years old at least.
    I have another male who is less than two. Ideally, we would do them both.
    I think inhibiting the climbing would really enhance their safety, AND I’d love to get some decent looking furniture out of the deal as a secondary outcome.
    I will certainly appreciate feedback about older cats.
    Thanks, Deborah in St Louis, Mo.

  62. Yorba Regional Animal Hospital in Orange County does laser declaws, for those of you who can’t find anyone in LA to do the surgery. Dr. Dunbar and Dr. Hughes are both incredible animal lovers and the best vets I’ve ever met in 25 years of cat ownership. I just had my kitty declawed yesterday, after trying everything… nail trims, softpaws, scratching posts… the problem wasn’t that he was scratching furniture, it was that he was scratching anybody who was trying to give him medical care or grooming. He has extreme vet phobia, and it was very rare that a vet or vet tech would escape his exam unbloodied.

    The vet who did the surgery was so caring (Dr. Hughes), and called me right after the surgery to let me know everything was fine. He’s home running around like a kitten, and he’s six years old. Using the litter box fine, still wanting to come cuddle next to me and purr. Same cat, just a bit less sharp.

  63. I have a cat this is 2 1/2 years old and I am looking at getting him declawed. I didn’t do it when he was younger because it wasn’t too big of a problem. But we have recently got new living room furniture and all he wants to do is scratch on it especially the couch. We have tried many things to get him to stop, but he purposely looks at us and scratches the couch. Can you give me some advice on how I should approach this issue? I have been looking at lazer declawing, but I don’t know anyone in the area that does it.

  64. I just love this site, it has given me so much info on declawing.I had my 2 declawed 3 wks. ago and all went well. One had an infection, but it cleared up fast with a quick visit to my vet. I do however have a question, that maybe someone can answer for me. I was told that the stitches would fall out, but its been 3 weeks and they are still there. Does anyone know how long this takes. If they do not fall out in another week, I will take them back to the vet. I would like to wish all a very nice Thanksgiving. Judy

  65. I appreciate everyone’s comments and the two opposing opinions. I especially appreciated Dr. Delucia’s expertise on the subject.

    I currently have one laser declawed cat and we just adopted another cat to keep him company. My first cat had NO issues whatsoever and still acts as he did prior to the surgery. He had immediate recovery. I hope the same goes well with my newest baby as he too has proven to not respond to training.

    I am calling around to vets in our area regarding the laser declaw procedure, mostly checking on expertise by the vets themselves. One Web site I used for my research with my first cat was one that discussed the “type” of laser used and that a “carbon dioxide” laser is best, according to this research. I understand one such laser is called “AccuVet” and the Web site refers vets in your area that use this laser technology.

    The site is http://www.petlasers.lumenis.com.

    I hope this helps anyone who is looking for a vet in their area to perform this “loving” procedure. I say this with amusement since we’re being accused of torturing our cats, but I tell you, that if my first cat had destroyed one more piece of extremely expensive furniture in my house, my response would not have been so loving in the long run! I’m of course kidding as I love my cats SO much so that I wanted to make sure that I found the best laser being used on the market and then only went to one of those vets. And no, really my furniture isn’t more important – why is that even a question? However, I would love to see the people’s houses that have completely shredded furniture and they actually live like this? hmmm…really doubt it. they are just the lucky ones that have cats that have responded to training while some of us haven’t been so lucky. I don’t have a money tree where I can replace my furniture every year, or even to continue paying for “soft pads” every 4-6 weeks, so laser declawing is the answer we chose. Shame on those stating that we torture our cats! Not even they would choose a cat that wasn’t trainable – that cat would be sent packing…either that or they live like pigs (no offense to the latter animal mentioned!), the cat would be turned out, or the person in mention would drive themselves crazy for the life of the cat.

    God bless you all and I wish you the best of luck with your precious babies, with claws or without. Can’t we all just get along? hee hee

  66. I wrote 3 weeks ago about declawing my 2 kittens, after much agonizing over it decided to do it. It’s been 10 days since having them laser declawed and they are running and jumping all around ,as nothing has changed.The only problem that I incurred, was that one kitten developed an infection in one of his paws. I took him immediately to the vet, who gave him an antibiotic shot and also a pain shot. By the time that I arrived home he was doing just fine. He was on oral antibiotics for a week and everything is great now. Would I do it again? Most definately I would. The only thing that I would insist upon, would be antibiotics and pain meds, to take home, as they do have some discomfort after the post pain shot wears off.That was something that was not offered to me. Best of luck to all,and thanks for helping me make an informed deceision.

  67. I appreciate the input from each of you. I struggled when my kitty was young about if I should get her declawed or not. I was talked out of it by my vet at the time, who did not offer the laser declaw and did not talk with me about that option (and I didn’t know about it).

    We have had our kitty for about 4 years now and I have had about all I can take of her tearing up everything. We have worked on training her and in fact it’s very clear that she knows she is not supposed to scratch up things (other their scratching posts, of course). She watches for my husband or myself and when she sees us she stops scratching and runs. We use very humane ways of training her, usually with a water bottle. But she does what she wants when we’re not around. We have spent many hours working with her and she just does what she wants any way.

    So now our only options are to either get her declawed (with the laser) or to find her another home. We love her but she is an indoor only cat and I can’t take anymore of the scratching.

    I appreciate all of the input from everyone on this topic. It has been both educational and helpful!

  68. We were so glad that our Pixie was able to have the lasar declawing. Our vet didnt have the means to do that with our other three. It was such a differnce. She is doing wonderfull and is bounding about like nothing ever happened, she can jump just as high, run just as fast, and is every bit as loving as she ever was. Kitties dont reason like people do, they dont come home and think, oh no part of “mine paw is gone” “what ever will I do”. They just go about their daily lifes and look for those treats and snuggles and loving.
    None of ours turned into bitters, or going outside the box, or acting nervous. Now each of them sure would have been nervous had we not taken them in, due to the situations they were in befor us, as a matter of fact they would all be dead.
    Our kitties are purring for little Garfield to recover quickly, just be sure to have shredded newspaper for his litter box, for about 10 days so it wont bother his paws.
    Im sure you will have many years of love between you and Garfeild. Bless you for rescuing a kitty.

  69. I just rescued a kitten he’s 5 months old now. He’s the first cat I’ve ever had, and I am simply in LOVE! I’ve always had dogs so it’s quite different, but He WILL be declawed….he is tearing up everything clawing my furniture, my drapes, my wood tables, my carpet, my shower curtain, the list is never ending. I feel bad that he will endure any pain but it has to be done or I’ll have to get rid of the cat. I had this discussion with my vet, and he told me, “hey we circumcise boy infants after they are born” right? No one ever has a problem with that and they are innocent little HUMANS. I think that’s a good point. I have a clear conscience on declawing my Garfield. I will just give him extra love and attention while he recovers..

  70. I think the comment from the Dr. was the most helpful for me. I find it very hard to believe that any Veterinarian who has studied and dedicated his/her practice to the care of animals, would purposedly mutilate and torture cats just because owners want them to. I think it must be an insult to their dedication and professionalism. While I’m not naive enough to believe that all Vets share the same view, I’m sure the ones who perform these procedures do so in good conscience. I do believe that the predominate number of people who chose to be Vets do so because they have a deep love for animals.

    We have had two of our cats declawed and they have never seemed unhappy, off-balance, nervous, temperment change or inconvenienced in any way.

    I just wanted to point out that while humans would be very handicapped without their fingertips, I highly doubt that cats have the same equivalence of handicap. Humans use fingertips for dexterity that I cat would not possess with or without his claws. We also have much more developed brains to where we would be much more aware of the drawbacks, frustrations etc. associated with these handicaps. I also think that my cats walk extremely well. If a human were to have their feet cut off at their ankles, I highly doubt they would walk with the gracefullness, agility and precision that my declawed cats do! I feel the comparisons between the humans and cats are not fair comparisons.

    While no one ever wants to see any animal in pain, in today’s modern scientific world I find it hard to believe there are no pain killers etc. that the vets could give to cats to keep them comfortable. I especially am grateful for the new laser technology. No one wants to see their pet suffer, but sometimes you have to do what’s best for whatever your own personal situation is, and it is not for other’s to condem them because of it.

  71. I wanted to comment about declawing cats. I have had mine for over 2 years and they are not declawed. However, recently, the youngest who is two, has started to scratch at doors, walls, carpet, etc., but only at night. I am 6 months pregnant and I get up about 6-10 times a night to squirt him in the face with water, which does not phase him. I can not continue to get up this many times a night and reprimand him-can you imagine what my life will be like if I continue this behavior while trying to take care of my newborn baby?

    Anyway, I was thinking lately about having him declawed by a laser but am just not sure if I want to do that to him now that he’s older (and his older brother isn’t declawed). However, the alternative that I have come up with isn’t that great either. I thought about just locking him (and his brother) up in my master bathroom with their food and water and cat litter for the night. This way, I can still tend to my newborn (when she comes)and get some sleep without having to wake up to dicipline him 6 times a night. They will have each other in the large bathroom and their essential needs, along with their blanket, but they will not be in a cage, per se, and the younger one will not be subjected to the pain of being declawed. I wonder though, is having them locked up worse?

  72. I will comment on the medical aspects of this procedure only. The socio-political aspects seem to be too emotionally charged to have one opinion “triumph” over another. After my explanation, you be the judge.

    I am a doctor of veterinary medicine who was the firt such professional to perform laser declaws in the state of New Jersey almost 15 years ago. We also receive referrals from other general practitioners who do not do laser surgery. Since then, our multi-doctor practice has performed thousands of laser declaws. The other asociates were taught by me over the years, not permitted to perform the procedure until I felt comfortable that they were able to perform the procedure with expertise. I decided to invest in the machinery required to do this 15 years ago primarily to address the concerns of the “classic” methods of onchyectomy (declaw). We of course use the laser for a multitude of other procedures.

    Over the course of years, we have improved the protocol to now include immediate post-op discomfort which incldues “ring blocks” with local anesthetic and morphine-based drugs for the immediate post op period. I can assert that the laser takes time to peform with expertise and a good question to ask of the veterinarian is their training and time they have been performing the procedure. This makes a difference in how smooth the outcome is, which even in my hands, although rare can result in slight complications.

    Cauterize IS NOT the correct term for the laser. Vaporization is the scientific term. Vaporization differes from cauterization in that in the latter, tissue is burned while in the former, water is extracted from tissue very rapidly. This is why technique while using the laser is important. Used improperly, the laser will burn. Used properly, you extract water very rapidly with little harm to tissue. The practical advantage is twofold: that the nerve ending of the phalanges are rapidly “capped” thereby sealing the endings which result in no pain since they are not frayed as in the classic surgical methods. The second advantage is the blood vessels are also sealed and herefore there is no bleeding.

    I entered this profession 25 years ago (actually 32 years ago as I started as a kennel person in an animal hospital) because of my deep compassion for animals. It was this compassion that led me to laser declaw.
    We send our patients home the next day, no bandages and I am certain with no pain. We have measured pre and post 12 hours standing values with a static force-plate (my specialty is now canine rehabilitation- visit valleyvetrehab.com) and there are no significant differences in values obtained. I have not performed a proper study of this (double-blinded) but the 2 or 3 cats we did this on was very convincing regarding these assertions.

    I hope this objective information has helped parties on both sides of this issue. I would caution though people attacking others with guile as after reading these threads, I think all people on this blog love their cats and are trying to do the best they can. Laser declaw is definetely the answer.

  73. I am really tired of people saying I tortured my cat when I had him laser declawed. When I picked him up the next day at the vet you would have never even known anything happened to him. That was in August. He runs jumps and plays like nothing ever happened to him. If it is affecting him I would like to know how. He is very happy and loved very much. If I get another cat I would do it again. I adore my cat he is just like one of my children.

  74. You know, when I was younger my parents had some skin chopped of my man-hood. Isn’t that about the same thing? Painful, without my consent and on a part of me I use all the time. I survived and no no different.

    If you go to a doctor to get any type of surgery done (human or cat), you are getting pain meds so you are comfortable and every step is taken to make sure everything goes right. It’s not like we are going out back and doing it forcefully. Dear God no.

    I respect the opinion if someone feels strongly against declawing, and I’m against the old way (non-laser), however I’m not a fan of the forceful closed minded thoughts that people try to force upon others; for anything. I guess that’s why I don’t like politics too. Take the high road and agree to disagree or participate in an open minded conversation. Your close mind Cat Lover doesn’t make your point come across very well.

  75. Yes, you’re torturing your cats. Imagine how it would feel if someone cut off your feet at the ankles. That’s more-or-less what you’re doing to your cats (yes, I know it’s analogous to removing the first knuckle of their fingers, but since cats walk on the tips of their toes, the impact is similar to removing your feet at the ankles). Every step they take is awkward and painful. Yes, they adapt, but so do animals that lose a leg. If cutting off a cat’s leg would save your furniture from being scratched, would you do that? I’m sure the cat would still be happy to get pets and treats and be played with. That doesn’t make it right.

    You shouldn’t attempt to moralize your behavior by saying that it’s ok to have tortured your cat once because you treat it well the rest of the time. You’re focusing on the procedure and ignoring its lasting effects. Your cats may have adapted to your having chopped off their toes, and be happy around you now, but that doesn’t mean they wouldn’t be happier with their toes.

    Yes, there’s a difference between someone who declaws their cats and someone who breaks their cats legs for fun, in the same way that there’s a difference between a bank robber and a murderer. They’ve all got something in common, too: in some places, all are illegal.

  76. I’m torturing my cats huh?!? Well honestly I take offense to that. I love my cats dearly and not once have I noticed any true negative side effects from clawing them. This is no different from any other surgery (such as spaying which you seem to be fond of) in the fact that they have it and they heal. I have read many anti declawing websites which list all the bad side effects from clawing and can I say first off mine have not had one of those effects and second off these symptoms could have happened to 1% of the cats and they would still report it as fact when truly it could have been from bad ownership or something wrong with the cat in general. Where is the proof that this is any different then spaying where you say this leads the cats to live a longer happier life? My cats seem pretty dang happy to me. Everyone has a right to their oppinion but I do take offense when someone tells me I’m the same as someone who is beating their cat that is just wrong and not comparable by any means.

  78. I just stumbled upon this blog post and I’m very sad to see all of the people who claim to be cat lovers but are willing to cut off their cat’s fingertips. It doesn’t matter that laser declawing is less painful, it’s still painful and it’s still removing their fingertips. I think you need to step back and think about what’s more important to you: your cat or your furniture. People who declaw their cats are making the statement that their furniture matters more. I’m sorry, but anyone who cares about their sofa more than their cat isn’t a cat lover.

    This is not a question of whether a cat is better off being declawed in your home or still having their claws in a shelter that euthanizes animals; it’s a question of whether a cat is better off being declawed in your home or still having their claws in your home or in someone else’s. To attempt to justify this mutilation by claiming that the animal would otherwise be euthanized is a device to make you feel better and nothing more. There are millions of intact cats living in loving homes. Yes, there are lots of homeless cats that need a good home, but the operative word there is good. If you’re going to declaw your cat, you’re no better than someone who lets their cat wander outdoors, locks them in a cage or beats them.

    To EVERYONE considering declawing, I suggest you check out this site: . Declawing, whether by traditional or by laser methods, is removing the last joint of a cat’s foot, and is equivalent to removing a human’s fingertip, and will impact their life in similar ways.

    Oh, and Max- you’re talking through your hat, both about spaying and about declawing. If you read the above site about declawing, you’ll see how declawing removes the distal phalanx of a cat’s toe. If you check out any site on laser declawing, you’ll see cuts made in the same locations as a traditional declawing procedure, and the distal phalanx is still removed. The only difference is whether the cuts are made using a scalpel or a laser.

    As for “bleeding on the carpet”, cats don’t experience a primate menstrual cycle. Rather, they go through estrus. If fertilization doesn’t occur, the uterine lining is reabsorbed, not shed. Spaying and neutering, as opposed to tubal ligation or a vasectomy, are performed because cats that are not spayed or neutered but not allowed to mate have a shorter life span and experience discomfort as a direct result of the presence of reproductive hormones in their system. Domestic cats that are fixed lead a longer and happier life than those that are not, even if the unfixed cats are allowed to mate.

    p.s. I’m sorry if you consider me a troll for coming down so hard on people who declaw their cats but the lack of negative opinions on laser declawing is appalling. I even found one site that went so far as to say “The most important thing in making a claw management decision is making a decision that you are happy with.” No, the important thing is not to torture your animal. If you’re considering declawing, you need to think very carefully about whether your sofa is worth torturing your cat and, if so, whether you really ought to have a cat.

  79. Can I just say that it is people like most of you who I can tell care deeply for animals that make me feel better about people in the world. There are so many people out there who just think animals are a nuisance and are put here for people to abuse. I think animals are an absolute blessing in this world and we need to appreciate them. My cats are the light of my life they are my children at this time and I would do anything for them. Sometimes people don’t realize the choice if I wouldn’t have declawed my cats they may have stayed in the animal shelters I found them in and could have ended up in a worse situation or dead. Remember that when some of you are saying that laser declawing shouldn’t be done. I can see my cats have not been affected badly from it and they are in a happy loving home!

  80. We have 4 kitties, all rescues. Our first, Shamus was only about 4 weeks old and found on the highway with cars going over him. He for one would have been dead for sure. The second, Selkie, was a barn kitty, whos mother was way to old to be having kittens, and was sick, we took her into our home so she would not face the same fate. Our third was Firefly, she came to us after being abuse, and had a badly broken back leg, that just dangled, the people were going to have her PTS. Our last Little Primerose Pixie, lost her mother and brother to dogs, when she was only 3 days old, we bottle fed her. She just went this morning for her laser declawing. all of ours are declawed. None turned into biters, or into nervous kitties, they are all very loving lap kitties, that give plenty of kisses and head bonks. We love them dearly. We do not take any surgery on them lightly. But I have a blood desease where infections from kitty scratches could mean my life. My kitties are spoiled rotten. and I think if Shamus or any of the others, had the choice of living in our loving forever home, having been declawed, or still being in the situation they were in, they would have chosen to be here.
    I know I would rather loose the last digit of my fingers , to be safe and loved, as opposed to be layin the road with cars going over me, or being abused. Or left in a shelter to be PTS.
    I rescue kitties all the time, I do trap , neuter and release, sofmetimes I am lucky and find wonderful homes for all the kitties that are strays here, or dumped. Now you want to talk about cruel, talk about the people that toss them out of cars on busy highways, or break their little legs for the fun of it…. I do think the laser is better , our first three had the old way, our little Pixie that just went this morning had laser. It cost over 50 dollars more , but that is a small price to pay for her to have more comfort, and shorter recovery.

  81. I was very pleased to read about all of the declawing issues. I have anguished over and over whether to declaw or not. I also have had many problems with having my furniture torn up, in the past. I was told that they will not declaw after a year old and that it is best to have it done by 6 mos. of age. Mine are now 5 mos and I must make a decision. But after reading all of the comments, I have decided, that it is better to be safe than sorry. As bad habits can start at any time. Thank You again Best of Luck Judy

  82. I agree that there are alternatives. I hope I didn’t give the impression that there aren’t. They just didn’t work for us and I wanted to give an opinion that wasn’t completely negative against laser declawing.

  83. I’ve only read the two extremes on this website–declawing or not declawing–but I haven’t read anything about the other alternative. Training. I spent a few hours training my cats to use the scratching posts and I clip their nails once a month. As a result, my 3 cats have never scratched any of my furniture.

  84. Here’s what I know. I have heard cats can be not good with kids but from my experience it all depends on the cat and the child. If you have a high strung kitten who is getting picked up and tails pulled and what not from a kid then I could see it being a problem so I think it all depends on the kitten you get and how well you watch your child around the kitten. As for how old the kitten has to be to declaw at the place we went our had to be 6 months old. Hope this helps!

  85. I just have a ? we are looking at getting a kitten from a friend and i have a 16month old i have heard alot about cats not being good with children do u think that is true? i just dont want to get one and then it hurts her, and also how old can a cat be before u can declaw them what age do they have to be?? thanks alot

  86. Thank You all for the information on laser declawing. We just recently had to put our cat of 14 years to sleep as he had cancer and we would not allow him to suffer. We were so heart broken we went to the Human society and adopted a 6 month old male. He goes in Thurday for his neutering and front claws removed. It costs more but our vet is going to use laser on both. We want the best for our baby. We have only had him 4 days but he is already a big part of our household. Thank you all again I feel so much better about the declawing now.

  87. Funny. Its cruel to remove claws because cats need them? Well they need a uterus too, but noone has a problem with major surgery to actually gut the animal and remove a hormone producing organ. We know what a radical hysterectomy does to people, yet we don’t care what it does to cats. I’ve never seen ONE on hormone replacement therapy. You know why spays are done? Not to prevent kittens, a simple tying or laser severing of tubes could do that. Its done because bleeding on the carpet in an inconvinience, same as getting your house scratched to bits. People need to pick better things to protest.

    Oh, and in a laser declaw, bone is NOT removed. A laser removes teh nail and kills the quick. SO kitty gets to keep every toe.

  89. Ashley~

    I have spent time looking to try and find a vet that uses laser declawing in LA but because it is so controversial out there I was unable to locate anything. You could try using the losangeles.citypages.com and look up vets and then try call some in your area to see if they are aware of anyone. As for an age to declaw a cat I would say to do this within the first year of their life most likely as after that I would think that this would be traumatic on the cat. That is just my opinion though you would have to find out officially from a vet.

  90. Could you tell me of a vet in Los Angeles that uses the laser de-clawing? Is there a certain age where the cat is too old to de-claw her?

  91. Julia~

    Well I did some looking for something on this and I found two things that may or may not help you. First I found a website of a vet that does do this so it may be worthwhile to contact them to see if they know of others who do this (not sure if this is the same vet you found already) http://www.lakegenevaanimalhospital.com/Techniques/surgery_techniques.htm
    The other thing I found while I was searching for this were sites for owners of dogs who do what is called Dremeling to the dogs and it causes the quick to shorten so its easier to trim the nails. I know its not exactly what you were asking about but if you can’t find a vet that does what you are looking for in you area this might be something to look into:
    http://homepages.udayton.edu/~merensjp/doberdawn/index.html
    If anyone finds anything else feel free to let us know!
    Thanks!

  92. I have been trying to find more information about a procedure in which animals with “long quicks” have the nailbed cauterized. the claw continues to grow, but it is much smaller and can be trimmed much shorter. I am interested in this, because I can’t get one of my kitties to stop clawing the furniture, and I’ve tried everything. I don’t want to get him totally declawed, because then the other cat would have an unfair advantage when they played, etc. (is that a lame reason?)
    Anyway, there is only one website that I have found so far that mentions this procedure, and the vet is on the East Coast (I’m in Los Angeles). Do any of you have _any_ information about this procedure?

  93. I agree completely with you. We have had 4 cats, all declawed (although one of them was adopted like that) and we’ve given all of them a comfortable and loving home. If you had to choose between some sort of operation and love for the rest of your life…well…I’d choose a loving home any day.

  94. The procedure is the same. Either the tip of the bone along with the nail is removed or the nail and whole bone is removed. From what I’ve read the laser surgery seems to be less painfull but the amputation is the same.

  95. Peter~
    I don’t know the exact doctor procedures but I know they cauterize the wound and thats why the cats do no bleed, they can come home and use a litter box and they do not have as much pain. I hope that helps! Let me know if you have further questions

  96. Our first cat is 4 years old, declawed and she is spoiled rotten. We just adopted another cutie who is 4 months old. We plan to declaw her as well, but we wern’t sure about the laser method. Do they still cut the bone or just cauterize the base of the nail?
    Please advise.

    PeterR

  97. Katy~

    You are SO right. I’m glad that I’m not the only sane person out there who feels this way. I love any and all animals but especially cats and was hoping there were other people out there who felt the same way. Thanks for the support sometimes just looking out there I felt like I was the only one who felt this way. Thanks!

  98. YOU KNOW I GET SO TIRED…of so-called animal activists telling me how inhumane it is to have a pet declawed. At least my cat is in a warm, safe loving home, with every advantage available. She is spayed, she is loved and I have adopted another abandoned kitten to keep her company that will also be declawed. I work with an organization that rescues cats, so I do my part to help care for abandoned kittens until they are old enough to adopt. If being declawed is the only price they have to pay for a loving home, I say get it done. At least they have a home. Why should someone have to sacrifice their home and furniture just to be able to have pets? I love my pets and always will. I had 4 that lived to be 18 yrs old plus, so I must be doing something right!

  99. Our cats are indoor cats. We adopted both of them from a humane society where if you do not adopt a cat within a certain time frame they will be put down. We spoil our cats rotten. They have everything they could possibly want. What is more humane? Leaving them there to possibly be put to sleep or putting them through Laser Declawing. Which by the way let me tell you they came back from the vet and after a couple of days they were perfectly fine playing like normal. They hardly acted any different and never had any sort of blood. So lets see whose more humane someone who leaves a cat to be put to sleep or someone who adopts two cats spoils them rotten and would do anything for them but does not want their whole house clawed up and so declaws them. In my mind I felt I did the right thing even paying more so it would be more humane on them.

  100. NO NO NO. Cats need their claws. If you can’t allow them this, PLEASE do not adopt them.

Leave a Reply