Friday, May 21, 2010

When is it too late to get a cat declawed?

My cat was two years old this past July, we are getting new furniture and he destroyed my old furniture! Is it too late to get him declawed before the new furniture arrives? Meaning is he too old?
Don't worry, I know his front claws are his only defense--BUT he is a TOTAL indoor cat--NEVER outside!
Answers:
A cat can be taught to not claw furniture in about 2 days, provided you do it right and keep up the maintenance.
First, get some kind of scratching post. Even a little 2-foot-high one is perfect.
Next, get some cat nail clippers and cut your cat's nails. Don't use people nail trimmers, as this will split the cat's nails and it's really painful. To cut the cat's nails, grab your cat's foot and push on the back of one of his fingers. This causes the claw to stick out. Cut the nail just below the pink "quick". Make sure you get the cat's thumbs, too.
Whenever the cat tries to sharpen his claws, grab the cat and tell him "No". Then take the cat to the scratching post and move his paws up and down on the post to simulate the scratching motion, praising your cat the whole time.
Be consistent and do this every time your cat claws something you don't want him to. Never get upset at the cat. And, be sure to praise him when you move him to the scratching post and especially when he does it on his own (he will, trust me).
The maintenance is then up to you. You should trim the cat's nails about once a week. Eventually, he'll lose all interest in your furniture and fall in love with his scratching post.
The problem with getting him declawed at this point is that you risk changing his personality and behavior. Declawing is extremely painful on cats. When you get your new furniture put tin foil on it for the first few weeks. You'll train him not to go near it (cats hate the sound of tin foil). Get him scratching posts instead and praise him when he uses them. Also keep his nails trimmed (or buy soft paws).
Its never too late. Its too late when they scratch all your furniture up. Take it from someone who it has happened to. LOL!
It's too late when he's DEAD!
Don't pay attention to people that say it's cruel, it's crueler to get rid of another cat because of the clawing. There's tens of thousands of unwanted cats.
I have always provided cat trees for my cat to claw. He's 9 years now, and has NEVER clawed my furniture.
Some veterinarians will declaw a full grown cat--you will just have to ask your vet what their policy is on that. It is more stressful for the cat, as well as more pain full. If you do have it done, please do your cat a favor and ask the vet for pain medication to give the cat for several days after the surgery.
even though they can be destructive, its best not to get your cat declawed. their claws are like our fingernails and if you take them out it will be hard for him to walk or balance himself when he's walking on narrow surfaces. the best thing to do is have his claws clipped regularly or buy him a scratching post or something else. texture might also be a factor, my cat scratches the family room couch but she never lays a claw on the other furniture.
well, never.
let him keep his pride..keep the claws.. all you gotta do is give him a scratching post, and some toys.
Your cats perfect the way he is.
declawing them seems cruel if you ask me.
Cats can be declawed at any age. And the perception of cruelty is guided by those who are unwilling to pay for a complete surgery, and veterinarians who will do anything for the few bucks the clients are willing to cough up.
With proper technique (removing the entire segment of the toe, careful to leave the pad intact) cats actually recover very quickly from the surgery, and will not experience any pain after they are healed. Fast, cheap declawing is imprecise (quickly removing *most* of the toe segment, leaving behind a floating nub of bone) and will result in painful steps the rest of the cats' life.
If your cat destroys your things and never goes outdoors, it is NOT cruel OR painful long-term to get them declawed.
Even if he is an indoor only cat, it is never a good idea to declaw. Declawing is very painful. Basically what they do is break the knuckle and rip out the claw. Then the cat has to heal from having every knuckle in it's paws broken. It requires stitches, special cat litter, and a long recovery time.
If that isn't bad enough, cats can lose their sense of balance, they some can't walk properly after surgery, and others are never able to walk again.
If your cat is over weight, it can be very, very dangerous to declaw. The US is one of the only countries where the practice is still legal. In many European countries declawing is considered animal abuse.
There are other ways to protect your furniture. Investing in scratching posts is a good way to start. They also make a plastic cap that can be fitted over the cats nails. My brother in law uses them for his cat and the work great.
Here is a great article for you
http://www.declawing.com/
Please read before you decide to declaw.
personally i think a cat should never be declawed because it is its only defense, even if it is an indoor cat. its not fair.
It is already too late to get a cat de-clawed... When they are born! Hear me out. I know that you want to save this furniature, and i know how you feel! I had the same problem. BUT, I didn't want my cat de-clawed. So I called a lot of pet stores, vet, animal shelters and so on. And then I found these caps that you glue on the cat's claws (This is special glue for cats claw's, don't worry!), and stays glued on there. They are called 'Soft Claws.' The caps have a soft padding on them, so the cats still has claws, and you have your furniature in one piece!
'Soft Claws' come in Kitten, Small, Medium, and Large sizes, and in Clear, Purple, Pink, Blue, and Red colors, and are available online, in local pet stores, and from veterinarians. If you are seeking relief from destructive or painful scratching by a cat, I highly recommend Soft Claws.
This was a rewiew from someone, and it works. I tried it. I took clear, and I think it is the best because Everything looks normal! Here is a site on these "Soft Claws," and so I hope you change your mind! (PS. There is a pic on here with a cat with blue 'Soft Claws.' I dont think it is my taste!)
http://cats.about.com/cs/declawing/fr/so...
And here is the official 'Soft Claws' site. Help Yourself!
http://www.softclaws.com/default.asp...

PPS. These caps fall off eventually, but about after 3 or 4 months. You will have to glue them back on again, but it is worth it! My cats needed this only once, because they quickly learned that the couch was a no-no-no! You can also teach your cat not to go on the couch by using a spray bottle! Scratching Posts help a LOT too. Cats are very intelligent. Bi-bi!
~And Good Luck, and Glad 2 help ! ! !
The age of your cat is just fine to get your cat declawed.
My cat was declawed and my cat was fine after her front claws were done when she was younger. She had no problem like people say would happen after the claws were removed. No problems with litter box,playing with toys, no behavior problems.no balance problems,my cats personality did not change after the surgery,No bitting problems, My cat is a happy cat that lives in the house and she roams around the house. The cat is put to sleep during the surgery and then the cat will not remember what happened and it will not change their personality or the will not have the problems that people say that happens to them after the surgery. I have not seen any of this in my cat and she is happy and very content and if this was humans then they would remember but it is a cat and they will just go on with their life like nothing happened.
Vets will not declaw a cat if they are over the age of 9 years of age and the age your cat is good. I have had a cat declawed at the age of 1 1/2 years of age and the cat was just fine. people who have cats that are scratching furniture are the ones people get rid of. Softpaws cost about 29.77 and if you times that by 4 then thats what you are spending each month to replace each month. It would cost 103.00 a month to do it.
People crop their dogs ears and tails so it is the same if the people declaw their cats.
The vet I work for will declaw the front paws of cats. For adult cats, we use a Fentanyl (narcotic) patch placed on the back of the neck for pain control. Also, it is VERY important to ask how the procedure is done. Some vets will use regular nail clippers to cut off the nail at the mid-section of the last phalanx (which hurts more, and can lead to the nail growing back). The best approach is to dis-articulate the entire joint between the 2nd and 3rd finger bones, using either a #12 scalpel blade or laser.
It's never too late. But It is very painful. Try getting him at pet scratcher.
鈾?
Yes, it is too late. Cats over one year should never be declawed. In fact, cats should not be declawed at all! Declawing is like amputating your fingers at the first muscle. Healing time can be long and debilitating. The procedure is simple but the healing process is not. Get your cat a good scratching post and put catnip on it. Put catnip, double sided tape and citrus on your furniture. Don't even think about leather. Try soft paws. The first application usually doesn't last long but the next one can last for months. Your cats wellbeing should come before your furniture.
Never say never about him getting outside, and defense is only one thing that's now affected - grooming (parts can only be reached by nails, no other way), behaviour changes, litterbox avoidances, do yourself a favour and rather go with alternatives, or if your biggest priority is furniture, don't get the cat, cause cats are born with claws, it's not up to us to decide what parts we think they need.
http://declaw.lisaviolet.com/declawdrjea...
http://declaw.lisaviolet.com/declawguide...
http://declaw.lisaviolet.com/declawstory...
http://amby.com/cat_site/declaw.html...
If after reading those, you still want to maim what nature gave them, it's your choice - realise that the only one getting anything from it is you, there's no medical benefit for the cat, and that it's electively done to suit you.
I'm against declawing because I think it's mean. Hold up your hand and look at it. To declaw a cat, the vet actually has to remove the very top bone in the cat's paw, along with the nail, to prevent it from growing back.
A more humane solution is to trim the claws regularly (use fingernail clippers and only trim the skinny part of the nail - if you cut down too far, it'll hurt), and encourage him to use scratching posts.
However, if you insist upon declawing, it would probably be okay. He'll take longer to heal than a kitten would and it'll be more painful, but I don't think it would be dangerous.
De-clawing a cat removes the first digit on their paws. Its not truly a "de-clawing" but an amputation (imagine someone removing the tips of all your fingers and calling it de-nailing). This procedure can trigger behavior changes in your cat due to the trauma. It can be compared to post traumatic stress disorder or PTSD in humans.
Also, as your cat gets older, the procedure becomes more difficult. The cartilage in their joints is replaced with bone making the surgery more painful, shocking and tricky. It may result in permanent and painful deformity.
I don't recommend de-clawing cats for any reason and I strongly caution you against declawing a cat of that age.
There are plenty of alternatives to declawing. Try caps for the claws. They come in a variety of colors and you can apply them yourself.
Check out the following link for more information on what de-clawing really is. The page also has links to alternatives to de-clawing.
Call your vet, they also make claw tips. best of luck..
Vets can do a laser surgery to remove them...It is still painful but they recover more quickly...I tried everything before I did this but my cat kept scratching my friends baby and other people...She is fine got it done at 4 yrs old acts normal actually better...Do not let people judge you for what is your choice for what is best for your pet..I would think hard though if you had a dog cause they really can not defend themselves at all.
Please don't resort to declawing. As a Brit I'm shocked and horrifed that people could even consider wanting to hurt an animal in this way. It's illegal in the UK, most of Europe, Australia and New Zealand purely for the fact that it is classed as animal cruelty. The law actually refers to it as "mutlitation" which I think says it all. There are literally millions of cat owners worldwide who have managed to train their cats to behave with their claws. It requires patience on your part, but if we can do it, I'm sure that you can too. Just to make sure that you fully understand exactly what declawing involves - please take the time to look at the web site below. It also has testimonials from owners and carers of cats that have been declawed. If you truly love your cat, please for his sake, make the time to ensure that you know the truth about this cruel practice.
http://declaw.lisaviolet.com/
Scratching is a perfectly natural behaviour for cats, and the most effective way to train them not to scratch where you don't want them to, is to offer them an acceptable alternative. To begin with cover your new sofa with a throw and begin training him to use a scratching post. Not all cats like the sisal scratch posts, some prefer corrugated cardboard or a heavy duty door mat. Offer him a few alterntives until you find which he prefers using. The web articles below offer advice and suggestions which will help you train him.
http://www.catscratching.com/
http://www.hdw-inc.com/treetraining.htm...
As for the indoor only arguent. I've often wondered what happened to the declawed, indoor only cats when natural disasters like Hurricane Katrina occur.

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