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Ok hears the deal I have to get my two kitty’s Tom Tom and Crystle declawed I really have no chose in the matter it’s either that or sending them to the pound thing so don’t yell at me! Anyway id like to hear what ya'll think is declawing bad? If so then why? And if not is getting just there front paws declawed better? Or would it be better to just do them all? Please tell me what you think and why thanks ^^

oh and i might want to add these two are strictly indoor cats because yes I relies that makes a difference sweatdrop the main reason for the declawing though is younger children my mom watches

I think it's sort of cruel. Who really wants their fingernails REMOVED? Besides, even if they are strictly indoor kitties, they could still get out. And if they did, they would really have no way to defend themselves effectively. If it's really and issue, you could always trim the nails bi-weekly or something.

im totally against declawing, but i understand if its the only way your parents will let you keep them or whatever.
my boyfriend's sister has a tiny furry old neurotic black cat with no front claws. she went missing one time for over a week. when they found her she was all kinds of beat up by other animals. she wasnt too badly beat up that they needed to take her to the vet, but im sure if she had her front claws she wouldnt have gotten beat up like she did. luckly she didnt come in contact with any cat-killing dogs b/c she wouldnt have been able to climb a tree or fence.
on another note: my siamese chews her nails in my bed and leaves little kitty claw pieces everywhere. its annoying when you get home at like midnight and just want to crash but theres cat nail clippings all over your bed. i wouldnt want it any other way though =^_^=

Declawing is completely inhumane and I'm appalled that it is still a common practise in North America. It has been outlawed in many European countries because it is cruel and unnecessary.

It's done for human convenience, nothing more, and has no benefit to the cat.

Scratching is a natural and important part of cat behaviour - they use it to mark their territory, stretch their bodies and relieve stress. While clawing in inappropriate places can be destructive, cats can be trained to use a scratching post, and there are also great alternatives to declawing that don't involve permanently disfiguring your pets.

Declawing can cause permanent problems for your cat too.

It's an extremely painful procedure - calling it a declaw is misleading and downplays the seriousness of the operation. It is actually 10 separate amputations, where the entire first joint of the toe is amputated. The healing process is long and painful and painkillers are required for the healing process, though they are often of limited effectiveness.

Keep in mind that cats walk on their toes - could you imagine having to walk on your toes after having the first joint of every toe cut off? The pain would be unbearable.

Many declawed cats will avoid using the litterbox after the surgery. Getting litter into the incisions is very painful, and they come to associate the litterbox with pain.

Losing their main source of defence, many declawed cats also resort to biting and develop aggressive behaviour.

Declawed cats can also develop issues with their sense of balance, and can end up with back and hip problems because of the change in the way they distribute their weight on their paws.

Because declawed cats lack the ability to properly stretch out their paws, the tendons in the paws, which are normally stretched every time the claws are extended become extremely tight and shortened, resulting in chronic pain.

Claws can also start to grow back if the surgery was not performed properly, usually disfigured and possibly ingrown, which can cause pain and infections and be very costly and difficult to treat.

Doing the back paws in addition to the front paws is even more unnecessary and cruel. Cats don't scratch the furniture or rug with their back claws.

Please talk to your parents/landlord/whoever is making you do this, about trying alternatives before declawing. There are dozens of good reasons not to declaw. Compare that to the only reason why we would choose to declaw - human convenience, and I'm sure as a cat lover you can see what the right choice is. sad

Any responsible vet who cares about animal welfare and not just lining their pockets will educate you about the procedure (though I believe that any responsible vet would not declaw at all.)


Humane Declaw Alternatives

Scratching post
Cats will be attracted to and use a good scratching post. A good scratching post will be:
- Covered in sisal or another material that feels good to scratch
- Tall enough that the cat can stretch it's body out completely while scratching
- Firmly mounted so that it is sturdy and doesn't wobble or move when the cat is pulling on it.

Sticky Paws
http://www.stickypaws.com/
Sticky paws is simply a double-sided tape product that you can put on most surfaces. Cats don't like the feeling of adhesive on their paws and avoid touching the areas it is on.

Soft Paws
http://www.softpaws.com/
Soft Paws are little caps that go over your cats claws with glue.

Declawing resources - information about declawing & consequences

http://www.de-clawing.com/
http://declaw.lisaviolet.com/
http://www.declawing.com/
http://community-2.webtv.net/zuzu22/STOPDECLAWCOM/
http://www.pawproject.com/html/faqs.asp
http://www.petstation.com/declaw.html
http://www.declaw.org/
http://www.sniksnak.com/cathealth/declaw.html
http://www.declaw.com/

hehe my kitty Mouse chews his nails on his back legs and leaves pieces everywhere. i'm glad it's not just my cat doing that. it's so loud, sometimes it startles me! haha blaugh

on the subject- if you parents say it's the only way then i guess go with it. never declaw all claws, though. only do the front. they can still climb trees if they get out with their back claws.
there's also the option of putting seals on the claws but then again if they get out there's no front claws to help the kitteh out. confused
talk with a vet about all available options then go from there! hope it all works out! 4laugh

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well hears a bit of an update iv talked to my parents’ about it and after a ...heated debated lol they agreed to try clipping there claws first and only declawing if that doesn’t work we have to go threw with the declawing so I really hope it works dose anyone have advise on clipping cat claws if so please post it here thank you oh and by all means please continue talking about whether or not declawing should be done I’ll let you all know how my kitty’s do with clipped claws ^^

i'm glad that y'all are exploring alternatives to declawing. i don't know much about trimming cats' nails myself, because it's the vet who does it. but i understand there's actually a special cat claw trimmer that you can get, because human nail cutters may not do the job properly. good luck, and i hope it works out ^^.

Poor kitties, it's sounds like your parents are considering declawing just for their convenience. Did you know that inconvenience to the owner is the # 1 reason why animals are surrendered at shelters. Why in God's name would you even get an animal if your just going to surrender it, because it's inconvenient. If your parents are afraid for the children... than there are many alternatives. As already mentioned trimming works very well. Or if it's for a short time like maybe an hour or so, I lock mine in the bedroom. He's ok with it and just chills on the bed, for longer periods of time though you will have to put their food bowls and cat litter in there.