Declawing my cats.. I don't know what to do!

[Brandy]

I have 2 cats-one is almost 3, the other is almost 2- and they both have full sets of claws right now. I am moving in July and all of the apartments I have looked at in my new town require that all cats have their front claws declawed. So I signed a lease for an apt now and I have 2 options, declaw my cats or put them up for adoption. My cats are my best friends and it would kill me to give them to someone else (also considering I would never want to split them up). But I've also heard so many bad things about declawing that I don't want to ruin their great personalities with a horrible surgery like that! I don't know what to do! As it is now, they use their claws all the time, hanging from their posts and scratching...I just wanted some input from anyone that has had the surgery done to their pet, is it worth it?? Does it change them?? Thanks for any help you can give me!

[Dave]

Spaying & neutering I agree with and yes I do have a cat and have had them all my life. Why do you feel euthanizing is the alternative to declawing? I guess you don't have no kill shelters where you live.

[Teresa]

You are right. High kill shelters. Rural area with multitudes of stray cats. It's a death sentence.

[Dave]

Well that explains why we are on different sides of the fence. Had that been stated before I would better understand the dilemma. I'm still against it but by no means want to see a pet euthanized. Look, I'm not trying to be rude or get you fired up, I'm just making a point as are you.

[Teresa]

I understand. I never thought of no-kill shelters. I'm so used to the kill type. Up until about 8 years ago they still used gas here. Inhumane.

[Patti Sharick]

I couldn't agree more! I hope Teresa does have a no kill shelter in her town. What a choice! Declawing or euthanasia! there are things on the market to help with scratching problems. Start with a scratching post.

[Angel]

I totally agree. I am ashamed of what I did to my Shaka. I was a poor voice at the time. Since then, I have mad so sure that he is comfortable and loved. The only thing I worry about now is if he gets out , he cannot protect himself.

[Lili]

I disagree stongly .....I think human beings are always thinking about what is best for them and not enough about our environment and animals...........animals come with nails and claws to remove them is just completely unkind unless it saves their lives .... we live and share our planet with animals and we are not here to chop off claws because we cant handle a scratch or two.........learn how to handle animals and they will not hurt you...unless its a wild lion and he is hungry !!
What goes around.........comes around !!

[Nicole]

hi i agree with you completely. i have a little kitten and my mom is making me get it de-clawed.she said either the cat gets declawed or we take him to the shelter.so of course i picked de-clawing with a sad and heavy heart because i know the consiquences.the surgey is tomorrow morning and ill get my little kitten back friday morning. But seeing everything online about declawing really breaks my heart about doing it so i like people like Teresa because she gives me encouragment and understands what i'm going through
so brandy do what you think is right because there will be many people telling you your wrong believe me

[Brandy]

Thank you all for your input. I have definitely researched it a lot and have heard differing opinions from many sources. Someone said, well if you love your cats so much and don't want to declaw them, then why did you sign a lease for an apt that has to have them declawed? Well the town that I am moving to is a huge college town. Most apartments don't even allow cats and the few that do require that they are declawed. I would choose an apt that accepted them without being declawed over any other apt anyday, but I cannot find one. I've also had a very hard time trying to find a new suitable owner. It seems most people that want cats just want a kitten and I hear of so many owners who abandon their cats because they realize it's too much for them and who knows what wil happen to them if I give them away?! This is really hard for me and it's going to be tough no matter what I do. They could never have a better, more loving owner than me, but at the same time.. what kind of parent to them am I if I go and remove their little toes/claws?? I just don't want to do it and then come home to them everyday and they're not the same cats that they are now.. So torn!

[Dave]

Do you have a family member that your cats could stay with until you worked something out?
This is another direction but is it legal for a landlord to tell you that your cats have to be declawed? I've never run into that situation before.

[Elyse Orecchio]

Hi Brandy
Obviously my best advice is to find an apartment where you can keep your cats, claws intact. But if your only two options are declaw or give them up, I'd say go ahead and get them declawed. I think it's worth it to have your cats stay with you, since you're already a family and they're happy with you.

To be clear, this is my personal opinion and not necessarily reflective of the views of the ASPCA. I'm going to consult an expert here and get you some expert advice.

[Cynthia]

Brandy, cats who are declawed go through terrible pain. Since your cats are your best friends, I know you don't want to inflict this kind of pain on them. It is the equivalent of having your own fingers amputated just below the first knuckle. Because of their unique anatomy, cats must be able to fully extend their claws in order to stretch their muscles all the way into their backs. Without this ability, they can develop crippling arthritis. Cats who go through declaw surgery frequently become withdrawn, antisocial, and shy.

It may interest you to know that declawing a cat is considered cruelty in England. It is illegal to declaw a cat there, as in many parts of Europe.

The surgery is not a simple nail removal. Cats can and do develop infections at the surgery site and are at risk of losing a leg to gangrene. It will be quite painful for them to use a litter box for at least a month, and they may develop problems like urinating and defecating outside the litter box. Additional complications can arise from anesthesia from any surgery. I personally have a friend who put her cat in to have him declawed, and he died under anesthesia.

You could talk to your landlord about Soft Paws - a set of caps you or your vet put over your cats' claws to keep them from damaging anything. Or you could sign an agreement that you will be financially liable if your cats damage the apartment with their claws. Personally, knowing how much I know about the pain of declawing, I would have searched until I found ANY apartment that didn't have this requirement, or I wouldn't have moved there. Period. But since you've signed the lease, you are now legally obligated, so see what you can work out with the landlord concerning a damage deposit, Soft Paws, or anything not to get your cats declawed.

Here is a photo of the anatomy of a cat's claws, and how the surgery is done: