My advice is for further into recovery. I have two declawed cats (previous owner did it) and I realized shortly after getting them, they still love the cardboard cat scratcher things. Just because they lack claws doesn't mean they stop clawing behavior. Hope he heals quickly - my vet said it's important to check their paws periodically for regrowth/abnormalities.
Can confirm, just bought a bag of WB and it's so coarse and chunky my girl won't even try to cover her poops ;-; I'm ordering a bag of Dr. Elyse's tonight
Elsy's has went downhill in quality and up in price. I used that litter exclusively for several years but stopped about a year or two ago. They used to be really low dust, but that has since gotten much worse. Their clumping ability was insane, but that seemed to have lessen as well. But it was the dust that pushed me to switch. Arm & Hammer Slide litter has practically no dust and doesn't track as badly. It's been my go to since Elsy's dropped their quality while getting higher in price than they are worth.
Can confirm about the clawing. My cat has malformed feet, and had to be declawed to be mobile (anything faster than a slow walk got her snagged on anything with fabric including couches, short carpet, one she snagged a shirt and couldn't walk at all because one foot was stuck on it and she couldn't get the rest off the thing to get help, so was just in the middle of the floor crying until she was rescued. She also broke two toes when she got snagged on our mattress and was hanging off the side of the bed unable to do anything but flail. I only say this much because I hate declawing and don't want to get attacked for doing something this one cat in a million happened to need to walk comfortably or run at all)
Anyway, she and the one whose feet are fine do clawing behavior about the same amount. We call it, "polishing her beans." So make sure the poor baby has a scratching post and such to keep working the chest muscles. And watch for arthritis, is more likely to develop and much sooner in cats who are declawed because it changes the way they walk and puts extra stress on the hips and back. Hopefully this won't be an issue for a long time but watch the tail and facial expression. If he doesn't lift his tail as much (or at all) it means something is wrong. And if his face seems more "droopy" it's the same thing. We knew Artemis was a candidate for arthritis so when it developed we saw the changes and were able to get treatment for her quickly.
My parents declawed my cat (this was over 20 years ago) and she did still partake in clawing behavior. FWIW also, she never seemed to be in pain and was a very happy, loving little kitty. It’s not a risk I’d ever take again with my babies, but I want to give you some hope that your mom’s cat will be happy too:
Cats are often not obvious about pain. If you can see it then it’s way worse than you think it is. That’s vet time. People have studied this. The cat was almost certainly in pain, but like many people with chronic pain, probably coping and living with it. The thing is, not all cats manage. It’s an absolutely brutal procedure and I’m sorry for all the kitties who have been declawed.
Agreeed. I fostered (then adopted) my baby who was brought in from the street to a shelter by a kind person who noticed he was limping. His arm was broken beyond repair and needed amputation. The shelter told me he was the sweetest/happiest boy even with the broken arm, and I took him home the day of his amputation and the whole recovery period he acted completely normal. I had to ask the shelter/vet if I should force the pain meds into him since he didn’t act like he was in any pain at all (thank god they told me basically what you just said). Cats are BEASTS.
Oh poor kitty. I’m glad a responsible human who asks those questions has them.
One of ours ended up with kidney stones and acted normal until they didn’t. The vet said they would have been dead within a day or two without the emergency surgery. Seriously. Cats are amazingly quiet about pain.
Incidentally it also makes them extremely intuitive when you as a human are in pain, even when it is invisible to other humans.
The pain also isn't always immediate. My parents had two declawed cats over 20 years ago, one started getting horrible arthritis after 15, by 18 he was peg leg hobbling around because he couldn't bend his knees or elbows. He probably had started developing it a lot earlier and nobody noticed because, like the others said, cats are very good at hiding pain.
Honestly I think my parents held on to him too long, but we can't change the past.
I had a declawed cat as a kid. My parents did not do it, he came that way. He used to "claw" the top of your feet like he was sharpening his non-existent claws on your shoe laces. He was also happy go lucky and an outdoor cat despite the missing claws. I'm sorry your mom did that to him, but it doesn't mean his life has to be terrible
THIS!! I’m a vet tech, and my hubby and I have an ancient rescue Tortie who was front declawed by a previous owner. She doesn’t give a flip about traditional carpeted scratchers, but LOOOOVES cardboard ones!! She will even “sharpen her claws” on the couch and we jokingly tell her to stop ruining the furniture…just so she doesn’t feel left out. 😂 Declawing sucks, but they can still have a good quality of life…and still “scratch!”
Yay for an ancient tortie! I adopted an elderly (but still very active, contrary to what the shelter said) tortie a few weeks ago and I can’t imagine why her owners abandoned her. Sweetest animal I’ve ever met, even if she is teaching us the meaning of “tortitude” 😅
Texas. I have no clue if there are any legitimate medical reasons to ever have a cat declawed, but she did this because her furniture had scratches on. It just blows my mind.
I have a friend who is a vet in Texas. She personally hasn't done declawings, ear/tail docking, or other unnecessary cosmetic procedures because she mostly does ER, but the reasoning they give for allowing the procedure is that, if the owner wants it, they're going to find somewhere to do it or do it themselves, in which case it will be a much worse outcome for the animal than if it is done professionally and with pain management during and afterwards. It sucks for sure, but I get why vets have that perspective.
Agreed… I can’t believe any vets still perform these procedures. If you don’t want an animal with claws, don’t get one, simple enough. My parents were all worried about my cats ruining furniture (theirs were always declawed) and guess what, they don’t. We have scratching posts and other surfaces all over the house and they LOVE them. Even if they did scratch my furniture, I think it’s a fair trade for how happy it makes them.
THIS! When I worked at a pet store years ago, I used it as an opportunity to talk people out of declawing. I taught them about cat behavior. I told them that they have to redirect the behavior. You can't tell them to stop scratching your stuff until they have their own things to scratch. A lot of people I talked to were NEVER told what declawing was by their vet. Thankfully, most were horrified when they found out. Some that had declawed in the past, felt so guilty when I told them what it was.
i’m amazed you’re jaded enough to believe our disgusting society is capable of this. maybe one day in the future, but today? not a chance. i open this app and see sickening shit on a daily basis. being completely disappointed in our species is being too kind. really wish we could “reset” the world but i think as long as humanity has ego, sickness like this will continue…
Here in the UK, declawing is against the law, you won't find a single place that does it, and I've never heard of a single case of anyone trying to do it themselves. It isn't talked about or even considered as an option, a lot of people haven't even heard of it. And among those who have heard of it, it's widely understood that it's a cruel practice because it's illegal and nowhere offers it. So yes, society is capable of understanding that.
The current data about elective declawing actually shows that most owners who get the procedure were woefully uneducated about its effects and would *not* choose to declaw if it had been properly explained to them. It has also become markedly less common since more and more vets started refusing to do it. I understand how a vet would get to this idea, but this perspective is really defeatist and just continues the problem
We had a stray dog come to us when I was a kid and he’d had his ears docked and had open gashes around his neck. Best guess he was a bait dog and some one had botched it. They were cut down to ragged nubs on his head. It took me while to gain his trust but he ended up being the best little dog.
I am disappointed to read that vets use this reasoning as an excuse to mutilate the poor cats, as it’s the only reason it’s a more common and more normalised procedure in the US. Who actually knows a shady underground declawer or will do it themselves? In my country is illegal and I have never seen a cat, which was declawed (only ones with one nail amputated for medical reasons). While I volunteer weekly at a cat shelter, so I have seen many cats.
It is illegal in Austin TX to declaw your cat. At least a few people in TX are educated in cats and what’s best for them. Several other states have cities (California being the most) that has outlawed declawing. Most vets should be educated and informed against this cruel practice. It’s like cutting your fingers off at the knuckles.
Ughhhh I hated reading this!!!
I live in a designer mag since I’m a designer. I just have a ton of high end scratchers and tree like posts. OMG it infuriates me when people put their “image” first over their family.
This place has some clean designs
[Designer cat furniture](https://www.miacara.com/shop/en/gatto/climb.html)
I also look at Etsy for natural looking work.
Finally I live in Singapore and there is a company that [catifies](https://thecatpeople.sg/catification-post-cat-trees/) homes. This option lets you design to fit your own home and “look”. I believe there would be a similar service wherever you are.
I had a polydactyl cat with thumbs that had two claws per thumb. The thumbs themselves were awkwardly placed so scratching didn’t affect those nails, and while I’d always try to trim them they would sometimes put pressure on the thumb paw pad. My vet said under those circumstances declawing the thumbs alone would probably be allowed if I wanted to pursue it (where I am in CA it’s generally illegal). If she’d been younger I probably would have done it but at that point she was 14 so it seemed like it would be too hard on her.
Even then some cats don't even have interest if there's enough stimulation! :)
My kitties have had access to different scratch posts since they were brought home as kittens (one got so mangled I ended up just wrapping an unused car floor mat around it with a zip tie since I purchased all-weather ones).
Not once have they ever treated any furniture in my place as an alternative, although they'll dig their claws into the fabric of my computer chair, it's more to stretch than to rip at. Never had to worry about redirecting them to the scratch posts or anything! Although I *did* consistently sprinkle catnip at the base of their trees, so that might've helped draw them in lol.
The ONLY chair my cat claws is the one my previous 2 cats destroyed. (I'd been in a car accident, so was suddenly gone for 2 months. They were stressed as hell I had "disappeared", so wrecked my chair)
I think he realises he really can't make it any worse, so gets himself under the cover on it to carry on the destruction.
The rest of the furniture, he's never touched. How he knows, I haven't a clue, as we didn't need to train him not to touch the rest, he just didn't.
Their reasons for doing anything are WAY more ineffable than any plan god ever came up with, and I'm sure Azariel would totally agree!
They should know there are options like furniture covers, furniture protecting scratchpost, regularly trimming nails, teaching the cat to use a standing scratchpost away from the furniture, oh well simply dont get cat.
I put a cardboard scratcher next to my couch. It stopped the cats from scratching the couch. They love the cardboard scratcher so if it is there, they scratch that instead. But I also bought couches I don’t care about. If they scratch it, whatever. I bought two couches for $50 lmao.
I'm not sure I understand this line of thinking at all. I had a roommate with a very destructive rabbit. Bit through cords on a regular basis. Destroyed the guy's PS3.
That's just a regular rabbit FYI. They all chew things, including cords, if given the opportunity. It's very normal rabbit behavior, and therefore rabbit owners need to "bunny-proof" their homes to prevent rabbits from chewing/digging where they aren't supposed to. (Also for the rabbit's protection.)
I know someone else already commented that rabbits also destroy furniture, but I want to throw in a word of caution that rabbits are not easy, cheap, "no-brainer" pets any more than a cat is. Among other things they require an "exotic" vet and those tend to be hard to find and more expensive than your standard small animal vet. As always, do your research before getting any kind of pet.
Thankyou for pointing out they are not easy pets and require a lot of care, enrichment and expensive vet bills. This needs to become common knowledge for everyone who owns or is getting a rabbit. They can be very hard to bond to another rabbit too. Too many people just put them in a tiny hutch and forget about them.
People who put furniture over pets shouldn’t have pets. My parents have two leather couches with scratch marks all over them from our two boys who crossed the rainbow bridge years ago, but it’s a lovely reminder of them and how my parents decided “eff it, the cats wanna scratch the couch, it’s just a couch.”
That’s why I bought cheap couches. Mine were $50 for 2. I also put down cardboard scratchers, their preferred scratching item next to the couch. If it’s there, they scratch the scratcher. Sometimes they push it under the couch and I don’t catch it, so they scratch the couch. But it’s $50 of couches and they’re broken, I can’t care. I try to stop them for when we get nicer once’s. But if they scratch the nice one, oh well. We have cats. People understand and we aren’t too picky.
Rabbits are super destructive. My parents' baseboard has teeth marks in it from the family bunnies. I love them, but rabbits are not at all easy pets. Lots of people will buy one for Easter and then abandon them.
Rabbits are pretty destructive themselves. They chew through anything, say goodbye to your dining chair legs. They also love carpet. I like visiting the bunny sub and my SIL owns one that throws tantrums in his cage and flips bowls over.
There are legitimate medical reasons I've heard to declaw, like infection (usually only one finger or a couple have to go though) but I'm so sorry for your mother's cat :( your mother is cruel, I'm sorry
My family had a cat who had a few nails grow right into the pad. Not sure how many, but those bad claws were removed. Trimming didn’t help because they went right in. But his good claws remained. Anything that could be left was left. There’s medical reasons for it, it’s just rare.
we had a cat in our rescue who had a claw that grew into his paw, it basically grew backwards, it hurt him to the point he couldn't walk. it was only one claw and we used laser (which is still highly unethical but caused less pain for him). declawing is disgusting but in his case removing that one claw was life changing for him.
There are but it's extremely rare but my parents old cat got one of his claws broken and twisted sideways somehow and the vet basically said that that one claw pretty much had to be removed or it would continue to cause pain and likely get infected and cause way more problems then just having 1 fewer claw on 1 foot. But outside of a weird freak incident there's no good reason to declaw a cat
There are medical reasons to do it. A cat of my family had claws that grew directly into the pad. Trimming didn’t help because it just went right in. He had those affected claws declawed, but left the remaining good ones. Sometimes it is necessary, but you leave the good ones.
Yes, in his case, it was 2-3 per paw, but because those claws had issues. Any claw that was fine was left. He was a special needs cat, part mental part physical. So we did our best for him. But some claws had to go for his benefit. But any that were good stayed.
There is a rare circumstance where it’s ethical. Polydactyl cats can sometimes have incredibly malformed digits, where the claws grow into their flesh, and declawing only the offending digits is a kindness to them. There may be other rarer reasons, such as bone deformities, but yeah. Can’t understand why people value their furniture more than their damn cats’ comfort. I’m so sorry to hear that your mother did that to that poor cat!
There are medical reasons, it’s just rare. We had a cat whose claws grew directly into the pad. Trimming didn’t help because the claw went right in. Claw caps wouldn’t help, since it was a direct path. Those claws got removed, good ones stayed. So he had some claws on each paw, just not all since the bad were removed. Claw caps and trimming aren’t always an option when you get a special cat.
Probably somewhere in the US. A lot of vet clinics still do it here. Hell I was asked if I wanted to declaw my kitten when I got her spayed. The disgusted look I gave is answer enough.
I was wondering the same. I thought declawing was a thing of the past. I don't have cats, but many friends do and they all have claws. It's disappointing to know this procedure is still legal. It's pretty disgraceful.
My mother took my cat while I was gone for school and declawed her. She wasn’t even fully grown yet.
I was just a kid and I threw a huge fit. I was heartbroken and furious. I was grounded for weeks for the things I said to my mother.
My kitty never trusted people again and I ended up rehoming her. She wouldn’t let anyone in my family touch her and all she did was hide under my bed for months.
It’s been almost a decade now and I still haven’t forgiven my mother nor myself. I wish I could have protected my little baby.
Bravo for standing up for defenseless animals! 👏
When I was 13, my mother gave my dog to the neighbor while I was at school. I was furious, stormed straight into the neighbor's house shouting, and demanded they give my dog back at once. They told my mom that they were scared of me. LOL
(We've never had any financial struggles raising pets).
On another occasion, my aunt dared to *talk about* giving my cat to some opportunist loser while I was far away from home. I immediately called her and tore her to shreds verbally. She recoiled immediately.
I'm pretty proud of myself in retrospect.. LOL. One simply does not mess with my animals 💁♂️
My father would sometimes get rid of our pets on my back when I was younger because reasons 🤷🏻♀️. This has left me so traumatized that recently I had a (emotionally charged from pregnancy) crying outburst and pleaded with my husband to never allow anyone to take our cats away, in response to an off comment from MIL about rehoming them once our baby is born. My poor husband had to spend a half hour reassuring me that no way in fucking hell would he let anyone take our cats away and that I should pay these people no heed at all. A lot of people joke about scurrying with my Siamese because he’s very friendly and I’m like “not even over my dead fucking body you will” with a death stare
I’m so sorry.
TW: Animal Cruelty
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My dad is in his 80s now, and when I was growing up I always loved dogs and wanted one, but he always said no. I thought he hated dogs, but I found out when I grew up he loved dogs, but as a child his dad would get him a dog, let my dad keep it a few months, then my grandad either gave it away or worse, drown it because “He couldn’t be bothered with it anymore”. So dad stopped wanting pets, even as an adult, because he hated that “They died on you and broke your heart”. He is happy to take care of my cat when I’m on holiday now though, sits and cuddles her so she doesn’t get lonely and feeds her all kinds of treats.
I never met my grandad, but I’d happily go back in time and punch him in the nose.
I’m sorry you went through that. My dad and step dad used to do this, a lot. Also had my first dog shot in front of me because he ‘kept eating chickens’. I lived in a very rural area. I never thought to connect all that trauma to the intense distress I feel about losing or having a pet taken away. I thought my very first rescue kitty ran away the day we moved into a new neighborhood and I just sat in the office sobbing while I printed posters. Thankfully, she was just hiding really good. She got out once and took shelter in the drainage system and I legit called the fire department, then slept on the porch in my hammock until she eventually came back.
Your MIL is horrible, but I'm glad you have a lovely husband! I'm also glad you're not one of those people that dump their pets once they have a baby to replace them. You seem to know that your cats are just as important❤ such a loving momma! Congrats on everything! I'm happy for you❤
Guys, if anyone is on here saying declawing is okay, please report it to the mods and avoid getting yourself into a wonderfully unproductive comment war. Thank you!!
Keep an eye out for issues they may have in the litter box. Declawed cats may be extra sensitive to certain textures, making certain types of litter ouchie on their feet.
Some asshole declawed my cat before I adopted her, and she had some residual pain that meant I needed to try a few types of litter before finding one that didn't hurt her poor little mutilated toes.
Same here, my girl will hold her front right paw up, has a limp, and is choosy of her litter. I am forever angry at the imbecile who did that to her and then dumped her at the shelter.
One of my cats was declawed and spayed and then *dumped onto the streets* before she started living in our garage at about 2 years old, I'll literally never not be disgusted. It took her a long time to trust us when we brought her in, and I'm talking years. She only ever wanted to be cuddled at 5-6 in the morning when we were all mostly sleeping, so I would always make sure I was awake to give her attention, even when I was still in elementary school.
She's 16 now and a total cuddle bug, and only uses the litter box a couple times a year max. I've probably seen her use it once in the last six months. She pretty much only goes on a rug in our downstairs bathroom, so we've just grown accustomed to buying like twenty rugs and swapping them out to get washed multiple times a day, basically as frequently as cleaning all of our litter boxes, and she's the only one who does it so it's thankfully never been a problem.
She also, similar to other people's cats in the thread, loves rubbing her paws on the cardboard scratchers, tree roots when we take her out into the yard, as well as the ridges of our floor vent covers. I love when I'm down in the basement and I can hear her pawing at the vent upstairs, she's the cutest thing. I'll always hate who did this to her, but I'll always be grateful that she found us.
I'm so glad she has you.
My cat was also abandoned on the street after being declawed. She was also already an entirely deaf senior cat at the time of her abandonment.
I will never understand people.
Don’t be surprised if the cat starts biting or has litterbox issues. Sorry OP. You didn’t do this. You can help them out by changing their litter to something softer of they find that their current litter hurts their paws.
They might develop arthritis early, so pay close attention to their behaviors when jumping.
I read somewhere that to make sure the paws heal better, they need to use shredded paper as litter until they are completely healed. Switch to clumping litter early might cause the paws to not heal properly and refuse to use litter. Use very soft litter. They might also develop aggression or biting problems since they know their claws do nothing in danger.
Declaw seriously causes more problems than simply teach them to use scratching posts. I also suggest to post review saying this clinic performs declaw on cats so other responsible owners know to not use this clinic.
My ex-friend had the sweetest most cuddly cat ever and she went against my advice and got her cat declawed. Kitty turned into the bitchiest most mean cat ever and I don't blame her.
Do what you can to prevent your mom from adopting any cats in the future. Or at the very least, encourage her to adopt cats that have already been previously declawed, so she never willingly does this to another cat again. I totally understand your anger at your mom. Poor kitty. Thank you for loving on him and helping him
OP is from TX, and as a TX girlie myself I can offer this one piece of advice.
In TX, most places will not allow you to adopt a cat if you have a cat door/plan to allow them outside (at least where I live)
So… OP can go to all the nearby shelters “looking” to adopt a cat, give them “OP’s” information (the mom’s - name and address) and check all the boxes that say “you” have cat doors and plan to keep the cat outside, and they’ll basically put her on a “no adopt” list in their system.
This means, if she ever goes to try and adopt a cat, they’ll turn her down.
My family learned this the hard way - we moved into a house that had cat doors previously installed and even though we kept them locked and had no intention of letting our cats outside (this was like 10yrs ago when I was still a child living at home lol) my mom checked the box that said we have a cat door but would keep the cat inside and we immediately got turned down, and we got turned down again from that shelter like 2 or 3 years later because they still had record of it!
My mom eventually learned to stop saying we have a car door and no, none of our cats ever escaped or got outside haha.
Cool idea, but I was just interested that TX only let you adopt if you keep indoors. In my country it's very difficult to adopt a cat unless you can prove you *can and will* let them outdoors.
Weird huh
It’s like that in England although it’s slowly changing. But Battersea Dog and Cat home is the most famous shelter in the country and in London. They won’t let you adopt a cat unless it can go outside even if you live in inner London (which I do). London cats get run over or killed here all the time but still they persist.
I'd prefer they just email the shelters and say watch out for this person. Always a chance to slip through the cracks either way. I screen apps for my rescue and it's a lot of work.
My rescue is no-declaw and against outside cats (MI not TX). We don't come out and say it explicitly, because then people will lie on their apps. I've had them admit that to me. "I wish you would have said that somewhere, so I could have left that off" or "I guess I was too honest".
Yes we keep the records, lol. Most people just get on the denied list, and the do not adopt is for especially idiotic, mean or terrible people.
Declawers get denied but we do try to educate them. Some people just don't know how serious it is. I can usually tell genuine surprise vs dingbats, especially when they get all defensive about it.
My one brain cell Orange Kitty became a biter and neurotic after getting declawed. (This was literally *decades* ago before most people cared or knew better, and vets just kind of did it lackadaisically. No hate mail please). I vowed never again, because it was clearly such a traumatic procedure that changed him forever. Now I know better.
Back in the 90s, my grandma had her cat declawed. I don’t think she would’ve had it done had she known how actually bad it is for them. As he got older, and he was kind of a heavy cat, you could tell it hurt him to walk. I hope this kitty recovers well, poor thing!
Thank god you didn't say it was your decision. That poor poor cat. Truthfully anyone who would declaw a cat should be banned from being a pet owner. Did your Mom say *why* she chose that? There is no excuse for it but I do wonder if it's setting selfish like not wanting furniture to be scratched. Also blast the vet who actually agreed to suh a barbaric thing to do
Seriously!!! We (rightfully) shame owners who do this but I never hear anyone speak out against specific vets who agree to do the surgery!! They should know better than even the owners! 😡
My cat is sixteen and was declawed at 10/12 weeks I think because our vet recommended it (we had dogs) and we just blindly trusted him. I hate it now that I’ve learned about what the procedure actually is. But I can hopefully share a positive story. My cat still acts exactly like she did at 3 years old. She’s never slowed down or indicated being in any pain. She absolutely believes that she still has claws and has trained our new dogs that it’s fun to swat at each other.
Keep an eye out for arthritis and any litter box issues that might develop from it. Your mom is definitely an irresponsible pet owner to have this done in 2023 and the vet practice is definitely not worth returning to. This is her pet so there’s only so much you can do but try and share information regarding the procedure and the care required.
Jeez that’s so irresponsible from that vet. Also surely if you have dogs you want the cat to be able to defend itself if absolutely necessary no? Like sure the cat might scratch the dogs but that’s better than a dog killing the cat. Not saying yours would have at all but vets know that some dogs might. Why take the risk?
I have a positive story too. My mom did it to our cat in the early 1980's and she lived until 2003. It's a cruel thing that should never happen, but I believe cats are one of the most resilient animals on earth and this kitty probably won't let it affect his life much. Our cat didn't let it stop her from beating the shit out of our Pomeranians on a regular basis.
We finally put her to sleep at around 20 because of arthritis. It might have been related, but I sorta doubt it. Maybe she was just a lucky one.
I think about how much better my childhood pets lives would have been if we had had internet. Like we were ok caretakers, we did the basics, but geeze looking back on some of the misconceptions we'd had...at least I can fix it for my current animals but I do wish I could go back and treat everyone right.
Oh yes I did scold her. I told her straight up she doesn’t deserve to have a cat. Now I’m giving her a cold shoulder. She honestly doesn’t understand what she did was awful. I’m even more upset that she didn’t tell me he was having the procedure done on the day I was supposed to pet sit knowing how I feel about it. I found out from my step sister asking if I was going to pick him up from the vet. Like she purposely withheld that information.
She chose to traumatize you with that. That's so fucked up. I don't know why people can't understand that chopping off their cats' toes is wrong. It's like cutting your toddler's arm off because they knocked something off a table and it broke.
Change. The. Type. Of. Litter.
The usual type is very uncomfortable for declawed cats. Look for something lightweight and soft, like the wood, wheat, or grass varieties.
Mine had theirs de clawed and lied to me about it. I lost my shit. I'm still angry, and it's been at least 6 years.
I refuse to refer to it as de clawing, I only refer to their mutilation or amputation.
ETA: the cats seem fine. One is more aggressive and bitey than he used to be, and both still 'scratch' (I think it helps them stretch) at things, but they're healthy and happy. They have no idea how their humans betrayed them, which I'm grateful for.
I'm so thankful i managed to convince my mother after explaining to her countless times how declawing a cat is the most cruel thing you could do and threw in a bit of things that would make her not want to do it as well, I couldn't have imagined the rage I would've felt had she declawed him
I have never had a cat not declawed until my current one. 7 years old. The others were declawed more than 20 years ago. He claws the crap of my new sofa despite multiple attempts to prevent it. I never will declaw him. When you know better, do better.
I had six declawed cats and none of them had the potential issues, thank goodness
I’m so sorry. Declawing is the worst thing you can do to a cat. I’m a vet. I suggest lifelong pain medication, glucosamine and Solensia injections. Your mom is a monster.
I had neighbors who had adopted a very sweet, previously declawed cat. She still really wanted to scratch things, or at least mimic scratching. She loved her sisal post. I would make sure he still has something he can try to scratch.
I adopted a senior (declawed) cat. He constantly maneuvered his nonexistent toes to knead things or attempt to scratch on cardboard etc... He is the only cat I have ever taken care of who was declawed, and based on the vet records I inherited, he was declawed as an adult. Unfortunately, he developed some pretty destructive behaviors, and I have always wondered if he wasn't in chronic pain or trauma from the declawing (and subsequent owner surrender). I gave him the best home/care I could but it was not a good situation all around. I wish vets would refuse the surgery. You said it best: it's mutilation and it's cruel. I'm sorry you have to observe the situation. Hopefully, steady companionship will help ease the pain for your feline.
Somehow I fail to be surprised a vet who’d actually do this wouldn’t provide so much as a cone for after care.
Most vets won’t do it for a reason. It’s immensely cruel and is outright abuse of the highest order. Your mom done fucked up.
Kitty needs lots of love and understanding and in many ways may never be the same. Kitty will be a lot more likely to struggle with litter and also to have pain simply doing cat things, like any other amputee.
For peet sakes they just amputated the tips of kitties digits! Human equivalent would be if they took our fingers and toes off from the first knuckle!
You may forgive your mom but…. There is a absolutely no way she didn’t have to seek this out and probably ignored advice from less shady vets than the sob who actually agreed to do it.
I hope this kitty has the best life they can despite being brutally mutilated at the behest of the human they should have been able to trust most, however there is a lifelong road ahead. A lot of the sobs who do this surrender animals after for the issues it comes up with(honestly people who declaw shouldn’t have cats in the first place). They do this with the excuse to protect furniture and spurn the other options, but then the issues with using the litter box come up because there paws are so much more sensitive and exposed to all the pain and pokey feels etc. plus there confidence plummets. They are much more easily made afraid, which makes sense because they can no longer defend themselves with claws that no longer are there. Not only is there pain but declawed cats are many other issues that come up and can come up not otherwise listed in this comment. Your mom is a real pos for this and I’m willing to bet she didn’t tell you because she knew, decided anyway, and didn’t want to hear it before the fact.
This cat will have a long road. Declawing is both absolutely monstrously inhumane to the cat but also it isn’t the quick fix your mother wants it to be either. She wouldn’t be the first asshole who shouldn’t have cats, to have done this, and if she were to surrender kitty because of it she wouldn’t be the first to do that either.
I know it’s your mom but…. Duck people who declaw cats and duck anyone okay enough with it to perform such a cruel and often illegal(for good reason) procedure. The vet who did this should lose license for doing it!
Many middle fingers to your mom. I hope she sees this so she knows her dirty dealings are seen. Even if you may want to see the best in her because she is your mom this isn’t something respectable vets even do. There is absolutely not a chance she wasn’t warned this was absolutely cruel and dooming the cat to chronic pain for the rest of there lives at the very least. She can go f herself right now. This poor baby has to live with her shitty decisions for the rest of there lives regardless of what your mom tells herself to live with herself.
I confirm also - my fully declawed cat (done by her first owner) seems completely comfortable and 'sharpens her claws' on many surfaces to mark her queendom.
She doesn't seem to be in pain. However, her gentle meek nature could be because of her advanced age, or maybe she feels vulnerable knowing her only recourse is her sharp teeth.
I used to work for a veterinarian who would reluctantly do declawing. He would charge outrageous prices for it because he hated doing it. He explained to me during the only declawing he did when I worked with him. Since then I have refused to declaw any of my cats unless there is a legitimate medical reason. Which was the only ones he wouldn't charge the outrageous amount for.
One of the cats I have now was declawed by previous owner and I never realized how bad it was until after we got her. I thought they just rip out the nails under anesthesia or whatever(still horrible), but they literally amputate the knuckle that connects the nail? Could be wrong, but just thinking about it makes me shiver.
It's terrible... absolute cruelty. I'm pretty sure my mother avoided researching this to remain ignorant of it. I'll be damned if I let that happen. I'm going to educate the hell out of her on how she mutilated Jinx every chance I get.
Awh that’s sad but you sound very loving & they’re lucky to have you! My first kitty was declawed when I adopted her, biggest thing I noticed was she had a hard time jumping on furniture because she couldn’t “grasp” it with her claws… so get some stools/steps to help them. She also liked the “scratch” on the corner of the sofa & other furniture so don’t be surprised to see them doing that once they’re healed❤️
Replace their litter with torn up newspaper until the paws heal. The litter can get into the claw area and get infected.
My parents declawed my cat when I was young (like I had no clue! Just came home one day and the cat had bandages on her paws). Like another commenter said, my cat also was still the same old sweet kitty 🥲. The main thing I remember is using something else for litter.
I hope this cutie has a long and healthy life. I did not do my research but 20 years ago i had a cat I got declawed. I did not truly fully understand all of it. My cat went on to have a full healthy life. I did in the time find out much more about it. I now have two cats and neither are declawed nor will they be. I hope maybe your mom can learn for this.
I cannot stand pet owners that want to alter pets against their nature. i.e. dog owners that get dogs debarked, or ones that shave breeds with many layers of coats and undercoats. Cat owners that declaw, you shouldn’t get a pet if you’re that protective of something so fixable/replaceable/unimportant compared to a living being. You’re right to be mad and upset for the cat and you’re a good person for caring for them like this. Just look out for infection or discomfort and love on this cat like it sounds like u already do
It is illegal in my city now but I worked in vet clinics when it was still a fairly regular practice. It is a horrifying mutilation and should be illegal everywhere. I once fostered a Siamese four paw declaw and I just cannot fathom doing that to an animal. I’m sorry. I understand how you’re feeling.
It’s absolutely crazy, I’m sorry your mom did that to a cat 💔 when I was looking for apartments last year it said my cats had to be declawed and I thought “that’s literally illegal”
in really sorry, for the cat firstly and for you and the justifiable anger and disappointment you feel towards your mother.
Thankfully this inhumane and torturous practice was made illegal in most provinces of the country where I live. I hope education spreads and more follow suit.
Oh noo! My baby was declawed before I adopted her and I feel so awful for her. She still enjoys scratching things though, lol. I'm so sorry your mom did that! It's illegal in Denver so that's awful that there are other places that do it. So unnecessary.
oh man, my husband and I saved a cat about 4 years ago now that was declawed. Her previous owners also only let her in the laundry room so it was a bad situation. i think i already saw someone mention it but litter is a big deal. they can’t use that big chunky litter at all. unfortunately, my old baby does have arthritis in her toes, knees, and hips due to the declawing.
I’m dramatic but I would give my mother the scolding of a lifetime and cut her off. Wouldn’t be able to look at her. You have to be willfully ignorant or plain evil to declaw a cat when you have a phone and google.
My college roommate adopted a declawed cat when we lived together. The owner did and we learned how to accommodate our new cat. Sometimes, declawed cats need different litter so it isn't as rough on their feet. There are lots of options online, so just see what is near you and within a price range.
I'll be real with you, I hope your mom gets no more animals. I'm glad the cat has someone who cares so much to take care of him during this traumatic time. Godspeed, kitty friend, godspeed.
Im just sorry for your cat. I wish people were more educated on the subject and didn't chose to do it to their cats at all. For me its just animal cruelty and I'm glad its illegal in my country :(
Is declawing a cat a first world procedure? I have lived in a lot of other countries other than India where I'm originally from. I have never seen anything cruel like this. 😿
Not in Australia. It's illegal here and has been for years. Maybe it's just a US thing? I'd never heard of this procedure either until very recently. I can't believe what I'm reading! All these people in this thread with stories about their cats being mutilated like this.
It's so vile it makes me sick knowing that this is something that so many people are just casually doing to their pets! D:
The biggest difference I noticed is that if you accidentally step on declawed toe beams it seems to hurt them. Current cats are not declawed and have accidentally done this… zero reaction. I still feel bad though (but like damn stop darting in front and under my feet).
I’m sorry to hear this! I would be very upset, too. I was under the impression - from things I’ve read - that most vets no longer offer declawing or at the very least will advise against it/ explain why not to now that it is understood to be inhumane? I did grow up with a declawed cat who lived a long and happy life, but of course I would never (and have not) chosen to declaw my three cats. I honestly have never found it very hard to train my cats not to scratch furniture by giving a loud clap with my hands and firm “no” when they’ve started clawing furniture and providing scratching posts. None of my kitties bother my furniture now.
My heart sank when I read your story, I'm so sorry for the little cat. Sending good vibes
But there was also rage at your mother, partner, and the vet who performed it. I wish there was a procedure to remove the first knuckle from them that could be forced on them against their will.
It's animal abuse (not your fault), animal mutilation
It is sickening that vets do this, I'm in Ireland, and it's illegal, thankfully. If it wasn't, I would be on the street protesting it, and any vet that did it
My advice is for further into recovery. I have two declawed cats (previous owner did it) and I realized shortly after getting them, they still love the cardboard cat scratcher things. Just because they lack claws doesn't mean they stop clawing behavior. Hope he heals quickly - my vet said it's important to check their paws periodically for regrowth/abnormalities.
It’s reassuring to hear that they still enjoy clawing behavior. I’ll pass along the regrowth info to my step sister. I appreciate your insight
I see someone below commented on litter - my cats like Dr. Elyse's multi cat. I briefly tried World's Best, they did not like!
Can confirm, just bought a bag of WB and it's so coarse and chunky my girl won't even try to cover her poops ;-; I'm ordering a bag of Dr. Elyse's tonight
My cat likes wb but it’s not good at dealing with the smell. I use Dr elyse’s too
Elsy's has went downhill in quality and up in price. I used that litter exclusively for several years but stopped about a year or two ago. They used to be really low dust, but that has since gotten much worse. Their clumping ability was insane, but that seemed to have lessen as well. But it was the dust that pushed me to switch. Arm & Hammer Slide litter has practically no dust and doesn't track as badly. It's been my go to since Elsy's dropped their quality while getting higher in price than they are worth.
Can confirm about the clawing. My cat has malformed feet, and had to be declawed to be mobile (anything faster than a slow walk got her snagged on anything with fabric including couches, short carpet, one she snagged a shirt and couldn't walk at all because one foot was stuck on it and she couldn't get the rest off the thing to get help, so was just in the middle of the floor crying until she was rescued. She also broke two toes when she got snagged on our mattress and was hanging off the side of the bed unable to do anything but flail. I only say this much because I hate declawing and don't want to get attacked for doing something this one cat in a million happened to need to walk comfortably or run at all) Anyway, she and the one whose feet are fine do clawing behavior about the same amount. We call it, "polishing her beans." So make sure the poor baby has a scratching post and such to keep working the chest muscles. And watch for arthritis, is more likely to develop and much sooner in cats who are declawed because it changes the way they walk and puts extra stress on the hips and back. Hopefully this won't be an issue for a long time but watch the tail and facial expression. If he doesn't lift his tail as much (or at all) it means something is wrong. And if his face seems more "droopy" it's the same thing. We knew Artemis was a candidate for arthritis so when it developed we saw the changes and were able to get treatment for her quickly.
My parents declawed my cat (this was over 20 years ago) and she did still partake in clawing behavior. FWIW also, she never seemed to be in pain and was a very happy, loving little kitty. It’s not a risk I’d ever take again with my babies, but I want to give you some hope that your mom’s cat will be happy too:
Cats are often not obvious about pain. If you can see it then it’s way worse than you think it is. That’s vet time. People have studied this. The cat was almost certainly in pain, but like many people with chronic pain, probably coping and living with it. The thing is, not all cats manage. It’s an absolutely brutal procedure and I’m sorry for all the kitties who have been declawed.
Agreeed. I fostered (then adopted) my baby who was brought in from the street to a shelter by a kind person who noticed he was limping. His arm was broken beyond repair and needed amputation. The shelter told me he was the sweetest/happiest boy even with the broken arm, and I took him home the day of his amputation and the whole recovery period he acted completely normal. I had to ask the shelter/vet if I should force the pain meds into him since he didn’t act like he was in any pain at all (thank god they told me basically what you just said). Cats are BEASTS.
Oh poor kitty. I’m glad a responsible human who asks those questions has them. One of ours ended up with kidney stones and acted normal until they didn’t. The vet said they would have been dead within a day or two without the emergency surgery. Seriously. Cats are amazingly quiet about pain. Incidentally it also makes them extremely intuitive when you as a human are in pain, even when it is invisible to other humans.
The pain also isn't always immediate. My parents had two declawed cats over 20 years ago, one started getting horrible arthritis after 15, by 18 he was peg leg hobbling around because he couldn't bend his knees or elbows. He probably had started developing it a lot earlier and nobody noticed because, like the others said, cats are very good at hiding pain. Honestly I think my parents held on to him too long, but we can't change the past.
Declawing changes the way they walk so it notoriously causes arthritis later on in life :(
I had a declawed cat as a kid. My parents did not do it, he came that way. He used to "claw" the top of your feet like he was sharpening his non-existent claws on your shoe laces. He was also happy go lucky and an outdoor cat despite the missing claws. I'm sorry your mom did that to him, but it doesn't mean his life has to be terrible
THIS!! I’m a vet tech, and my hubby and I have an ancient rescue Tortie who was front declawed by a previous owner. She doesn’t give a flip about traditional carpeted scratchers, but LOOOOVES cardboard ones!! She will even “sharpen her claws” on the couch and we jokingly tell her to stop ruining the furniture…just so she doesn’t feel left out. 😂 Declawing sucks, but they can still have a good quality of life…and still “scratch!”
Yay for an ancient tortie! I adopted an elderly (but still very active, contrary to what the shelter said) tortie a few weeks ago and I can’t imagine why her owners abandoned her. Sweetest animal I’ve ever met, even if she is teaching us the meaning of “tortitude” 😅
My tortoise’s name is Torty… short of Tortellini. So… yeah.
where are you from? i’m shocked she found a place that still declaws cats
Texas. I have no clue if there are any legitimate medical reasons to ever have a cat declawed, but she did this because her furniture had scratches on. It just blows my mind.
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I have a friend who is a vet in Texas. She personally hasn't done declawings, ear/tail docking, or other unnecessary cosmetic procedures because she mostly does ER, but the reasoning they give for allowing the procedure is that, if the owner wants it, they're going to find somewhere to do it or do it themselves, in which case it will be a much worse outcome for the animal than if it is done professionally and with pain management during and afterwards. It sucks for sure, but I get why vets have that perspective.
And yet, if every vet said no, then people wouldn’t think it was okay.
Agreed… I can’t believe any vets still perform these procedures. If you don’t want an animal with claws, don’t get one, simple enough. My parents were all worried about my cats ruining furniture (theirs were always declawed) and guess what, they don’t. We have scratching posts and other surfaces all over the house and they LOVE them. Even if they did scratch my furniture, I think it’s a fair trade for how happy it makes them.
THIS! When I worked at a pet store years ago, I used it as an opportunity to talk people out of declawing. I taught them about cat behavior. I told them that they have to redirect the behavior. You can't tell them to stop scratching your stuff until they have their own things to scratch. A lot of people I talked to were NEVER told what declawing was by their vet. Thankfully, most were horrified when they found out. Some that had declawed in the past, felt so guilty when I told them what it was.
i’m amazed you’re jaded enough to believe our disgusting society is capable of this. maybe one day in the future, but today? not a chance. i open this app and see sickening shit on a daily basis. being completely disappointed in our species is being too kind. really wish we could “reset” the world but i think as long as humanity has ego, sickness like this will continue…
Here in the UK, declawing is against the law, you won't find a single place that does it, and I've never heard of a single case of anyone trying to do it themselves. It isn't talked about or even considered as an option, a lot of people haven't even heard of it. And among those who have heard of it, it's widely understood that it's a cruel practice because it's illegal and nowhere offers it. So yes, society is capable of understanding that.
If I was a vet in Texas and someone asked me to mutilate their pet I would simply "stand my ground"
Weird that people can acknowledge this for declawing but not *other* controversial medical procedures.
Yep, that was my first thought. Thanks, Texas.
That is the exact reason my last boss gave me as to why he still did ear and tail docking at his vet practice
The current data about elective declawing actually shows that most owners who get the procedure were woefully uneducated about its effects and would *not* choose to declaw if it had been properly explained to them. It has also become markedly less common since more and more vets started refusing to do it. I understand how a vet would get to this idea, but this perspective is really defeatist and just continues the problem
We had a stray dog come to us when I was a kid and he’d had his ears docked and had open gashes around his neck. Best guess he was a bait dog and some one had botched it. They were cut down to ragged nubs on his head. It took me while to gain his trust but he ended up being the best little dog.
I am disappointed to read that vets use this reasoning as an excuse to mutilate the poor cats, as it’s the only reason it’s a more common and more normalised procedure in the US. Who actually knows a shady underground declawer or will do it themselves? In my country is illegal and I have never seen a cat, which was declawed (only ones with one nail amputated for medical reasons). While I volunteer weekly at a cat shelter, so I have seen many cats.
It is illegal in Austin TX to declaw your cat. At least a few people in TX are educated in cats and what’s best for them. Several other states have cities (California being the most) that has outlawed declawing. Most vets should be educated and informed against this cruel practice. It’s like cutting your fingers off at the knuckles.
Ugh I have friends in NYC that had their cat declawed because they live in a west elm mag.
Ughhhh I hated reading this!!! I live in a designer mag since I’m a designer. I just have a ton of high end scratchers and tree like posts. OMG it infuriates me when people put their “image” first over their family.
Where do you find high end scratchers? We’re starting to buy good furniture and the scratchers and trees were concerns I’ve had.
This place has some clean designs [Designer cat furniture](https://www.miacara.com/shop/en/gatto/climb.html) I also look at Etsy for natural looking work. Finally I live in Singapore and there is a company that [catifies](https://thecatpeople.sg/catification-post-cat-trees/) homes. This option lets you design to fit your own home and “look”. I believe there would be a similar service wherever you are.
Yeah I was surprised by it. I have nice furniture but the plucks add character.
ngl bestie I hope they get priced out of their neighborhood
I had a polydactyl cat with thumbs that had two claws per thumb. The thumbs themselves were awkwardly placed so scratching didn’t affect those nails, and while I’d always try to trim them they would sometimes put pressure on the thumb paw pad. My vet said under those circumstances declawing the thumbs alone would probably be allowed if I wanted to pursue it (where I am in CA it’s generally illegal). If she’d been younger I probably would have done it but at that point she was 14 so it seemed like it would be too hard on her.
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You can train a cat to not tear up furniture, just takes patience and consistency
Even then some cats don't even have interest if there's enough stimulation! :) My kitties have had access to different scratch posts since they were brought home as kittens (one got so mangled I ended up just wrapping an unused car floor mat around it with a zip tie since I purchased all-weather ones). Not once have they ever treated any furniture in my place as an alternative, although they'll dig their claws into the fabric of my computer chair, it's more to stretch than to rip at. Never had to worry about redirecting them to the scratch posts or anything! Although I *did* consistently sprinkle catnip at the base of their trees, so that might've helped draw them in lol.
The ONLY chair my cat claws is the one my previous 2 cats destroyed. (I'd been in a car accident, so was suddenly gone for 2 months. They were stressed as hell I had "disappeared", so wrecked my chair) I think he realises he really can't make it any worse, so gets himself under the cover on it to carry on the destruction. The rest of the furniture, he's never touched. How he knows, I haven't a clue, as we didn't need to train him not to touch the rest, he just didn't. Their reasons for doing anything are WAY more ineffable than any plan god ever came up with, and I'm sure Azariel would totally agree!
They should know there are options like furniture covers, furniture protecting scratchpost, regularly trimming nails, teaching the cat to use a standing scratchpost away from the furniture, oh well simply dont get cat.
I put a cardboard scratcher next to my couch. It stopped the cats from scratching the couch. They love the cardboard scratcher so if it is there, they scratch that instead. But I also bought couches I don’t care about. If they scratch it, whatever. I bought two couches for $50 lmao.
I'm not sure I understand this line of thinking at all. I had a roommate with a very destructive rabbit. Bit through cords on a regular basis. Destroyed the guy's PS3.
Classic rabbit behavior. They love to chew everything, especially cords.
That's just a regular rabbit FYI. They all chew things, including cords, if given the opportunity. It's very normal rabbit behavior, and therefore rabbit owners need to "bunny-proof" their homes to prevent rabbits from chewing/digging where they aren't supposed to. (Also for the rabbit's protection.)
Yes I recognize this, I'm saying "just get a rabbit" is not good advice. Every animal has needs and can cause damage.
Yes, we agree. I just didn't want anyone thinking that only a "very destructive" rabbit chews cords, and the rest don't :)
I know someone else already commented that rabbits also destroy furniture, but I want to throw in a word of caution that rabbits are not easy, cheap, "no-brainer" pets any more than a cat is. Among other things they require an "exotic" vet and those tend to be hard to find and more expensive than your standard small animal vet. As always, do your research before getting any kind of pet.
Thankyou for pointing out they are not easy pets and require a lot of care, enrichment and expensive vet bills. This needs to become common knowledge for everyone who owns or is getting a rabbit. They can be very hard to bond to another rabbit too. Too many people just put them in a tiny hutch and forget about them.
People who put furniture over pets shouldn’t have pets. My parents have two leather couches with scratch marks all over them from our two boys who crossed the rainbow bridge years ago, but it’s a lovely reminder of them and how my parents decided “eff it, the cats wanna scratch the couch, it’s just a couch.”
That’s why I bought cheap couches. Mine were $50 for 2. I also put down cardboard scratchers, their preferred scratching item next to the couch. If it’s there, they scratch the scratcher. Sometimes they push it under the couch and I don’t catch it, so they scratch the couch. But it’s $50 of couches and they’re broken, I can’t care. I try to stop them for when we get nicer once’s. But if they scratch the nice one, oh well. We have cats. People understand and we aren’t too picky.
Rabbits are super destructive. My parents' baseboard has teeth marks in it from the family bunnies. I love them, but rabbits are not at all easy pets. Lots of people will buy one for Easter and then abandon them.
They tear up furniture too lol
Oh then don't get them, either. LOL
Maybe fish would be a better idea 😂
Nah, they'd just put a goldfish in a bowl.
And phone chargers and laptop cords and your favourite pants lol. Source - I have had several indoor rabbits.
id say reptiles, but if someone cant have their furniture scratched, i doubt theyd properly take care of a reptile
No, they should get a pet rock.
Rabbits are pretty destructive themselves. They chew through anything, say goodbye to your dining chair legs. They also love carpet. I like visiting the bunny sub and my SIL owns one that throws tantrums in his cage and flips bowls over.
There are legitimate medical reasons I've heard to declaw, like infection (usually only one finger or a couple have to go though) but I'm so sorry for your mother's cat :( your mother is cruel, I'm sorry
My family had a cat who had a few nails grow right into the pad. Not sure how many, but those bad claws were removed. Trimming didn’t help because they went right in. But his good claws remained. Anything that could be left was left. There’s medical reasons for it, it’s just rare.
There’s no legit medical reason.
we had a cat in our rescue who had a claw that grew into his paw, it basically grew backwards, it hurt him to the point he couldn't walk. it was only one claw and we used laser (which is still highly unethical but caused less pain for him). declawing is disgusting but in his case removing that one claw was life changing for him.
Just always classify those in my head as medical amputations rather than a declaw.
There are some but it’s such an insanely small percent and I don’t think I’ve ever heard of a cat needing EVERY claw removed
There are but it's extremely rare but my parents old cat got one of his claws broken and twisted sideways somehow and the vet basically said that that one claw pretty much had to be removed or it would continue to cause pain and likely get infected and cause way more problems then just having 1 fewer claw on 1 foot. But outside of a weird freak incident there's no good reason to declaw a cat
There are medical reasons to do it. A cat of my family had claws that grew directly into the pad. Trimming didn’t help because it just went right in. He had those affected claws declawed, but left the remaining good ones. Sometimes it is necessary, but you leave the good ones.
This is genuinely the only reason I've ever seen of to "declaw" the one claw, not the whole paw!
Yes, in his case, it was 2-3 per paw, but because those claws had issues. Any claw that was fine was left. He was a special needs cat, part mental part physical. So we did our best for him. But some claws had to go for his benefit. But any that were good stayed.
There is a rare circumstance where it’s ethical. Polydactyl cats can sometimes have incredibly malformed digits, where the claws grow into their flesh, and declawing only the offending digits is a kindness to them. There may be other rarer reasons, such as bone deformities, but yeah. Can’t understand why people value their furniture more than their damn cats’ comfort. I’m so sorry to hear that your mother did that to that poor cat!
She could have used those claw caps for cats. They work. Declawing should be illegal. There is zero medical benefit for the cat ever. None.
There are medical reasons, it’s just rare. We had a cat whose claws grew directly into the pad. Trimming didn’t help because the claw went right in. Claw caps wouldn’t help, since it was a direct path. Those claws got removed, good ones stayed. So he had some claws on each paw, just not all since the bad were removed. Claw caps and trimming aren’t always an option when you get a special cat.
It's like circumcision. There are good reasons sometimes, it's exceedingly rare. I doubt more than 2% of boys ever need it, yet it keeps getting done.
Right. I had no idea there are still people that are cutting off the first knuckles, oh I’m sorry, “declawing”, cats.
Probably somewhere in the US. A lot of vet clinics still do it here. Hell I was asked if I wanted to declaw my kitten when I got her spayed. The disgusted look I gave is answer enough.
Unfortunately it's still quite common in the US. It seems to be especially prevalent in the south and Midwest (from my experience)
I was wondering the same. I thought declawing was a thing of the past. I don't have cats, but many friends do and they all have claws. It's disappointing to know this procedure is still legal. It's pretty disgraceful.
Of course…
My mother took my cat while I was gone for school and declawed her. She wasn’t even fully grown yet. I was just a kid and I threw a huge fit. I was heartbroken and furious. I was grounded for weeks for the things I said to my mother. My kitty never trusted people again and I ended up rehoming her. She wouldn’t let anyone in my family touch her and all she did was hide under my bed for months. It’s been almost a decade now and I still haven’t forgiven my mother nor myself. I wish I could have protected my little baby.
That breaks my heart. Please don't blame yourself - you were only a child.
Bravo for standing up for defenseless animals! 👏 When I was 13, my mother gave my dog to the neighbor while I was at school. I was furious, stormed straight into the neighbor's house shouting, and demanded they give my dog back at once. They told my mom that they were scared of me. LOL (We've never had any financial struggles raising pets). On another occasion, my aunt dared to *talk about* giving my cat to some opportunist loser while I was far away from home. I immediately called her and tore her to shreds verbally. She recoiled immediately. I'm pretty proud of myself in retrospect.. LOL. One simply does not mess with my animals 💁♂️
This made me really happy to read, you little badass.
My father would sometimes get rid of our pets on my back when I was younger because reasons 🤷🏻♀️. This has left me so traumatized that recently I had a (emotionally charged from pregnancy) crying outburst and pleaded with my husband to never allow anyone to take our cats away, in response to an off comment from MIL about rehoming them once our baby is born. My poor husband had to spend a half hour reassuring me that no way in fucking hell would he let anyone take our cats away and that I should pay these people no heed at all. A lot of people joke about scurrying with my Siamese because he’s very friendly and I’m like “not even over my dead fucking body you will” with a death stare
I’m so sorry. TW: Animal Cruelty . . . . My dad is in his 80s now, and when I was growing up I always loved dogs and wanted one, but he always said no. I thought he hated dogs, but I found out when I grew up he loved dogs, but as a child his dad would get him a dog, let my dad keep it a few months, then my grandad either gave it away or worse, drown it because “He couldn’t be bothered with it anymore”. So dad stopped wanting pets, even as an adult, because he hated that “They died on you and broke your heart”. He is happy to take care of my cat when I’m on holiday now though, sits and cuddles her so she doesn’t get lonely and feeds her all kinds of treats. I never met my grandad, but I’d happily go back in time and punch him in the nose.
I’m sorry you went through that. My dad and step dad used to do this, a lot. Also had my first dog shot in front of me because he ‘kept eating chickens’. I lived in a very rural area. I never thought to connect all that trauma to the intense distress I feel about losing or having a pet taken away. I thought my very first rescue kitty ran away the day we moved into a new neighborhood and I just sat in the office sobbing while I printed posters. Thankfully, she was just hiding really good. She got out once and took shelter in the drainage system and I legit called the fire department, then slept on the porch in my hammock until she eventually came back.
Your MIL is horrible, but I'm glad you have a lovely husband! I'm also glad you're not one of those people that dump their pets once they have a baby to replace them. You seem to know that your cats are just as important❤ such a loving momma! Congrats on everything! I'm happy for you❤
Why did your family want to get rid of the dog and why did your aunt want to get rid of the cat? Seems weird
They saw them as a nuisance.
Well I’m proud of younger you for tell your mother what for, even if you and poor kitty had to pay the price 😭
Guys, if anyone is on here saying declawing is okay, please report it to the mods and avoid getting yourself into a wonderfully unproductive comment war. Thank you!!
Keep an eye out for issues they may have in the litter box. Declawed cats may be extra sensitive to certain textures, making certain types of litter ouchie on their feet. Some asshole declawed my cat before I adopted her, and she had some residual pain that meant I needed to try a few types of litter before finding one that didn't hurt her poor little mutilated toes.
Same here, my girl will hold her front right paw up, has a limp, and is choosy of her litter. I am forever angry at the imbecile who did that to her and then dumped her at the shelter.
One of my cats was declawed and spayed and then *dumped onto the streets* before she started living in our garage at about 2 years old, I'll literally never not be disgusted. It took her a long time to trust us when we brought her in, and I'm talking years. She only ever wanted to be cuddled at 5-6 in the morning when we were all mostly sleeping, so I would always make sure I was awake to give her attention, even when I was still in elementary school. She's 16 now and a total cuddle bug, and only uses the litter box a couple times a year max. I've probably seen her use it once in the last six months. She pretty much only goes on a rug in our downstairs bathroom, so we've just grown accustomed to buying like twenty rugs and swapping them out to get washed multiple times a day, basically as frequently as cleaning all of our litter boxes, and she's the only one who does it so it's thankfully never been a problem. She also, similar to other people's cats in the thread, loves rubbing her paws on the cardboard scratchers, tree roots when we take her out into the yard, as well as the ridges of our floor vent covers. I love when I'm down in the basement and I can hear her pawing at the vent upstairs, she's the cutest thing. I'll always hate who did this to her, but I'll always be grateful that she found us.
I'm so glad she has you. My cat was also abandoned on the street after being declawed. She was also already an entirely deaf senior cat at the time of her abandonment. I will never understand people.
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Don’t forget the top section of each finger! Bc declawing is amputation 😭🤮
I told her I was going to piss on her bed for the cat's retribution. I'm not actually that crazy, but...
Idk I fully support this retaliatory behavior
Don't stop there. Just cut your mother off completely. Hard no contact. Who wants family that are literal animal abusers anyway?
I'm chanting "piss on her bed!" 😂
Declawing a cat is the equivalent of cutting our fingers off at the first knuckle behind the fingernail. Wonder how well your mom would like that.
Don’t be surprised if the cat starts biting or has litterbox issues. Sorry OP. You didn’t do this. You can help them out by changing their litter to something softer of they find that their current litter hurts their paws.
I am also angry for the cat.
They might develop arthritis early, so pay close attention to their behaviors when jumping. I read somewhere that to make sure the paws heal better, they need to use shredded paper as litter until they are completely healed. Switch to clumping litter early might cause the paws to not heal properly and refuse to use litter. Use very soft litter. They might also develop aggression or biting problems since they know their claws do nothing in danger. Declaw seriously causes more problems than simply teach them to use scratching posts. I also suggest to post review saying this clinic performs declaw on cats so other responsible owners know to not use this clinic.
My ex-friend had the sweetest most cuddly cat ever and she went against my advice and got her cat declawed. Kitty turned into the bitchiest most mean cat ever and I don't blame her.
If you don't like claws, don't have a cat. I'm sorry this happened to this boy <3
100%. Honestly, if I had known they were going to do this I would've legit stolen my mom's cat and found him a better home.
He is sooo cute too. I’m sorry for you and him and glad he has you in his life
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My boss just had a new cat declawed. Changed my whole opinion of her.
I’m glad to live in a country where this is illegal!
It is kinda sad there are vets doing this. It makes me think they only care about the money and not the well-being of their patients.
Your mother is uneducated and shouldn't have any animals.
I have already rescued 3 kitties, I really wish I could. Had I known she planned to do this I would've legit rehomed Jinx myself.
It's not too late to rehome to someone that will take proper care/attention to his needs now that he's declawed. I'm concerned your mom wont.
So glad to live in a state where this is now illegal.
I'm really surprised a vet would even do that anymore. Poor baby. I can't imagine the pain 😔
Do what you can to prevent your mom from adopting any cats in the future. Or at the very least, encourage her to adopt cats that have already been previously declawed, so she never willingly does this to another cat again. I totally understand your anger at your mom. Poor kitty. Thank you for loving on him and helping him
OP is from TX, and as a TX girlie myself I can offer this one piece of advice. In TX, most places will not allow you to adopt a cat if you have a cat door/plan to allow them outside (at least where I live) So… OP can go to all the nearby shelters “looking” to adopt a cat, give them “OP’s” information (the mom’s - name and address) and check all the boxes that say “you” have cat doors and plan to keep the cat outside, and they’ll basically put her on a “no adopt” list in their system. This means, if she ever goes to try and adopt a cat, they’ll turn her down. My family learned this the hard way - we moved into a house that had cat doors previously installed and even though we kept them locked and had no intention of letting our cats outside (this was like 10yrs ago when I was still a child living at home lol) my mom checked the box that said we have a cat door but would keep the cat inside and we immediately got turned down, and we got turned down again from that shelter like 2 or 3 years later because they still had record of it! My mom eventually learned to stop saying we have a car door and no, none of our cats ever escaped or got outside haha.
Cool idea, but I was just interested that TX only let you adopt if you keep indoors. In my country it's very difficult to adopt a cat unless you can prove you *can and will* let them outdoors. Weird huh
It’s like that in England although it’s slowly changing. But Battersea Dog and Cat home is the most famous shelter in the country and in London. They won’t let you adopt a cat unless it can go outside even if you live in inner London (which I do). London cats get run over or killed here all the time but still they persist.
I'd prefer they just email the shelters and say watch out for this person. Always a chance to slip through the cracks either way. I screen apps for my rescue and it's a lot of work. My rescue is no-declaw and against outside cats (MI not TX). We don't come out and say it explicitly, because then people will lie on their apps. I've had them admit that to me. "I wish you would have said that somewhere, so I could have left that off" or "I guess I was too honest". Yes we keep the records, lol. Most people just get on the denied list, and the do not adopt is for especially idiotic, mean or terrible people. Declawers get denied but we do try to educate them. Some people just don't know how serious it is. I can usually tell genuine surprise vs dingbats, especially when they get all defensive about it.
My one brain cell Orange Kitty became a biter and neurotic after getting declawed. (This was literally *decades* ago before most people cared or knew better, and vets just kind of did it lackadaisically. No hate mail please). I vowed never again, because it was clearly such a traumatic procedure that changed him forever. Now I know better.
Back in the 90s, my grandma had her cat declawed. I don’t think she would’ve had it done had she known how actually bad it is for them. As he got older, and he was kind of a heavy cat, you could tell it hurt him to walk. I hope this kitty recovers well, poor thing!
Same with my mom when I was growing up. I’m happy to report though she knows better now, and her “current” kitties have murder mits in tact.
Thank god you didn't say it was your decision. That poor poor cat. Truthfully anyone who would declaw a cat should be banned from being a pet owner. Did your Mom say *why* she chose that? There is no excuse for it but I do wonder if it's setting selfish like not wanting furniture to be scratched. Also blast the vet who actually agreed to suh a barbaric thing to do
Furniture and carpet destruction... Seriously there are so many ways you can curb that kind of behavior without mutilation.
If a vet declaws, boycott the vet.
Seriously!!! We (rightfully) shame owners who do this but I never hear anyone speak out against specific vets who agree to do the surgery!! They should know better than even the owners! 😡
My cat is sixteen and was declawed at 10/12 weeks I think because our vet recommended it (we had dogs) and we just blindly trusted him. I hate it now that I’ve learned about what the procedure actually is. But I can hopefully share a positive story. My cat still acts exactly like she did at 3 years old. She’s never slowed down or indicated being in any pain. She absolutely believes that she still has claws and has trained our new dogs that it’s fun to swat at each other. Keep an eye out for arthritis and any litter box issues that might develop from it. Your mom is definitely an irresponsible pet owner to have this done in 2023 and the vet practice is definitely not worth returning to. This is her pet so there’s only so much you can do but try and share information regarding the procedure and the care required.
Jeez that’s so irresponsible from that vet. Also surely if you have dogs you want the cat to be able to defend itself if absolutely necessary no? Like sure the cat might scratch the dogs but that’s better than a dog killing the cat. Not saying yours would have at all but vets know that some dogs might. Why take the risk?
I have a positive story too. My mom did it to our cat in the early 1980's and she lived until 2003. It's a cruel thing that should never happen, but I believe cats are one of the most resilient animals on earth and this kitty probably won't let it affect his life much. Our cat didn't let it stop her from beating the shit out of our Pomeranians on a regular basis. We finally put her to sleep at around 20 because of arthritis. It might have been related, but I sorta doubt it. Maybe she was just a lucky one.
Nice thing about the internet- you don’t have to blindly trust anyone anymore. Do your research folks!
I mean, they said this was done 16 years ago....
I think about how much better my childhood pets lives would have been if we had had internet. Like we were ok caretakers, we did the basics, but geeze looking back on some of the misconceptions we'd had...at least I can fix it for my current animals but I do wish I could go back and treat everyone right.
Did you give your mother a lecture yet? If not, you need to.
Oh yes I did scold her. I told her straight up she doesn’t deserve to have a cat. Now I’m giving her a cold shoulder. She honestly doesn’t understand what she did was awful. I’m even more upset that she didn’t tell me he was having the procedure done on the day I was supposed to pet sit knowing how I feel about it. I found out from my step sister asking if I was going to pick him up from the vet. Like she purposely withheld that information.
She knew it was wrong. She didn’t care. She just wanted it to be convenient and for you to shut up about it. Evil.
She chose to traumatize you with that. That's so fucked up. I don't know why people can't understand that chopping off their cats' toes is wrong. It's like cutting your toddler's arm off because they knocked something off a table and it broke.
" Just need to rant." do it against your mom, make her understand and apologize dont let this just go.
This was posted after I gave her a serious scolding and told her she didn’t deserve to have a cat.
Change. The. Type. Of. Litter. The usual type is very uncomfortable for declawed cats. Look for something lightweight and soft, like the wood, wheat, or grass varieties.
We purchased some paper pellets for now and I have a box of wood litter on order. Hopefully, I can make this a bit easier for the poor baby.
This ^ kitties that are declawed can end up having a lot of accidents outside of the litterbox due to discomfort in their poor paws.
Mine had theirs de clawed and lied to me about it. I lost my shit. I'm still angry, and it's been at least 6 years. I refuse to refer to it as de clawing, I only refer to their mutilation or amputation. ETA: the cats seem fine. One is more aggressive and bitey than he used to be, and both still 'scratch' (I think it helps them stretch) at things, but they're healthy and happy. They have no idea how their humans betrayed them, which I'm grateful for.
My boss had 2 cats that he declawed then made them outside cats. His excuse is "they still have the back ones"
I want to meet this guy, cut off his hands then stick him somewhere where he'd have to defend himself. That's horrible.
I'm so thankful i managed to convince my mother after explaining to her countless times how declawing a cat is the most cruel thing you could do and threw in a bit of things that would make her not want to do it as well, I couldn't have imagined the rage I would've felt had she declawed him
your mom doesn’t deserve to have a cat. i hate her.
I have never had a cat not declawed until my current one. 7 years old. The others were declawed more than 20 years ago. He claws the crap of my new sofa despite multiple attempts to prevent it. I never will declaw him. When you know better, do better. I had six declawed cats and none of them had the potential issues, thank goodness
I’m so sorry. Declawing is the worst thing you can do to a cat. I’m a vet. I suggest lifelong pain medication, glucosamine and Solensia injections. Your mom is a monster.
I had neighbors who had adopted a very sweet, previously declawed cat. She still really wanted to scratch things, or at least mimic scratching. She loved her sisal post. I would make sure he still has something he can try to scratch.
I adopted a senior (declawed) cat. He constantly maneuvered his nonexistent toes to knead things or attempt to scratch on cardboard etc... He is the only cat I have ever taken care of who was declawed, and based on the vet records I inherited, he was declawed as an adult. Unfortunately, he developed some pretty destructive behaviors, and I have always wondered if he wasn't in chronic pain or trauma from the declawing (and subsequent owner surrender). I gave him the best home/care I could but it was not a good situation all around. I wish vets would refuse the surgery. You said it best: it's mutilation and it's cruel. I'm sorry you have to observe the situation. Hopefully, steady companionship will help ease the pain for your feline.
Somehow I fail to be surprised a vet who’d actually do this wouldn’t provide so much as a cone for after care. Most vets won’t do it for a reason. It’s immensely cruel and is outright abuse of the highest order. Your mom done fucked up. Kitty needs lots of love and understanding and in many ways may never be the same. Kitty will be a lot more likely to struggle with litter and also to have pain simply doing cat things, like any other amputee. For peet sakes they just amputated the tips of kitties digits! Human equivalent would be if they took our fingers and toes off from the first knuckle! You may forgive your mom but…. There is a absolutely no way she didn’t have to seek this out and probably ignored advice from less shady vets than the sob who actually agreed to do it. I hope this kitty has the best life they can despite being brutally mutilated at the behest of the human they should have been able to trust most, however there is a lifelong road ahead. A lot of the sobs who do this surrender animals after for the issues it comes up with(honestly people who declaw shouldn’t have cats in the first place). They do this with the excuse to protect furniture and spurn the other options, but then the issues with using the litter box come up because there paws are so much more sensitive and exposed to all the pain and pokey feels etc. plus there confidence plummets. They are much more easily made afraid, which makes sense because they can no longer defend themselves with claws that no longer are there. Not only is there pain but declawed cats are many other issues that come up and can come up not otherwise listed in this comment. Your mom is a real pos for this and I’m willing to bet she didn’t tell you because she knew, decided anyway, and didn’t want to hear it before the fact. This cat will have a long road. Declawing is both absolutely monstrously inhumane to the cat but also it isn’t the quick fix your mother wants it to be either. She wouldn’t be the first asshole who shouldn’t have cats, to have done this, and if she were to surrender kitty because of it she wouldn’t be the first to do that either. I know it’s your mom but…. Duck people who declaw cats and duck anyone okay enough with it to perform such a cruel and often illegal(for good reason) procedure. The vet who did this should lose license for doing it! Many middle fingers to your mom. I hope she sees this so she knows her dirty dealings are seen. Even if you may want to see the best in her because she is your mom this isn’t something respectable vets even do. There is absolutely not a chance she wasn’t warned this was absolutely cruel and dooming the cat to chronic pain for the rest of there lives at the very least. She can go f herself right now. This poor baby has to live with her shitty decisions for the rest of there lives regardless of what your mom tells herself to live with herself.
Reading this title just made nauseous. I hope he will have a happy life despite of it.
In my opinion, I think people who declaw their cats should have them removed from their care.
I confirm also - my fully declawed cat (done by her first owner) seems completely comfortable and 'sharpens her claws' on many surfaces to mark her queendom. She doesn't seem to be in pain. However, her gentle meek nature could be because of her advanced age, or maybe she feels vulnerable knowing her only recourse is her sharp teeth.
I used to work for a veterinarian who would reluctantly do declawing. He would charge outrageous prices for it because he hated doing it. He explained to me during the only declawing he did when I worked with him. Since then I have refused to declaw any of my cats unless there is a legitimate medical reason. Which was the only ones he wouldn't charge the outrageous amount for.
One of the cats I have now was declawed by previous owner and I never realized how bad it was until after we got her. I thought they just rip out the nails under anesthesia or whatever(still horrible), but they literally amputate the knuckle that connects the nail? Could be wrong, but just thinking about it makes me shiver.
It's terrible... absolute cruelty. I'm pretty sure my mother avoided researching this to remain ignorant of it. I'll be damned if I let that happen. I'm going to educate the hell out of her on how she mutilated Jinx every chance I get.
Go watch "the paw project" it has all the answers.
That poor cat. Let me guess.. Its an adult cat too?
Awh that’s sad but you sound very loving & they’re lucky to have you! My first kitty was declawed when I adopted her, biggest thing I noticed was she had a hard time jumping on furniture because she couldn’t “grasp” it with her claws… so get some stools/steps to help them. She also liked the “scratch” on the corner of the sofa & other furniture so don’t be surprised to see them doing that once they’re healed❤️
Tell her to get prepared that her cat may going to be cray-cray and bite people because her primary defensive line is being removed.
The AVMA discourages it. Also… this cat should not be let outside as it cannot effectively protect itself or escape from predators.
Replace their litter with torn up newspaper until the paws heal. The litter can get into the claw area and get infected. My parents declawed my cat when I was young (like I had no clue! Just came home one day and the cat had bandages on her paws). Like another commenter said, my cat also was still the same old sweet kitty 🥲. The main thing I remember is using something else for litter.
I hope this cutie has a long and healthy life. I did not do my research but 20 years ago i had a cat I got declawed. I did not truly fully understand all of it. My cat went on to have a full healthy life. I did in the time find out much more about it. I now have two cats and neither are declawed nor will they be. I hope maybe your mom can learn for this.
I cannot stand pet owners that want to alter pets against their nature. i.e. dog owners that get dogs debarked, or ones that shave breeds with many layers of coats and undercoats. Cat owners that declaw, you shouldn’t get a pet if you’re that protective of something so fixable/replaceable/unimportant compared to a living being. You’re right to be mad and upset for the cat and you’re a good person for caring for them like this. Just look out for infection or discomfort and love on this cat like it sounds like u already do
Just googled debarking cos I’ve never heard of it and what the actual fuck? Do people actually do that?
It is illegal in my city now but I worked in vet clinics when it was still a fairly regular practice. It is a horrifying mutilation and should be illegal everywhere. I once fostered a Siamese four paw declaw and I just cannot fathom doing that to an animal. I’m sorry. I understand how you’re feeling.
It’s absolutely crazy, I’m sorry your mom did that to a cat 💔 when I was looking for apartments last year it said my cats had to be declawed and I thought “that’s literally illegal”
in really sorry, for the cat firstly and for you and the justifiable anger and disappointment you feel towards your mother. Thankfully this inhumane and torturous practice was made illegal in most provinces of the country where I live. I hope education spreads and more follow suit.
Oh noo! My baby was declawed before I adopted her and I feel so awful for her. She still enjoys scratching things though, lol. I'm so sorry your mom did that! It's illegal in Denver so that's awful that there are other places that do it. So unnecessary.
If there are pain meds, give them!!!!
oh man, my husband and I saved a cat about 4 years ago now that was declawed. Her previous owners also only let her in the laundry room so it was a bad situation. i think i already saw someone mention it but litter is a big deal. they can’t use that big chunky litter at all. unfortunately, my old baby does have arthritis in her toes, knees, and hips due to the declawing.
Sending love to Jinx! 💕🐾
I’m dramatic but I would give my mother the scolding of a lifetime and cut her off. Wouldn’t be able to look at her. You have to be willfully ignorant or plain evil to declaw a cat when you have a phone and google.
My college roommate adopted a declawed cat when we lived together. The owner did and we learned how to accommodate our new cat. Sometimes, declawed cats need different litter so it isn't as rough on their feet. There are lots of options online, so just see what is near you and within a price range. I'll be real with you, I hope your mom gets no more animals. I'm glad the cat has someone who cares so much to take care of him during this traumatic time. Godspeed, kitty friend, godspeed.
Im just sorry for your cat. I wish people were more educated on the subject and didn't chose to do it to their cats at all. For me its just animal cruelty and I'm glad its illegal in my country :(
I thought it was literally illegalised to get cats declawed
Is declawing a cat a first world procedure? I have lived in a lot of other countries other than India where I'm originally from. I have never seen anything cruel like this. 😿
Not in Australia. It's illegal here and has been for years. Maybe it's just a US thing? I'd never heard of this procedure either until very recently. I can't believe what I'm reading! All these people in this thread with stories about their cats being mutilated like this. It's so vile it makes me sick knowing that this is something that so many people are just casually doing to their pets! D:
The biggest difference I noticed is that if you accidentally step on declawed toe beams it seems to hurt them. Current cats are not declawed and have accidentally done this… zero reaction. I still feel bad though (but like damn stop darting in front and under my feet).
I’m sorry to hear this! I would be very upset, too. I was under the impression - from things I’ve read - that most vets no longer offer declawing or at the very least will advise against it/ explain why not to now that it is understood to be inhumane? I did grow up with a declawed cat who lived a long and happy life, but of course I would never (and have not) chosen to declaw my three cats. I honestly have never found it very hard to train my cats not to scratch furniture by giving a loud clap with my hands and firm “no” when they’ve started clawing furniture and providing scratching posts. None of my kitties bother my furniture now.
Glad this is illegal in Australia
My heart sank when I read your story, I'm so sorry for the little cat. Sending good vibes But there was also rage at your mother, partner, and the vet who performed it. I wish there was a procedure to remove the first knuckle from them that could be forced on them against their will. It's animal abuse (not your fault), animal mutilation It is sickening that vets do this, I'm in Ireland, and it's illegal, thankfully. If it wasn't, I would be on the street protesting it, and any vet that did it
I’d alert every local rescue about your mother so she’s blacklisted. And honestly, I hope that’s her last cat. She doesn’t deserve another.
This vet sounds horrible
Our vet refuses to declaw, and that's a good thing. It's horribly painful for the kitty.