My cat's claws get stuck from a clubbed paw. Should I declaw?

Yes you should very carefully cut this nail before it causes skin problems. If you are afraid to do this, take her to your vet to have it cut properly. They may show you how, so you can do it yourself the next time when it is necessary.

Absolutely! It is easy to clip a cat's nails at home as long as she is relatively cooperative. You can squeeze the tip of each toenail to extrude the claw and identify the pink quick. Clip the claw avoiding the quick. If you're unsure or your cat is frisky most grooming facilities and some veterinarians will trim nails and can probably demonstrate the proper technique.

This is a highly debated topic even amongst veterinarians and the truth is that there is no right or wrong answer here. The biggest concern veterinarians have about declawing is that it is very painful for cats and may cause life-long pain or other complications. However, vets who have been doing this for a long time note that most kittens/cats do just fine. Often, people want their cat declawed to prevent them from destroying furniture/curtains. It is well known amongst shelters, that this is a big reason for people giving up their cats. Since shelters are limited with how many cats they can take, many of these cats may be euthanized, because of this. So, many vets agree that the chances of complications and pain are not as big of a concern as possible surrender, abandonment and/or euthanasia of the cat. I say that if you think you can manage to keep her with her claws on, then it's best not to get her declawed. If you think that she is just too destructive and you can't keep her with her claws, then it may be worth discussing with your vet about declawing or other options. I hope that helps.

With these extra nails, it is important to have them trimmed regurally as they won't wear down by walking like the others. If she will not allow you to cut them, or if you don't know how, you can have your veterinarian do it for you, and teach you in the process. Cat nails are very easy once you get the hang of it, depending on your cat's temperament, of course.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. Mitzi is not too old for declawing but declawing at this age can lead to more pain and potentially chronic pain. The recovery in older animals is typically longer as well. For the clawing at furniture, if you have not tried Soft Paws yet, I would consider doing so. These fit over the nails and prevent the claws from damaging furniture. They have to be re-applied every 2-3 weeks typically. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Hello and thank you for your question about Maggie. Many polydactyl cats have the same issue and routine nail trimming is a must. This should be done every 2-4 weeks depending on how fast the nails grow. I advise to go online and watch a few videos on trimming cat’s nails. It’s easier to see the process than to read about it. In general, you want to trim off the hook portion of the nail and avoid the quick (that’s the pink tissue within the nail) by at least 5mm. You can use human or smal pet nail trimmers and having a second person to hold Maggie may help. I hope you found this helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

This shouldn't be a major concern - many declawed cats live in homes with other cats who have their claws. If there is any fighting, bite wounds are usually a bigger issue that any minor scratches from the claws. And if you keep the claws trimmed, this should minimize the chance of any issues