Should I declaw my 1-year-old cat? Is it too painful for them?

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.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I always recommend trying alternative methods first such as Soft Paws, scratch posts or keeping the nails trimmed back with frequent nail trims. If all else fails, then declawing is something that is safe but can be very painful for them. If you do end up declawing Binx, I recommend prophylactic antibiotics afterwards to prevent a post op infection. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns.

Hi, thanks for using PetCoach! I recommend spaying and neutering cats around 5-6 months of age. Declawing is amputation the of the last segment of their digit, like a knuckle in people. It is done with a blade or a laser which depends on the hospital. Most hospitals are getting away from declawing and are not offering it anymore. It is painful and behavioral issues (like inappropriate elimination) and chronic pain or even regrowth of the nail if not done appropriately has been seen. If you are going to declaw then it should be done with the spay and neuter when they are young. I do encourage you to try to teach them to not scratch the furniture, use nail caps and try to not declaw them. https://www.petcoach.co/article/5-quick-facts-to-consider-before-deciding-to-declaw-your-cat/ I hope this helps!

Absolutely. Declawing a cat is traumatic surgery to begin with, but in an older cat it can be even more so. When you declaw a cat, you are removing the last digit of the toe. Think of your finger, and think of removing the last knuckle on each of your fingers. This is what they do when they perform this surgery. They are not just trimming the claws off. There are many complications that can happen, from lifelong pain, regrowth of the bone tissue which can cause deformation and lifelong behavioral issues. Many cats who are declawed become biters and stop using their litter boxes due to the pain in their feet. There are many other options other than declawing your cat such as soft paws, or using scratching devices or training options. I would highly suggest watching the movie The Paw Project before you consider this procedure for your cat. I've been a Tech for over 14 years now. I have cats who have been declawed and I've seen the terrible effects it can have. Check the statistics of cats in shelters. Most cats who are surrendered to shelters are declawed because of the behavior issues they developed after they were declawed. There are always other options.

That’s a good question. As I’m an older veterinarian I have declawed many cats with minimal problems. I’ve personally owned several declawed cats and they had normal behavior and no pain. Now with modern pain medication and laser surgery I personally don’t object to declawing cats when there is a medical reason in the household for it to be done. Since your Mom is a diabetic she is more at risk for infections from cat scratches. I find that declawing can save cat’s lives as they are kept in the family instead of being turned into shelters. There are many veterinarians who object to declawing due to perceived chronic pain, behavioral problems and they think it’s unnecessary surgery. If you want to go ahead I would check with the veterinarians in your area to see if anyone will perform a laser surgery declaw. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Catori.

Yes absolutely! Declawing causing severe pain to your cat and possibly can result in aggression following the procedure. This is seen often. You are essentially removing the entire bone and flesh from your pets lower paw, which is like a mini-amputation. We don't recommend this unless absolutely necessary, which is often in cases where the cat is causing serious harm/injury to a debilitated/senior/sick owner and there is no other alternative for the cat. It is best to keep Oliver intact if possible. You can also try out soft paws for cats, which are soft nail covers that can stay on for an extended period of time, protecting kitty from scratching you or your furniture. https://www.softpaws.com/ I hope that this helps and best wishes with your fur baby Oliver moving forward. Take care.

The dewclaws in the back may have been loosely attached which the operating veterinarian thought it would be best to have them removed. You would have to speak with the veterinarian to know for sure. The pain from declawing a kitten can last for several weeks to months and the older they are at the time of the procedure, the more painful and the longer the recovery it becomes. I hope this helps! Keep Zoey rested for another 10-14 days and ask the vet for pain medications / an anti-inflammatory to see if that helps at all. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.