Should I declaw my 4-month-old rescue kitten? What are the options?

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!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your question. It is true that older cats have a harder time post op with declaws in my experience. It's not that you shouldn't do the declaw procedure, it is just more uncomfortable for them. There are alternative options to declawing such as Soft Paws, in which caps are glued onto the nails to prevent scratching. These are easy to put on and last about 2 weeks. I would also provide plenty of scratch posts and toys to see if this helps. If you end up resorting to declawing, the post op recovery period tends to be longer in older cats. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. 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 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. Are you talking about declawing Pepper? Please reconsider this as you are permanently disfiguring your pet. Declawing involves not just removing the nail, but the entire end of the toe. Look at your own fingers & imagine someone amputating your fingers to remove your nails. I hope you might reconsider & use glue on nail caps, & various types of scratching posts & materials plus some consistent training to address her scratching & clawing. If you still want to declaw her, there are veterinarians that will do this, but not here. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

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.

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.

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.