Will weekly nail trims protect my declawed cat from scratches?

So sorry that you're having to rehome Kitty! This situation should be just fine - most declawed cats can do virtually all of the things that cats with claws can do, and front claws don't play a major role in self defense or the ability to fight or communicate with other cats. Many owners have one or more declawed cats in the same house as cats with claws, and I have never known this to cause any issues at all :)

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.

Hello, and thank you for your question. I would try keeping the nails very trim by cutting them every two weeks with cat nail clippers. It may be worth visiting a pet groomer or the vet to be shown how short the nails can be cut. If she is still catching her claws on the furniture even with regular trimming, then you may need to consider declawing. However, declawing is a painful procedure with chance of complications, so I would not encourage doing this unless absolutely necessary. I hope this helps! Good luck with Kiki and I hope trimming the nails regularly does the trick!

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.

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.

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.

If it was done incorrectly, then yes they can. They Odten barely protrude from the nail bed and often grow circular under the skin and is very painful. They also get calluses on the tips of their pads. Your vet can check to see which is the cause