Someone else declawed Spice and Sugar. Our senior furballs were 11 and 10 respectively when they became members of the household, and their lack of claws was a characteristic I wanted, actually. They had to fit into the family and one of the ways they could do that was by not tearing up our furniture. It’s one of the reasons we didn’t want kittens. The other reason is that everybody wants kittens so we chose to adopt the underdogs (sorry cats) and give them great lives while improving our own.
Last week, the Canadian Veterinary Association came out strongly opposing cat declawing and I understand that. A previous household strongly opposed me when I insisted that Stan the cat had to get his claws removed but it was him or me. Stan had a habit of hiding around a corner and leaping out and clamping onto my ankles as if they were mice. To him it was play. To me it was puncture wounds, blood and torn pantyhose. It lost its charm quickly but even a well-aimed spray bottle of water couldn’t convince him to stop. Once his claws came out, the game continued and it was fun for both of us.
Before Stan’s surgery, I thought declawing meant removing the actual claw and nothing more, but it truly is an amputation. It’s as if someone took a huge clipper and cut off each of your fingers at the first knuckle.
Our current vet doesn’t perform declawing surgeries and many others refuse it as well. Instead, they will attach nail caps that come in all sorts of colours. They’re affixed with a non-toxic adhesive and kitty can still extend his claws and scratch but no damage will occur. The caps last about four to six weeks and fall off as the nail grows naturally. Then it’s time for another cat-mani.
Sugar and Spice have back claws that we trim for them and the lack of front claws is one of the reasons we had to sign release forms promising we wouldn’t allow them to roam outside. They wouldn’t be able to defend themselves. I’m fundamentally opposed to outdoor cats anyway, so that’s not a problem. And on that topic, don’t get me started. Meow!
Knowing what I know now I don’t think I could subject a kitty to a declawing operation. If and when we adopt another senior, I’ll probably prefer one without talons on its mittens, if it comes down to a choice. But it’s good to know there are options beyond sacrificing a leather couch to a kitty’s whims.