To Declaw or Not to Declaw
5 comments
Comment from: 5-Cat Style

Please please please do NOT declaw Jewel. All you have to do is to trim her claws regularly and you'll never have any problems with her scratching.
Comment from: john

You really should declaw her. I've had several cats and in the end they were all declawed. It only takes one incident to ruin something of real value. We tried leaving the back claws on one of the cats and even that caused an eventual problem. Ended up having to take the back claws off when he was over a year old and then it's much harder. He didn't heal as fast and we got blood all over the place from the wounds opening up. Another cat we tried to let go a bit as well and ended up declawing him after a few problems. He ended up getting sick all the time anyhow and vomiting everywhere...so he had to get put down. Bottom line is, do it now while it's not a big deal. It's like circumcision. We talked to a lot of people about whether or not to do it to our son. In the end no one really had a problem with having had it done to themselves or to their child. However, a number of grown men who hadn't had it done as a baby ended up going back to have it done later in life for perosonal or medical reasons....and it was much harder physically and emotionally at that point.
Comment from: rekle

5-Cat Style,
Thanks for the kind words.
Comment from: rekle

John,
So let me get this straight. You are suggesting I get all 4 of my cats claws removed? Not likely. Declawing the front two is questionable. Declawing all four is downright cruel.
Comment from: john

I'm not suggesting you do all 4...but definitely the front. I ended up having to do all 4...which really isn't any more or less cruel than doing the front 2 if you are dealing with an indoor only cat. He/she has no need to defend itself. It was a situation where the back claws were becoming destructive.