At what age can I declaw and spay my kitten?

They say between 5–8 months to spay,

Check into alternatives for declawing. It’s mean.

I don’t think it’ll be easy to find a vet to declaw your cat. All the vets up here have stopped doing it. There’s alternatives where they don’t need to cause the cat harm. You should ask your vet about them.

Edit: yeah what simone54 said :)

Also suggest against declawing you cats. It’s a brutal procedure that tends to have a high level of complications on top of that.

A quick Google search can show you some pretty terrible stuff.

I just called a couple vets. I am on the west coast so they are still open here.

One vet said 4 months or four pounds to spay. They don’t declaw. But they suggested to find a vet that uses lasers to do it. They said it was easier on the cat.

The other one said 4 to 6 months to spay. And four months to declaw. They said they could do both at the same time.

I don’t know why everyone is saying not to declaw the cat. The cat will feel no pain, because it will be asleep. Both my cats I have now have been declawed. They were weary/tired for a day, but were fine from then on. Besides, cats rarely use their front claws, except for fighting/defending themselves. They can still climb easily with their back claws. Go ahead and get it declawed. You’ll be happy you did when you don’t have torn up furniture and lots of scratches on your skin.

Declawing is pretty inhumane to the cat, especially if they happen to get outside or encounter a predator they have no way of defending themselves. The practice has been banned in Europe under the European Convention for the Protection of Pet Animals. A good alternative is vinyl nail caps for their claws that your vet can apply that are safe and non-toxic to your pet.
Soft Paws Claw Caps website: http://www.softpaws.com/
Soft Claws Claw Caps: http://www.softclaws.com/

For spaying, kitties can usually have it done after about four months, since it is more invasive than neutering.

I’m not an animal activist, but I think declawing a cat is inhumane, cruel etc… please consider a different option.

@j21
That’ts a very stupid argument… sorry…
I’m with kay

@jstringham: How would you like it if someone removed the portion of your fingers above the first knuckle? That is what declawing a cat is commensurate to. Declawing a cat to save your furniture or so you’ll never get scratched is inhumane at best; adopting a cat means it comes with claws. Mutilating an animal to make it fit into your lifestyle is cruel.

You can trim claws, but don’t declaw… (for reasons stated above and for the simple reason that your kitty won’t be able to protect itself.)
They DO use their front claws and can easily be encouraged not to claw furniture. My cats don’t claw people either. Even when playing with me, they sheath their claws so that I don’t end up getting hurt. I’ve only had kittens claw me, and they’re usually not old enough to know any better.

Jstring: Good call with the bigoted statement there.~

If your cat gets out, it will have very little defense if it is declawed. If you actually take the time to work with your cat, and provide it with adequate scratching access there is absolutely no reason to be so intrusive upon a creature who will provide you with unconditional love. I have 4 cats and no problems with furniture scratching. They know exactly where that behavior is acceptable. If you don’t have the time or the inclination maybe another type of pet is better for you.

You can spay your kitten at around 6 months. Spaying is good because it prevents them from going through uncomfortable heat cycles, and it prevents mammary tumors from developing later in life. Declawing is BAD, and you should not declaw under any circumstances. Declawing is NOT just removing a cat’s claws. They have to amputate the first bone in each of the cat’s fingers in order to declaw, and it causes cats lifelong pain. It is an extremely invasive procedure. Cats can no longer even stretch out the way they used to be able to after being declawed. Declawing is cruel and horrible, and most people who do it are not aware of what it involves. If you love your cat, do not do this to him/her!! It will make him/her miserable forever. You can find things like Softpaws if you are concerned about him/her scratching your furniture.

@Kay

There’s no reason that anyone would cut off the ends of my fingers. I don’t claw furniture and scratch people. Besides, declawing a cat isn’t like “remov[ing] the portion of your fingers above the first knuckle”. THEIR claws are similar to OUR fingernails, not fingers. Removing the portion of my fingers above the first knuckle doesn’t relate to removing a cat’s claws. It would relate to removing a cat’s PAWS.

which would be inhumane (the paws part)

js 21 do your homework.

@tinyfaery

Do my homework? Please elaborate.

i agree with jstringham21. You should get it declawed. It won’t even hurt the cat.

“Declawing essentially consists of amputation of the third phalanx of the paw digits.”
– http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onychectomy
Thus, not a fingernail. Please educate yourself on this matter if you feel so strongly about it. A part of the paw is removed in the process of the declawing procedure.
Are there any vets on fluther that care to comment on this?

there is a reason most vets won’t do the procedure. Claws are not like fingernails. It is very invasive and painful.

It can also cause other problems that you might find undesirable such as biting, failure to use the litter box and then some:

Excellent article by a vet

@tinyfaery

Good response…NOT. You just said the opposite of what I said in my first response.

TO EVERYONE WHO IS AGAINST DECLAWING;

Might I ask YOU a question? How many of you have and/or had cats?

I’ve had a total of 5 cats in my life. All of them, living past the age 15. Obviously, declawing doesn’t shorten the life of a cat. They were all very nice and docile. So declawing doesn’t make a cat meaner. Don’t post a response unless you can relate, and KNOW, how declawing affects a cat.

I’m with most people here. Please don’t declaw. It’s not the same as taking out your finger nails. It is more akin to having you fingers amputated at the first joint. Most vets won’t do it here in the US. In Europe the vets will tell you to go scratch. Frankly, I feel it should be illegal.

I have had multiple cats and have done volunteer work in an animal shelter. All of the cats I have adopted over the years have learned to control their scratching impulses when given the proper outlet (scratching posts, toys, trimming their nails). If you go back and actually read the answers people have given then you will see that no one is saying that declawing makes a cat “meaner,” just that it is painful, cruel, unnecessary and can sometimes cause the cat’s behavior to change.

If declawing is such a great, humane procedure, then why would so many countries have banned it? Do you really think you’re doing the cat a favor by removing their claws?

Lastly, if you don’t want a pet with claws then why on earth would you adopt a cat?

@jstringham21, listen, you’re active enough on here to know that when you ask a question you have to expect to get people’s opinions beyond simply answering your question. Its obvious you’re not one bit open to what people are suggesting about not de-clawing but that doesn’t give you license to be a complete dick about it.

I’ve worked in the veterinary field for over 20 years now. Declawing is a subject of much debate in the veterinary world. Many vets will no longer perform the procedure because of the pain involved, the common complications, and the viable alternatives.

@jstingham, you are mistaken in your understanding of the process – the last joint of each digit is removed (as well as the nail bed). Unless you have worked in a veterinary clinic and seen the aftermath of the surgery, then you have no idea of the pain that kittens and cats suffer as a result of a completely optional surgery. I’m afraid that having had a few pets during your lifetime has not made you an expert on their physiology or medical procedures performed upon them.

I write this response having just gotten home from the emergency clinic where we lost a patient today. The cat had a declaw that went badly and was referred to us for care. Bootsie coded and died while in our care.

I also regularily see declawed cats that have been allowed to go outside despite warnings against the practice. Those cats have been unable to climb out of harms way and unable to defend themselves and have been mauled by dogs. Would the same have happened if their toes were intact? There’s no way to know.

Ultimately, the decision falls to the owner of the cat. My personal opinion is that if you want to have a pet, then you must expect some degree of imact on your life. If I have a cat, I expect to have some minor/piddling damage to my furniture. If I have a dog, I accept that I may have the occasional hole dug in the yard. If I have a child, I don’t have all white furniture and carpet. Pet ownership is a responsibility and you must make concessions to their presence.

@paulc

I’m not the one who asked the question. It’s not like I asked a question saying, “Is declawing wrong?”. I simply responded to someone else’s question, just like you.

I’m curious about how the author of the question is feeling about the decision.

I would like to add that I don’t support declawing. I just called a few vets to help answer the question.

clip the nails!! declawing is a cruel unnecessary procedure. its just like removing your fingers and toes. I’ve witnessed this surgery and I wouldn’t recommend it!

at what age should you have your cat circumcised? i had my tom clipped at 2 kilos.

It is far better to declaw a cat (Front Only) then to have the cat be turned on to the streets or dropped off in a shelter because it is tearning up someones home and furniture. (Scratching posts do not always work.) I have four cats and they are all front declawed. The are all happy healthy and well adjusted.

We declawed our first two cats and now regret it. Our kitten will keep his claws. Softpaws are a great alternative. Check them out.

I have three indoor cats. All have their claws. The are happy and healthy. We are lucky that we have little problems with scratching, only a little houseplant chewing which I think we’ve tackled. But even if we had scratching problems we would never have any of them declawed. When you bring an animal into your home you have to accept some of the consequences. You don’t cut the tips of your child’s fingers off to prevent him from writing on the walls, do you? So why put a cat through that for the sake of your couch. Animals are not just for our amusement. They are sentient creatures in our care.

Cats can be trained to do anything…just like dogs and people. One just needs the desire and a little patience. If you have a kitten, its easier than waiting until the cat has ingrained the bad habits. There is something seriously wrong with a person who would choose a couch over a life, but that’s just my opinion.

Jstringam: I’m against declawing and have had four cats in my lifetime. All that have died have been over 21 and have ALL been outdoor cats. (Your pathetic 15 years has just been pwned. 15 is not something to be proud of.)

(Also, none died from having anything external happen to them. They just eventually got too sick to be happy and we put them to sleep.)

Everyone who has cats think their decisions are good for
everyone’s cats. That’s stupid. Look at the science.

Your cats will love you no matter what you do to them. They depend on you for food, fun, and love.

Trimming nails is easy – one more reason for a cuddle.

Cats who have already been declawed and are fine? GREAT. But why not take it easier on future generations?

soft paws – yea definitely Soft Paws”

HELLO EVERYONE! I am sorry to say that I read some responses, and lost access to this site for a time. I am anot surprised by the controversial answers to this wuestion. That is why I asked it! It is important to me that I take the kitten’s needs into consideration. It is weird for me to hear all of the negatives regarding de-clawing. I grew up with a best friend who had 5 cats, and they had all of them de-clawed and spayed / neutered at very young ages. I always thought it was okay. They are very nice cats, and have been alive since she was little, and we are 22!
I never knew what the procedure involved, but now that I do, I am unsure. I understand what you all are saying about owning a cat without thinking about these things, and if you really want to deal with them or not. I found this kitten when it was only a few weeks old in a ditch, meowing and crying! I tried and tried to find someone to take it, but my kids and I grew to love it! I have no idea what to do now. We have had it so long, but my kids are alergic to its scratches and I am alergic to it. It is a problem. I am not so much worried about out stuff (although it is a mess!) but our health, and I do not want to hurt it, and I do not want to have to worry about health issues either. Giving it away is not an option, so I dunno. I suppose I will continue to wait it out, and try to train it (like I have been) the best I can?
Thank you for your responses and I appreciate your help!

USE SOFTPAWS.

YOU PUT GLUE IN THE PLASTIC CAPS. YOU PLACE THE CAPS OVER EACH OF YOUR CAT’S CLAWS. YOUR CAT REMAINS NON-AMPUTATED AND HAPPY. YOUR FURNITURE AND KIDS REMAIN UNHARMED.

And please, please, please have her spayed.

Seriously. Softpaws work.
A kitten will be rough and tumble, but with softpaws you’re not doing anything that can be considered cruel.

(And yeah, spaying is good. You don’t want more kittens you have to try and find a home for!)