When does a cat take its claws out?

Answer 1

NEVER.

Declawing is not a removal of the nails of a cat. Declawing surgery is actually the amputation of the first digit of each of the cat's toes. In human terms, it would be the equivalent of chopping off each finger tip at the first knuckle. This severs muscle and tendons which causes much pain and discomfort to the cat.

Amputation of the last digits of the toes drastically alters the conformation of their feet and causes the feet to meet the ground at an unnatural angle that can cause back and muscle pain and Arthritis. A cat that has been declawed as a kitten will most likely develop such problems at a much younger age.

There are safer alternatives: Train the cat or kitten to use a scratching post. Many cat will take to scratching posts naturally. Make it a regular habit of clipping the cat's claws using a pet nail clipper. The other alternative is to purchase something called "soft paws". These are little plastic "gloves" that fit onto each claw to stop it from scratching furniture.

Answer 2

Cats should never be declawed. Declawing is cruel and inhumane. In fact, it is illegal in many European countries, because it is so incredibly cruel and painful for the cat. Several U.S. states are attempting to pass laws illegalizing declawing as well.

Try some sort of scratching post or cat tree.

Declawing is an amputation; it is the equivalent of chopping off the tips of your fingers. It requires the veterinarian to cut (or burn through with a laser) bone, tendon, ligament, and muscle. It is so excruciatingly painful, that veterinarians actually test new veterinary painkillers on cats that have been declawed.

Once declawed, the cat is left with ten bloody stumps where its claws were. It will be in horrible pain for months, years, or potentially the rest of its life.

Without claws, the cat will also suffer many other related health problems, such as infections, abcess, nerve and tissue damage, cystitis, altered gait (leading to arthritis), lameness, loss of balance, loss of upper body strength (as cats strengthen their upper body muscles by scratching and climbing), and many other serious problems.

A declawed cat will not only be in agonizing pain for a long time (and possibly forever) but it will also be miserable. Besides the physical pain, the psychological pain of losing such an important body part is tremendous. A cat's claws are his most prized possession. Imagine how depressed you would be, if someone cut off all your fingers. Even if the wounds healed properly and there were no long-term physical consequences, you would be miserable.

A declawed cat is a depressed and unhappy cat, and it will show its unhappiness. It will probably become unfriendly and angry, hissing and biting you. It may refuse to use the litter box and pee and poop all over the house, because digging in the litter box with those bloody stumps hurts so much. The behavior problems that declawed cats display are much worse than scratched-up furniture.

It is truly a horrific thing to do to an animal. It's like something out of a Horror movie. One day you are taken by force to a hospital and involuntarily put under general anesthesia, and when you wake up, you find that you have been horribly and irrevocably mutilated.

If you are determined to declaw your cat because you can't get it to stop scratching your beloved furniture, then do the cat a favor and give it up for adoption. If you love your furniture more than you love your cat, then you shouldn't have a cat.

Hopefully the cat will find another home, with people who won't declaw it. Even if it doesn't find another home, the cat will be much better off being killed at a shelter, than living without claws. A cat is really better off dead than declawed.

See the Related Links below for more information.

Answer 3

Many people say no, you should not. The main reason for de-clawing a cat would be to stop it from clawing the furniture, but this can easily be fixed by simply training your cat to claw a scratching post instead, or by putting claw caps on their front paws. Many de-clawed cats feel more insecure and are prone to biting people, because biting is their only defense left. Also, if your cat is an outside cat, de-clawing it can be fatal because it is unable to defend itself. Hope this helps.

Answer 4

For a cat, claws are multi-purpose tools. He will extend his claws when he needs to attack something, of course; he also extends his claws when he needs extra traction, as in when he is starting to run, or when he is climbing. Additionally, he will extend his claws when he needs the extra little reach, or the extra fineness of control, that the length of his claws will give him. Cats often use their claws for grip and control, just as we use our fingers.

Answer 5

When hell freezes over or when pigs fly, whichever comes first. It harms the cat, so don't do it.