How long should I wait to have my 6 month old kitten de-clawed when she is getting spayed today?

I would try to do it at the same time because it is only one surgery not two. But since the shelter will not do it then I would wait until she is recovered and then have it done. If you decide not to have it done, they make soft paws if it is an indoor car. If the cat is going to be outdoors I would not have it declawed. Don't listen to people who are yelling at you not to get it done. The procedure is a cosmetic one which some people agree with and others don't. Having a cat spayed is a major procedure and many don't think so. If you wish to have her declawed only do the front ones and allow her time to recover after the spay. I would have her declawed while she is still young, young animals tend to heal faster.

DO NOT DECLAW! Having a cat declawed is the equivalent of having your fingers off at the first knuckle regardless is it is done with a laser or whatever. Declawed cats tend to develop behavioral problems with the most common being a tendency to bite more often and having problems using the litter box. They also sometimes become more difficult to handle since they have lost much of their self confidence now that they have no claws left to defend themselves. The operation changes the cat's weight bearing as their paw now meets the ground at an unnatural angle that can cause pain during movement.

Declawing is illegal for non-medical reasons in the United Kingdom, Italy, France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Ireland, Denmark, Finland, Slovenia, Portugal, Spain, Brazil, Australia, and New Zealand. It is illegal also in several cities in California. The clinic where I work will not declaw unless there is a medical reason to do so.

Don’t put your cat's welfare below that of your furniture.

If you train the cats from the beginning not to scratch furniture and that your hands and feet are not toys to be scratched you shouldn’t have a problem. You can keep their nails trimmed and give them a scratching post to use. Another alternative is to use soft paws which are plastic sheaths that are glued onto the nails.

There have also been clinical studies done on cats that have been declawed. In the January 2001 issue of The Journal of American Veterinary Medical Association there was a study published that over 33% of the declawed cats surveyed developed behavior problems immediately after surgery, with the most common being litter box problems and biting. Many of these cats with behavior problems end up in shelters where they are often put to sleep as they are not adoptable.

If you really need to have a declawed cat I suggest looking for one at a shelter that has already been declawed.

Declawing cats is one of the most cruel things you can do to it, and I'm glad your shelter refused. Those claws are not only your cat's first defense against other animals, they allow it to escape when threatened by climbing. How would you feel if someone cut off all ten of your fingers at the first knuckle? That's what will happen to your cat if you declaw it. It's a horrible practice that should really be outlawed. If you don't like the fact that your pet has claws, you should give her up to someone who doesn't mind. Otherwise, train her to use a scratching post.

Oh and if you do go ahead and declaw her, please never ever allow her to go outside. Ever. She won't be able to defend herself.

Shelters will not do declaws because many of them feel it is a cruel manipulation.

Lay your hand on a table in front of you and imagine it is a cat's paw. The digit WITH the finger nail gets removed, including the bone. So you will be left with one digit on your thumb, and two on each of your fingers.

Your kitten is 6 months..still a young girl!! Take the time to get a scratch post, keep her nails trimmed and work on post training with her. Feel free to email me if you would like advice since thats a whole different question.

Please don't declaw your cat. I've seen so many surgeries and it breaks my heart every time to see them going through the healing process. It isn't pleasant at all for them

I would say the ealrier the better to save your furniture. If you can get a place that would do both that would be the best becuase it would be cheaper and easier on her to not have to be laid up twice... cats don't seem to like for you to try and keep them from jumping and running and she should take it easy after a surgery of any kind. I tried softpaws, scratching posts and everthing else on my cat before I had his claws done but it just wasn't working. He was shredding my furniture and he STILL paws on stuff even without claws so I knew I made the right decision. He hasn't had any problems from the surgery and he also was up and around that night chasing my dog without a limp. He had laser surgery so it was faster healing and easier on him. He seems to be happy and he is VERY healthy at nearly 4 years old.

Most good Vets will not declaw a cat as it's considered cruelty.

The best way to explain it is imagine lopping off your finger tips at the first joint.

I have had good luck with my kitty by keeping his claws trimmed and providing him with a good scratching post.

have you at least exahusted all other possibilities like soft paws. more scratch posts, double sticky tape, behavior modification tips from your vet, possibilty of short term medication. declawing should be the absolute last resort and then some.

it is a very painful procedure for your cat and tends to affect them the rest of their lives. the will start biting more because that is their only form of defence. we have 2 cats at the shelter I work at that are declawed, they were surrendered by their owners because of their behaivoral problems of biting, and not using the litterbox.

Please do not declaw your cat. And do NOT be mislead by some idiots who have had it done and say "they" love it. "They" may love it, but I am sure their cat didn't. It is unbelievable what people will do/say to justify their OWN SELFISHNESS. They will LIE to themselves, and even worse, they will LIE to others to make their selfish decision seem ok. http://community-2.webtv.net/stopdeclaw/declawpics... Just think about it. IT's an OPERATION, YOU are REMOVING the cats main form of self defense, and a major part of what makes it a cat. All for YOUR convenience. Think of your favorite body part(s). Could you survive/adapt if they were removed? sure you could? Would you be happy? Well, why not try it - cut off a few fingers and maybe one or two toes and see if you are happy and well adjusted afterwards. If you are, by all means go ahead and declaw your cat. I promise I won't even call you a selfish, unthinking @#$%# (but only if you really cut your own parts off first). Otherwise, put in the time to learn to train your cat. Your cat will be HAPPY to do things your way if you let him/her know how. That may mean redirecting their scratching to a catnip laden scratching post for a week or a month. It will be worth it. Your cat is going to give you love, companionship, and joy. In return - You're going to amputate it? Declawing is for people who are either totally lazy, selfish, or misinformed. After reading this, you can no longer claim to be misinformed. Please, Please don't.

you have to click on the link shadowavatar provided! If you see that and can still declaw your kitten there is something wrong with you..

how about never? it's mean...especially after being 6 months old!! if you HAVE to declaw, do it as a baby, not a teenager kitty, which is where she is in cat years now. MEAN