At what age can you get a Kittens claws removed?

I'll tell you the same as I told Keira the Cat who has nevertheless had her kittens toes amputated against loads of advice from loads of people and still smugly thinks she's done right.

This is written by someone who KNOWS the truth, she was a vet tech and left because she couldn't bear to be involved in declawing. See the date, this is current information:

(Los Angeles, CA) wrote on 09 June 2009

It isn't declawing, it is amputation. It isn't like pulling out finger nails, they actually cut bone. I used to be a vet tech in a facility that declawed and the BLOOD that seeped through the bandages when they were in the cages was gory and the cats were terrified and shaking like they were going to die of fear. I had to quit working there.

http://www.declawing.com/htmls/declawing... This gives a detailed example of how they do it.

Cats would come back to the clinic because they wouldn't use the litter box anymore after their declaw. They wouldn't use it because the cartilage that formed over the bone that was cut was painful to step on when they stepped in the litter. So, they got a declawed cat that wouldn't use the litter box.

Sometimes we had to REOPEN the paws where the bone had been cut because abscesses formed that began building up puss inside the paw and we would have to clean it out. One time we had to amputate an entire front leg because of it.

It is a gross practice. The wound never really heals.

Need I say more?

If you can find a vet that will actually do this they recommend having it done at the earliest age possible. It's supposed to be less traumatic to the cat; the presumption being that the cat will never miss what it never had. The other argument is that if done at an early age the cat will get over the pain and forget about it.

I DISAGREE - IT'S TOTAL BULLSHYTTE !

I broke my collarbone when I was 6 and I remember the pain like it was yesterday. And if someone had cut off even one of my fingers I'm positive that I would be able to recall that event too.

I have seen declawed cats that never stop trying to sharpen claws that they 'never had'. SURE; you can remove the body part but unless you also lobotomize the poor creature it's instincts will still tell it that it's claws need sharpening.

This is not like neutering an animal where there are certain chemical reactions that take place in the brain to make the animal ignore it's natural instincts. There is no such mechanism in place in the case of claws.

You can not get a kitten's claws removed at any age. There is no such operation. However there is an operation called declawing but it really should be called de-toeing because that's what it is. The claws can't be removed without the toe ends so it's a major operation because it's amputating 10 toes.The AVMA says this drastic operation is for last resort serious scratching behaviour, so it's wrong to do it to kittens who can be trained to scratching posts isn't it ? Anyone thinking having it done to any kitten or cat really should go and have this done to themselves first:

http://clawsforever.ning.com/group/advicebureau/fo...

and do you know, its even worse for a cat as people are looked after when they've had a major operation like that, but cats have to walk on their bleeding painful stumps straight away.

Terrible isn't it ? I don't think you'd be so cruel now you know the truth, to ever have a kitten declawed.

It's not getting a kitten's claws removed, it's a very serious operation which amputates the last joint of the cats toes along with the claws and according to the AVMA it's supposed to be a last resort procedure for serious scratching behaviour, not done to kittens who will not even scratch as adult cats if they are provided with a scratching post. The person who had it done yesterday asked for advice too late, so now she will of course try to justify herself by saying her kitten is fine.The kitten has pain killers says she...PAIN KILLERS ! They barely scratch the surface of the pain cats suffer from this cruel procedure.She may think her kitten is OK but after the shock subsides and reality kicks in, that poor little soul will be facing life as a cripple.

I'm sure you'll want to know more so please read the truth on here :

http://kattaddorra.blogspot.com/2009/05/putting-st...

and then see some pictures and read all that can go wrong on here:

http://clawsforever.ning.com/group/thehorribletrut...

If you love your kitten you will join the many many of us who know how wrong it is to cripple cats.

Kittens Declawed Age

Hon I adopted two cats that had already been declawed by their previous owners. I've had cats my whole life and never declawed them. My only reason for not declawing was just because I thought it took away their defenses. That was the only reason I thought or knew it was wrong but I didn't know anything else about it.

Then I adopted these two cats who someone else had already declawed. And they'd not only declawed their front paws, but they also declawed them in the back. The cats are very sweet and cuddly and affectionate. I'll be holding them and they'll be purring and cuddling and rubbing against me. Then all of a sudden in the middle of all that, with absolutely no warning, out of nowhere, they'll turn and bite me and they bite hard enough to draw blood.

I learned in here that that's something declawed cats do and it's something that's very common in declawed cats. They have absolutely no defense anymore once they're declawed so they start biting. They also have psychological problems, which is where the biting comes from partially.

I'd really rethink your decision about declawing. I didn't choose to declaw my cats but I found out what does happen to them once they do get declawed and it's not something most people would want to live with. I love my cats more than anything and I'll deal with it. It's not their fault that someone did this to them and they've calmed down now they've been with me but some won't and will always bite.

There is no suitable age for declawing, since it involves amputating the last joint of their toes in order to remove the claws. Kittens and cats use their claws for so many different things (not just scratching), and they are effectively disabled for life when you declaw them.

It's banned where I live because it's considered a form of animal cruelty. This has nothing to do with animal rights campaigners - it's our vets who refuse to do this surgery and THEY are the ones who persuaded the government to make it illegal.

These articles explain why your cat needs claws, and how you can teach them to use a scratch post.

http://www.theanimalspirit.com/declaw.html

With love and patience, all kittens can be taught claw manners. Even Softpaws are a better alternative to declawing.

In most countries, it's illegal and even in the countries where it hasn't been outlawed, many vets refuse to perform the surgery. Why? Because it's a barbaric, cruel solution to a very simple problem. Furthermore, it often causes way more behavior problems than it solves - cats without claws are biters, are uncomfortable using litterboxes, are prone to foot infection, and often develop arthritis later on in life.

So buy some nail clippers or try nail covers like SoftPaws. It's easier and you'll still have a conscience at the end of the day.

At NO age. It is not just removing their claws, declawing is actually the amputation of the cats toes down to the first knuckle and its a cruel and barbaric mutilation.

Cats NEED to scratch to shed the outer most layer of their claws, to stretch their muscles and to scent mark with the scent glands in the pads of their feet.

Declawing them leads to refusal to use the litterbox, biting, lack of trust and a complete change of personality, regrowth of the claw inside the paw pad, arthritis, life long pain and lots more.

The surgery can also lead to amputatin of the foot or the entire leg, many cats bleed to death, some die from infection or from shock.

Because they NEED to scratch all you need to do is supply them with a large, sturdy cat tree with a sturdy base and clip their claws every few weeks to remove the sharp tip.

Also please understand that kittens have no control over retraction and scratching everything and everyone they come in contact with but this WILL change, by 1 year of age they will have learned proper control and will stop scratching you.

Kittens have claws, accept that or don't get one.

See the answers from those folks who love cats and who would never cause them suffering. And declawed cats do suffer, greatly.

There is no age that you should get a cat declawed. This is a brutal surgery that carries huge risks for the welfare and health of a cat. Not only do you remove its first line of defense, but you also subject your cat to horrendous pain and suffering, not only post-surgery, but possibly for the rest of his life.

Cats need their claws for balance, exercise, and as defense. Even indoor cats can escape from their people, and will need them to protect themselves.

You probably know by now that this is not just the removal of the nails. That is bad enough... but the surgery is performed with the amputation of the last joint of all the toes. Imagine someone taking a meat cleaver and chopping off the joints on your fingers that hold your nail beds.

Cats that are declawed often start biting as defense, and also refuse to use their litter boxes. This surgery is done ONLY for the convenience of the cat owner. The cat LOVER would never subject their cat to this horrible procedure. In fact this surgery is banned in 25 countries around the world, as it is considered cruelty to animals.

Just in case you have the stomach to look at how the surgery is performed, visit: http://community-2.webtv.net/stopdeclaw/declawpics...

There are many alternatives to declaw surgery. Soft Paws, a little plastic cap, can be placed on the claws. Scratching posts that are high enough for a cat to stretch out completely, covered with a rough surface are very attractive to cats for scratching. Cat trees are great as well. Learning to trim your kitten's claws is easy to do, especially if they are young. Start them early and it is a very quick and simple task every couple of weeks.

If you love your kitten, you will protect him from harm, and put his welfare ahead of precious furniture, and the occasional accidental scratch. Learning how to read cat body language will alert you when to leave your kitten alone so you diminish any risk of being scratched.

Please do not declaw your kitten. Love him.

Troublesniffer

Owned by cats for over 40 years

Never declawed a cat, and never will.