Would this be too traumatic for my cat?

Indeed you don't "have" to have your cat declawed, no one can force you to do that, not even a prospective landlord has any say over your property (and unfortunately for them cats are regarded as property) so you have every right to refuse and so you should.

You can negotiate nicely, even offer to pay a higher bond to cover any damage that he imagines will happen, but the bottom line is when push comes to shove you have to fight for your cat's claws! If you don't view that as non negotiable then you should be seriously thinking of rehoming her.

Of course the trauma of declawing and moving would be too much for her, any method of declawing is invasive, it can't be otherwise because it is the amputation of the last joint of every toe, how can amputation, whether by laser, scalpel or even chopping axe NOT be invasive? So, not only the shock and pain of declawing but also taken to somewhere strange and new while she is still feeling ill post op could traumatise her for life. If you consider her "mean" now, I'd hate to think of how she's be after declawing.

You know it's inhumane, you've said so, you call her your fur baby and yet you're contemplating ruining her paws?

Here is a laser declawing...does this look non invasive?

http://video.aol.com/video-detail/clearview-laser-... did you notice the vet yanking the toe end off after he'd made the laser incision? Is that what your fur baby deserves?

Get on your hind legs and fight for your right to a healthy clawed cat, ignore those "vet techs" who'd have you believe it's a mere nothing to amputate healthy toes. Some (by no means all) vet techs get their job title merely by turning up for work.

The other posters have already said just about all there is to say against de-clawing and I agree with them 100%. No cat should ever be de-clawed.

You already knew it was inhumane. From the videos and other sites posted by others you understand why.

You know it is wrong and you understand why.

I am asking that you do some very serious self-examination about your values and motivations. Be honest with yourself. If you are an intelligent and ethical person how can you justify it other than from purely selfish motives?

Yes, you need an apartment. You WANT to keep your cat. No, you do not NEED your cat if in keeping her you must mutilate her.

I believe you are fooling yourself that no one else would adopt her because she is "mean". Your "mean" might be another person's "feisty". I know this because I had a cat who was a lot more than a little mean, she was a terror. If I had the opportunity to have her back somehow (she has gone to kitty heaven), would I? In a heartbeat.

I think if it comes down to it you absolutely can find another home for her. I'd take her myself if I had room for another cat.

If you really must take this apartment, I would take it and NOT have the cat de-clawed. How on earth are they going to know? Is the landlord going to come and examine her feet?

Yes, violating a contract is wrong too but it is a lot less wrong than violating the bodily integrity of a beautiful creature.

Let me add one more thing. If you think that she is "mean" now what are you going to do about the personality changes that take place after cutting off the ends of her "fingers"?

Please cancel the surgery. Do the right thing.

So sorry, but I wouldn't mutilate my cat to amuse a landlord. Like all of my cats - I would train the cat.

If your cat is destructive, it's a training issue. Declawing is a cop-out, and a stupid idea.

Do you prefer a cat with claws, or would you rather have one who pisses all over your new apt, or bites? There is a good reason why there are so many declawed cats in shelters - because declawing causes behavioral issues.

You are willing to subject your cat to a lifetime of pain, just so you can move into a desirable apartment. Would you cut off your own toes to live in that apartment? Or given that - would you find a solution that doesn't involve amputation?

Oh my god - so you're declawing her only because some stupid apartment doesn't accept cats with claws? How selfish and irresponsible can you get. WTF? Giving her away would be FAR better than mutilating her.

How full of yourself are you that you think your cat would prefer having the first joint of every joint hacked just so she can stay with precious you?

LOL that you're worrying about the MOVE being traumatic but that mutilating her won't be!!!

Wow. This wins for WORST PET OWNER OF THE MONTH. Shame on you. There's a spot in HELL reserved for you, little girl.

edit: those of you calling spaying/neutering "inhumane" are DELUSIONAL. Spaying and neutering has to be done because there's already TWELVE MILLION animals put to death every year because there's just not enough homes for them. Is it better to let an animal breed and then those kittens take homes from the shelter animals or end up euthanized because no one will take them? How can even compare an OPTIONAL SELFISH SURGERY that's ILLEGAL in many countries to spaying and neutering? You need to volunteer with a shelter so you can get a clue about the pet overpopulation problem. I'm shaking my head here at these idiotic comments.

Ok firstly, before I give constructive advice, here is some information on de-clawing.

What happens when you de-claw a cat's front paws is that they go through a mourning period and sometimes do not recover psychologically from it, much like a person who loses a limb. It is a serious surgery that requires rehabilitation and you might end up with a cat that is very unhappy and depressed and might never recover from the ordeal. De-clawing is not just removing the nails of the cat, it involves amputating the bones of the toes. Basically the same as cutting off your finger at the knuckle.

If you are going for the less invasive procedure it might be less traumatic, however I would personally wait 2 weeks in between the procedure and moving as cats react very badly to stress and the last thing you want is a stressed out kitty to deal with as it can lead to illness and other issues.

Ok constructive advice time. My suggestion is to educate the owners / managers of your apartment. Get as much information as you can first - surely they cannot force you to do this!!! And also allow 2 weeks between the de-claw and the move.

Alternatively, you can keep your cat's claws clipped by just checking them each week and cutting off the sharp ends (do not cut the part that is red/pink). You can also get a scratching post or two to save your furniture and your cat will really love it!!! Your personal reasons you put for wanting to declaw your cat can be fixed with a little patient training and a scratching block or post. :)

Good luck and I hope you don't choose to go down this road. It is not an easy one.

NO ONE can force you to declaw your cat ! Read these :

http://ezinearticles.com/?Tenants-Rights-and-Pets-...

http://network.bestfriends.org/groups/celebratecla...

Declawing is a cruel mutilating operation and those who say it isn't obviously haven't researched it very much ! It turns a perfectly healthy cat into a cripple. You say no one will take your cat as she's mean, you don't know the meaning of that word until you are bitten by a declawed cat !! Believe me,if your cat really is mean now, she'd be a whole lot meaner with her toes amputated. Amputation by laser is no less invasive than guillotine amputation , less blood that's all, and easier for the vet to earn a good amount of money by it !

Of course it would be too traumatic to have her declawed and to move, she would come home in the worst pain a cat can endure,some vets even charge extra for pain medication, she would be shocked and bewildered, coming to astrange place to live on top of all that, how do you think she'd feel ? Pretty soon your new place would be urine soaked, the pain in her stumps and the stress would almost certainly cause your poor cat to soil outside the litter tray.

You know it's inhumane, YES it is, so don't call your cat your fur baby then plan to have her life ruined !!!

PROVE you love her, stand up for your rights, help others who are doing just that by refusing to have their cats crippled to suit landlords !!!

Declawing is animal abuse ! Read these,. this could happen to your cat !!

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

move into a different appartment...

how on earth can any landlord say "youre cats arent alllowed front claws..." that is what security deposits or bonds are for, to pay for any damages, beyond a security deposit your landlord cannot make you perform surgery on the cat.. do they also ban clumsy people from your house, heeled shoes, any form of accidents...?

and yes and yes to both questions...

you have probably already looked at what declawing involves (there is no such thing as invasive declawing) but heres a few things to ponder...

--------------------

Declawing is the most inhumane barbaric thing you can do to an animal and america is one of the few modern countries that still allows it (but then you also have the death penalty) thankfully more and more vets over there are refusing..

If you are worried about your sofa, and are that material that walls etc are more important to you simply find a new home for the cat...

Some sites you may like to read before considering such an awful operation..

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

http://www.drdaveanddee.com/declawing.html

If you really still want to declaw your cat then watch these videos!!!

IF YOU ARE A CAT LOVER DO NOT, I REPEAT TO NOT WATCH THESE VIDEOS, THEY SHOW JUST HOW BARBARIC DECLAWING IS, BUT I AM WILLING TO PUT THEM UP IF IT SAVES ON MORE ANIMAL FROM THIS PAIN

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ok_soDjH2UM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=niMgBGfMgFc&feature...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmZtegow8bI&feature...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJ5QPTqy19Y&feature...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLzvnVTe4po&feature...

DO NOT WATCH THE ABOVE IF OF NERVOUS DISPOSITION OR IF YOU CARE ABOUT CATS!!!!

edit: teashaly... where on earth do you get the idea that cats use their back claws and not their front claws to defend themselves.. when have you ever seen a cat attack with its hind legs...???? They use their front paws like most animals..

and other poster, yes, it is outlawed in the UK.. vets here will not perform the surgery, thankfully less and less US vets are now prepared to do it.. what are american owners going to do when its outlawed there as well.

First of all declawing is unnecessary and cruel. If you train the cat properly she will not need this cruel procedure done. I live in Ireland and it is illegal to declaw an animal. Would you like someone to take all YOUR fingernails off?

I had a bengal who was declawed (he came from Miami) and he had so many behavioural problems. I strongly recommend you do not declaw your cat but spend some time training her. If your landlord won't accept a cat with claws and you really Iove your cat; you will find another place to live.

I don't understand what you are asking. You say she HAS to be declawed. Because the apartment you are moving into is making you rip your cat's finger tips off. But you also say that no one else will take her. And you can't find a different apartment. It sounds to me like there's nothing else you can do. Of course it's going to be traumatic for you poor cat to move right after you have her fingers ripped out. It's traumatic enough for a cat to have it's fingers ripped out. And it's traumatic for a cat to move. So combing the two are definitely going to be traumatic for her. I'd be surprise if your cat doesn't starve herself to death because she's so traumatized. My cousin's cat starved herself to death because she was so stressed.

I'm sorry if I sound mean, I'm not trying to sound mean. I'm just trying to be honest with you. I really hope this helps you.

Have you tried listing her on every website you can think of? Craigslist, petfinder. Did you contact all the shelters/rescues on petfinder asking if they would take her? I'm sure you could find someone to take her at least temporally. With all the rescues on petfinder I'm sure at least one will take her if you explain the situation. Also you can post classified ads on petfinder.

Have you read about declawing? It’s an amputation of 10 digits. Declawing is the worst thing you could ever do for your cat, other then not getting them fixed. Cats need their claws in order to stretch properly. That would be like a human not being able to stretch when they wake up it the morning. Imagine how stiff you would be?

I think you should just take her to the apartment and not get her declawed. Does the landlord come and check cat's paws before you move in? I agree with dim2000_uk. Landlords cannot legally make you declaw your cat. That's what a deposit is for. Wouldn't you rather lose your deposit then permanently mutilating your cat? Or maybe you could just keep her in the apartment until you do find someone else to take her.

Here are a few items you can use to stop a cat from scratching:

A bottle/can with something noisy in it

Aluminum foil

Anything citrus smelling (spray/rub in on whatever they’re starching)

Can of air (spray)

Double sided tape

Scratching post

Softpaws

Spray that stops them (there all different kinds)

Trim their nails back once a week

Water bottle spray

Also if you have a scratching post & your cat is not using it you can get some catnip & rub it on there or they sell catnip spray. Also it might not be big enough. A scratching post needs to be as tall as that cat (about 32”).

Also people think it’s ok if they get it done laser. NOT TRUE. Watch this video. It’s long, but worth it. The part about laser is 10:44 into the video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaEx-qe2wBw

Others, deprived of their primary means of defense, become nervous, fearful, and/or aggressive, often resorting to their only remaining means of defense, their teeth.

Among 218 cats relinquished to a shelter, more (52.4%) declawed cats than non-declawed cats (29.1%) were reported by owners to have inappropriate elimination problems.

In some cases, when declawed cats use the litter box after surgery, their feet are so tender they associate their new pain with the box...permanently, resulting in a life-long adversion to using the litter box.

Many declawed cats become so traumatized by this painful mutilation that they end up spending their maladjusted lives perched on top of doors & refrigerators, out of reach of real & imaginary predators against whom they no longer have any adequate defense.

I smell bullshit.

A) Your landlord cannot 'discriminate' between declawed and clawed cats. He cannot say 'we allow cats but they must be declawed'.

B) If your cat is 'mean' and scratching you, do something contructive about it instead of mutilating it.

C) If you get it declawed, it will bite more.

D) If you're too lazy, please give this poor kitty to a shelter rather than getting it's toes chopped off.

Where I live, declawing is illegal because it's so abusive.