Help! Adopting a declawed cat

[columbine]

She's probably just hissing and refusing to eat because she's in so much pain and scared of the dogs. Once she's out of Kitmo, she might very well adapt nicely to a loving home. As Emily said, permanently sore feet might mean you need to try different kinds of litter, but as long as she's safe indoors she ought to be all right. I've met quad declawed cats who were perfectly calm and otherwise healthy. Ramps, ladders, or stairs can help a quad kitty get onto beds and even windowsills.

Love, Columbine (feeling sad for the little kitty)

[catmandu]

SOME OF MY CATS ARE DECLAWED. AND MOST ARE NOT AS THIER HAPPINESS MEANS MORE TO ME THAN MY VERY USED FURNITURE.
I WOUL TAKE THAT POOR CAT, AND KEEP HIM IN A ROOM BY HIMSELF WHERE HE HAS PEACE AND QUIET , AND THEN GRADUALLY INTRODUCE HIM TO YOUR TWO COMPANION.
IT MAY TAKE A WHILE, BUT ITS CERTAINLY WORTH TAKING A CHANCE.
AND IF HIS PAWS ARE STILL HURTING, THEN THAT VET DID A VERY BAD JOB.
WE ARE PRAYING FOR THAT POOR CAT

[cassiesmom]

My cat, Cassie, had already been front paw declawed when I adopted her. I signed an agreement with the shelter that I would not have her back paws declawed. I do trim them periodically. She is 13 years old. It used to be that she would run cat sprints and I would find bits of claw in the carpet. That doesn't happen as often now, so I try to play with her more so she can shed them on her own. If that doesn't happen she puts up with me trimming them. I don't plan to have her back paws declawed.

My nephew's cat Milo has all his claws. He's allowed on the screened-in porch and outdoors wearing a leash, so he will not be able to be declawed. He had some issues with the sofa when he first came home, but he has now learned to use his scratching tree. He also likes an old straw mat that is on the back porch. It was very inexpensive and he uses it a lot to dig in his claws and pull. They have another pretty doormat that gets put out when company visits but Milo uses the straw mat regularly. Hate to take it away.

I have a friend who had all four of her cat's paws declawed. Now her cat BITES!

[jazzcat]

Poor cat! I agree, that vet is a jerk. I can't imagine my vet doing something like that.

I sure hope it works out for you guys because it sounds like you and your husband are caring people and this poor kitty needs that right now.

[Catsnclay]

IMHO I would get that cat out of that vet's office ASAP! - -


Take it to another vet for a check up and most likely PAIN MEDS - if a vet can declaw or who knows what to a poor defensless animal just because he was pi$$ed at it, this person MUST be turned in


Declawed cats can/will live a perfectly normal life, just make sure this poor cat NEVER gets outside, they are now a permanent indoor cat.


Please, please turn this person in, he should have never done anything like this - what else has he done and gotten away with??! This must stop now.


You are a good person for rescuing this cat - -

[GILL]

We have 3 declaws Chessie, Bailey, and Lenny. In a house with 12 they can hold thier own.
Chessie has one meen right hook.
Bailey just rears up and beats the living day lights out of any one in range.
All three are extremly loving and can climb like crazy.
We would never do this to our kids and that vet should be *#@?&%^!.

[mrscat]

been reading more comments today regarding declawing, but arent there any animal organizations in such an enlightened country (or so i thought) doing enough to get this barbaric, painful, & unnecessary procedure made illegal like it is in the uk? it falls under the heading of animal abuse here. eva

[momcat]

That vet should burn in hell for what he did.

Amen, Donna, Amen!!!!!
I am outraged, sickened and appalled at what I have just read This sadistic idiot must be stopped from practicing and I do mean yesterday! How cruel can this (insert your own expletive) be? I refuse to refer to this butcher as a vet out of respect and admiration for the countless vets who treat every pet as if it were their own with love, gentleness and excellent care.

Report this butcher to the veterinary board and put him out of business. Tell EVERYONE what this creep did. Also notify the Humane Society, ASPCA, rescues, shelters, every animal welfare group you can find. Name names and be specific. Innocent pets are in danger!

Bless you for caring enough to rescue this poor kitty from an intolerable situation. Give kitty plenty of love and attention. It may take some time for kitty to feel secure and trust again. Please be patient with the poor cat, (s)he has been through so much... too much.

If this seems harsh and offensive, I apologize to all of you. We're brought together here because of our mutual love not just for our beloved pets but for all animals. Intentional abuse to an animal by someone who should know better is clearly a criminal act!

Please, let's all pray for this poor kitty?

[Catty1]

Um - in case anyone missed it - it is NOT her vet that declawed this cat; it is ANOTHER vet who referred the cat to the present vet.

However, that OTHER vet should definitely be reported! Greedy and an idiot - just wanted to breed her!

Her vet said that this kitty is available for adoption after her treatments are over - so I would guess he is doing it out of his own pocket.

If you do adopt her, she might have to be in her own room for a long time...learning to trust again (if she ever did). Set up her space with food, water and a litter box, and a soft bed, and leave her alone for a while.

What is she being treated for - or is the surgery so recent that she is recovering from it?

[jennielynn1970]

Actually, Catty, it doesn't state specifically which vet did the declawing.

She stated the vet she went to offered the cat to her for free after "treatments", whatever she is being treated for.

Whichever vet did the declawing, just to be vindictive, is no vet in my book. I hope that they will be reported.

I have one 4 paw declawed cat, NOT done by me, who is a foster. She will swat at me or the other catss. When she decides she's had enough petting from me, she will nip. Not sure if this is because she's declawed, or if this is just the she always was from before the time I started fostering her. She is a good girl, just needs patience because she is skittish and a bit defensive about being handled or being around other cats. Again, this could have been her personality from kittenhood, I don't know that for certain.

[catfamily]

i babysat a very old ALL 4 paws declawed cat 1 year ago.
i never ever saw this before and i was constantly scratching him(the poor guy)...he kept trying to scratch his little itches.
the people had to go to a job in Paris and we took him in.
I felt so bad for him.
He was fine around other cats but i think always on the defense mostly at first.
I kept him seperated and let my little sara visit him regulary.plus i was with him most the time feeling bad for him missing his family.
the cat was very vocal like a loud cub lion...i bet from being declawed.
i really think this cat was a super sweet cat until declawed...although,i fell in love with this cat...i can't understand humans who would rip their souls out from them.
the people i took the cat from did not declaw the cat...he was decawed by a woman before them and decided she didn't like his personality after declawing.
i wish i knew where she lived!!!

[annkim83]

Thanks everyone, for your comments and support.

We brought the cat home yesterday. I set up a small room for the cat with blankets, food and litterbox. My cats showed some interest, but don't care very much since the kitty is out of their sight. Immediately upon arriving, she ate a whole can of cat food, mixed with medication (I'm guessing it's been about a week after the surgery) - and she refused to eat in the hopital. My husband, who brought her home, said she even rubbed her head against his finger on the drive home: a sign she's a sweet kitty after all. We are planning to give her full rest for the couple of days. She doesn't appear frightened anymore and won't hiss, but growls a little bit when we go near and when she eats. I guess she will get better. It still appears that she feels pain... she tries to walk lightly on her feet and her posture looks a bit crooked.

Before I came to work today I checked up with her and surprisingly, she was on the windowsill, not on the blanket. So I guess she can jump! I only hope she's not in too much pain.

She's a darling with huge eyes, white eyelineer and a potentially wonderful classic tabby coat. Once she gets off sickbed and fills out, I think she's going to be one beautiful cat. Her eyes are so big and expressive.

My two girls have great personalities, although one of them is a bit shy. I think they'll be able to get along, if the newbie isn't too timid herself. And I heard it helps if all the cats are the same gender?

One more question for you... Is the cat going to live in constant pain for the rest of her life? What effects does declawing have on aging? For ex. arthritis?

We're thinking about names. Any suggestions will be welcome...

To clarify a few things: I'm not located in the US, but in Korea. About the vet-- yes, it is the vet whom I regularly go to who did this job to the kitty. But until now, I never realized what he thought about declawing, as the topic never came up in our discussions. Personally I think that in Korea, there aren't that many vets who know a lot about cats outside the lab, as not many people keep cats as pets. Many older Koreans still believe in the superstition that cats are evil and bring bad luck. Recently more and more mostly younger people keep cats as pets, but the number is very minor and I still constantly get comments such as "Why do you have cats? They aren't faithful to their "owners." Get dogs instead." I hear that many vets (not just my vet) regularly "recommend" declawing to first-time cat owners here, and many owners blindly believe what their vets say, who may be only thinking about money to be made in the surgery. So I don't think reporting is an option here. Fortunately, many cat lovers are growing awareness of the ill effects of declawing, and trying to stop it from happening. But I don't think that'll happen anytime soon, unless the vets all turn into cat lovers.

That was too long... Thanks for your support again. I'll try to keep you updated on how she does!

P.S. I forgot to say this, but I learned from the vet that this cat came all the way from the US. It was adopted by a female student as a kitten, who brought her all the way here when she came to Korea. Then, when things didn't work out at the student's Korean parents' house (again, something to do with older people's superstition, I imagine) she was abandoned at the vet's, saying she was bought at an expensive price from a breeder. To me, she is a beautiful cat but not a purebred as purported by the vet -- I think it may have been the student's ploy to get the vet to adopt her. Or maybe the student was deceived into believing it herself to begin with. That makes me even sadder, as it seems to me everyone thinks about animals as money. If she hadn't been believed as a "purebred", she wouldn't have had to go through all this trouble. Either way, I hope the fact she was brought all the way here means she did receive some love and care as a kitten...

[Moesha]

It was not too long at all! I'm so glad you were able to take the kitty. Just go slowly and let her heal and introduce her to new kitties and situations slowly and I'm sure all will turn out well. Thank you so much for rescuing this dear one. Especially since the culture there isn't as cat friendly as others may be.

[columbine]

Yay! I'm so glad she jumped to the windowsill! Some declawed cats do develop arthritis, but there's a preventative supplement (it's even chicken-fish flavored) called Cosequin that you can mix into her food. It's good for the urinary tract too, and it doesn't matter if another cat eats her food because it's not harmful unless one of them's allergic to shellfish.

For a name, how about Lucky or Fortuna or Grace?

Love, Columbine

[catfamily]

i am very happy you adopted this cat...it may take even a year for the trust to show.please keep her...she's in a good home...probably the best.

how sad the story you had about the vets where you are in korea declawing like nothing.
And cats in labs freak me right.
I sure hope that they get found by animal activist groups...someday.