did you declaw your cat?

Maybe there is some kind of product you could spray onto the couch that will stop her from scratching. We have something called "Scat Cat" (I think) that we use to stop our cats from going potty outside their litter boxes. Maybe there is a product for scratching. I know we had a product once that sprayed a scent cats don't like, so they stay away from the area it was sprayed...maybe you could look into that and spray it on the furniture.

lol a couple of these i have tried. her scratching post is by her food and her kitty bed. so thats a good thing. the balloon lol....she actually likes balloons and plays with them like balls. she wont claw at them. she just pushes them around. i just thought that was a funny little side note. the water bottle is a great idea! i remember someone telling me that a long time ago! i think that will be my next attempt. before i have to try something drastic! i hear that works well. even the dog doesnt scare her, cuz when anyone yells at her for getting at the couch the dog will chase her away. but she will still go back. i will definitely look into the spray for her, that was also a good idea. but i think i will try the water first its probably the least expensive at this point.

This is the reason im feeling so desperate! i have done those things. i have two different scratching posts, one upstairs and one downstairs and she uses them but still insists on using the couch! everytime she does i spank her and put her on her post, but she still wont stop. i talked to a guy at a pet store that said to use cat nip on them so she would smell it and use them, she wouldnt stop on the furniture! so its not like shes not using them. she does, but cant stop with the couch! I had my own place, and there she didnt scratch anything but her post, now that i moved back in with my parents she seems to want to use their furniture, so my mom is pushing me to get something done with her.

I forgot to add that if your cat gets outside their natural form of defense is taken away. Not only can they not use their claws against their enemies, but they also can't climb trees to get away from adversaries. Also if you ever need to find your cat a new home, you aren't guaranteed that the home that the cat goes to will keep the cat as an inside cat. Declawing isn't an easy choice, and shouldn't be rushed into. Personally I would NEVER declaw a cat again.

yeah another person mentioned the water. and i dont know why i havent tried that! that seems like the easiest most inexpensive way! i think im going to start there, and if not then i will try the spray. i just dont have the money to do too much at this point so im looking for something inexpensive. her scratching posts are long enough. one hangs on the door nobs and has a little danglie thing at the top that she has to climb to reach. so that one is long enough, and the other one is as long as her also but it stands on the floor. i made sure to get them pretty big, so as she grew she could still have them, kinda like shoes lol!

i really really dont want to do that! i thought it was a bad idea ever since my mom has been suggesting it! i just knew it has to hurt them! and i love her so much i dont want to hurt her. im hoping one of these alternatives work because i definitely dont want to declaw her. people were just mentioning it and trying to tell me that it doesnt hurt, so i started looking into it and turns out my instinct was right! it just isnt a good idea!

I used to believe that about cats not doing things out of spite but that was wrong in a sense. This cat had gotten a uti and got blocked up we spent a LOT of money to have him unblocked and medicated and then spent the next 2 years buying him really expensive cat food to keep him from getting another uti again. After this uti was cleared up he continued to pee on things out of spite. If we dont feed him at the exact same time everyday say two hours off he will pee on the shower curtain. We keep him in the bathroom because if we let him out he pees on everything in the house. If my son gets into the cat food and the cat hears it he gets mad that he doesnt get fed and will pee on the floor. He may be trying to tell us he wants food but he gets fed and he needs to learn to wait until its time for the next feeding and stop peeing on things. I dont want to put him to sleep that just makes me feel guilty so I figure I'll wash my hands of him by taking him to the pound. I will tell the people at the pound the truth that he is a really nice cat, hes fixed but he pees on everything. Its up to them what they do with him after that. The other cats are really nice but claw the furniture. The one cat I can deal with but the other two have got to go. If my husband leaves he can have the one cat since he got that one and I didnt want it. I told him no more animals and after my daughter was born he brought that kitten home from his friends house. I was not happy I had a new baby to take care of I didnt need a kitten to take care of as well. They are all super nice cats very loveable but just have issues. Once these cats are gone I will never get animals again. They ruin your house and besides cats, dogs are to time consuming for me. I dont have time for them I will never get a dog.

Why would you take in animals that you obviously hate? The one peeing out of the box is doing so for a reason. Animals don't do things out of spite. People, however do.

yeah i really dont want to declaw her i just want to have her stop scratching .

You could try to declaw one of them to warn your cat and I think she will be nice afterwards and no need to declaw all.

yeah my baby is only 6 months. she still needs to be fixed. so i heard they do it while they do that surgery, but i just dont want her to be in pain. so im glad you mentioned that. most people i have talked to say its painless, but how can it be. theyre ripping their nails off. i just REALLY dont want to put her through any pain. shes my baby, so i want it to be painless and easy for her. i was thinking about cutting and filing them, but im still scared she can get at the furniture. its not me that wants her declawed its my mom. i just moved back in and i had to bring her and my mom is pushing me to get something done so she will stop, but she thinks that it is pain free. i even heard the humane society discourages it! so im definitely looking into alternative things.

im trying to do the most inexpensive least painful things first. then if it comes down to it declaw her but i really dont want to do that!

Six months is the safest time to do it. Because that's the age most vets recommend doing it. And, no they don't rip the nail out, they cut it out with a special tool. It is virturally painless when they are that young. Only thing though they will have to have special litter for the litter box while the inssions in the feet heal. When George and I got our cat little Bit, he was old enough to be declawed. So The vet that fixed him,also did it. Little bit walked away from it pain-free because we caught him at the right age. We didn't do Chinia though because we couldnt determine her age (she was the runt of her litter) and was nearly full size when we found her. But, if your cat is healthy, then six months is a good age to do it.

i didnt even think of JUST clipping her nails because i figured there would still be jagged edges on her nails that she could claw things. and still ruin the furniture...idk if this is so. if im wrong please let me know. im looking for the most inexpensive least painful way to get her through this

I agree with Ravenblade. You can easily trim your cat's nails(claws). I think you might want to try this first because it is a lot cheaper than replacing furniture and having the nails removed. Besides the cat may just be going through a phase as far as using the furniture as a scratching post. Good luck. I was told by a vet not to declaw a cat after a certain age and if they are BIG the vet won't do it either. Ask your vet about cats bleeding out after surgery.

yes i agree with you raven, declawing a cat is like taking its ability to defend itself. i could just imagine my poor sylar when he was declaw, there was this was time when he got out from the house and when he return, his face was full of blood and scratches and wounds. huhuhu :( ...but i understand others who have experience damage furniture because of cats, i know its not easy but its part of being a cat. why not give them their own mattress or pillows or stuffs that they can scratch on instead?!.. (i just thought!) :)

I DO! its just my mom who is trying to make me do something about her!

that is. and thats what im trying to do i dont want to do anything big, and regret it. if she does ever get out i would be very sad thinking of all the other animals that could get her and kill her! i would be very sad! so im trying simple things like the squirt bottle.

yeah but im going to have a groomer show me because i dont want to do it wrong or hurt her. i want to be able to do it right and have her nails look ok.

yeah im not sure where youre from, but in some countries its illegal. i heard it was illegal in europe.

yeah i dont want her to accidentally get out and not be able to defend herself. she hasnt torn up anything that bad! hopefully she doesnt!

yeah thats what im planning to do .

shes still 6 months but im not sure i want to put her through that pain,and did you change out her litter because i hear you have to change out the litter so it doesnt hurt their paws.

yeah you can buy special stuff or shred newspaper. seriously, our kittens weren't even phased by it. i think being fixed is more painful and these "pain free" people can't say that isnt necessary. did you discuss this with your vet? surely they could give you the best advice, its their job and they have more knowledge on it than anyone on here.