Declawing a blind kitten

[amyquaintance]

Hello everyone!

This is my first time on this website/forum. Tomorrow I am adopting a blind kitten. I am terrified, nervous, and excited all at the same time! This website has been very helpful and I am using a lot of information from it. Here's my question: I have two 1-year-old cats already and I had both of them declawed in their front paws. (Painlessly with a laser.) I am worried that declawing my new blind kitten could be harmful to it. Will he NEED his front claws?

Thanks!

-Amy

[Christine]

Hi Amy....and Welcome!

I did some searching around about declawing a blind kitten and found nothing (which you probably also found out!).

This is just my own opinion, but I would postpone that decision until you and the kitten adjust to the way he will fit into your household and lifestyle. You may find that it is not necessary. We have many cat experts in our group and I am sure they will have some good advice for you. There is a lot of good advice in the Deaf and Blind category too. Here is something I found from another blind cat owner:

"Don't move your furniture around and don't leave anything lying around on the floor (shoes, boxes, etc.). The blind cat will learn the layout of your home remarkably quickly.

Don't change things or he/she will get confused.

Push your kitchen chairs into the table to give the blind cat a few less things to walk into.
Talk to the cat whenever you approach it.

Pick it up as little as you can and if you do pick it up be sure to put it down in an area that it is very familiar with so it won't get confused. For example, we always put Stevie down near his food and water bowls so he knows where he is.

Put his food and water bowls together. Also, it would help if you bought an electric powered water bowl. You can get one at any decent pet store. This will provide a sound that the cat can home in on. It works for us.

Get an enclosed litter box.

Don't ever move the food, water, and litter boxes once the cat figures out where they are.

Buy some strongly scented catnip toys and toys that make noise. Stevie loves these little balls made of foil-like plastic that makes a crinkling noise. He goes right after them.

Be aware that the blind cat will get around by touch, sound, and by smell. Be sensitive to this and don't try to overwhelm the cat's senses. Keep the TV and stereo volume down. If you have to make a loud noise, such as using the vacuum cleaner, go pat the cat a bit first to put him/her at ease before you start.

Be careful, especially at night, that you don't step on the cat.

Try to give him/her a little extra attention.

Remember, the cat can't see so anything you can do to bring the cat into your activities will be a big help.

DON'T EVER LET THE CAT OUTSIDE! "

We will look forward to hearing more about your kitten and, of course, see a picture. Good luck with your little one!

[Christine]

Forgot to give you this link to a thread with much of the same kind of information, but also information about introducing your kitten to your other cats the right way.

viewtopic.php?f=20&t=14748

[Bendy Kitty]

well, declawing with a laser might have seemed painless at the time, but it predisposes the cats to arthritis later on, it also takes away an important stress release they have - clawing things, and can lead to biting behavior to compensate.
sometimes the claws try to grow back, they never grow back properly and cause a lot of pain that way. one of the seniors we took in has this problem, he doesn't like to keep his weight on his front feet to any length of time, is always shifting back and forth, because the dewclaws tired to grow back and they hurt. there isn't much that can be done for it at this point

my mom has arthritic feet, some days she can barely walk, she would recommend anything that predisposes any pet to such a condition.

vets often say it is fine, but it is a big income generator for them. in Europe it is illegal, and considered cruel.

please do not declaw your kitten.

bendy

[amyquaintance]

Christine-

Thank you for the great advice! I have been doing a lot of research and trying to be as ready for this as possible. I made my bedroom into his "safe room." I got him a bed for on the floor, until he discovers snuggling with me , different sounding/textured toys, gave him his own new litter box and food dishes, and I removed anything he could knock down. (picture frames, etc.) I vacuumed and washed my linens to remove my other cats' smells as much as possible for the first few days. I also got differently textured rugs to put near certain "landmarks" to help him out as much as I can.

I am nervous but excited!

[amyquaintance]

Bendy-

Thank you for your insight about declawing my kitten. Growing up I had three cats and my parents declawed them. We never had any trouble. Without thinking much into it, I declawed my other two cats. Because I have never dealt with any issues from declawing, I never really considered the alternatives. However after reading your post I realized that I wasn't making a very educated decision, which is not like me. I have been reading and researching and I think I'm now leaning against declawing him. (Which would also save a ton of money!) The possible effects of leaving the claws are minor compared to the potential side effects of declawing. Just like you wouldn't pull your teeth out because they could get cavities.

Thank you for your constructive advice!

[amyquaintance]

Do the Soft Paws claw caps work? Do they still get what they need from scratching with them? I have little kids and those claws are like razors!

[Bendy Kitty]

you can clip the tips off their claws using a baby nail clipper. just take the very tip off, not up to the pink.
I have heard a lot of good things about soft paws working, haven't tried them ourselves here.

to teach your kitten claw manners, when she claws you, yell NO! and put her down or stop playing with her for a few minutes. they CAN learn claw manners! but trimming her claws or using the caps will help while she learns.



bendy

[CarolC]

I am worried that declawing my new blind kitten could be harmful to it. Will he NEED his front claws?

Yes, I think he needs them for a backup plan for his safety. If you have small kids and he gets let out the door or slips out accidentally, he is at greatly increased risk from all kinds of threats in the environment, dogs, hawks, raccoons, mean people (or children) etc. If he can't see them, they will more easily be able to attack him, and you would feel awful if that happened and you later realized you had made it so he could not defend himself and he had no chance. Cats or kittens can get out and you do not realize they are out for hours. By then hopefully he will climb a tree or something. If he is a white kitten he is at even greater risk.

Kittens learn not to claw and scratch, taught by the mother, other cats, and their human family. Children also learn to handle small kittens respectfully. It is so neat that you are adopting this kitten. I'm sure it will work out!