I want to get a cat again (Maine coon) but I'm a little worried about how cats are with children especially a toddler. I was suggested to declaw the cat but idk I'm on the fence about it because would that be wrong to do to a defenseless animal???

Opinions please

I want to get a cat again (Maine coon) but I'm a little worried about how cats are with children especially a toddler. I was suggested to declaw the cat but idk I'm on the fence about it because would that be wrong to do to a defenseless animal???

Opinions please

Yes, it's wrong.... JMO... it's equivalent to chopping a person's finger off at the first knuckle..

The kids would get scratched once or twice from the cat defending itself, then they'd learn.. :shrug

There's other alternatives..

if you're really concerned, you can do the nail caps instead :dunno
we did not and will not declaw our cat. he scratched me when he was a kitten, but now he never uses his claws when he's playing with us.
i don't know what kind of temperment a maine coon has.

We wanted to avoid declawing our two, but in the end had to do it.

We did everything to try and train the boy cat not to destroy the couch, but he did. Everything includes: soft paws for cats, trimming weekly, scratching posts/boards, spray bottles, canned air, the bad smelling solution to keep them away, yelling, spanking and damn near losing our minds.

It was a hard decision to make, but we did declaw them both. Peewee's surgery went horribly wrong and I still get upset when I allow myself to think of those 48 hours. Peekaboo's surgery was a total 100% contrast and she was just dandy afterwards. You couldn't even tell she had had surgery.

What I can tell you is this: we weren't in the states at the time of their surgeries and an Army quack (er... vet) from Okinawa did not perform Peewee's well. Stateside veterinarians have access to soooo many different drugs/techniques that it will (hopefully) not be as traumatic for you and your cat.

Good luck with your decision, it's not an easy one to make.

um.. it's illegal in most countries for a reason; it's inhumane.
keep your baby away from the cat and teach him/her from a young age the cat is not a play thing.

claws are a cats first line of defense. would you rather have a cat scratch or a cat bite?

Cats are like dogs in teh sense that there are those who are dominant (more likely to take offense to actions - hiss and scratch, claw furniture, etc) and those who are submissive (would rather sit around and watch you be a boring human than get involved)

All kittens are frisky - and dominant cats remain a bit frisky until you get them fixed...fixing a frisky cat does an amazing 180 for their temperament.

So think of that when you get a kitty - one that's dominant and can be a problem in everyone's younger years VS one who is submissive and is more likely to be cuddly and cute.

Also - regardless, all cats claw or bite on occasion. If you have a cat it's inevitable...and, yes, a scratch is better than a bite - don't I know!
Kids can and will learn about their limits with animals - a cat is a great exposure to nature's beasts (if you go too far you might get hurt)

I love cats but I love my son too ill prob just wait till he's older because I kind of thought the same about declawing.... I don't want the cat go outside one day by accident and be left unprotected... Thanx ladies

I love cats but I love my son too ill prob just wait till he's older because I kind of thought the same about declawing.... I don't want the cat go outside one day by accident and be left unprotected... Thanx ladies

I am totally against declawing because I have worked in the vet field and assisted on the surgery. So I "personally" could never get it done. Like you I was worried about kids, claws, etc. So I adopted a cat that was already declawed. I didnt have to do this myself, it was already done, he is a super sweety and amazing with my kids, loves my youngest to death, looks out for em etc

Declawing is inhumane. What happens to that cat when it gets lost outside and gets cornered? It will try to revert to natural tendency to protect itself, and then where will it be? Unable to protect itself from anything! The cat won't even be able to climb a tree because it won't have claws....

I am totally against declawing because I have worked in the vet field and assisted on the surgery.

me too. ugh it's soo gross and sad.

There's not many cats that's are already declawed especially Maine coons so how do I find one???

um.. call your local animal shelter and ask if they have any declawed cats. then go see them.

Good point thanx

Yes, it's wrong.... JMO... it's equivalent to chopping a person's finger off at the first knuckle..

The kids would get scratched once or twice from the cat defending itself, then they'd learn.. :shrug

There's other alternatives..

if you're really concerned, you can do the nail caps instead :dunno
we did not and will not declaw our cat. he scratched me when he was a kitten, but now he never uses his claws when he's playing with us.
i don't know what kind of temperment a maine coon has.

Declawing is inhumane. What happens to that cat when it gets lost outside and gets cornered? It will try to revert to natural tendency to protect itself, and then where will it be? Unable to protect itself from anything! The cat won't even be able to climb a tree because it won't have claws....

agree to all of that.

soft paws are little nail caps that go over the claws. my aunt uses them for her cats around the baby

My preference is teaching your children the proper treatment of animals, the cat what behaviour is/isn't acceptable (yes, cats can be taught) and using alternatives such as soft paws or regular nail clipping.

If at all possible, I would stay away from declawing. Those poor things suffer big time when it happens to them. I don't know if you know, but not only do they take away the nail, they have to break the first knuckle off. That is why declawed cats' front paws look and feel so funny. They're missing their first set of knuckles. Maybe an alternative could be putting on soft paws or making sure that you regularly trim his nails. It's just such a painful experience for them.

I am totally against declawing because I have worked in the vet field and assisted on the surgery. So I "personally" could never get it done. Like you I was worried about kids, claws, etc. So I adopted a cat that was already declawed. I didnt have to do this myself, it was already done, he is a super sweety and amazing with my kids, loves my youngest to death, looks out for em etc

Seriously! Isn't it horrible to be assisting in that surgery? That was the one surgery that I hated to assist with. Our doctor did the Rescoe method and it was just gross to hear the crunching of the bone and then her snipping the rest off. :pukey

I have three large cats and 2 children (one 6 yrs and one 11 mths), none of my cats have scratched either, ever. Teach the child respect of the animal, and teach the animal respect of the baby and you won't have any trouble. Regarding declawing, think how you would feel if someone just yanked your fingernails out of all of your fingers and you had an itch... it wouldn't be pretty and you would be miserable. As far as clawing furniture, doublesided tape or clear tape ON the furniture will stop them. They don't like the feel on their paws. There's so many alternatives to declawing, especially with a Maine Coon, they have THICK long fur and they NEED their claws to be able to groom themselves.

My cat is declawed I certainly don't think I'm inhumane

Soft Paws! http://www.softpaws.com/

Please don't declaw :(

Maine Coon cats are some of the most docile cats you can get, we have 1 maine coon, and 1 siamese, and 3 kids, no injuries yet. My DD even puts tiaras and feather boas on the MC cat, he doesn't care. I sleep on him, like a pillow too.

I personally don't find it inhumane. I have a friend who has 3 cats, all declawed, and they are great. My best friend growing up found a cat that was declawed, mainly an outdoor cat and he ruled the neighborhood!!

It's a personal decision. I would love to have my cat declawed to save my furniture but the negative reaction I get here in Virginia isn't worth the hassle. When we have time, kitty will be taken to a vet in TN that does it using lasers, which means less pain and a shorter recovery time.

I have 3 young children and our kitty has never scratched any of my boys. She was about 7 weeks old when we brought her home so I think she just got used to them and their behaviors. When she's had enough of the boys, she runs and finds a high spot to relax in.

I was going to have it done to my cat until I looked into it and found out how awful it is. I buy soft paws for him. He doesn't really even need them anymore. He doesn't scratch at anything besides the side of the carpet at the top of the stairs. No big deal to me he doesn't damage it. Hes scratched my daughter once but she was being mean to him and she deserved it. I think putting the soft paws on him at such a young age discouraged a lot of the typical cat behavior.

I feel the same way about declawing, as I do about tail docking, and ear cropping. It's something I would never do to an animal. There are other options available for disabling the cat's ability to destroy furniture, or scratch people. Removing parts of their body for our own convenience just seems selfish and inhumane to me.

I will never put my cats through that!!! Its wrong!! IMO

i dont like it.. and i believe its wrong.. MHO...
i even think neutering is wrong as well..
its really sad to me.. but also to each there own whatever is best for whomever..

Declawing is WRONG. A friend of mine had a declawed cat that got out of her house and into the neighbor's yard where they had a dog. The dog chased the cat, and the cat tried to climb the fence to get away from the dog, but didn't have claws to climb the fence. The cat was mangled by the dog. Even if your cat is going to be indoors, it can still get outside accidentally, and the claws are its defense. Do NOT declaw your cat.

i dont like it.. and i believe its wrong.. MHO...
i even think neutering is wrong as well..
its really sad to me.. but also to each there own whatever is best for whomever..

I'll bite - why is altering (neuter/spay) wrong??

I don't think declawing a cat is all that awful.

An indoor cat accidentally getting outside is FAR more likely to end up killed by a CAR than from encounters with other animals.

Bottom line, I love my cats enough to keep them indoors because I don't really feel like going through the heart break of seeing them smashed on the roadside. I've seen at least 3 cats in recent months WITH collars on....dead from an encounter with a car not another animal :no

Yes, it's wrong.... JMO... it's equivalent to chopping a person's finger off at the first knuckle..

The kids would get scratched once or twice from the cat defending itself, then they'd learn.. :shrug

There's other alternatives..

:yes I agree

i dont like it.. and i believe its wrong.. MHO...
i even think neutering is wrong as well..
its really sad to me.. but also to each there own whatever is best for whomever..

Not neutering and spaying is irresponsible. People not doing it is the reason there are thousands of cats and dogs without homes and being killed in shelters every day.

My preference is teaching your children the proper treatment of animals,

I think that is a really really good point :yes... Isn't the responsible thing to do is teach small kids the proper way to treat their pets?

We teach them not to hit each other, and to be gentle with human babies, shouldn't we also teach them what hurts a kitty or a puppy? I mean, pets aren't toys, and they should be treated with kindness too? KWIM??:D

Not neutering and spaying is irresponsible. People not doing it is the reason there are thousands of cats and dogs without homes and being killed in shelters every day.

:agree 100%

Not neutering and spaying is irresponsible. People not doing it is the reason there are thousands of cats and dogs without homes and being killed in shelters every day.

:agree

My DB originally thought spaying and neutering were horrible to do to an animal. I am still not sure he's completely convinced, but... he's since changed his mind... once he realized the varied benefits, and how NOT doing it is irresponsible pet ownership.

:agree

My DB originally thought spaying and neutering were horrible to do to an animal. I am still not sure he's completely convinced, but... he's since changed his mind... once he realized the varied benefits, and how NOT doing it is irresponsible pet ownership.


spaying also helps prevent reproductive cancers in females :)

If they arent going to be used for responsible breeding why not have them fixed? It doesn't effect their quality of life AT ALL. Declawing on the other hand does.

Not neutering and spaying is irresponsible. People not doing it is the reason there are thousands of cats and dogs without homes and being killed in shelters every day.

:agree

Declawing is inhumane. What happens to that cat when it gets lost outside and gets cornered? It will try to revert to natural tendency to protect itself, and then where will it be? Unable to protect itself from anything! The cat won't even be able to climb a tree because it won't have claws....

They use their back feet to defend themselves.

I am in favor of declawing. I do not think it is inhumane IF the cat is to be an indoors only cat. My cat has never had a problem with it. She's totally an inside kitty and she's never ruined anything because of being declawed.

I think it is a preference to what you know... We have one cat that is declawed, but she would attack hubby as he slept... The other cat we have, she was trined in a crate and learned(well hubby was away when I found her) and well she naturally was so sweet and put her claws in when my 7 now 9 yr old picks her up... she does use them on the dogs when they won't leave her alone and the 2 cardboard scratcher and etc...

I grew up that if they were outside cats, you fixed them but they kept their claws, We lived near farms... and if they were indoor cats, you fixed them so they wouldn't hurt your furniture... We have 1 of each, but it depends on the cat...

I never heard of soft paws before... :shrug

I'm glad I posted this because I never heard of how horrible it was to declaw them. I didn't know the surgery process was so disturbing tho...

Nobody ever told me how bad it was I just kind of thought to myself that I would feel bad if the cat got out by accident and couldn't defend itself... I had a Maine coon before and it was actually worse then an American short hair. It felt like the Maine coon was wilder it broke everything and got into everything which is why I'm a little nervous about bringing it around a 2 year old. its not a big deal tho I can wait till my son is older to bring home a cat. Thanx again ladies for all your input. :)

They use their back feet to defend themselves.

I am in favor of declawing. I do not think it is inhumane IF the cat is to be an indoors only cat. My cat has never had a problem with it. She's totally an inside kitty and she's never ruined anything because of being declawed.

Same here. If I get a cat, he will be declawed and kept indoors, as well as microtagged (a chip is inserted in between the shoulder blades to keep track of the cat). He will also be kept ONLY indoors.

If I have dogs, they'll be kept OUTdoors because I cannot see myself declawing a dog.

If I have a cat and she is a mouser, she'll have her claws, but she'll be spayed.

Those who agree to altering but not declawing: wth? Either way involves cutting up your animal.

http://www.softpaws.com/

Same here. If I get a cat, he will be declawed and kept indoors, as well as microtagged (a chip is inserted in between the shoulder blades to keep track of the cat). He will also be kept ONLY indoors.

If I have dogs, they'll be kept OUTdoors because I cannot see myself declawing a dog.

If I have a cat and she is a mouser, she'll have her claws, but she'll be spayed.

Those who agree to altering but not declawing: wth? Either way involves cutting up your animal.

You can declaw a dog??? I mean I have seen the damage a dog can do but its mostly biting... What would be the purpose of declawing a dog??? :dunno

You can declaw a dog??? I mean I have seen the damage a dog can do but its mostly biting... What would be the purpose of declawing a dog??? :dunno

I don't think you can, but I haven't heard "no, it's impossible" either. Cats do most of their damage through biting too--I saw a video of this cop who was holding a cat up for adopting and the cat got loose and bit him in the groin. Cop had to get like 10 stitches to close up his leg.

If you've ever seen a cat hunt, it uses its teeth more than it uses its paws; same with a dog. The claws are more for self defense, I guess.

It's a personal choice: if you want to get your cat declawed, do it; if not, at least get it fixed (if it isn't already). Having litters SERIOUSLY impacts the female cat's body... not to mention makes MORE kittens for people to find homes for. If you don't fix a male, you end up with more instances of spraying (scent marking) and it smells HORRIBLE. The male will also, like any mammal, be aggressive and tend to act out to protect his territory.

I personally will do it because I don't live in areas that need cats to hunt mice, like a farm or whatever.

There's not many cats that's are already declawed especially Maine coons so how do I find one???

There are!!! Go to Petsmart! ;) The one in Williamsburg has some cats from their local humane society. So definitely checkout the human society.


Our cat is fully declawed!

I would never declaw, I think it's cruel. I'm sure lots of ladies have informed you of that (haven't read) so I will skip that portion.

My cat suddenly started living with a toddler and a mean 5 year old. It took some time, but he no longer defends himself against them using teeth or claws. We bought an extra tree foir him when the baby came in, and it funny because you can tell that he stressed because he scratches the trees more when she's around. You also have to train the KIDS! My niece is co cute (1.5) and when the cat walks away she waves and says "bye bye diiin" (dylan). It took some time for me to teach her how and why she needs to leave the cat alone, but she did learn, and there aren't problems anymore! It CAN be done!

When you get a cat I would get a boy, and one that is more mellow. The personality of the cat is very important when children are around, because some are too hyper to be trained.

Good luck, and I really hope you don't declaw (if you get a purebred cat you won't be able to anyway)

I know this is old, and I didn't read all the replies, but you may be able to find a declawed cat at your local shelter. I would check there first. I would never have my pets declawed, but that's just my opinion. Now, Maine Coons are absolutely amazing cats. They are beautiful, and have a very unique, curious personality. I had one named Bella, and everyone called her Houdini. She could get into anything, and out of eveyrthing! She was a very loving cat, and she "talked" to everyone. You do need to know though that Maine Coons have weak hearts. Mine died this past year of a heart attack. :( She really was an amazing cat, and I wish you the nest of luck!

Also google Maine Coon rescue sites, I am sure there are some with declawed Maine Coons especially since they are so rambunctious! If you pm me your location, I will help you look :)

Ok just one more post, I promise! It is also kitten season right now, so this would be a great time to check your local shelters and rescue groups for cats! :)

Declawing is inhumane. What happens to that cat when it gets lost outside and gets cornered? It will try to revert to natural tendency to protect itself, and then where will it be? Unable to protect itself from anything! The cat won't even be able to climb a tree because it won't have claws....

Cats usually defend themselves with their back claws. That is what they also use to climb trees with

My cat is declawed I certainly don't think I'm inhumane

:agree

Cats do not remember the pain after a day or two. My cat is completley fine and he is declawed.