Would it be better to declaw? or to Give the cats up?

[Vivid Dawn]

My friend's cat did try to chew his off. But we watched him all day, and after a while, he just gave up. Maybe take the cat in after SoftPaws have been on for a couple days, and the cat is used to them.

[jodi]

The vet trims my cats nails. I don't suppose the landlord would go for that either. I couldn't have them declawed.

[JunoBear]

Just an update:
I have extended my stay at my current apartment until June 1st.
I'm searching every day for an apartment we could move into that will allow me to keep my cats (every part of them). But every day it just seems the search looks more and more bleak.
I have made it known to friends/family that if they know anyone looking for a cat, Caesar may be a viable option to them. For Juno, I just don't know. She has come out of her shell so much around my boyfriend and myself. She literally panics when being held, as if scared for her life. She freaks out at any small noise and runs and hides if we even smell like another person. Even if she was rehomed, it would have to be a quiet place with no kids, no dogs, and (probably) no cats. Its a miracle she has bonded to Caesar as much as she has. He's almost like her protector. I think no matter what happens, Juno will be staying with us, simply because I don't really see anyone else being as patient with her as we have been. (my boyfriend has repeatedly asked to take her back to the shelter in frusteration... then again he is not an avid cat-lover like me)

I bought some Soft Paws online, and i'm going to install them on both kitties the second they come in the mail. I'm hoping I can dupe the landlord into thinking they are permanent, and telling him I had a "declawing procedure" done to my cats.

I am hoping to take them to our vet (the cats are still relatively new, so I have not developed a huge relationship with the vet) to get the soft paws put on one of these times, and talk to him about my perdicament. I'm hoping he can help me make the reciept look a little nicer... "installation of inovative new declawing procedure" on a reciept may do the trick for the landlord Has anyone had any experience with a vetrinarian helping out in this way?


Anyways, I will continue my search for the next four months. If a potential owner comes up for Caesar, I will probably have to make the decision to (tearfully) let him go. When it gets closer to the date, I will pull my tricks on this landlord. See what I can do. Unless I find a better place (but honestly, I don't know if its just my area or what, but 80% of apartments are no pets, and the other 20% expect you to pay to have them there.) I will NOT bring my cats to a shelter, as I will NOT let my babies be killed. If it comes down to the worst case scenario, I may have to declaw them, but I am going to do my very best to make sure that won't happen.

I'd rather have them declawed than dead. And if it comes down to those being my two options, I'm going to opt for declaw. But I am hopeful that other options will present present themselves soon enough if i continue my search.

[crstroik]

I have to disagree with the majority of the posts here and say if your cat is going to be strictly indoor only I would declaw rather than rehome. While I have not had to make this decision, my parents' vet strongly suggested that the stress of declaw is LESS than the stress of rehoming. The Vet in particular was frustrated at the perception that cats can be "rehomed" and adjust as easily as many people seem to think.

While I know there are many strong opinions against declaw, and I agree it is a matter of last resort - that last resort seems to be the situation here. My parents' cats have been declawed and are not in any discomfort, have developed no additional behavior problems, and enjoy their spoiled lives.

[Vivid Dawn]

Juno, that sounds like a great plan.

Not to rain on your parade, but I hope your vet is nice enough to play along. My (ex) vet told me to declaw my cat, when he saw scratches on my wrist from when I tried to give her medicine a few days before the visit! Eesh!
My new vet would probably go along with this "scam" with me, though...I love her. She accepts raw diet, does injections in the limbs rather than shoulder blades just in case a sarcoma develops...all sorts of nifty stuff for the benefit of the cat.