my apartment complex will make me have my kitten declawed.

[yoganut]

Hi:

I"m fairly new to this forum. My husband moved into an apartment complex which is fairly modestly priced. I then moved in after. In order to have a cat, you must pay $250 deposit and the cat must be neuteured and declawed. With no chance of having kids I really wanted a cat, so we got a 2 year old male who had been declawed. He has been a really sweet cat.
About 2 weeks ago I went and picked up a 9 week old Siamese female. After some adjustement on our adult cats side, they seem to be getting along. The problem is, while I will definately get the kitten spayed, I really don't want to put her through the pain of declawing - all for my landlords stipulation. I am agonzing over this. Many might say move - but that simply isn't an option. She has completed our little 'family' and even melted my husbands heart and he doesnt like cats as a rule.
I'm in an absolute dilemma here. The apartment manager is very unbendable so I doubt I could talk to her about it.
I really hope people on this form won't judge me too harshly for bringing another cat home to an apartment complext with stiupulations like this. I really just wanted a kitte 'to mother'.

[DylansMummy]

is there no way you can introduce soft paws to the cat and show the landlord how effective they are? I hate it how in the US landlords seem to do this makes me mad! either you can have pets or not - there shouldn't be conditions to it...

The only other thing you could do is show the landlord the evidence of how many behavioural problems the cat could have after and ask if he'd rather the cat urinated everywhere etc or if he/she would prefer you to post train the cat...

I do not know the law with regards this sort of thing but hopefully someone could offer more help than me...

good luck!

[jessamica8]

Does the landlord actually inspect the cats paws? I'm not suggesting anyone lie, but I know of several people in your situation who sort of fail to mention the cat is not declawed unless they are directly confronted about it. I've never heard of someone being caught - mostly because it is a rule you are expected to follow, but no one really checks on it.

Your manager may be more flexible than you think - often it is an owner or management company that defines a rule like that, and the manager does not really bother to enfroce it. So if you just fail to mention the cat is not declawed, perhaps no one will say anything about it.

As Haley said, if it does come to a confrontation situation, talk to the manager about soft paws. Since that would prevent any damage being done, perhaps the manager could come up with some sort of contract requiring you to keep the soft paws on.

[catlover7731]

I can understand where you are coming from . I tried to move last summer, and found a reasonable place to live but when I told them I had two cats I was asked if they were declawed and of course I said no, and it isn't an option. I never moved , lol. Why isn't moving an option? I would not for anything declaw the cat, can't you get your vet to give you a fake declawing paper?

[Gudewife]

A lot of those declawing provisions were written before the advent of "Soft Paws," and you may be able to make a good argument that the soft paws are as good as declawing for preventing damage and do not have the same associations with litterbox problems that declawing often does. I think that their main concern is property damage, and if you can show (perhaps with written support from your vet) that the soft paws will accomplish that end, you might be able to avoid declawing.

That said, I wouldn't even bring it up unless I was asked about it. Put the soft paws on and just go about your life. Unless the manager asks to see the cat's paws, there's no reason to advertise that they're intact, but if the claw caps are on and he asks to see, you're covered.

[yoganut]

Do they stay on? Can kitty chew them off. if they cover the claw and are claw shaped, can they still damage a window screen if kitty is intent on climbing it?

[vanillasugar]

i havn't used soft claws yet, but i am seriously considering it. They are vinyl nail caps that get glued to your kitties claws, and shed periodically like a cat naturally sheds the outer shell of it's claw as they grow. (then you replace it with a new cap). It stops the claws from doing damage, because they are no longer sharp, but covered in a rubbery substance. Most cats do not have a problem wearing them and dont' try to chew them off after a short adjustment period

Go to the website for more info, and there are many users of softclaws on this forum who might be able to help you.

www.softclaws.com

[coaster]

Please read all the fine print in your lease. Unless it specifically states in there that cats have to be declawed, I don't think they can legally make you do it.

[Maleke]

My landlady also specified that our cats had to be neutered and declawed. Well, they are both neutered but there was NO WAY I was going to declaw them. We taught them to use a scratching post as kittens, and they have never scratched anywhere else but there. The landlady seems to have no problem with it now, though she never comes into our apartment to inspect it. I suggest you ask if you are able to use Soft Paws instead of declawing, then just train her to use a scratching post.

[kana]

I'm not suggesting anyone lie, but I know of several people in your situation who sort of fail to mention the cat is not declawed unless they are directly confronted about it.

I am suggesting that you lie! If you get caught just tell them that the cat had to get over some illness before they could declaw him. I feel that if you pay a damage deposit and willing to cover damage if it exceeded the deposit then what right does a manager have to make you declaw. ****, kids are worse on a place and you don't see managers telling potential renters they must have their tubes tied first.

best of luck!