Cats Need Claws To Play!

Cats Need Claws To Play!

by Elisa Black-Taylor
(USA)

Pinky playing - using those all important claws

Pinky playing - using those all important claws

Cats need claws to play. You'd think this would fall into the common sense category. Unfortunately, many people don't have the brain capacity to watch a cat as it interacts with the world around it. Cats like to jump and climb. Outdoor cats love to climb trees.

Do people not realize what happens to a cats instinct to play once it's declawed? First of all there can be pain that lasts a lifetime. From the initial pain caused by the surgery to the lingering pain of severe arthritis as the cat gets older.

I received a message today from a woman whose cat had been declawed asking me why her cat won't use the litter box. They'd had their vet check out the cat and found no urinary problems. I suggested she try very soft sand as rocky cat litter is likely causing severe pain. I wouldn't want to step on little rocks either.

Now back to my topic of cats and claws and playing. I got the idea for this story from watching my kitten Pinky. Michael has made Pinky a star in his article on Cat Pink Eye. My Pinky had the worst case of conjunctivitis I've ever treated. It was heartbreaking just to look at him with his swollen bloodshot eyes.

Pinky is all better now after two weeks of Clavamox and Gentamicin antibiotic eyedrops. Last night he found the cat tree I purchased a few weeks ago. Here's a short video I shot of him enjoying his first go at the tree.

Look at my little kitty using his claws. They're literally helping him keep his balance as he climbs. He's livelier than a baby monkey as he swings around and swats at the hanging ball. Up and down and around and around the sisal rope he goes.

If he didn't have his claws he'd fall right off!

It was so entertaining just to stand there and watch the little guy climb. Keep in mind this is the only climbing he's done except to jump from the sofa onto the cat colony bar. It may be my imagination, but I believe he had a pleased with himself expression on his little face.

People who whine about their cats tearing up their furniture should invest in one of these trees. Or anything a cat can use as a scratching post. It's a lot cheaper to buy a cat tree once than to treat a maimed cat for life.

I'll end this story now before I get all heated up. Enjoy the video everyone.

Elisa

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Cats Need Claws To Play!

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Jun 06, 2011
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Every declawed cat needs joint support
by: Susan

Regarding the declawed cat in the story that doesn't use the litterbox (according to the surveys, declawed cats are twice as likely as clawed cats to have litterbox problems), please advise people to get their declawed cats on a joint support supplement and a high quality diet that contains omega oils that help to lubricate joints (or add Missing Link to the cats wet food). Changing litters addresses the litterbox but not the pain inside the paws. When a paw is declawed, the bone and tendons are severed from what they were attached to inside the paw, this causes the tendons & joints to literally freeze since they aren't ancorched anymore. EVERY declawed cat needs to be on a joint supplement to help ease this discomfort (the paws can look like a human hand with rheumatoind arthritis). Don't wait until the cat is limping, not using the litterbox, biting out of pain, or the quailty of life is completely diminished to get them relief - the cat has already endured the most painful & traumatic surgery in veterinary science & has to live with amputated fingers & toes the rest of their lives, which comes with phantom pain, joint & back pain. It's our job not to allow them to suffer anymore than they have. Unfortunately part of the reason declawing is so rampant is because it is such a money maker for vets - they know removing bones from the paws leads to early arthritis - so I buy my supplements online and at pet food stores and not from a vets office so I am not supporting them with this fraud and abuse.


Jun 06, 2011
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You are so right !
by: Ruth

You are so right Elisa, cats do need claws and it's heartbreaking to think of kittens as young as 10 weeks having their toe ends along with their claws amputated before they've hardly had the chance to enjoy them.
It makes me mad when people say it's better done as a kitten,the younger the better, as if it's some essential operation that has to be done ! They say kittens recover quicker and they don't miss their claws.
Maybe they do recover quicker but they certainly shouldn't have any surgery let alone unnecessary surgery to recover from, so young. No kitten or cat should have to recover from ten amputations !
As for they don't miss their claws, we know differently don't we ! Of course they miss their claws, they can't play as a kitten plays, like your Pinky. They can't grab a toy with their front claws to kick at with their back feet and that's one of the pleasures of being a kitten, that 'practice hunting' For indoor cats that is as close to the real thing as possible !
This so called civilised world has brought about the need to force cats to live an un-natural life indoors in places where it's unsafe for them outside. Then that has brought about the invention of declawing on behalf of people who 'must own' a cat.
Shame on the person who invented declawing, millions of cats from newly born kittens to old cats were experimented on to 'perfect' this cruel surgery and millions of kittens and cats are suffering right now every day from it still.
I feel nothing but hatred for anyone condoning declawing, for anyone having a cat declawed and for any vet doing the surgery.
I long for the day declawing is banned worldwide !

Kattaddorra signature Ruth


Jun 06, 2011
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He's having a ball
by: Elisa

And I hope people with cats will order one of the GoPetClub trees advertised on this page. I'd read lots of bad reviews on them but in my opinion they're well built and stable. The longer I have it the more the cats seem to be using it. Some like to hide in the condo and others, even the big cats, like to curl into a ball and sleep on the top tier.


Jun 06, 2011
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Good to see
by: Michael

God, it is good to see Pinky enjoying himself. He must feel better after the horrible attack of conjunctivitis which must have been extremely irritating and uncomfortable.

Well done Elisa for getting him healthy and enjoying life.

Michael Avatar


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