yeah my old kitty used to do that too, or try and shapren her claws on the furniture or our legs and it would be like her pawing at nothing. was cute.

Tomorrow is the one month anniversary of her passing away =( sigh

aww :( i sorry

All of my cats have been declawed and I've never felt guilty about it, nor will I ever. My Mom works at a veterinary office and has for 23 years. If it were inhumane and cruel, she'd know about it and we wouldn't do it as normal practice. In most cases they come home a little doped up, but otherwise just perfectly fine. I love how that just because it isn't normal practice (and is even illegal) in some other countries, it makes Americans (where it is normal practice for people with indoor only cats - which is yet another "cruel" thing to do to a pet if you ask these people) ignorant! Priceless.

I completely agree with you. Even the vet I took my cat to had just resorted to declawing her own cat. Declawing for me was a last resort and I don't feel like I should be attacked for my choice. I have two cats, both are now declawed and neither one even seems to realize it. The girl was only asking for advice on her kitten that is leaving her bloody all the time... yet the people giving advice get attacked because they mention declawing later on in the kittens life if the problem doesn't improve and nothing else works. *eye roll*

I find that really sad that you don't feel guilty about it. You know, there are alternative methods to prevent cats from scratching. One of them is cutting their nails often and another is softpaws. I don't think you should be giving out advice on taking care of an animals. Declawing is so disgusting. I hate how people resort to declawing before they try other things. That is ignorant. Do me a favor, do not give out any more advice on animals. That is a scary thing. How would you feel if someone took off your nails? You would get immune to it, right? When your nails are long, you cut them so why is it any different for cats? Until you know the pain of declawing don't say its fine and cats will get used to it.

The sad thing is its not even like taking off the nails. Its more like cutting the tip of your finger off at the first knuckle.

People go on living after they lost a finger, or hand, or foot, right? So obviously it MUST be ok to just amputate people for the hell of it.

That seems to be the equivalent of what so many people think.

Yeah, there are other methods. I'm not going to disagree with you. However my cat is nearly 3 years old. Don't you think I would have tried something else in that time? It took me nearly 3 years to finally decide to declaw my cat. My other cat has been declawed for well over 10 years. That wasn't my choice because I was just a kid, but she still acts as though she has claws after all this time. Declawing was a last resort. I didn't come here to get attacked for my actions. I didn't come here to debate right or wrong, good or evil. I saw a post from someone that wanted advice about her attacking kitten, which I have lived through myself for near 3 friggin' years and I gave her my input on the issue. I believe if she's not willing to give up the kitten, and if the kitten doesn't calm down with age and the attacking continues, she has every right to declaw her cat. That is my opinion. You don't have to agree with it. That's the whole idea with peoples opinions. Declawing isn't something I jump right into because it IS such a big deal. Your opinion is yours, my opinion is mine. We're allowed to have different ones. Attacking me for what I choose isn't going to change that.

i was never aware that you even could declaw cats. i'd just not get a cat in the first place. i couldn't declaw one. i'd suggest getting the clipped so they aren't as long, and using a spray bottle. there are bottles of water based liquids with certain smells in them that animals don't like. that worked on my friend's cat.

Its illegal in a lot of countries.

http://www.theanimalspirit.com/declaw.html

i should find out if it's legal here.

I've never declawed my cats. I always just clipped their claws. Some cats are just naturally high strung, but for the most part, they outgrow the wild kitten stage.

I clip my kitty's claws. I don't do it as often as I should, and I didn't start it young enough, so she doesn't really like it. I started my other cats when they were only a couple months old, so they got used to it and learned they'd get a treat for being good. It really cut down on theclawing, chasing legs, and all that lovely stuff.

I've never had cats that were really flat out BAD though, so I can't really offer too much advice. good luck!

They have things called soft paws that go over the cats nails so that they can't claw you. I've never used them, but I know some people that have.

http://www.softpaws.com/

i've seen those before. i wouldn't mind knowing how well they work.

She is 8 weeks old... she's a kitten... it WOULD be cruel to declaw her right now because she probably doesn't realise what she is even doing.
No offence, but suck it up. This is what kittens do... it would be different if she was older, but she's still a baby and they don't really know to control their claws... it took my two older boys until they were about 9/10 months old because they realised that they could play without claws out. My kitten is now 8 months old and she's slowly growing out using her claws for everything. I found the most effective thing with her was just using little (human) nail clippers and just clipping off the tips of her claws... she uses her scratch post to sharpen them again, and i will clip them again. This does two things... teaches her to use the post, and saves my legs (or more, feet... she has a severe foot fetish). As she's gotten older and started to grow out of it, I don't have to do it as much. But it is all very kittenish behaviour.

That being said, she may grow out of it. She may not. But at 8 weeks old it is well and truelly too soon to know... wait till she's out of her kitten stage before you determine whether he clawing is a real issue.

i'd try the spray bottle. that's what worked with my sammie. your kitten reminds me a lot of sammie, except sammie learned quickly not to claw me...she does not like water in her face. lol.

also, if anyone knows how to get a cat to use the litter box.
my kitten used it for about two weeks and i cannot for the life of me get her to shit in there again. just on the floor around it. GREAT.

sometimes cats not using their box is a sign they might have a bladder problem or something. but if kitten is going right next to the box... she might just be a pain in the butt. some cats are ocd about their box being clean. could be a behavior thing. other than setting kitten back in the litterbox if you notice she's about to "go" or has JUST gone and you need her to know the box is where it should be done... i have no idea how to help. you could probably ask a vet... but if they're anything like the vet i go to... they wont be very much help. the internet might be a good thing to use... find a cat forum and ask the crazy cat people what to do. lol just a thought.

The water bottle is definately a good idea, unless of course you find that your kitten likes water as one of my old cats did lol. Unfortunately it's a part of the kitten state, but they do outgrow it in time.

Declawing a cat is inhumane and just wrong. How would you like it if someone pulled your fingernails off just because you 'didn't need them'?

In response to the litterbox issue...have you tried switching cat litter? Sometimes cats are picky on which types of litter they have in their boxes.

Haha, you had a cat that liked water? Too funny!

LOL yes! I had an orange tabby named Oliver and he LOVED water. Everytime someone got out of the shower he'd go lay in the tub and give himself a bath and get all wet, it was so funny!!

Please don't consider declawing the kitten. That is mean. She is still young, cut her nails so she can get used to it by the time she gets older. The best way to prevent scratches on your body is to simply cut her nails. It is very easy. You can use regular nail clippers or you can buy some at the pet store. Declawing would be the very last of anything I would consider. Even then I would rather put softpaws on her. But like I said, she is very young and getting her trained to stay still while cutting her nails will help her as she gets older! Do not listen to people to declaw her just like that. There are other alternatives.

I just got a 7wk old kitten for Mothers Day. My kitten also scratched and she poked a hole right through the top of my ear. It bled forever! I know there's hype about not declawing your cat....but I don't see anything wrong with it. My parents cat is 16 years old and has been declawed since she was 4 months old. She's fine. She's living and doesn't hold a grudge about it. I think it's fine. If the cat stays indoors then I don't see a problem with it.

oh wow, 16 years! amazing. =)
I wasn't planning on declawing till 6 months, as my vet told me, i think people misunderstood. But i def dont have a problem with it.

I clipped her nails today after i had someone show me ( my god mother ) and it seems to have made a difference for now, shes been super cuddly today anyway for a change. =)

Aww, I love to hear about cats living to such an old age! My cat lived to be 16 years old, too, but we had to put him down last year :(. (He was also declawed when he was a kitten and other methods proved to not work. I have pictures of me walking around 3 years old with a diaper on and him being a playful kitten and hanging by his front claws to my diaper! Silly boy.)

its hard putting a cat down.. =(