Cat Declawing Cost - Buyer Experiences and Price Information

Like all pets, having cats comes with certain responsibilities. A good cat owner will give their pet appropriate scratching surfaces and invest the time in teaching them to use such places.
As a former Vet Tech as well, I have also witnessed the pain and suffering cats must endure at the AMPUTATION of their toes (imagine how well you would walk without your toes). Declawing not only affects a cat's ability to jump, walk properly, and removes any defense to outside predators, it also can cause back pain and premature arthritis. Declawing is an inhumane procedure done ONLY for the benefit of the human. For those not willing to take the time to train a cat to use proper surfaces (as well as providing those surfaces), may I suggest a less involved, caged pet such as a hamster or Guinea Pig.

I have to fixed cats. My female is 2yrs old & behaves in most ways like a small dog. We were given her at 6 mos due to someone needing to relocate. Our male was a wild kitten running outside the apartment complex that was near to impossible to catch. He is now 1 1/2 yrs old. He is our introvert while SHE is our extrovert! She used to live on a farm & went in & out of the house with their dogs. She loves to get out any time possible, (while I force her in due to traffic/her safety.) I worked for a Vet years ago for two years. I have never thought I would be forced in a corner by finances to HAVE TO declaw my cats in order to move with them. The long-term goal is country living one day. Meanwhile if they are to be in my care I MUST declaw them to move to the very few places I can have them. I can understand due to them shredding the stairwell carpet in two places....& my loveseat! I know I won't be getting my deposit back however all of this costly . I never thought I would see this day.

I've been a cat owner my whole life, and I've never had a cat declawed. I did, however, recently rescue a cat from almost being dumped in a shelter because her original owners had her front paws declawed, and then decided to get rid of her when she developed aggressive behavior problems after being declawed. I firmly believe the procedure is unnecessary and if you think about it, it's never for the cat's benefit, it's for the owner's benefit. Would you like it if someone amputated each of your fingers down to the first knuckle? Because that's what you're doing to your cat.rnEvery day I watch the kitty we rescued struggle because she has no claws. I see that many people on here have had good experiences, to which I say, your cat was lucky. I know people who were abused as kids, but don't show any outward symptoms of abuse as adults-does that make the abuse they suffered ok? Just because your cat seems fine, doesn't mean they aren't in pain. Think hard before declawing.

I don't spend any money on this barbaric practice! People need to learn to accommodate the scratching instinct. I live in harmony with my full-clawed cats. Every excuse to have your cats toes amputated can be debunked. Declawing should be illegal in the United States as it is in over 30 other countries.

i have two cats that i've had since they were kittens, they're now 12 and 9 years old. they've never been declawed; my husband and i fought tooth and nail with family members who have never had any experience with owning cats and thought that we were insane for not declawing them. my cats have never been climbers of curtains; though they have ruined two couches with a few scratches (we detour unwanted behavior with scratching pads and water guns and regular clippings) my father has taken on the responsibility of a white 8 month old Turkish Angora that my sister adopted and had a change of heart on. but my father is living in an apt that will not accept cats unless they are declawed; so his cat is staying with us for a while. i priced the surgery at $275 for both front and back, but an additional $49 examination is required.. and there will be a two night stay. so the running total is $324 (the front paws alone cost $50 less) here in Milwaukee

I had 2 cats w/front/rear declaw.No problems w/ them ever. This was at a very young age for them. They both lived a nice life w/ no troubles.I never saw any "phantom" scrtatching. My roommate has 2cats, 1 front declaw & 1 that is not declawed at all. The clawed cat is a little princess cat who thinks she runs the house & now that male cat is gone is she attacks the other animals. The other cat w/ front only declaw has always tried to scratch. I am pretty sure this is similar to "phantom" scratching. When my sister got her cat she declawed him in the front and he does quite well. My other sister has 2cats that are not declawed and has the normal complaints of someone with cats w/ claws, but her cats are very loving & never mean as in attacking w claws to person or dog. All in all, declawing is not a natural state for the animal. Doing it is a risk you run for the animal. I will get a new cat soon and declaw,i think this is better than death. I dont have good furniture, so not a factor.

i'm getting my cat declawed on nov. 28th and after reading some of the stories i dont know what to do. i dont care about furniture she doesnt scratch it but she scratches peole and me i have scratch marks all over i also cut her nails but doesnt do any good theres a six month wait here so i have to decide soon. i got the app. in june so if i cancel then decide it will be another six months.

I have one cat declawed in the front( like that when I adopted him) and I enjoy him thoroughly. I have another who is even more loving but he is not declawed and he tears apart EVERYTHING! Never,ind worrying about having nice things my trouble is that I have rented for the better part of my life and most landlords in my area will not allow cats that aren't declawed. I have had him for many years and thought about declawing him the whole time with my husband yelling all the time about the things he ruins saying I need to get rid of him. I understand declawing is not ideal but my one cat is no different behavior, jumping, balancing wise, and mousing wise as the one not declawed and I personally think that judging people for what they have to do to keep a pet is ridiculous. There are millions of cats being put down in shelters every day it's better to declaw then let them die in shelters.

i just recently found this beutiful cat outside my house looking for a home... its been over a week and after a big effort of finding his home, hes now going to stay i have two dogs one big and one small... im looking into having the cat declawed because i want him to not threaten then dogs and not worry about the dogs threatening him... the shelter has recomended there proceder for almost 400 but i have also been told i can get the cat a plan which includes care services.... should i use the plan or not???

just got this little kitty ( never had a cat)
she is adorable and sweet, however her clawes are hurting me she gets to me all the time and my
curtains, I am 85 years old not fast enough for this kitty, after reading all comments, I am not sure I still want her declawed

I just want to say that, all these horrifying depictions of declawing a cat can possibly be misleading. I have had a cat for almost a year and she uses her claws to purposely attack my dog. At one point, I had walked into a room occupied by both my dog and cat. My cat was visibly in predator mode and I sensed that she was going to jump him. Right before her spring, I dashed in between them. Needless to say, I have long scars from that incident. Now don't get me wrong, I love animals, however when situations get hard, decisions must be made. I understand that if you are solely debating whether or not to declaw due to concerns for furniture or fabric or other useless materialistic items, it is wrong. However, I support 100% the declawing of cats that are dangerous and simply attack or play too rough. On a side note, I still haven't declawed my cat because I deem it unnecessary, and I accept the dangers and I keep precaution and safety. /

The cat seemed like her old self the very next day. We are very pleased with everything.

Shank Animal Hospital in Oakland Park, Florida

Dr. Shank is the man. You will never find a better, more caring, veterinarian.

I get offened when someone says that I am declawing my cats for lazy reasons. I am a disabled woman. I have an extremely painful and debilitating disease. If my legs get punchered by claws, my legs will leak fluid, and I will get an extremely painful infection that risks having my legs amputated or worse, death. I am 31 years old. I have no children of my own. I will never have children of mine own and that is not my choice. I love and care for my cats as if they were children. But, I have to protect myself first. I do not want to do it, but it is a necessity. Don't tell me that I don't love and care for them! My cats are happy, healthy and content with where they are. They don't show any sign of distress or pain. I love them with my entire heart and may shame come to the person that says otherwise!

All my cats have been declawed and they're just fine and well loved. It's a surgery people, and they recover in a week or two and forget all about it if the vet does their job right. I think it's ridiculous that in this day in age abortion is acceptable but declawing a cat is inhumane.

I am getting prices and information on declawing my kitten. He is almost 4 months old. Surprises me the cost difference. My concern is some vets declaw and keep them only for the day, they say they do not intubate the kitten. I am concerned about that, sending them home with no overnight stay and would like some folks comments on this!!

I have had my cat Tiffany for 13 years now, i got her as an 8 week old kitten and tried everything i could from training her to soft claw caps to sprays, etc she eventually got to the point where she was ripping up entire sections of carpet and ruined 1,000s of dollars of furniture. I finally gave in when she was about 4 years old. I about 800 total with the pre op blood work, the surgery, anesthesia, pain medication, special kitty litter and antibiotics etc. i paid a lot i know but it was worth it, she can't scratch anything and it never seemed to bother her.

I volunteer at an animal shelter and I can tell you that declawing does change many cats - there are approx. 100 cats in our no kill shelter. Of the 15 or so that have been declawed about 10 are either biters or have been given up due to litterbox issues that developed after the declawing. Of the roughly 85 remaining clawed cats maybe 5 are biters or 'pee-ers' - you do the math. Or better yet, please visit a shelter and see for yourself the truth about declawing before you go ahead with this mutilation. Working where I do, I have to say that reading the comments from those recommending this horrible procedure sickens and angers me - I see the problems it causes every time I'm at the shelter and the fact that there are cats that seem to be okay after the surgery (and who really knows what they think or feel since the survival instincts of all animals cause them to hide pain)does not give anyone the right to ignore all the research which contradicts the claim that declawing is 'harmless' much less recommend that other people mutilate their cats in the same way! I'm sorry if I come across as angry but I have seen the lives of too many cats destroyed by this 'harmless' procedure becuase I can guarantee you that those people who are too lazy to teach a cat to use a scratching post and/or wear softclaws are way too lazy and selfish to deal with the behavioural problems that can be caused by declawing and will inevitably end up dumping the poor creature at a shelter. (I often wonder if they feel any guilt at all when doing this or do they kid themselves that it was somehow a 'bad' cat? Nothing like denial is there?) If someone doesn't want to deal with a cat being a cat, please just don't get one!

This vet clinic is located in Bean Blossom, IN (just north of Bloomington, IN). This is by far the best price for a declaw; however, the vet does not take appointments. The clinic opens at 1pm. I was there at noon and had to wait for 2 hours until they took my year and a half old cat in. They kept him overnight and he is doing great! A little wait is worth a ton of savings!

The article is all about the cost of declawing in monetary terms, what about the cost to the cat ?rnBy whichever method used declawing is the amputation of the cats end toe joints, it is a cruel and unnecessary operation which disables cats for life. Cats need their claws for walking, balance, exercise and for playing as well as for self defence. It's very wrong that little kittens can be declawed thus depriving them of the chance to learn to use a scratching post. It is very simple to teach a cat to do so and to have a happy healthy cat instead of a crippled cat.Some cats may seem to suffer no consequences from declawing but any true cat lover knows that cats hide their pain. Many declawed cats are right now suffering in silence ! Even before declawing was banned here in the UK our vets would not do it, they did not break their oath to cause no animal to suffer. Cats NEED claws, if you don't like claws DON'T get a cat !!!!

I'm a former veterinary technician, and my experience of assisting with declaw surgeries and patient aftercare has convinced me that there is nothing humane about this procedure. Regardless of the method used, declawing has a high risk of complications, and is still 10 or more amputations that result in a permanent alteration to the skeletal structure and the way the cat bears its weight on the paws, and thus the potential for long-term musculoskeletal disorders to develop over time is the same regardless of method. There are numerous humane alternatives to declawing. People with declawed cats will tell you not to listen to "horror stories" because *their* cat happens to have been one of the lucky ones, but for every cat that recovers well from this radical and painful procedure, there are others who are now living their lives in chronic pain, and there is no way for even the most skilled surgeon to predict beforehand which cases will be horror stories and which will not.

i adopted my cat with both front and back feet declawed he has no prblems in fact he is a master mouser when the mice get in the house in the winter

I had my male tabby declawed and neutered at the same time when he was 6mo old, six years ago using the traditional declaw method. The clinic kept him overnight and other than not liking the newspaper litter and being a bit sore for a couple of days, he wasn't affected and retained his same temperment. Six years later, he has no problems, is an inside/outside cat and plays well with my cat that has claws.

I have had cats all my life. All our previous cats were indoor/outdoor so, we never had them neutered/spayed or declawed. It did not seem like the thing to do 20-25 years ago. Now, it is the only thing to do.
Over the past 10 years, we have adopted six new cats - ages 3-4 years to 14 years old. 4 girls and 2 boys. All stay indoor only. All are neutered and spayed. All are now front declawed too. Last one is being declawed today.
When you research and read about declawing it sounds like an absolutely terrible procedure. Most websites make you out to be a monster of a human if you do this to them.
I agree with almost everyone else at this website that they get pain meds during and after surgery and if they are kept in a confined space for a few days to heal and improve, within 7-10 days they they are all back to normal. Cats are extremely resiliant.
They pretend to scratch their claws on furniture and doors and the like for the balance of their lives so, they don't know the claws are gone. They do not seem to loose their sense of balance as many claim and we have not seen any personality changes. That's not to say it can't happen, but we have yet to experience any strange or unusual final side effects.
Of coures, make sure you use a reputable vet with a good history and try to get to know them well before a surgery. Most animal lovers already have that in place. Find out what is involved in the surgery and prepare to help your cat recover with proper care for a few days.
On a side note, if I had a cat that was both indoor and outdoor, I would choose NOT to declaw as to allow them to defend themselves. Also, with FIV and FLeuk heavy in the outdoor world with male unneutered cats now, I would choose NOT to let my pet outside anymore as they can easily get infected nowadays.
All our cats are doing A-Ok. Just ask Harry, Emmy, Elliott, Abby, Trixie and Bernie. Our land of fur persons are living large and loving it.
Good luck!

I'm planning to move back east, into my Mom and Dad's home. They live in a 130 year old historic house with 3 Pommerainians and an old, blind cat. I have one incredibly loving and affectionate "scratcher." I've decided to declaw her to avoid any fights between the animals. Is it cheaper on the east coast than here in San Diego? Are the procedures comparable?

I had my first cat declawed and had no problems. Now I just had my second cat done and she will not use the paper I'm just worried that when I go back to litter she won't use it anymore. Has any one had that happen? Do they use litter when they can again?

I have recently been considering the procedure to declaw my two cats but I have many concerns. I have been "training" them for years to not scratch the furniture and use their scratch posts. Somedays they do great but cats will be cats, and other days they find the furniture ohh so scatch terrific!! It's in their nature and they don't know any different. I love my babies but I've tried everything from constantly keeping their claws clipped, soft paws (which are hard to put on while they fall off all the time so they still claw things up) to annoying sprays that stink up my furniture. I feel like it's the last resort but I don't want to hurt my cats. They are lovey indoor cats and are age 6 and 7 which I've had since they were babies. Does anyone know if the procedure harder on them since they are older? Most of the time you hear cats getting declawed at early ages. Would love to get some feedback or suggestions. Thanks!!

I see a lot if denial here. Cats need their feet in order to walk and jump right. Declawing is illegal in all other countries for a good reason. Don't have a cat if you are to life long harm it. The excuse to chopping off a cat's toes is pathetic.

I've had many cats over the years and currently have a 3 yr. old declawed cat. I adopted him this way. Before that I had a declawed cat that lived to be 18 years old. and saw no ill effects from the declaw. Before that while growing up, my mom was getting remarried and her new husband said our family cat had to be declawed. She was declawed at 10 years old. She lived to be 16. She was fine also. No problems. Now I have a 3 month old kitten that I found outside, had him neutered and have decided that I want to declaw him as well, but I am having guilt over this.

I am getting a kitten on the first my mom said it has to be declawed but I want to know if this is the right thing to do. Please help me.

I have had declawed cats all my life. We just put our last cat down at age 19.5 years, so it's been awhile since I checked out this procedure. Now we have two kittens from the animal shelter and the CHEAPEST quote I got is $560 per cat for declawing. The highest quote is $1,100 per cat. We live in Southern California. Is this really high or is it just me???