Pet Care...or I live in an Apartment...

[RobinStarwing]

So got my cat home today from the Vet to my apartment (just need the license from the city and that finishes the paperwork) though my building's rules required that he had to be declawed (fronts only).

So far he is alright and he did go bathroom. I got the care stuff set up for him as the Vet told me but curious if there is anything else I should be looking out for besides what is listed in the post-care instructions and what my mother has told me needs doing?

[Loyal]

Dude, your apartment required you to declaw your cat? And you went through with it?

Not cool.

[RobinStarwing]

Dude, your apartment required you to declaw your cat? And you went through with it?

Not cool.

Didn't open this thread to hear opinions of something I agree sucks a fair bit. Yes, I read up on the procedure. I know what is done to him. I'll live with the choice made.

Also, why is required in italics? Doubting my word on that or something?

EDIT: Also, nothing I could see in Minnesota law stopping them from having this requirement.

EDIT2: Also, the only other person who could haven taken my cat in was my little brother and he has a son right now who was born last month on X-mas eve. So can't have him taking the cat in. He was living with my dad and his wife but without me there, was becoming a problem and they need to get their stuff moving too, including adopting out their own cat and leaving the two little dogs.

[Nikose Tyris]

Doubting the legality of brutalizing an animal. Double check your bylaws becaaaause in most places, while they can DENY you at application time for having a pet, you can get one/have one in whatever healthy condition you want as soon as they grant you the lease.

Actually here let me do it for you:
http://www.lawhelpmn.org/files/1765CC5E-1EC9-4FC4-65EC-957272D8A04E/attachments/3AC9E009-EB8A-455C-A7F2-5FD37E7407C7/h-7-can-i-keep-a-pet.pdf

And cutting off fingertips is not a 'reasonable rule about pets'.


So yeah you probably didn't have to do that to your cat. Also let me know the apartment complex so I can put an animal rights group to good use for once.

anyway to your original question, watch for blood, try not to be convinced you need to hack it's tail off too.

[Shyria Dracnoir]

Yeah, the worst my current apartment property required for pet owners outside of the extra pet rent was renter's insurance, which I can see the logic of a lot better than mandatory declawing.

I'm not happy that you felt pressured to go along with it, but I'm not going to dogpile on you over it. I will second Nikose's suggestion of double-checking the laws in your area and bringing your apartment's policy up for public scrutiny.

Also, no abrasive clay or clumping litter for the kitty for like a week or two. That's all I got.

[Aerozord]

Guys he didn't want to do it, but its been declawed, its done and now he wants to do all he can to help the cat recover. Right now the best thing to do is assist in its recovery not jump down the owners throat for a difficult decision and make him regret asking for help. If where he lives is anything like here its hard to even find a place that allows pets at all.

It was either him not having a place to live, the cat being homeless, or it getting declawed. Not exactly an easy choice to make.

[Shyria Dracnoir]

I agree with Aero, it's a shitty situation all around, and I'm more upset at the apartment complex for putting him and his cat in that situation in the first place.

[RobinStarwing]

Thanks guys and so far doing all that. I got some blood to clean up (He stubbornly removed one of the bandage wraps on his own) but he's bouncing back fast. Already showing how much he missed me (he's spent the last two months at my dad's and his psycho-dumb wife's place) and is being the kitty I remember rather than attacking their little dogs at random.

Eating and drinking too as of late last night. Waiting for him to use the litter box (I sat and hand shredded the local business paper into his litter box) before I let him have time to explore and no reluctance to walk on his front legs.

EDIT: I will be talking to the Landlord Office today to learn why the policy was put in place.

[Shyria Dracnoir]

I suspect it's some issue concerning possible property damage, which is still a stupid-ass reason since there are other ways of addressing those concerns.

[Sweet]

The biggest concern with declawing is pain management. Declawing is a form of amputation, so there is a concern with phantom limb pain. Telling if your kitty is in pain can be difficult because their natural instinct is to hide if they're in pain. So far it sounds like your kitty is bouncing back well, but keep a close eye on him. These are some of the easiest to spot signs that kitty might be in pain:
Lack of grooming
Sleeping a lot and/or sleeping in only one position, especially if this is a change from weeks/months/years past.
Lack of interest in food, water or surrounding
Wanting to be left alone
Growling or hissing when stroked, touched or moved
Nonstop purring
Licking a particular area
Abnormal body positions, such as a hunched-back or head-in-the-corner stance
Restlessness
Change in food preferences, sleeping spots and/or litter box habits
General irritability or crankiness
Reluctance to jump to favorite spots, such as window sills and beds
Reduced social interactions with owner
Hiding or isolating oneself

You will also need to keep a close eye on his paws because it is possible in rare cases for the claws to grow back (this is usually only the case if the surgery was done "incorrectly" as otherwise the bones of the cat's foot that the claws are rooted to are gone).

He will still have the instinct to scratch, he just now lacks the means to. I recommend getting something that he can "rabbit punch" comfortably, like a scratching post. Avoid sisal since that can be too rough on bare paws, focus on ones that are carpeted. Wicker baskets also seem to get a lot of kitty paw love.