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Can a declawed cat and a cat with claws live together?

If you have a declawed cat you may be wondering if they can mix well with a normal clawed cat and what you may need to introduce them successfully (Click here to see my best tool to help to introduce them, on Amazon #Ad).

Can a declawed cat and a cat with claws live together?

A declawed cat can live fine with a cat with claws. It is more important that they are introduced correctly rather than the fact that one may be declawed. If there is a conflict the declawed cat indeed has a disadvantage, but if they respect each other it shouldn’t happen.

What you will need to introduce your declawed cat

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So, now you know the can. But, are declawed cats likely to be more aggressive? Will they still try to scratch? What other behavioral issues do you need to consider? Keep reading for these answers, and so much more…

 

What is a declawed cat?

A declawed cat is a cat that has had its claws removed. This is often to stop it from scratching itself, other cats, or household objects. The idea is no claws no more problems. However, declawing is more involved than the title may suggest.

These cats have more than their nails cut. Their toe bone, closest to their claw, is also removed. This is to stop the nail from growing back. So, as you can see it is more than “declawing” in reality.

To put this into context, it’s like you need your long nails cut so you remove a finger bone to do it, are you with me?

Is declawing cruel?

Some cat owners say that declawing is cruel and this may be why it is banned in some countries. Whether you think it’s cruel is a subjective choice. Personally, I wouldn’t consider it, because there are other ways to work around scratching problems in your home.

I guess the best indication of how you should judge it is, would you like to be declawed? If your answer is no, then you may have the answer. This is usually the best indication and way to measure if any act is cruel.

How do you introduce a declawed cat to a clawed cat?

If you want to introduce a declawed and clawed cat together you need to do it slowly but protect both cats in the process. Also, don’t assume your declawed cat may become a victim, it could turn out to be the aggressor. Here are some tips to introduce them safely:

01. Create a barrier

The first thing you need to do is to make sure there is a physical barrier between them. This will stop them from attacking each other if they are not acting friendly.

You could use a pet gate ((Click here to see the price, on Amazon #Ad) to separate them. This will create a simple barrier for them.

02. Provide Treats

To get them to interact you will need some treats (Click here to see the reviews, on Amazon #Ad). This will draw them together to start testing how they will respond to each other.

03. Monitor

Now that you have created the barrier and treats you need to give them time to monitor how they will respond. Hopefully, they will show no signs of aggression, behave well, without my hissing.

Ideally, you will see the cats interacting in harmony, sniffing each other, and appearing to be happy. This would be regarded as a good first introduction.

Are declawed cats more aggressive?

Declawed cats are likely to more aggressive. This could be a combination of pain, frustration, and the fact that they have lost their ability to scratch, which is usually their first choice for defense.

This behavior has been echoed in several studies, including this one, that showed a significant increase in biting, back pain, etc. This is when compared to cats that have not been declawed.

Do Declawed Cats bite more?

Declawed cats are more likely to bite more because they do not have the option to use their claws. This is logical as well as proven in several studies.

If you think about it, it’s similar to humans. If a human loses one of his senses he is likely to compensate by relying on its others, such as the sense of smell, or touch to replace another sense.

Do cats’ personalities change after declawing?

There is no evidence that declawing a cat changes its long-term personality. However, there are some behavior changes expected while they recover. This is expected because the declawing procedure will cause them some pain and discomfort.

Also, they need to get used to the feeling of not having their claws, which psychologically is quite hard for them to get over in the short term.

Do declawed cats need special litter?

Declawed cats do respond better to special cat litter. This is because some cat litter can be rough on their feet. This is because they are missing a bone in their toe which feels painful for some cat litter types. To avoid this you should look into a soft option.

A good soft cat litter (Click here to see the reviews, on Amazon #Ad) will make your declawed cat’s life a lot easier. One of the problems of other rough cat litter options is it can lead to your cat avoiding the cat litter altogether.

If this happens you may have issues like finding poop on your floor, sofa, or other places you do not want to find it.

Are cats allowed to be declawed?

There are some places where cats can be declawed. But, many have banned this. Such as some European countries, the UK, or Australia. This is just a few, for example, there are more.

There is a good reason why these countries would ban declawing. It is because of the opposition from people in these areas. This is why it is advised to avoid it even if your country allows it.

Can a declawed cat still scratch?

Declawed cats will still scratch. Obviously, this will not have the same effect as a normal cat but the reasons for this are not always to harm or defend. It is sometimes used for scent marking. In this context, these declawed cats are likely to still do it.

When a cat marks its scent there is no need for its claws to scratch into the object. This is why you may see this still happen. Also, there may some occasions, mainly in the early days after being declawed, when they instinctively attempt to scratch in defense, forgetting they have no claws.

What behavioral issues do some declawed cats have?

Declawed cats can have several behavioral issues such as biting, acting aggressively, or pooping outside of the litter box. It could be a case of just one of these issues, or all three. It just depends on the individual cat and how they react to it.

Can a declawed cat’s claws grow back?

It is unlikely that a declawed cat’s claws will grow back. But, it is possible if it was done incorrectly. If this does happen it is likely to be quite painful for your cat because it will probably grow back incorrectly, often with deformity.

The reality is nature did not intend for cats to be declawed so if there is regrowth you would have to expect that it will not match natural claw growth.