Clawed vs Declawed Cats 'sharpening"

Joined
Apr 17, 2006
Messages
2,550
Likes
0
Points
36
#1
I do not want this to be debate over declawing. Growing up, our cats were always declawed, and they always still tried to sharpen their imaginary claws on everything available. I thought that this was normal behavior.

Now that I have Cheshire, she is the first cat I've ever spent lots of time with that has all of her claws. She very seldom sharpens them at all, even on a scratching post. I've had other people with clawed cats tell me the same thing.

I'm fostering a declawed Persian, and he sharpens on everything, just like the others I've had.

Is it common fo ra declawed cat to want to 'sharpen' their claws more so then a clawed cat? Or is Lady Chesh the laziest cat alive?
 

maxfox426

My dog tickles my soul
Joined
Feb 8, 2008
Messages
3,808
Likes
0
Points
36
Age
39
Location
Indianapolis, IN
#2
Dunno what to tell you there. All the cats I grew up with were front-declawed, and the two I have now have all of their claws. All of these cats did/do the "sharpening" behaviors.

Of my two current boys, while both do scratch/sharpen, one is much more aggressive about it than the other. Ticheli is an idle scratcher, while Whitacre will meticulously pick every thread out of the bathroom towels if we let him. :rolleyes:

I know that doesn't really help your question much, but it is my personal experience when it comes to cats. :p
 

*blackrose

"I'm kupo for kupo nuts!"
Joined
May 11, 2010
Messages
7,065
Likes
3
Points
38
Age
33
Location
WI
#3
Apollo still has his claws. He sharpens on the cat tree and scratching post, but pretty much ignores everything else.

Pheobe is front declawed and she "sharpens" the cat tree and scratching post, too, but also on baskets. I think she likes the baskets because she can grip the weave and pull it with her toes, so it makes a noise and seems to her more like she actually scratching.

Rush had his claws, too, and he'd scratch on an old beat up chair and the carpet on the stairs.
 

SailenAero

Hits the Mark
Joined
Jan 28, 2011
Messages
470
Likes
0
Points
0
Age
39
Location
Houston, TX
#4
Nobu has all his claws but only sharpens on the cat tree. It seems my declawed cats growing up sharpened their "imaginary claws" more often than Nobu does, but I think it multi lately depends on the cat. Nobu is still young so he could sharpen more as he gets older.
 

crazy_paws

No thumbs = No mutiny
Joined
Jul 4, 2006
Messages
1,419
Likes
0
Points
0
Location
NC
#5
I have an adopted Persian who was declawed by a past owner, and a rehomed Sphynx who has all her claws.

Hands down, cat with the claws sharpens them more. But Jasmine, the persian, is pretty lazy, so I don't think this is anything definitive. Azizah is just a more active cat.
 

Jules

Magic, motherf@%$*#!
Joined
Jan 13, 2006
Messages
7,204
Likes
0
Points
36
Age
42
Location
Indiana
#6
Both my cats scratch the cat post, but that is all... and I didn't have any cats before those two- I am actually not a cat person..lol!
 
Joined
Mar 1, 2011
Messages
4
Likes
0
Points
0
Location
CA
#7
That's very normal for cats to scratch on things they want to. I dunno the reason behind that but maybe that's one way for them to remove stress but not sure still. Whenever you see cats acting like that do not mind them are avoid them from doing such it's normal I guess.
 
Joined
Feb 26, 2011
Messages
6,405
Likes
0
Points
36
Location
Minnesota
#8
I think it's just an individual cat thing. I have 4 undeclawed cats, and they're all a bit different. One of them scratches on the cat tree or scratching posts or pads basically whenever he walks into a room where there is one. Another I see scratching on the cat tree at least once every day. The other two I notice it here and there but not consistently.
 

MericoX

Roos, Poos, & a Wog!
Joined
Oct 27, 2007
Messages
5,326
Likes
0
Points
36
Age
39
Location
In depression
#9
I always thought they scratched to loosen the dead/outside claw? At least that's what I've always thought.

Our two cats aren't that scratchy, one used to be but now they're pretty lazy.

I wonder if the declawed cats that scratch more, were declawed because of the scratching, and they're just used to it?
 

vanillasugar

just call me Nilly
Joined
Nov 27, 2005
Messages
6,829
Likes
0
Points
0
Age
40
Location
Peterborough, Ontario
#10
I've only ever lived with one declawed cat, and he was just plain LAZY. I don't remember him pretending to sharpen his claws ever.

My cats at home ruined everything, not even scratching all that often! They just weren't taught where was appropriate to scratch, and weren't even given appropriate scratch posts after my parents gave up and figured the furniture/carpet was ruined anyways.

Buddy is a big scratcher, he loves to sharpen his claws. For the most part he's very good about limiting himself to the post, but he's also ruined a chair that has a very similar texture to the scratching posts, and I didn't realize he was scratching there until it was too late. Oh well. He's also just recently developed an affinity with the carpet, we're working on that.

Nya was not big on claw sharpening. She did it, but seemed to prefer bare wood, and when none was available she just didn't do it very often.
 

Anissa

New Member
Joined
Mar 15, 2011
Messages
9
Likes
0
Points
0
Location
Pennsylvania
#11
I think it just depends on the cat... I've noticed that when my cats were younger they sharpened their claws all the time, some of them even sharpening them a lot as they grew up. Others sort of just seem to "grow" out of it (that's not really the best way to word it... but I can't think of any other way).

My one-year-old and three-year-old are terrible at scratching (they're not declawed, so it messes up a lot of our furniture including our new leather recliner). My two other cats, who are over five, hardly ever do that. Angel, my oldest cat, likes to sharpen her "claws" (or lack of) on shoes occasionally.

So yeah... I think it just depends on the cat.
 

Members online

No members online now.
Top