Hi there! I'm adopting two kittens this weekend, and need some advice. I've been a "dog person" for several years, and haven't really had a cat in quite some time, let alone TWO! Is there anything I need to keep in mind, considering that this is my first experience with two at the same time? I realize that I should get them vaccinated early and things like that, but what are the pros and cons regarding de-clawing? Also, what other nuances do I need to be on the look-out for? Any words of wisdom from those of you with multi-cat (or even single cat at this point!) homes would be appreciated. Thanks!

i dont think declawing them in neccessaary if you want to its fine. i have had four kittens at once it is way easier then having a puppy. Kittens are the best. there playfull and do cute things. good luck

If you plan to have them stay indoors, I would suggest de-clawing. I have 3 cats currently, and all 3 of them are declawed, as they are indoors. Cats are wonderful, loving, clean animals. Have fun!

PLEASE PLEASE do not even consider declawing them until you try training them. People try to make it sound like it's just like cutting your nails but they actually amputate the top of the cat's toe. And then the poor baby has to walk on those feet and scratch in the litterbox while they heal. It should never be done except as a last resort to avoid having to get rid of an untrainable cat. And even then, I would never do that to my babies. Scratching is a natural instinct and they need to stretch their paws. Buy them a good sturdy scratching post made with sisal rope. It has to stand firm because if it's tippy, they won't use it. Buy yourself a small squirt gun or a water spray bottle. If they start to claw at something like the sofa or carpet, show them the scratching post. If they keep returning to the bad behavior, give them a shot of water every time they do the bad thing and only when they are in the act of doing the bad thing. Cats will not understand any punishment that does not happen right away. With the water, they don't become afraid of you. They just think that if they claw the sofa, they get wet and that doesn't feel very good. I have three under the age of 1 year so I will be happy to help with whatever questions I can answer for you.

http://www.declawing.com/

I have 6 indoor cats. None are declawed at all. I clip there nails every single week to keep them trimmed. Start clipping there nails when there kittens. The spray bottle is Wonderful I love it. My cats will jump in the bath with you and still hate the bottle. Go and buy at least 2 scratching posts.

I have to agree wtih some of the other posters. Declawing should be a last resort, not an automatic choice for indoor cats. To me, that's like choosing to debark a dog before you've even got a chance to get it home and try training it.

I also agree with the above. I would NEVER declaw a cat. In lots of countries, it is actually illegal to have this done. I have several indoor cats, and they all have something different that they favor to scratch. If you buy one scratching post, and they don't care for it-try a different type.

I ACTUALLY agree with the others, I say declawing is not the best thing for a cat

Good news guys and gals...I think Keekeec is with us on this. She read the declaw website and wants to try training instead. Let's just hope Nwlyking reads the website too and gets some education before she continues to maim her future cats for her convenience and advise others to blindly do the same. If you want a cat without the cat behavior, get a stuffed animal. If you can still find a vet that is willing to declaw a cat and doesn't even try to advise against it, then you have found a vet that is only concerned about the almighty dollar sign and not the well being of your cat.

A year ago I brought home two female kittens from the same litter. Having two kittens is completely different that two puppies. My girls play with each other constantly. They really keep each other out of trouble. My brother kept their male littermate and he is constantly complaining about him getting into everything. I decided to have my kittens declawed and I have mixed feeling about it. It is nice to have two that won't destroy the furniture. We have two older cats that destroyed a brand new sofa with in months despite scratching post and water gun training. The first few day were quite eye opening though. They were on pain meds and I could definately tell when they started to wear off. They are now perfectly well adjusted cats. No one will ever convince me that declawing caused them permenant damage. It is completely a personal choice. You have to decide whether a week of pain is worth a lifetime of scratch free furniture and carpet. I plan on having my girls for the next 20 + years and am glad I don't have to worry about scratching. I still feel guilty sometimes about how pathetic my babies looked the first few days, though.

Also I think you should prepare yourself for being snubbed on a regular basis. Only one of my four cats is very affectionate and it's totally on his terms. It can be a bit of a shock going from dogs to cats. Also I think that male cats tend to be more affectionate, that just my theory based on my personal experience. I have seen exceptions though.

Pics of Addy(solid black) and Bitty Lou( curled ears)
http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm281/mi_ku_5/005-Copy.jpg
http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm281/mi_ku_5/037.jpg
http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm281/mi_ku_5/001-Copy2.jpg

I have six cats and none of them are declawed. I would never declaw any of them. Maxandallie is right, they literally amputate the ends of the toes, not just the claws. They use an instrament that looks like a dog's nail trimmer, not a scapel, so there is preassure to the removal. Imagine the difference in pain in having a finger crushed and tore off as opposed to sliced off, and all the affected aurrounding area.
And many cats have varying degrees of long-term pain and behavioral problems afterward, for the rest of there life. Remember how human amputees have phantom pains? Cats experience the same, yet we cut them off the pain meds after only a week or so. And they have to walk on those feet! Some may not even realize their cats are in pain, but if a declawed cat develops problems with litterbox training afterwards, that's because of the pain. Excessive licking to the feet, also a signal of pain. 20% of cats develop a limp afterwards that lasts often ther rest of their lives. That may sound like a low figure, but consider that if I were to declaw all my cats, it is very likely at least 1 will develop a limp - that means it is in chronic PAIN. Often they become irritable and many start biting... because of the pain.
And then there are the what ifs... what if the cats accidentally got out? It has no way to defend itself. What if it fell of the cat tree? It has no way to catch itself. You say your a dog person, how is the cat suppose to let your dogs know when enough is enough?
You need to ACTIVELY train it where and where not to scratch. Since you are getting kittens, its a good time to teach them and it should be relatively easy. And it is important for them to scratch, its how they strengthen the muscles in their legs and shoudlers. So get involved. I would recommend a carpet cat tree, not just a scraching post, because kittens can quickly outgrow a scratching post, and then owners say, well I TRIED a scraching post and it didn't work. It needs to be heavy enough it won't tip and tall enough for them to streach fully out. If you have two cats, have a least two posts. Kinds with different textures and/or toys help to attrach the cats attention to it. Rubbing catnip into it daily while you are training it also doesn't hurt. Having a cat safe room to keep the kitten in when you are not at home is important. When you are home and they are out, keep the watergun handy. Unless you have a water loving cat, a quick squirt should be plenty deterent. Also, if you find there are places that are just irresistable, tin foil, double stick tape, and overpriced petstore items can help for those trouble areas. Be sure to keep their nails trimmed, and then the need to scratch to sharpen claws will lessen. As a last resort, there are nail covers that can be glued to the claws to prevent damage to your furniture. I used these when I took in a cat that had hotspots to keep her from hurting herself further with good results. But don't make declawing a last resort, or a first one. It's cruel.
Hope this helps, and good luck with the new furbabies!

May you love and enjoy your two new loveable fluff balls! And I agree that declawing should be a last resort. Many indoor cats live just fine without destroying furniture with their claws intact. It is important to trim thier claws and it helps a lot to get scratching posts that are a unique texture. DO NOT get the carpet covered kind. Kitty does not understand the difference between the carpet she can scratch and the carpet she cant. Get a post that has a texture unlike anything else in your home that you don't want them to scratch. My cats have always done very well with just a plain old log. And NEVER NEVER NEVER declaw an outdoor cat!!!!! You also might want to get "cord keepers" for any exposed electrical cords. Kittens especially seem to love electrical cords and if they chew through them it can be ugly. Remember, kitties can get into very small spaces. Cats do not have collar bones and can basically collapse thier bodies to fit through very small openings. So it is helpful to remember that if they can fit their head through it, they can fit the rest of them through it. With that in mind, look around your house and kitty-proof! I could go on and on, but I'm sure there are others that would like to offer their advice as well