Declawing older cats

Question
I have a 7 year old female cat and i am moving and need to have her declawed...will she be alright being an older cat?

Answer
I don't understand why moving would make it necessary to declaw her. If she has been good for seven years there is no reason to do that now. If it's because she has to be indoors she will be fine without being declawed, just make sure you have a nice scratching post for her.

I am not for declawing at any age. I have seen it make more cats than not into mean, angry and biting cats. In 30 yrs of practice I have only known about three cats that it didn't turn into mean cats. Not to mention the absolute pain they go through afterward.

There is another surgery that is less painful and renders her claws unable to scratch the furniture with- it's called a tendon-ectomy. The vet cuts the tendons that make the claws extend so they can't but it is less painful, it doesn't mutilate them and they are unable to scratch your furniture. You will have to still cut her toenails for her but that isn't a problem usually.
Ask your vet to do that procedure or find one that will.

I cannot in good conscious every recommend declawing. It is truly a painful mutilation. It's not even legal in the U.K. for this reason.