Declawing...

I wish the US could be civilized. No declawing, no cropping, no docking...ah, to dream.

Question to the UK/overseas people. I know that you all don't crop ears, but do you dock tails? Like in the doberman and boxer breeds?

Originally Posted by GoldenKitty45

Question to the UK/overseas people. I know that you all don't crop ears, but do you dock tails? Like in the doberman and boxer breeds?

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No tail docking in Australia.

My 7 cats all have their claws, I'd never heard of declawing until I came to Canada. I was horrified when I found out what it is.

I have never had a cat declawed and never will. Gryphon and Nibs (both RB now) came to us declawed -- and thankfully, they did not suffer any behavioural problems as a result of the declawing, but that would never be a justification for doing this to a cat.

Originally Posted by GoldenKitty45

Question to the UK/overseas people. I know that you all don't crop ears, but do you dock tails? Like in the doberman and boxer breeds?

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Sadly, tail docking is still carried out, although opposition to it seems to have increased in recent years and it's not uncommon to see spaniels, boxers etc. with undocked tails. The new animal welfare bill (2006) aimed to ban tail docking but an overall ban was narrowly voted against. Instead it looks like there will be an exemption for working dogs, although it will be illegal to dock for cosmetic purposes. I'm totally against docking. I think the situation with docking is different to the declawing of cats in that it's done at such a young age. It's therefore breeders, rather than the general public, who need to be educated about it.

to keep the first cat i ever had, my mom made me declaw, the front.
kitty was with me for 13 years, she came from the local apl and was about to be put to sleep.....howver any vet that willing does all 4 should be shoot.

so what better a long happy life where she was loved, and still missed or to let her die?

however non of my other cats have been declawed ,and non of them ever will again.

My three are not declawed. They have ripped one chair to shreds but I bought a new scratching post and a slipcover and now all is well. I don't really even clip claws anymore. They seem to do their thing fine on the post and the scratchy box.

I would never declaw any of my cats, and kittens go under a NO DECLAW contract, or it voids a 4 year health guarantee. There is so many safe alternatives to declawing, that anyone thinking of declawing should educate themselves on the procedure and what they can do to prevent the mutilation of a kitten/cats feet.

I have an Old English Sheepdog, which is a breed that does tail docking. I have done many years of research on the breed, which included information on tail docking. IMO, which comes from facts, is that if tail docking is done approximately 3 days after birth, the puppy, has not yet developed nerve endings, so the procedure is painless. It also carries very low risk for infection. However, I do not agree with docking past the 3-4 day mark.
The origin of tail docking was never about cosmetics, but to prevent taxing on a working dog. I do feel that it is now carried out because of cosmetic reasons, as well, for ease, the owner doesn't have to worry about a tail clearing the table. I grew up with an Old English Sheepdog, and would love the breed just as much with or without a tail.
I don't know enough about ear cropping to comment on it. I don't know why it was originally started, and if there was a reason for it, other than cosmetic.
I would love to see declawing banned here in the US.

I had a boxer, and when he was a couple days old the tail had already been docked. I did have his ears cropped, I probley wouldn't again, I like it that way, so I would get a rescue with it already done.
I worked with a woman who told me I was cruel and shouldn't be aloud to have dogs, and on and on this lady went, and this lady had a house full of declawed cats! How can some one feel ok with ripping all of their cats toes off at the first knuckle to stop it from sratching a couch, but think taking a little flap of skin off the ears is cruel? Her explanation, I had no reason, and she did, ears are cosmetic, and declawing saved the couch, LOL!
I would have my dogs tail docked. It is done at such a young age there is no nerve ending. Plus how many have heard of dogs having behavioural issues because of a docked tail OR cropped ears? I know most do dissagree with declawing, and will probley bite my head off because they don't agree with the docking either, LOL! but, that's ok, every one has an opionin.

Oh, this may sound kind of strange but has any one ever done or even heard of docking a cats tail? My man and I have a friend and his mother used to breed persians. She knew I started breeding my ragdolls, so were talking one day about things, like giving the shots (I did that with one litter, but decided to just do it at the vets, I didn't feel satisfied knowing that a vet hadn't seen them and given them a full health exam, so I just do it all at the vets (and now I do early altering, so they just get it all at once) Well her cat jumped on the table and she had no tail, I thought it was cute, and figured she was just born that way, but she said she docked the tails, I asked her about it, I never heard of vets doing it, and she said she just did it her self! she said she did dew claws as well, I was just so surprised, I don't think I could do some thing like that my self, as far as dogs, if I raised boxers I would bring them to the vet to do. Any way, the cat is a persian, has any one ever heard of docking a persian (or any cats) tail?

Nope, Trout is fully intact...well all except her "womanly" parts

actually, ear cropping and tail docking can interefere with dog communication. Dog's ears are cropped, usually, during that critical socialization period and they aren't allowed to play with other dogs AND their ears hurt so they may have negative associations with new things.

Dogs tails are imporant for communication (duh) and with a "nub" you just can't communicate effectively not to mention the dogs scent glands are exposed all the time and may come off as being overly assertive. Perma-erect ears can have the same effect.

Mine are not declawed, none of my families cats have ever been declawed and nor will they ever be. It is completely cruel and inhumane, right up there with tail docking and ear cropping. Ear cropping just makes the dog look ridiculous, why do something for cosmetic reasons when it could have negative effects on the dog? And tail cropping, I know it used to be done for hunting dogs I think. But why? If there is a good reason and it is done right then perhaps that is alright. I can never figure out why dogs who are shown are supposed to have cropped ears but they can't be neutered...neutering is healthier and doesn't effect their appearance too much but ear cropping is totally unnatural and changes how they naturally look and yet it is required I think in the show world.

Anyways, getting off track, all my animals have their claws, full tails if they are meant to be there and their ears!

When I was a child we had a cocker spaniel with a docked tail. He was docked by the breeder at a few days old, of course, so it wasn't our choice. Tbh, I don't think any of us actually realised it was docked - we probably just thought that's what spaniels' tails were like. Now if I was buying a spaniel I would specify to the breeder that I wanted one without a docked tail. I don't like the idea of mutilating animals for our own convinience. I've never heard of docking a cat's tail.

None of my cats have ever been declawed, plus I live in the UK now where its illegal.

When we took my first kitten Snowy (my little sister five at the time) my Mom asked if they could clip his claws the vet the Arabic vet said he would do that but he would not declaw. We asked what that was and were horrified to find out what it invloved, he said that a lot of the American expats were leaving his practise because he refused to do the procedure. He also said that cats who had been declawed were much more likely to bite children and were very unhappy.

Unfortunatly an uncle of mine got his cat (Nina a beautiful black kitty) in New Jersey declawed without knowiing what it involved. We lived with him in the states during the Gulf War and remebering Nina as a very timid cat that did not like us children (we were not rough havinmg been exposed to cats for a long time) only my uncle. She always hid under the bed until my uncle came home from work.

Lucky (the unluckiest cat in the world) is my aunts cat (who lives in Virginia) who hates everybody she is also declawed and untrusting. My aunt again did not know what declawing was but after she bought her house the HOA made her declaw her cat. She wasn't even an outoor cat before the declawing (obviously she wasn't after it as well) so I don't know how whether their cat was declawed or not effected the HOA.

Declawing can cause problems for the cat, and it's unnecessary surgery. So no declawing for me or my cats. And, anyway, I prefer sturdy furniture--if they claw the furniture, they're likely to be clawing metal or plastic. A scratching post should be much more attractive than that.

But I don't agree with those people who say "NEVER adopt a declawed cat, or you are supporting declawing". Declawed cats are still cats--cats who've been hurt, mind you, but still cats--and they need homes, too. A declawed cat who's been dumped probably already has problems, and an experienced owner can be such a cat's saving grace.

It's so very mercenary to say "Don't adopt declawed cats". They're individuals--you don't ignore individuals for the sake of a cause. If you do, you lose sight of the individuals the cause is supposed to help in the first place.

Re. Tail docking: I've been told that dogs with very long, thin tails have their tails docked because when they wag them enthusiastically, they're likely to break their tails... I'm not sure whether this still applies, now that these dogs are usually pets instead of working breeds, though.

I have not had any of my cats declawed. IMO it is cruel to leave a cat defenseless. However Holly was already declawed when she came to me. It must have been done when she was a kitten and she doesn't have any problems. She is allowed to go outside, or she drives me nuts, and has been able to catch mice, birds, and even brought me a mole on Monday. Her paws aren't tender or sensitive. Even though Holly seems to have adapted well I still do not think it is something I would ever do to a cat. Holly is very trusting and loves children.

As for the docking of dogs tails. Dottie, the momma Aussie, already had her tail docked when she came to us. But since I had pick of the litter when I picked Maggie I insisted that she keep her tail. BOY! did I catch it from my husband and FIL. They are both old fashioned farmers and explained that the tail should be docked so that the dog wouldn't collect so may stickers and cockleburrs in thier tails while chasing cows from the brush. And my reply was that if God didn't have a purpose for Maggies tail then it wouldn't be there. Both dogs do just fine and it just takes a little more attention to get the stickers out of Maggie's tail. Besides the place they usually have the burrs in around thier neck.

*sick feeling* I didn't realize what it was until I read it on here. I just took our male cat in 2 days ago to have it done and to be fixed. I will never do that again. Our cat comes home tonight and I am about ready to cry after reading this. Carla

Originally Posted by KaylieKitty

I am originally from Germany, where de-clawing is considered cruelty to animals.

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I live in Spain....I am not sure about the law on de-clawing, but the Spanish think its weird if you have a cat-flap...............they leave cats out, my ex-boss used to go away for long weekends and leave her 4 cats to "look after themselves" she thought that was perfectly normal..........well until I came along, so now I´m the feeder, but she makes me feed them outside. So from all that I gather that they wouldnt even consider de-clawing.......and of course, it would mean spending money.............

none of my cats are declawed, never done it, never will !!

Originally Posted by laureen227

sweetie, don't cry

i have 2 declawed cats, & have had 2 others previously - none ever had/have any problems at all. he'll probably be just fine. now you know, so your future pets will not be, like my other two.

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Thanks Makes me feel better to know be OK. I drove the vet nuts calling every hour till he was awake.