TheCatSite.com › Forums › General Forums › IMO: In My Opinion › Is there ever a justification for declawing?
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Is there ever a justification for declawing?

post #1 of 32
12/19/06 at 8:22am
Thread Starter 
I think most people declaw their pets because they just don't know any better. I don't want to start a debate on how bad the procedure is, because I think most of us are in agreement about that.

I'm just wondering if there is ever a justifiable reason to declaw a cat. Like health reasons or something?

Thanks!
Reply
post #2 of 32
12/19/06 at 8:26am
Injury to the toe, or a tumour. In which case the toe may have to be amputated. So the same reasons for amputation of a leg or tail would be suitable clinical reasons. It would usually just be the affected toe, as if all toes on one foot were affected the amputation would likely be performed higher up.
Reply
post #3 of 32
12/19/06 at 8:29am
I've heard of it being done on a "club foot", or in cases where the cat was polydactyl, and claws were ingrown or injuring the paw itself.
Reply
post #4 of 32
12/19/06 at 8:30am
My vet said that she once saw a cat that had some sort of growth on the toe and it had to be done for the cat to walk normally.
Reply
post #5 of 32
12/19/06 at 8:32am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by jcat View Post
I've heard of it being done on a "club foot", or in cases where the cat was polydactyl, and claws were ingrown or injuring the paw itself.
Is that a common problem with polydactyl cats?
Reply
post #6 of 32
12/19/06 at 8:40am
Quote:
Originally Posted by tiffanyjbt View Post
Is that a common problem with polydactyl cats?
No, it's not, but I know of two cases, one in Germany, where declawing is illegal except for health reasons.
Reply
post #7 of 32
12/19/06 at 8:42am
Quote:
Originally Posted by tiffanyjbt View Post
Is that a common problem with polydactyl cats?
I don't think so. My polydactyl doesn't have any problems, except that the claw on the second thumb doesn't retract all the way and she clicks when she walks.
Reply
post #8 of 32
12/19/06 at 8:59am
Thread Starter 
Thanks! I did a search on this site and found a great link to polydactyls that was posted by another poster:

http://messybeast.com/poly-cats.html#hindpaws

Thanks for the info...
Reply
post #9 of 32
12/19/06 at 9:16am
What about humans though? I.e. someone that wants to own a cat but maybe has poor healing skills? Or I remember seeing several times that people with diabetes are not suppose to own cats.
It had something to do with their claws and if the diabetes person gets scratched often they have a higher risk of infection...

PS I am against declawing too...just wanted to turn the path of the thread a bit.
Reply
post #10 of 32
12/19/06 at 9:29am
Besides health reasons for the cat (injury or deformity to the paw), the other reason I have heard is for health concerns of the owner. Blood conditions and autoimmune conditions (i.e. AIDS) are the most often cited because small scratches can be very serious with some conditions. At the same time, studies had found that AIDS patients with a pet companion generally do better, health wise, then others without a pet. So there's a real trade off there.

That's a tough call, IMO. Should we deny homes to cats because the people cannot have a cat with claws for their own health? Obviously the ideal solution would be to adopt a cat that's already declawed, but that's not always possible.
Reply
post #11 of 32
12/19/06 at 9:29am
Quote:
Originally Posted by lunasmom View Post
What about humans though? I.e. someone that wants to own a cat but maybe has poor healing skills? Or I remember seeing several times that people with diabetes are not suppose to own cats.
It had something to do with their claws and if the diabetes person gets scratched often they have a higher risk of infection...

PS I am against declawing too...just wanted to turn the path of the thread a bit.
Great minds think alike, huh?
Reply
post #12 of 32
12/19/06 at 9:35am
Aids I would also suggest a already declawed kitty... I do have an immune disorder( yep I get certain infections easy ) .... i have one declaw and she is 18.5 ( I lost the arguement as a kid) .... My other one was taught not to use her claws( which she learned quick ) and they get clipped regularly( ooh and I keep antibacterial in every room... So yeah if an extreme circumstance of kitty or human health ...
Reply
post #13 of 32
12/19/06 at 9:37am
Quote:
Originally Posted by lunasmom View Post
What about humans though? I.e. someone that wants to own a cat but maybe has poor healing skills? Or I remember seeing several times that people with diabetes are not suppose to own cats.
It had something to do with their claws and if the diabetes person gets scratched often they have a higher risk of infection...

PS I am against declawing too...just wanted to turn the path of the thread a bit.
Quote:
Originally Posted by valanhb View Post
Besides health reasons for the cat (injury or deformity to the paw), the other reason I have heard is for health concerns of the owner. Blood conditions and autoimmune conditions (i.e. AIDS) are the most often cited because small scratches can be very serious with some conditions. At the same time, studies had found that AIDS patients with a pet companion generally do better, health wise, then others without a pet. So there's a real trade off there.

That's a tough call, IMO. Should we deny homes to cats because the people cannot have a cat with claws for their own health? Obviously the ideal solution would be to adopt a cat that's already declawed, but that's not always possible.
I think that people with these conditions should adopt an already declawed cat then, goodness knows there are more than enough of those in shelters, I just can't agree with declawing a cat unless it's medically necessary FOR THE CAT, and then even in those conditions is a full declaw ever necessay
Reply
post #14 of 32
12/19/06 at 9:51am
Thread Starter 
What if the person already owns the cat? Should they have to give them up? It IS a tough call! What would stress the kitty more? Loosing its home or declawing?
Reply
post #15 of 32
12/19/06 at 9:57am
Quote:
Originally Posted by tiffanyjbt View Post
What if the person already owns the cat? Should they have to give them up? It IS a tough call! What would stress the kitty more? Loosing its home or declawing?
IMHO?? declawing, especially with an older cat, cats are pretty adaptable to new surroundings, but to declaw an older cat? that, to me, is one of the most inhumane things a pet owner could ever do..... and also, its been shown that declawing leads to biting behavior and biting has a MUCH higher risk of infection in healthy folks, so I could only imagine what a bite could to do an immuno-compromised person
Reply
post #16 of 32
12/19/06 at 9:58am
Quote:
Originally Posted by tiffanyjbt View Post
What if the person already owns the cat? Should they have to give them up? It IS a tough call! What would stress the kitty more? Loosing its home or declawing?
There are ways around it though, I don't think it's quite as straightforward as one option or the other. We have 'soft claws' these days, which can really reduce the risks of clawing.

While I can see the point about people with diabetes or circulation problems, for people with AIDS or other immune disorders, I would have thought the biggest risk in owning a cat would be from the potential of getting pasteurella infection or toxoplasmosis, which declawing would not affect...
Reply
post #17 of 32
12/19/06 at 10:10am
Thread Starter 
Since I'm fortunate enough not to have to experience this situation, I can't really say for sure. I think I would have to sacrafice my own feelings and let the cat go to a good home (that I have screened myself). The biting issue is also a major consideration. I feel for people who have to make this kind of decision.
Reply
post #18 of 32
12/19/06 at 10:19am
Tough one - in the UK declawing isn't allowed unless for medical reasons, so not sure how immunocompromised people would get one - would be a shame for them to have to live without pets though.
Reply
post #19 of 32
12/19/06 at 10:19am
We have one cat at the shelter named Gigi. Gigi has a rare condition called cutaneous asthenia or skin fragility. Gigi’s skin is deficient in collagen, the protein that holds skin cells together. Her skin is 10 times more fragile than normal making it susceptible to ripping even from everyday actions such as scratching or playing. She is therefore also much more susceptible to infections and bleeding out whould she manage to damage her skin significantly.

Right now, she's wearing SoftPaws, and we're testing to see whether or not this would be an appropriate life-long solution, or if the possibility of one coming off when the adopter isn't home and her damaging herself is too great. If it is, then unfortunately declawing might be an appropriate action, as would having the adopter agree to a home-check so that we can super-cat proof the house with them.

We have also seen paws that had a lot of extra toes and deformed paws where claws were growing into the paw and causing pain and infection or paws where more than one claw was in the socket. In those cases, it has been necessary to remove the problem claws ONLY. As far as a full-declaw goes, Gigi's condition (which is, by the way, extremely rare) is the only thing I've ever seen where it might be justified.
Reply
post #20 of 32
12/19/06 at 10:24am
Quote:
Originally Posted by valanhb View Post
Besides health reasons for the cat (injury or deformity to the paw), the other reason I have heard is for health concerns of the owner. Blood conditions and autoimmune conditions (i.e. AIDS) are the most often cited because small scratches can be very serious with some conditions. At the same time, studies had found that AIDS patients with a pet companion generally do better, health wise, then others without a pet. So there's a real trade off there.

That's a tough call, IMO. Should we deny homes to cats because the people cannot have a cat with claws for their own health? Obviously the ideal solution would be to adopt a cat that's already declawed, but that's not always possible.
Yes, but then what happens when the declawed cat BITES the AIDS patient because it's lost it's claws? IMO, SoftPaws or not having a cat would be more appropriate. Cat bites almost always become infected in healthy people (whereas scratches are superficial and as a rule don't generally become infected in healthy people) , so I can only imagine the kind of damage it would do to someone with e supressed immune system.
Reply
post #21 of 32
12/19/06 at 10:28am
Quote:
Originally Posted by lionessrampant View Post
If it is, then unfortunately declawing might be an appropriate action,
Poor kitty, sounds like the equivalent of Ehler-Danlos Syndrome in humans. However I still wouldn't consider declawing - people with collagen disorders such as EDS and to a lesser extent HMS often have great difficulty healing after surgical procedures, complications are to be expected, and the risks in having surgery and risks of infection, prolonged bleeding, and wounds re-opening are very greatly increased - I would consider it too risky to have any surgery performed that wasn't absolutely life-savingly (as in an emergency situation) necessary.
Reply
post #22 of 32
12/19/06 at 10:28am
In Gigi's case would you also be declawing her back paws then? I hope for her sake that the soft claws are a viable solution.

I'm torn on the declawing issue. Frankie is declawed but only because my parents made the decision. It was done when she was spayed at a very young age and she IMO doesn't have any biting issue but she's been clawless since the was very young. She occasionally give me a love bite but even that is very rare. I tend to agree that other actions can be taken for an owners health (like the soft claws) and a declaw should only be done in necissary for the cat's health.
Reply
post #23 of 32
12/19/06 at 10:29am
Quote:
Originally Posted by lionessrampant View Post
We have one cat at the shelter named Gigi. Gigi has a rare condition called cutaneous asthenia or skin fragility. Gigi’s skin is deficient in collagen, the protein that holds skin cells together. Her skin is 10 times more fragile than normal making it susceptible to ripping even from everyday actions such as scratching or playing. She is therefore also much more susceptible to infections and bleeding out whould she manage to damage her skin significantly.
Not being facetious here, but I was reading this and thinking "wouldn't declawing significantly damage her skin and possibly cause her to bleed out?
Reply
post #24 of 32
12/19/06 at 10:32am
Quote:
Originally Posted by katiemae1277 View Post
Not being facetious here, but I was reading this and thinking "wouldn't declawing significantly damage her skin and possibly cause her to bleed out?
Yes I agree, as per my post above. I have HMS (which is not as serious) but I have trouble with my skin splitting open, wounds bleeding for a long time, improper healing of wounds, scarring even from the tiniest scratch, bleeding under the skin when I take a knock, and scars re-opening. I do not think the cat in question would stand much of a chance of surviving declaw surgery in the long-term.
Reply
post #25 of 32
12/19/06 at 10:51am
I agree with the others who've said that declawing a cat if it has a medical condition ( tumor, growth..whatever on the foot or toe ) would be the only reason I'd declaw a cat.

As for a human that has some kind of bleeding disorder, AIDS, or some other kind of problem along those lines.
I'd think the Soft Claws would be a good answer or if they don't already have a cat and want one adopting one who's already declawed.
Reply
post #26 of 32
12/19/06 at 12:06pm
My SL is 81 and has been a type1 diabetic since she was in her twenties. She always had dogs but never cats until one of her neighbours cats decided to move in with her, when the neighbour moved she asked her if she would take Sandy’s sister as well.
She taught them to use a scratching post and not to jump directly on to her lap; they jump on the arm of the chair first.
I go round and clip their claws about every two weeks, and they all live very happily together.
Reply
post #27 of 32
12/19/06 at 12:32pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by katiemae1277 View Post
Not being facetious here, but I was reading this and thinking "wouldn't declawing significantly damage her skin and possibly cause her to bleed out?
I'm just telling you exactly what the shelter medical staff is considering. I'm not the vet, and personally, I still wouldn't declaw her if she were MY cat with this condition, but that's me. It's actually a large controversey. I don't, however, think there's a problem with the ability of her blood to clot, and I thikn the reason they're afraid of her bleeding out is not because her skin breaks in and of itself, but because housecats aren't normally supervised 24/7...what if she cut herself seriously and bled out while no one is there? I think it would clot normally...if they DO go through with the surgery, I'm sure they will take her to a feline specialist and perform the surgery in such a way as to avoid touching any more skin than necessary. When healthy cats are declawed, they bleed and clot normally. Her skin is just more susceptible to being broken. That leaves her more open to infection than anything and she's on a regular anti-biotic.

Although, I do agree with removing the PROBLEM CLAWS ONLY on cats that have deformed paws. It's not the most pleasant thing in the world, but a lot of these cats are in so much pain and just feel so much better when the claws that are causing the infections/wounds/immobility are gone, and can use the unaffected claws normally.
Reply
post #28 of 32
12/19/06 at 2:35pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by katiemae1277 View Post
IMHO?? declawing, especially with an older cat, cats are pretty adaptable to new surroundings, but to declaw an older cat? that, to me, is one of the most inhumane things a pet owner could ever do..... and also, its been shown that declawing leads to biting behavior and biting has a MUCH higher risk of infection in healthy folks, so I could only imagine what a bite could to do an immuno-compromised person
Exactly ... my dr told me just to be carefula and be extra cautious ( like anitbacterial ) .. With my Declaw I have to be much more careful since she DOES bite ... oh and the other one is semi feral so all cats can be taught
Reply
post #29 of 32
12/19/06 at 2:49pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by lunasmom View Post
What about humans though? I.e. someone that wants to own a cat but maybe has poor healing skills? Or I remember seeing several times that people with diabetes are not suppose to own cats.
It had something to do with their claws and if the diabetes person gets scratched often they have a higher risk of infection...
My friend the diabetic (severly so) has 4 fully clawed cats. They clip their claws. He gets tagged from time to time and finds a way to deal with it.

Health reasons for the cat alone. This may sound harsh, but humans too often alter their environment for their personal benefit. If a person is ill and can't tolerate being scratched, there are other pets to chose from in the world.
Reply
post #30 of 32
12/20/06 at 4:21am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Momofmany View Post
Health reasons for the cat alone. This may sound harsh, but humans too often alter their environment for their personal benefit. If a person is ill and can't tolerate being scratched, there are other pets to chose from in the world.
I agree. Declawing because of medical reasons relating to the owner is still mutilating the cat solely for human benefit and I can't approve of that. Tbh the scratches I get from my cats are usually inflicted during play so if I didn't spend a lot of time doing that I wouldn't get scratched much. Anyone for whom a scratch could be particularly serious has to weigh up the risks and benefits of owning a particular pet and make a decision accordingly.
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: IMO: In My Opinion
TheCatSite.com › Forums › General Forums › IMO: In My Opinion › Is there ever a justification for declawing?