Would you patronize a vet who does declaws?

I would probably continue to go to a vet who tried to discourage clients from having their pets declawed, and to explain alternatives, but not to one who offered a "spay/neuter and declaw" as a sort of package deal. Luckily, I don't have to deal with the issue, because declawing is illegal in Germany, unless medically necessary for the cat, as in the case of deformed toes, club feet, etc..

I would. Vets euthanize upon request too. And I don't hate people that declaw. I'd rather see a cat loved, safe and inside a home declawed than in a shelter waiting death because the owner couldn't get it to stop shredding the couch. Declawing isn't a free service, the dregs of society don't spay/neuter their cats much less pay for them to be declawed. It's not just uneducated boobs who get it done.

Be the change you wish to see in the world (Ghandi)

Originally Posted by KitEKats4Eva!

Initially when I read the title to this thread I thought you meant, actually patronise - like, go into a vet clinic where they do declaws and give them a hard time about it....lol.

Twit...

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Hehe I thought the same thing until I read your post.

I'm sure my vet declaws but I also no they will do SoftPaws as well which I think is great for people who don't want do it themselves. I would only hope they explain the procedure first. I think its awful how many people have declawed cats and don't even know they have amputated fingers! Its just so sad...

I knew someone that had to move to an apartment and had no choice which complex or time to find another place. The apartment complex would only allow declawed cats. If it came down to keeping the cat or having to get rid of it (possible to a rescue) then I think the declaw is worth it.

Of course I would protest to the complex and provide written proof of what they are actually asking! Ugh how frustrating.

Someone suggested that it's better to declaw a cat so he can be adopted rather than live out his life in a shelter or be put to sleep. I can agree on the put-to-sleep part, but gosh... life in a shelter isn't so bad! At least not at the shelter where I volunteer.

The cats at our shelter have a big, warm, sunlit room where they can run loose, and they can climb custom-built kittystairs up to a series of catwalks and perches. There are plenty of big, soft pillows to lounge on, and there are cages where they can relax and feel safe when they're ill. Our kitties are fed well and given excellent vet care, both onsite and by a wonderful animal hospital nearby that does a lot of pro bono work. And no kitty is ever put to sleep unless he's in severe, unmanageable pain with no hope of recovery.

Best of all, our shelter has a huge screened porch full of cat trees, condos, and toys. The porch overlooks the front entrance of the shelter, so there's always a lot of activity for the cats to observe, and there are birds in the trees just outside, too. We have cats who have lived their whole lives there (mostly those who are hard to adopt out due to health problems, disfigurement, or age) and they seem to be perfectly happy. They're surprisingly social, too -- when you sit down on one of the benches on the cat porch, you are immediately surrounded by furry little critters lookin' for love. :-)

I'm sure there are a lot of shelters that aren't so nice, and a lot of shelter cats that don't get such good care. But I wanted to point out that living in a shelter isn't necessarily a fate worse than declawing! :-)

Unforntunately there are alot of shelters that are not like that, and the cat ends up living in a cage with no end in site.

I am not against declawing as long as the owner knows what is involved with the surgery. We get people who call all the time about having older cats declawed, and we tells them that our cut off point is a year of age and we will not do it, when they ask why we explain it to them.

Originally Posted by JacqueStrap

It's not just uneducated boobs who get it done.

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No, because "uneducated boobs" also probably don't have expensive leather furniture.

I don't care how wealthy someone is, if their furniture is so important to them that they will put a living creature through an extremely painful procedure to protect it then that is not something I can respect, ever.

You don't have to respect it, or them-just maybe acknowledge that it is really the lesser of the two evils.

(None of my animals are declawed, or docked, or cropped)

I don't know. My vet doesn't do any surgeries (because we have an enormous vet teaching hospital in town), so it's not an issue for me.

My vet is a super cool cat person, though. I don't think that he would do declawing, and if he did, it would be after a log discussion with the owners about what kind of procedure it is.

I was a bit angry at my mother after I found out what declawing actually is, though. I can understand that there wasn't another option for Meow, since she hated my mother, and sending her back to the shelter was probably a death sentance. She had Loki declawed, though, after a very brief attempt to train him to not scratch the newly upholstered antique furniture. Yes, he was pretty energetic about it, but the only other scratching surface he had was the round cardboard center of his ball-chase thingy. And now he's a neurotic cat, just like Meow was. I think I have her convinced to try Soft Paws for any future cats, though.

Originally Posted by KitEKats4Eva!

Initially when I read the title to this thread I thought you meant, actually patronise - like, go into a vet clinic where they do declaws and give them a hard time about it....lol.

Twit...

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LOL...I thought so to...I was starting to picture having to crawl through picket lines just to keep my cat healthy!

Yes, my vet does declaw, but her office kind of discourages it. What I mean is that they say they do the service only at the owner's request, but will tell the owner the horrors of it.
I admit that I did consider it for Luna, as most cat owners I have know did get their cats semi-declawed (front only). Including BF *Glances evil toward BF*Then my dad really discouraged me and phrase it as "How would you feel if we pulled your nails out when you were a baby?" Ugh Yuck!

yes YES YYYEEESSSSS!!!!!

I personaly believe it is wrong. I mean imagine your mother saying to you "Your hands make to much mess around this house so I'm taking you to the hospital to have them cut off"!!
I feel the same with de-barking dogs. The animal was made that way for a reason and it's unfair of people to change how they are because it isnt convenient for them!

It's not an issue for me, since declawing (+docking and cropping) is thankfully illegal here. When I first heard of declawing, I couldn't believe it was for real . If I lived in a country that accepts this IMO barbaric practice, I would feel bad supporting a declawer financially; given the choice, I'd definately opt for the non-declawing vet.

I don`t think there is a vet in our town who does`nt declaw....so "no" I would`nt not go to a vet just because he or she does that procedure....just as long as they don`t do it to MY CATS!
I wish it were totally banned in the US as it is in Australia too.
Linda

I do believe that a lot of people (or at least I HOPE) would NOT declaw if they knew that it was`nt just pulling their claws out ,(as I thought for years) but actually amputations of the ends of their "fingers"....or if they realized how terrible painful it is after the procedure...or the possible long term effects....but I don`t think a lot of vets actually explain this. (I`m sure some do....but some just do it when asked, and explain nothing!)
Linda

Originally Posted by Petnurse2265

Unforntunately there are alot of shelters that are not like that, and the cat ends up living in a cage with no end in site.

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That's what happened to my Spike, before my boyfriend and I adopted him. At four months of age, he had been returned to the Humane Society four times by previous owners who felt he was too "rambunctious." He was a kitten, for crying out loud! And our local Humane Society is over-worked, under-staffed, under-funded and under-appreciated. The cats there live in small cages, and while the volunteers there try to ensure that each cat gets some play and social time, some cats are bound to fall through the cracks. I certainly don't blame the folks at the Humane Society for how the animals there live; they do their best, with the very limited resources available to them. If I could take all the cats home with me, I would.

I wouldn't refuse to go to a vet that performed it. I would hope that he would discourage owners from having their kitties declawed.

I'm not sure if my vet declaws or not - but I go under the assumption that it's practiced by at least one of the 6 vets at the office. However, there is no information about it posted anywhere in the office, but they have a section about it on their website that lists alternatives.

All 3 cats I have every had have been declaws, done by previous owners. The first two cats had been dumped at shelters; the third was surrendered by an elderly lady with 14 other cats. They were/are wonderful loving cats, and there are SO many declawed cats out there that just get dumped since many declaws have problems afterwards, that I will probably only every adopt declawed cats for the rest of my life. They deserve the same loving homes as other kitties! Rather than declawing a cat, since there are tons who have already had it done, it just takes a little searching to find one of these special kitties.

If I liked the vet, that would not stop me from using him. I don't agree with declawing (unless you've tried EVERY thing else and will keep the cat no matter what happens), but that doesn't mean you shouldn't use him/her.

Whenever I take a cat in for neuter/spay I make it very clear to NOT declaw. I've had some offices say "you want the cat declawed too?" without me even hinting at that. I don't like that "pushing" for declawing to make more money.

I usually tell them "NO declawing, this is a show cat and show cats can't be declawed"

One thing I recently noticed in looking at apartments (for our sons) was that some places allowing pets put a "restriction" on cats having to be declawed in order to be accepted!

I think it depends on the circumstance. Some ppl live in areas where there may be one vet in a 100 sq km or mile radius. And it's helpful to have one close. Mine does declaw if it is medically necessary and soes not offer it just as an aside. Not sure I would patronaize someone like that but I would ask them why and get some explanation before making a blanket judgement.

No Never!

To me, a vet is a vet because they love and care for animals. In the same way as a scientist loves science or a teacher loves children (ok maybe not loves children but loves teaching children!).

I personally would have a problem with taking my cat to a vet that performs declawing. They may be a perfectly capable and competent vet, but at least in my opinion not necessarily a humane one.

I would find another vet that is competent and loves and cares for animals and does not perform declawing. Fortunately I don't have to make the decision, since as mentioned above it is illegal in Australia to declaw. Also I live in a metropolitan area so have a large choice of vets in my area. Can understand and respect those that do not have a choice of vet however.

Also while I'm on the soapbox (pardon me for a moment) - a cat is an animal, not an accessory. It's not like a burger where you can order one without pickles (or claws). Cats come as a whole package deal, if you don't like claws then don't get a cat.

Just my opinion