paws

I have a question to anyone who might like to respond.. How do you guys out there feel about having a cat declawed on the front paws. Just curious to know. I have several friends whose cats ARE declawed and they are indoor pets only. They don't seem to think its being mean to the pet and the one main reason is to save the furniture. I personally don't feel that much against it as long as the cat is inside only. I have been thinking about it and just wanted to know how everyone felt.
pr66

I truly understand and respect the opinions of others regarding this issue, but I will say that I have a wonderful, well-adjusted, 14 yr. old tortie that is declawed. Though some may feel that it is inhumane, she has never had any health or behavior problems as a result. Maybe I am just fortunate to not have her experienced any of this. I neither condone nor condemn the procedure, simply because I feel it is ultimately the choice of the owner. I don't think that someone should be stereotyped as being cruel for having it done. I also believe that there is just as much pain that is involved with spaying and neutering, probably more. In either case, I trust my veterinarian to guide me in the proper decision, and knowing my little friend will be under anesthesia so not to feel the pain.

I admire and respect your opinion and totally agree with you. I do feel that it up to the individual and owner to decide this. I feel like you must love your cat just as much as any one out there who does not agree with declawing. My vet, just as yours guided me through this and I had all the confidence in the world in her. Too, like you said what could be anymore painful than a spay or neuter, not to mention the weeks of recuprating. I do respect anyones opinion on this, its just that others have opinions too. I know I love my cat very dearly and she is well taken care of. Thanks Cmpuppiespn for your input.
pr66

Of course, it is the owner who makes the decision for the pet. This is merely another post with an individual's opinion.
Correct me if I am mistaken, but from what I've read and heard, there are actually some health benefits to spaying/neutering your pets. Yes, it is surgery (more traumatic for the female than male) but luckily the recovery time is minimal. All of the pet owners that I know have had the procedure done to their pets to lengthen the life of the pet and to stop accidental pregnancies which would end up in unwanted animals that would add to the already burgeoning numbers of unwanted animals.
Along with traditional declawing, there is also the tendonectomy. This surgery is less invasive but the end result is still a cat that is not able to use its claws...or properly exercise (clawing promotes exercise of certain muscles) or climb/run as agiley as it once did. Instead of amputating part of the toes, the tendon that controls the claws is cut. The cat is left with useless claws with nails that continue to grow (the cat cannot extend its claws).
I would hope that before any owner exercises the right to make such a decision for his/her pet, that the owner tries the many methods out there to stop the cat from inappropriate clawing before deciding to declaw.
Here is another site to check out:

http://community-2.webtv.net/zuzu22/...clawtemporary/

I am a first time cat owner, and can honestly say I didn't know better at the time.

We got Trent declawed at the same time of his neuter (6 months) on the advice of our vet at the time. When we brought him home with little "drumstick" legs (with the bandages up to his armpits), he acted really pathetic and I immediately felt horrible for having done this to him. He asked to be lifted to do everything, from coming into bed to going to the litterbox. I THOUGHT he was OK when he took off running when the forbidden room's (the computer room) door was opened, but I was wrong. His toes got infected, he stopped eating and drinking because it hurt too bad to walk. He became very dehydrated so we took him to the emergency vet. They kept him there overnight, with an IV drip to rehydrate him. He was put on antibiotics (which he was well enough to HATE and get more of the liquid on himself and me than in him most of the time.) Even with the medicine, I truly believe that the only reason that we didn't lose him is that on one of his worst days, I stayed home and forced him out of his hiding spot at least every hour, made him drink and eat, and loved him (I know, the drinking and eating helped more than the love, but that is when he became very attached to me. Before he was Daddy's boy.).

Because of this experience, I am very opposed to declawing. I know that some animals may not react the same way that Trent did, but he almost died because we were being lazy and didn't want to train him not to claw things, and because the vet either didn't see the after-effects and was not informed or just because they wanted more money from us (which they did get! Not only the additional cost of the operation, but the emergency visit, overnight stay, medicine, etc.).

On the flip side, we did not get Ophelia declawed. She was a rescue kitten (we think she was 5-6 weeks old when we found her) who at 6 months still barely let me touch her. Going to the vet just wasn't really feasible at that time. After Trent's experience we never considered declawing an option for her. We did take the time to work with her about clawing furniture. Of course, she is a very smart kitty who does not like to get into trouble and it was very easy to train her (one NO and she won't do it again - ever! ) She is very good with her claws.

Sorry this is so long, but I wanted to let people know of a real experience. I know that there are good idealogical reasons not to do it, but sometimes real experience can be a better deterant than just ideas.

I do not agree with declawing.....it's CRUEL! Please just invest some money into a sscratching post and you will see how much your cat will put it to use. Cats were born with claws for a reason.....would you remove your nails? I think not!

Originally posted by liman
I do not agree with declawing.....it's CRUEL! Please just invest some money into a sscratching post and you will see how much your cat will put it to use. Cats were born with claws for a reason.....would you remove your nails? I think not!

Click to expand...

It is actually more than just nails, the human equivalent would be to remove the tips of the fingers, right down to the first knuckle.
Not a big fan, either, but I will not share too much, I can only imagine that this is a pretty passionate subject for some of you! :tounge2:

I just wanted to add that my grandmother got a rescue kitty once that had been declawed. Well, needless to say the reason the poor kitty had been dumped at the shelter was because after the original owner declawed the poor thing she never used the litter pan correctly, or at all for that matter. I had heard this could happen to declawed cats, the litter hurts their paws.

I am completely against declawing because of the inhumane aspects of it and I know first hand! I used to work at a vet clinic and had to assist with some declaws. I saw what was cut off and there is a joint that they cut when they do this! On this aspect I am done and I know there are some out there that say "I had my cat declawed and they are just fine." To that I say to someone thinking of having their cat declawed - Why even take the chance of your cat having behavioral problems and or health as a result of the declaw. You are gambling when you decide to ignore the inhumane aspect and get your cat declawed.

before I knew the details of declawing, I was against it for another reason. I just dont' think that it is morally right for me to surgically alter any animal solely for the purpose of my convenience. I mean, I might as well say "God, thanks for my cat, but I don't think you did it quite right. Just let me fix this one little thing....". That's just how it seems to me.
My Duvet is declawed (was that way when I got him), and I would do anything if I could just give him his little toes back. He must miss them. I know I would, and mine don't even DO anything, beyond providing balance!

Boy did you open up a can of worms with that question on this site!!

For the record, I'm against it.

Hot topic here and discussed many times. I have to say that I would rather replace a piece of furniture, than de-claw. There is a product called SOFT PAWS which can be applied to the claws to prevent any damage from extended claws. Please consider giving that a try!

This is a very sore subject around here. The majority are dead set against it, but there are a few who go for it.

If for nothing else, its unnecesarry pain. Having an animal spayed/neutered is totally different. That is to prevent cancer of the mammory glands later in life for females, and to prevent cancers in males as well. And yes, to prevent unwanted pregnancies. To have your cat declawed is for YOUR convenience, and it has absolutley no benefits for your cat. NOTHING!!!!!!!!!!! You are not a very responsible pet owner if you do this in my opinion. Declawing is cruel and unnecessary punishment for your cat, and it is disgusting.
I surely hope you reconsider doing this to your cat. And any vet that tells you different is lying.

Don't do it - you'll regret it after you get your kidden home and see how much pain is involved.....