Ack-trying to talk my stepdaughter out of

DECLAWING her two kittens when they're spayed.

I think I have her waffling, but need some suggestions of other things I can use as arguments. She's good hearted, and has a soft spot for her babies, so I'm hopeful that appealing to that will turn the corner.

Her HUSBAND is the one who's insisting on it, "because my mom's cats have always been declawed". He can be ...thickheaded... and STUBBORN about some things. Once his mind is set, it's basicly set in STONE. sheesh. However, he will listen to my stepdaughter about what she wants, thankfully. I was even thinking of playing a very dirty trick and enlisting the grandchildren to help stop this from happening, but I don't want to do that, really. They're young, and it wouldn't be fair to them to use them that way.

So...what to do next??

Many people do not really how barbaric declawing is. I didn't until I joined TCS. My childhood cat was spayed and declawed at the same time as that was the thing to do back then.

Here are some links for you. I hope they provide all the ammunition you need.

http://www.thecatsite.com/Care/34/De...-Manicure.html

http://www.thecatsite.com/Care/33/De...ernatives.html

http://www.thecatsite.com/Care/2/A-P...DeClawing.html

http://www.thecatsite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=41954

Thanks for trying to save the sweet kittens' toes.

I always tell people to take a look at there hands, and note where their nails are - part of their fingers. I then point out that declawing is not simply removing nails, its removing that entire first joint of the fingers/toes. How would you like to walk on that while its healing?

Let your stepdaughter know that though some vets claim its routine, it is quite painful for the cats and can completely change their personalities and may cause lifelong pain. Then, tell her about alternatives that work. Maybe you can take her to the pet store and show her Soft Claws (plastic caps you can put on over the nails - they can still retract and go through the motions of scratching but do no damage), help her learn how to trim their nails (which is pretty easy if you start on them young), show her sites on how to train a cat to scratch in proper places, etc.

Good luck, I hope she listens to you and spares those poor babies' toes!

Yeah, was thinking about sending those links to her. I have NEVER had a cat declawed in my life. It is unnecessary. I was also thinking that maybe the more GRAPHIC depictions I could find of this the better. Might freak her out into sensibility!

Look through this thread. I think some members psoted graphic links.

http://www.thecatsite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=84413

Tell your stepdaughter that if she declaws, she risks changing the cat's personality (for the worse). The cat may wind up very fearful of things, or start biting out of fear.

Also the biggest thing is the cat may find a new place to pee/poop since the litter doesn't feel right.

And remind her that if she does do it, when the cat has biting/peeing problems, that she can't just dump the cat because of problems SHE created that was not there now. Too many people declaw and when the cat acts up (or pees other places) turn the cats in the shelter.

As well as getting her to read those links and understand what the procedure involves, remind her that it's illegal in many countries.

I agree that a lot of people don't get what declawing actually does to the kitty. I was going to get my girl declawed until I learned more about it on here. I am so glad I decided to join and do some research on it. Tell her about soft paws. They are really great and protect furniture and floors and your skin and don't hurt the kitty. They are for dogs too!

Why do they want to declaw anyway? Just because his previous cats are declawed should not be the reason. If you can figure out what the reason is (protect carpet and furniture? make the cat easier to play with?), then maybe you can focus your tactic towards their concerns.

My cat is declawed (previous owners), and he has a lot of noticeable issues from it. He has trouble with jumping from anything beyond 3 feet. He also is a biter, and he actually attacks stronger than my other cats; he swings his back legs around. I think not having his claws makes him feel vulnerable, so he overcompensates when he wants to be left alone. My girls (with claws) actually have more vicious temperments (especially Patches, our feral rescue), but they reserve clawing for when they need it, and they usually don't claw too much, just one half-hearted swipe. Puppy will claw us up every time he gets startled, so we have to keep everything calm for him.

It's more her husband that's so adamant about the declawing, and yes, it's to protect the furniture. I already showed her how to do some things to stop it, like squirt guns, and spray bottles, which she's already doing. So, she IS doing things I've told her about to keep them from clawing things they shouldn't, and encourage them to not scratch on things they should not scratch on. It is working as well. What I'm hoping for, is that her hubby will see that the declawing is not necessary, as they're already not touching the stuff he's worried about.

Plus, there's another thing I have....if they need a loan to do it (which I'm thinking is probable), there's only me and my hubby to ask, and we will NOT lend her money to do this.

My dad used a great analogy with me
(yes I had considered declawing ONLY until he talked to me and I did research and found out what REALLY happens):

"Would you want someone to rib your nails out of your fingers???" Start with that. Her identifying with her sweet cuddly kitten might help and then she'll have to fight her husband on his stubborness.

How horrid, If you want a cat accept a cat and all the bits and pieces that come with it,
ok spaying and neutering is an exception i guess but declawing is purely for selfish reasons and is frowned upon for good reason,

some people really annoy me..

How about telling her that if she doesn't abandon the idea we'll all turn up and pin her to the ground while one of us does the same to her? Without anaesthetic.

Originally Posted by urbantigers

How about telling her that if she doesn't abandon the idea we'll all turn up and pin her to the ground while one of us does the same to her? Without anaesthetic.

Click to expand...

Well, she is definitely interested in the soft claw thingies (I forget the name of it, will send her a link) and is working VERY hard on hubby to turn HIM around. If you read what I said, SHE is workable on this. Her hubby is very very stubborn. That, and I do think simple economics will also help me in the long term... hehe

IMO if you are choosing furniture over cats, you shouldn't have cats. But your furniture doesn't have to be destroyed either. If your stepdaughter gets a good sturdy scratching post (like 4 feet or higher) then the cat will use that instead of the furniture.

I raised a lot of litters of kittens and had adult cats and NONE of my furniture ever looked like I owned cats They were taught from the time they ran around the house where to claw and where NOT to claw.

As far as the husband - she should get him to read the REAL story of what declawing consists of - if he still believes in declawing after reading it, nothing will help

Here is a GREAT story, if this doesn't convince someone I think they have absolutely no heart at all.

http://declaw.lisaviolet.com/declawvettch.html

Tell her to get rid of her hubby and get another cat instead

As I said, simple economics will ultimately end up being my friend in this as well. Y'see, they're finding out just how EXPENSIVE the elective surgery is! They have a new house, and all that entails, so....they will end up having to come to ME for help, and I will ONLY help for spaying. To the point of picking up the kittens and taking them to the vet myself. My husband is in full agreement on me with this as well. As he said, there is no way in HELL he will lend them money to mutilate those babies.

Jen everyone should print that story out and hand it to whoever even thinks they should declaw! I sat there crying reading it. My very first cat, Mitten was declawed (at the time I didn't know better) because mom/dad said that either he got declawed or we got rid of him. I had no real choice.

I am crying for what I did to him. I do know that when he came home he couldn't walk well and I had to carry him to the litter pan for a few days. Mitten was one of the lucky ones that declawing did not make him a biter or refuse the litter pan. He still climbed low trees (using the back feet as a launching board) and still managed to catch and kill squirrels or baby rabbits.

But none of my other cats were ever declawed after I found out the truth.

I know it's a little OT but she could have adopted an already declawed cat from a shelter. Declawing is bad stuff.