I am so FURIOUS over declawing right now!!!!

Originally Posted by urbantigers

If a kitty is attacking people and behaviour modification hasn't worked then maybe the cat should be put to sleep. Although it seems a drastic solution (and I'm not advocating putting cats to sleep for behaviour problems right left and centre) I don't think that declawing - or any other procedure that's generally unacceptable - can be defended by saying it's better than being put to sleep. From a cat's point of view, being put painlessly to sleep is probably better than undergoing a painful operation and being unable to indulge in part of it's natural behaviour forever afterwards.

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As I have said in the past, I am, for the most part, anti-declaw.
Our 4 that have been declawed came to us that way.

But I do have to respectfully disagree with you here.
I had my first cat declawed, and I was fully educated on the procedure.
His was done out of necessity, and it was still a very, very difficult decision to make.
He was born microcephalic and clinically diagnosed as mentally disabled.
This was a wonderful, healthy boy, with one exception, he was basically a time bomb that only a few people could read, and not 100% of the time.
This was a cat that had extremely violent moodswings and would attack whatever was in reach.
I worked very closely with his vet and we tried everything from behavior modification, to drug therapy, this was a dangerous animal, through no fault of his own.
We finally decided on the declaw as the moodswings could not be curbed.
He never developed any biting behaviors, and he stayed violent, but he was much more easily handled by the vet and his staff, who formerly wore falconer's gloves just to vaccinate him.

I had 13 beautiful years with him, and if I had it all to do over again, I would, his was the most rewarding friendship I have ever shared with any animal.

white cat lover said:

One vet around here will NOT do all 4, she will do the front paws only. Another vet will do anything, so long as he gets paid. The third vet will do 2 or 4 paws, but does tell people that it is difficult to recover from & can cause behavioral problems. However, none of the vets openly oppose declawing...although they do not like it, many of those cats would end up at the shelter if they weren't declawed...or worse, dead.

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Actually, declawed cats are almost twice as likely to be relinquished as a cat with claws. aggression and house soiling (2 common behavioral problems associated with declawing) are the top 2 reasons for relinquishment. Scratching didn't make the list. The vets that say that declawing "saves" cats should get informed.

Sources:

http://www.littlebigcat.com/declawing/declawing-and-science/

http://www.pawproject.org/faqs/

The post to which you are replying was written seven years ago. Furthermore, you should know that......

Quote:

Why do so many people do this to their cats!? There needs to be more information put out there by vets themselves about how devastating this is to a cat's life.

I guess they would rather get paid to perform this barbaric operation.

I have 2 cats.. one is declawed (we adopted her that way) and the other isn't. The one that is declawed lives a happy and normal life although I can certainly understand how uncomfortable she must have been for a few weeks as I have has numerous surgeries (and I was extremely drugged up for everyone of them).

We had considered having the other declawed about 13 years ago after destroying the side of a couch but her vet explained what declawing really was.... and we said no way! Honestly, I am an extremely intelligent person but had no idea declawing was more than just removing the nail. I'm glad our vet took the time to really talk to us about it first and give us some pointers on how to change the behaviour (actually we just redirected it to a post instead of the couch).

I know this is an old thread, but OP, did you get in trouble for the photos of the surgery?  

People feel very passionately about this topic, but if I were your boss and came back to find you had put the photos on my desk, I would probably be very displeased.  

Also, railing against someone who already has had their cats declawed doesn't actually help anyone...if it is done, it is done.  Alienating people for that choice will not induce them to agree with you.  

belle8bete said:

I know this is an old thread, but OP, did you get in trouble for the photos of the surgery?  

People feel very passionately about this topic, but if I were your boss and came back to find you had put the photos on my desk, I would probably be very displeased.  

Also, railing against someone who already has had their cats declawed doesn't actually help anyone...if it is done, it is done.  Alienating people for that choice will not induce them to agree with you.  

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belle8bete, you're right this is an old thread. The OP hasn't been active in the forums for a long time so you're not likely to get any response from her.

I must thank the true cat lover who educated me about declawing before any idea of owning a cat entered my mind. Now I make an effort to tell everyone, including the owners of cats who haven't thought about it (they might change their minds later) and even to people who don't have cats (their family members or friends might consider cat ownership in the future) why declawing is a terrible thing.

Hopefully, we can eventually make declawing illegal everywhere-After all, we won't be discussing it if we weren't animal lovers.

It is true that education does go a long way, in any case.

For example, I have several friends who acquired cats in recent years and although they were initially talking about having their cats declawed, they have learned (some form me, others from other sources) how damaging it is for cats and opted not to declaw in the end, so that's at least a few kitties in the world who do not have to live with the after effects of this barbaric procedure-and I have met quite a lot of cats who have developed behavioral issues after the procedure.

And hit it where it hurts when it comes to vets:

When I hear from people that they have had their cats declawed, I find out which vet in our town performed the procedure and make a mental note not to recommend the hospital to other cat or dog owners. These vets obviously do not understand or even care about their feline patients if they are willing to perform amputations to save peoples furniture. They can disagree, but I don't have to bring my beloved cat to such places, so I drive extra miles away from such vets to bring my money elsewhere, to a vet that is truly cat friendly.

There are also "Say NO! to declawing" stickers to let others hear your voices on this matter.

I just have to wonder about the implications of the language choices we use concerning declawing.  Are we saying that, because I once had a cat that was declawed, I was an abusive owner, or that I do not love animals?  Because although I'm sure that is not what you mean to say, it's not hard for someone to take that from the rhetoric.  

Also, moderators, it is possible that my last remark should be changed to a different thread in IMO.  

I really appreciated the non-aggressive tone of this article:  http://www.petsadviser.com/vet/declaw-your-cat/  

I think this type of discussion is just as likely to help deter people from declawing without throwing names or resorting to end-all statements. 

belle8bete said:

I really appreciated the non-aggressive tone of this article:  http://www.petsadviser.com/vet/declaw-your-cat/  

I think this type of discussion is just as likely to help deter people from declawing without throwing names or resorting to end-all statements. 

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It is an interesting article but I think it should be added that a majority of cats given up to shelters for behaviour problems are declawed. This article does not mention that a side effect is no longer using the litter box and if someone got a cat declawed because of worries about their furniture I would assume they would not accept a cat not using the litter box. I also don't really understand why the vet states that soft paws are not for everyone, they seem pretty fool proof. 

I do think it is a useful article though so thanks for sharing. 

I actually never really blame people for getting the surgery done, but I do blame some vets. Not all tell their patients about the side effects of declawing or what is actually is. I have heard too many stories on these boards about vets not informing people, so I am glad to hear that this vet does. With that being said I will most likely choose not to go to a vet that does it and I would for certain never go to a vet that asked me if I wanted to declaw my cat. 

belle8bete said:

Also, moderators, it is possible that my last remark should be changed to a different thread in IMO.  

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You are not eligible yet to post in IMO.

BOOM reality sets in.  :-) 

I don't know anything about declawing and I'm a first time cat-owner, so my experience is very limited. However, I have observed many cats over the years and one of the most common observations I have noted was how expertly they're able to use their claws in various applications. Very impressive little creatures and their claws seem to be one of their most valuable and regularly used "tool". I can't imagine how sad a declawed kitty would be. You would be taking everything that makes cats special away from that animal. An empty shell, a shadow of a once magnificent predator. Very sad, very very selfish. I would never do that to my cats. Not unless it was medically necessary. I believe such a procedure would be to the detriment of the psychological well being of the cat.

I agree, cat's claws are necessary for them in order to be cats. There is a natural predator lurking in every house cat; taking away their claws is very damaging to their psychological health.

My cat (who has all claws that I trim regularly) uses her scratch post all the time. She is doing what is natural and feels good to her, and it makes her feel happy to do that. She often follows scratch with "wrestling" with the scratch post; it is so cute to watch. When she was young, I gave up a wicker laundry hamper for her and her sister. They scratched that thing until all four sides caved in; they had something they could go all out on, so they left other "forbidden" furniture alone.

Scratching, for cats, is a wellness.

 Every time I see my cat stretching up to use her scratch post, I must say, I feel such a joy in my heart.

Curiously one of our local newspapers had an article yesterday about the dramatic decline in declawing here so vets are looking for other types of revenue. :-) Is that all it is to them? Gawd!!! Fortunately we have a great vet hospital.

Abisiobhan said:

Curiously one of our local newspapers had an article yesterday about the dramatic decline in declawing here so vets are looking for other types of revenue. :-) Is that all it is to them? Gawd!!! Fortunately we have a great vet hospital.

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Honestly I have had animals all my life and I have yet to find a vet who cares more about animals than revenue. I know they exist and I am hoping to find one soon! 

Franksmom said:

Honestly I have had animals all my life and I have yet to find a vet who cares more about animals than revenue. I know they exist and I am hoping to find one soon! 

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I took my Squeak to the vet after I brought her home from the shelter, just for a wellness check. They did the basic exam, cleaned her ears, discussed her diet with me, etc. and they didn't charge me. She was up to date on all her shots, so she didn't need anything. I doubt they're flawless, but I was very appreciative.

Declawing -Oh, this just adds to the many uncivilized acts that are practiced every second in the pseudo civilized countries. The Humane Societies and Resque Groups may need to have signed agreement from adopter before they let the animal go to people who are considering declawing.