Declawing is compulsary? Is it true?

enkeli-kitten

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I recently did a speech on declawing and how terrible it is, for my English assignment. Well, after the speech one of the girls in my class said she'd heard that declawing was actually compulsary in some states of America!
Is it true, or just a rumor? If it is, that's TERRIBLE, and I'm starting a petition RIGHT NOW!!!
 

andelawhi

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I wouldn't say it's compulsory, but I know where I live it's considered completely normal. I remember calling around to different vets about getting my kitties spayed, and more than not, they would just tell me about their spay/declaw procedure where they'd do it all at once.
 

zissou'smom

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The girl in your class has fallen victim to a terrible rumor.

It is true that many landlords require declawing for their resident's cats, but that is starting to be no longer true as many people with cats simply refuse to live at those properties.
 

goldenkitty45

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Don't know where your friend got that info, but its totally untrue.

However, I've seen places (apartments) where its stated that cats had to be declawed in order to live there. IMO I'd never rent in such a place, and the cat does more damage to carpets if its peeing outside the litter box because it IS declawed.

I've raised kittens in apartments and had up to 4 adults in rental places and none did damage of any kind. The one landlord actually complimented us on the apparance of our apartment after we moved out - she's never seen such a clean place with no damage
 

gizmocat

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Landlords will ask for a statement from a previous landlord about the cat's behaviour. It's good to get a note when you are moving house.
No one that I've ever seen requires 'declawed' cats. They either allow cats in the apartment or they don't.
 

zissou'smom

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Gizmo-

My landlord requires declawed cats. I had to sign extra documentation certifying that I will pay for any damage done by my cats claws in full upon request.

She only recently allowed this extra documentation after seeing a movie about declawing. Before, she required declawing under any circumstances and still says that as a landlord, she would still like to, but as a human being and cat owner she can't do it.
 
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enkeli-kitten

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Thank god for that!! *relieved* I was wondering how I could have missed such a thing in my research.
Still, I can't understand how landlords can ask such a barbaric thing. It's illegal in New Zealand, luckily for them, or they might have a very mad Enkeli on their hands....
 

gizmocat

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Zissou's Mom, thanks for the update. It's good to hear that your landlady came around and eliminated the requirement. A cat can be just as messy and destructive without claws! it's either well behaved or it is not.

My landlady allows cats, no questions asked, but I had to meet some strict requirements! and since she is regularly in the apartment she could easily see if the cat was damaging it.
 

zissou'smom

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Yea, it is really silly of the landlords. I'm very glad, honestly, to hear that most people have never heard of it.
Here, in this large city in Ohio, every single thing said "No pets" or "Declawed cats OK" or "Cats Ok" and when you called and said, oh I have a cat the first thing outta their mouths was "They have to be declawed."

So sad. When I finally found this place I was all ready to sign the lease and saw the clause about declawing (no pun intended!) I almost started crying. She let me cross it out though, initialled it, and I had to sign an extra form about paying any extra costs resulting from having a clawed cat.

I thought it was this horrible finding a place to rent with a clawed cat everywhere. It is possible, but I finally understand how the clinic that spayed Zissou also did declaws, claiming that so many people couldn't find anywhere to live without it. I can see how it would be hard, this apt is in a higher price range for its size.
 

sarahp

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Enkeli-kitten, good on you for choosing such an educational topic for a school assignment!!
 

shanynne

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Originally Posted by Zissou'sMom

Yea, it is really silly of the landlords. I'm very glad, honestly, to hear that most people have never heard of it.
Here, in this large city in Ohio, every single thing said "No pets" or "Declawed cats OK" or "Cats Ok" and when you called and said, oh I have a cat the first thing outta their mouths was "They have to be declawed."

So sad. When I finally found this place I was all ready to sign the lease and saw the clause about declawing (no pun intended!) I almost started crying. She let me cross it out though, initialled it, and I had to sign an extra form about paying any extra costs resulting from having a clawed cat.

I thought it was this horrible finding a place to rent with a clawed cat everywhere. It is possible, but I finally understand how the clinic that spayed Zissou also did declaws, claiming that so many people couldn't find anywhere to live without it. I can see how it would be hard, this apt is in a higher price range for its size.
Well good for you! Maybe you could start a petition to prevent this from happening to future kitties.

You know, this just kills me, that a lot of folks out there would not think twice about declawing a cat, but would they ever have their dog declawed .... I think not.

How can we help those poor kitties out there ?

Shanynne
Extreme Kitty Lover
 

jaycee

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Originally Posted by Zissou'sMom

Yea, it is really silly of the landlords.
i just wanted to point out that most of the time, the landlords are only doing their jobs and following the requirements of their bosses and if it were up to them it might be different.
 

jaycee

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Originally Posted by Shanynne

You know, this just kills me, that a lot of folks out there would not think twice about declawing a cat, but would they ever have their dog declawed .... I think not.
dogs dont have the scratching behavior of cats, so no, why would anyone have their dog declawed?
 

zissou'smom

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In my experience the landlord is the owner of the building and so, the boss. I suppose places owned by huge corporations it might be different, but typically I call those people the building manager, not the landlord. The story I was telling, at least, concerns the owner/landlord, who is her own boss.

And people have their dogs debarked and have their tails and ears cropped... some people have needless traumatizing surgeries on dogs, just not a declaw.
 

lionessrampant

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Zissou's Mom- That is AWFUL!

My pets clause says something like this:

"The tenent may keep a maximum of four (4) cats, as long as the cat(s) is spayed or neutered and is NOT declawed."

I love my landlord.

You could also move to Chicago...I pulled up 10 places and 9 of them accepted cats, 8 whom also had no declawing clause.
 
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