Declawing: against or for?

[butterflydream]

I will say this, another point that I am completely different than my ex family, when my now ex folks got their male cats neutered they also had them declawed.....so they wouldn't 'scratch'.

My middle sis also did the same thing with her female cat.....

I'm sure my youngest sis would do the same thing if she could afford it.

It's a travesty.

I've taken in 2 declawed cats....and it's horrible to look at their little paws cause you can see the damage that's done to their feet.

 

[gingersmom]

I selected not sure - please don't all jump on me about it. I am completely aware of what the surgery is - how could I not, reading through these very educational forums!

Ginger has all her claws, and gets to keep them, I never considered it for a moment with her, but I have known lots of declawed indoor cats that were perfectly happy and very much loved and cherished family members with no ill effects. So I have to say not sure. I'm being honest. Please don't shoot me.

 

[nekokaasan]

I am absolutely, unequivocally against it.

When my husband and I first started discussing adopting cats, he said he wanted to declaw. I said no. He said that he wouldn't bring a cat into the house unless it was declawed, to protect the furniture. I said "I guess we aren't adopting a cat, then."

(Had I thought that I couldn't bring him around, I would have investigated the option of looking for a cat that needed a home who had already been declawed, through one of the local rescues, but I was fairly confident that I could win him over through education and determination. He still doesn't see anything wrong with declawing, he says that all the cats his family had during his childhood were declawed, but he didn't feel as strongly for it as I was against it, and in the end I got my way, heh.)

The boys have their natural claws and you'd have to climb over my dead body to remove them. (Dramatic, I know, but it's the truth.)

 

[kittylova]

I hate declawing!!

What people like to get there fingers cut off?

People should think what they are doing.
Declawing a poor cat.

Who came up with declawing anyways?
I think it is mean to declaw your cat or cats. People should think. Hey why am I declawing my cat?

THINK PEOPLE!!!

Kittylova


Spay and Neuter your pets. Dont declaw!!!

 

[sarathan]

I'm totally against it under all circumstances except when it's medically necessary for the cat. And I don't think that's very often.

 

[zissou'smom]

If you are unsure of what it is, and I'm sure there have been more than just the one brave poster who says so, a declaw procedure involves cutting off the last bone of each of the cat's toes. It is not simply removing the claw, it is amputating each toe at the first joint in. There are different ways to do this, but all have the same result. You can also have their tendons cut so that they can't extend their claws, but, the difference between the two is negligible in its effects on the cats health, in one case they're missing all their fingers, in another they can't use them. Any way a declaw is done, is results in tremendous pain as you could imagine it would. However, once they have healed, some cats have litterbox problems because of the pain associated with using it during recovery, some cats become biters, some cats become very fearful. And some cats are behaviorally fine and dandy. However, declawing a cat greatly increases surrenders to shelters because of behavioral problems. A cat that has been declawed continues trying to scratch, as this is such a primal, instinctive, and enjoyable activity for them, and also important for their muscle tone in the muscles it stretches and uses. The saddest thing I see is a cat trying to scratch but not having any claws. A declawed cat later in life has a greater risk of developing bones and joint problems because, basically they have been forced to walk on a part of the paw they would not normally walk on, like if you had to walk on the heel of your foot only.

Now that you know what not to do, here are some alternatives to prevent scratching damage and keep your cat unmutilated:
You can try Soft Paws or Soft Claws, a rubbery cap that you glue on the nail which prevents scratching as effectively as declawing, and which costs considerably less. You glue the caps on the nails, and they can't really use them anymore but can still retract them, use them as grips a little bit, etc, just not making big holes.
You can trim the cat's nail yourself with a special pair of scissors or clippers made for cats, blunting down the edges and making them less damaging to you and you possessions, I do this, and it isn't very hard.

Above all, training a cat with positive reinforcement to use appropriate scratching surfaces and helping it learn how not to use inappropriate ones is easy if you are willing to put in a little effort. You have to expect a little damage from having a pet, as that is part of the package deal.

The only good reason to declaw an animal is for its own health, when a vet deems that it is necessary for some reason, and these reasons are rare, and in this case it should be considered an amputation, just like when they need a tail or a leg amputated.

Hope this helps those who just don't know!

 

[mom2salemisis]

Originally Posted by GingersMom

I selected not sure - please don't all jump on me about it. I am completely aware of what the surgery is - how could I not, reading through these very educational forums!

Ginger has all her claws, and gets to keep them, I never considered it for a moment with her, but I have known lots of declawed indoor cats that were perfectly happy and very much loved and cherished family members with no ill effects. So I have to say not sure. I'm being honest. Please don't shoot me.

although my guys dont have their claws

i also have known and know cats that have been declawed and are happy INDOOR kitties but i personally would not reccomend to anyone that they declaw their cats. when i did it i had no idea what i was doing and i really regret it (merlin was already declawed) i would recommend to anyone that ehy research it before they make such a permanent and ghastly decision. I also selected not sure

 

[urbantigers]

For those who are unsure (and no, I'm not going to jump on you!) it's worth considering that it isn't just about whether they appear to behave normally afterwards but about the ethics of the procedure. For me, the overwhleming reason is not the pain of the procedure or the possible behaviour problems that can result from declawing (important reasons though those are) but the morality of denying a cat the right to indulge in a behaviour that is essential to it's well being, ie scratching. Cats need to scratch and I don't feel it's right to deny them this just because we don't want our furniture scratched. None of us are forced to share our lives with cats - we choose to and if we make that choice we should respect and love them for what they are - claws and all!

 

[zissou'smom]

Knowing a cat that is fine though declawed is not evidence that it does not cause problems. I also know a cat who was rescued from a shelter already declawed who is perfectly okay.

Consider this: The UK, Germany, France, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Norway, Sweden, the Netherlands, Ireland, Japan, Denmark, Finland, Slovenia, Portugal, Belgium, Spain, Brazil, Israel, Australia, and New Zealand have all banned elective declawing procedures.

You can tell a cat that has been declawed just from how they walk, they walk in an unnatural way on the backs of their feet, whereas an un-declawed cat walks mostly on the front pads, much more gracefully and using muscles that were meant for it. Their bodies are designed the way they are for a reason, and declawing upsets that. Cats are very resilient and do learn how to deal with such problems. However, there is no reason to ask them to.

Cats can be in severe pain and you will never know it. There have been cases of a cat who had been declawed who had one of them grow back, curled up inside his foot for ten years, the owner never knew it, but it had to have been extremely painful. The same is true in general, many cats develop chronic pain from a declaw and start acting out because they are in pain, but can't very well just quit walking. They hide pain because it makes them weak to other predators when they act sick.

Declawing is psychologically damaging to cats, as well as causing severe physical pain in the short run and chronic problems in the long-term. It does cause behavioral problems, of course not 100% of the time, but it is certainly statistically relevant and correlative to declaw procedures. Some veterinarians have said that declawed cats live in a "constant state of stress" because of the fact that they are missing a very vital body part, one that is their preferred way to defend themselves, and certainly important if they ever need to. People who do TNR often find declawed cats out of proportion to clawed cats, especially considering that many of the clawed cats were born feral and stayed that way, a declawed cat must have been dumped or abandoned because declawed cats CANNOT go outside. A pet is our responsiblity, and it is our responsibility to do what is best for their health, which includes spaying and neutering them and never declawing them.

If you would like a link to a very informative and extensive site, pm me. It has several graphic pictures so I will not post it publicly.

I truly truly believe that anyone who owns and loves a cat would be wholeheartedly against declaw procedures if only they were fully informed. Too many people, vets included, think it is a routine and harmless procedure, which it is not.

 

[kinsey's pet]

I am also against declawing. I had one cat who was declawed (when we got him) and he was kind of mean. I mean i loved him but he was just angry. He HATED to be picked up and he was a biter. He also used his back claws VERY well! I never thought that behavior may have been a result of the surgery. I always kind of assumed he was mistreated by the kids in his previous household. Poor Murphy

Anyway, I was wondering how you guys kept your cats from clawing up furniture. Kinsey loves to scratch but her scratching doesnt seem to do any dammage. I am trying to break her of it anyway for fear that when she gets bigger she will dammage to the furniture. I will be getting her some cat furniture to scratch up soon (when i can afford it!! those things are expensive and vet bills are just more important right now). Will a cat tower with scratch posts do the trick?

 

[urbantigers]

Originally Posted by Kinsey's Pet

Anyway, I was wondering how you guys kept your cats from clawing up furniture. Kinsey loves to scratch but her scratching doesnt seem to do any dammage. I am trying to break her of it anyway for fear that when she gets bigger she will do dammage to the furniture with the scratching. I will be getting her some cat furniture to scratch up soon (when i can afford it!! those things are expensive and vet bills are just more important right now). Will a cat tower with scratch posts do the trick?

It should do. Just make sure you get something sturdy - a wobbly scratch post is often the reason cats turn to furniture as the latter is more stable and doesn't move when they scratch it. Also make sure it's tall enough - a lot of cats like to stretch up to scratch so need a post that's tall enough for them to stand with their hind legs stretched out. Some cats prefer horizontal scratching too so it may take a bit of experimenting to find the right post for your cat. You can encourage your cat to use the post by putting catnip on it or even feeding her on it. Keeping the claws trimmed will also prevent too much damage being done if she does scratch furniture.

 

[kinsey's pet]

Thanks! I trimmed her claws friday. I had never trimmed a cats claws before. I guess I just never thought about doing it to my past cats. lol, I gave her a bath and clipped her nails while she was still wet. I thought she was gonna hate me forever! But she got over it.

 

[halfpint]

I would never do it, I even read a large article in the paper about how many problems it causes for the Big Cats, and once I read exactly how they did it, I was shocked Not for me I think it's very cruel ..

 

[kinsey's pet]

I just think it's selfish ti put your cat through that much pain for your own benefit. Just take some time and work with your cat to find other ways to keep tham from scratching furniture. Or at least adopt an unfortunite cat in a shelter who has already been declawed. Then you would be saving a cat who other wise would be lonely and homeless.

I had a friend who got a little tabby. Her and her boyfriend were on a limited budget and instead of getting him neutered or getting his vaccinations they spent the extra money they could spare on declawing him. As if their furniture was more important than his health! I was so mad.

 

[3calicos]

DH and I had this conversation today about our new little kitten Mouse. Out of the blue he says "And she is KEEPING her claws!" I replied "Absolutely!"

We think it's just WAY TOO CRUEL to declaw a cat... If you can't take them scratching the furniture, DON'T HAVE THEM or give them a great alternative. That's all there is to it!

 

[lizk729]

Originally Posted by GingersMom

I selected not sure - please don't all jump on me about it. I am completely aware of what the surgery is - how could I not, reading through these very educational forums!

Ginger has all her claws, and gets to keep them, I never considered it for a moment with her, but I have known lots of declawed indoor cats that were perfectly happy and very much loved and cherished family members with no ill effects. So I have to say not sure. I'm being honest. Please don't shoot me.

I have one cat declawed and one with her claws and they are both WONDERFUL!!

Both of them have great personalities and there is no difference with how they walk. Now saying all that I would not declaw should we adopt another although I would not hesitate to adopt a already declawed cat.

Im sure there are instances where cats may be ruined because of declawing but I have to say that from my own cats and from the shelter that we visit weekly all the declawed cats are wonderful. Some cats that have behavior issues really seem to stem from abuse or neglect.

 

[marli]

I have a 11 week old kitty that I am not getting declawed. I sort of play with her front claws to see how she reacts, mostly when she is cleaning herself, and she doesn't seem to mind. I'm doing that to see how easy it will be to trim them myself. Sooo, how easy is it to do, and how can I found out how to do it? I don't want to make her bleed!
Thanks for any info you can share!

 

[katachtig]

You can do an internet search for trimming cats claws. I like this site because it has a nice picture of the claw and where to trim: http://www.catscratching.com/htmls/article.htm. Getting them started early definitely helps.

 

[marli]

Thanks for the link! Did it say when you can start trimming? I can't find that....

 

[katachtig]

I started Lucy when we first got her and she was about the same age as yours. Lucy was shredding me just by walking over my arm. But I was very conservative at first, just getting the very tip. More important is to get her used to you holding her paws, extending the claws.