Declawing: against or for?

[tnr1]

Originally Posted by Rumberg

When i was growing up i was scolded over and over for jumping on the couch, does that mean my mom cared more for the couch then me??? of course not?? its just that there has to be a form of discipline and you cant just ignore it. " not that delcawing an cat is a form of decipline". Although in todays society many parents think that this is a solution. I understand that cats have a natural tendency to scratch things to mark scents, thats why we provide them with the necessary tools to do so aka scratching posts. And as for declawing the animal not benefiting anyone i have friends with declawed cats and they are very happy animals with no litter problems and no aggressive behavour i dont know where anyone is getting this info from but from my experience i have not seen a cat that is declawed be anymore aggressive then a cat that still has his claws and to draw conclusions that the cat that was declawed is prone to be more aggressive is not justified. In the long run i think it does benfit the owner if you need proof just look at the thread asking if cats scratch leather couches also.

I will admit that it is selfish on the part of the owner to want to declaw the cat. But i believe it is the owners choice to make and in the end it doesnt really effect the cat that much. They can and still do scratch things with their paws.

The other thing i was wondering if people here have a problem with clipping dogs tails and ears? Maybe i should start another thread to see.

So per your line of thinking...if I don't like the way that my cats look at me, it's ok for me to remove their eyes. I mean, they probably could still move about ok...they wouldn't necessarily show any change in behavior so I'm sure they would be fine. Or what if I simply remove their vocal cords because I'm tired of hearing them mew?

Declawing is an extreme solution (amputation) and I don't agree that people should simply be able to remove parts of their cats toes because they don't want them to mess up their furniture. There are lots of alternatives (scratching posts, trimming nails, nail caps) that really need to be considered first.

We as owners, must do what is right not only for ourselves but for the cat that is in our care. If you can show me exactly where declawing benefits the cat (not the owner) I'd be interested in reading about it. Otherwise, I am committed in what is best for the cat..which is to allow it to keep it's toes intact.

Katie

 

[knoballz]

I am definitely against declawing cats! When I was younger, I went through a vet interest program because I thought that I wanted to be a vet. I knew that I couldnâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t be a vet when we watched a spay and a declaw. I almost fainted and had to leave the room! My father is a doctor and I have been in the operating room to see him work and have never gotten as upset as that declaw made me.

 

[rumberg]

Originally Posted by TNR1

So per your line of thinking...if I don't like the way that my cats look at me, it's ok for me to remove their eyes. I mean, they probably could still move about ok...they wouldn't necessarily show any change in behavior so I'm sure they would be fine. Or what if I simply remove their vocal cords because I'm tired of hearing them mew?

Declawing is an extreme solution (amputation) and I don't agree that people should simply be able to remove parts of their cats toes because they don't want them to mess up their furniture. There are lots of alternatives (scratching posts, trimming nails, nail caps) that really need to be considered first.

We as owners, must do what is right not only for ourselves but for the cat that is in our care. If you can show me exactly where declawing benefits the cat (not the owner) I'd be interested in reading about it. Otherwise, I am committed in what is best for the cat..which is to allow it to keep it's toes intact.

Katie

While your example of plucking out eyes and cutting out vocal cords is theatric, it would certainly be a stretch to compare it to the rather more humane debate of declawing. I suppose if we wanted to be technical, declawing meets the definition of an amputation, but no more so than if we were to remove a fingernail and colorize the wound so the fingernail would not grow back again. Certainly uncomfortable and not a procedure I would want to go through, but then again, if the option is declawing or being given up to a shelter I would suggest that declawing is likely the lesser evil.

I agree with you that declawing is for the benefit of the owner, but it also has a benefit to the cat of allowing it to remain in a loving household and to allow the continuation of a mutually beneficial relationship between cat and human. Furthermore, one could argue that spaying and neutering cats is not for the benefit of the cat, but rather for the benefit of the owner who does not want to have hundreds of cats in their home. As I said before, I am sure if cats were able to chat over tea none of them would ask to have their plumbing amputated either. However, everyone accepts without question that doing so is both acceptable and I might even go so far as to say it is considered noble, for the good of society. It strikes me that we, as a society, do not rush out to spay or neuter any other animal population beyond domestic cats and dogs, purely for the benefit of the owners. I don't mean to be rude, but where exactly should the line be drawn for surgical procedures for animals. We cut off dogs tails, we clip chickens beaks, we cull cattle's horns, we castrate horses, we tattoo most show animals, so why the intense debate on removing a cat's nails?

 

[butterflydream]

This thread is getting a bit too terse I think and maybe it should be locked before it gets nastier....I mean I don't agree with declawing and I've already said that but this is just going to continue to get more and more heated if it is allowed to continue and as all humans it may take away from the 'enjoyment' that the rest of us get from this site.

It's getting a bit too harsh. And I think the points have been made.

Just a suggestion??

 

[maherwoman]

I am completely against declawing, but will not throw someone to the wolves of insults and flaming because they have a difference of opinion. I know that most people on the site are against, as I am, and that's fine. But I don't believe in cutting someone down, harassing them, or shoving an opinion in their face because they think differently. Just my two cents...not directed at a single soul on here; it is merely a thought.

I will only say that my kitties have always retained their claws until recently when I put Soft Claws on them (for the safety of my bunnies). Before that decision had been made, I had always left kitties' claws completely alone (not even trimmed them, mind you)

But others think differently and have different opinions...and ya know what? That's part of the spice of life. We should embrace that people are brave enough to voice their difference of opinion, and that we live in a country where you can speak those different opinions.

That's my response to this thread.

 

[maherwoman]

Originally Posted by ButterflyDreame

This thread is getting a bit too terse I think and maybe it should be locked before it gets nastier....I mean I don't agree with declawing and I've already said that but this is just going to continue to get more and more heated if it is allowed to continue and as all humans it may take away from the 'enjoyment' that the rest of us get from this site.

It's getting a bit too harsh. And I think the points have been made.

Just a suggestion??

I completely agree...it is a good thought...

 

[marli]

Originally Posted by Rumberg

Furthermore, one could argue that spaying and neutering cats is not for the benefit of the cat, but rather for the benefit of the owner who does not want to have hundreds of cats in their home. As I said before, I am sure if cats were able to chat over tea none of them would ask to have their plumbing amputated either. However, everyone accepts without question that doing so is both acceptable and I might even go so far as to say it is considered noble, for the good of society.

Hi, I was sooo clueless about spaying until a week ago or so, (not saying you are, just commenting on it) I thought it was only to stop the population growth of kitties. I asked someone on the forum what were the other reasons besides that, and there are many health reasons to spay and nueter. I am no expert at all, but that made perfect sense to me to get that done, for the health of the cat, and for them to live longer withouth the threat of cancers and so on...sorry I'm not getting more detailed, but I'm at work and wanted to respond before they lock this thread.

 

[marli]

Originally Posted by Zissou'sMom

Spaying and neutering not only reduces the overpopulation of pets (and all it takes is one time slipping out for a pregnancy) but also has clear and proven health benefits to the cat. Such as, absolutely no chance for life-threatening infections of the uterus, no chance of having ovarian/testicular/uterine cancers, and a very reduced chance of having mammary cancer. Also, the urge to mate causes many cats who would otherwise be happy indoors to get outside any way they can, increasing chances for infectious diseases exponentially, even if you are letting them outside usually they will not roam that far, whereas a tomcat will roam all night looking for a mate. The intense desire to mate that is entirely hormonally driven also puts a lot of stress on female cats, as heat cycles can be very damaging to their body. So spaying and neutering has very clear health advantages.

Oh there was even something in this thread about the health advantages....

 

[rosiemac]

Ok everyone i think everything has been said on the declawing subject so this thread will now be locked.