Please help us ban declawing [Archive]

kattaddorra

01-20-2009, 01:26 AM

Hi,we in England were shocked last November to discover that declawing is still legal in the USA even though it's banned here and many other countries because of the dreadful physical and mental consequences to so many declawed cats. So after much research into the subject and contacting the AVMA and every state in the USA, we started up a petition to have it banned, as it's supposed to be a last resort procedure for serious scratching problems,yet some vets are doing it routinely to kittens, along with neutering:
http://www.petitionthem.com/default.asp?sect=detail&pet=4312
We also started a group:
http://clawsforever.ning.com/
so that as many of us as possible could get together with ideas and gather information, proof of how declawing affects cats, statistics of how many declawed cats end up in shelters etc ....to eventually present to the AVMA along with as many signatures as we can get.
It seems more and more USA citizens are against declawing and a lot of people once they've had it done to a cat say they'd never do it again.But there are still some who don't know it often cripples cats physically and mentally and while some vets will still do this cruel operation, for the money or to please their clients,cats and kittens are still suffering.
So the only way to stop it is by a ban ! If anyone can help us please by signing our petition and/or joining our group to give us advice and ideas, we'd be very grateful.We have 999 signatures, in the 2 months since we set it up,many are Americans who also want it banned. But we need many many more to make an impact,so please if you can pass it on too, it would be a great help.
Thank you.
Ruth aka kattaddorra

blue

01-20-2009, 01:48 AM

Rather try to enact more laws, and bans, educate the public. What we dont need are more laws and more bans.

kattaddorra

01-20-2009, 12:12 PM

We are educating the public we can reach, but it's rather difficult from another country.It needs someone out there to do it but those who try are fighting a losing battle because even they can't reach everyone to educate them! Declawing will die a natural death eventually as more people realise how cruel it is, but meanwhile cats and kittens are suffering and even one cat suffering is one too many. Hence the need of a ban.... and soon.

catmandu

01-20-2009, 03:34 PM

moosmom

01-20-2009, 03:37 PM

Gary said it best. Until people put their pets over their beloved furniture, nothing is gonna change.

Anikaca77

01-20-2009, 03:43 PM

I was going to sign but the link doesn't work. I got it to work when I went into the other site.

lvpets2002

01-20-2009, 04:47 PM

:) Yes he worded it the best.. Hey the way I see it if you are going to have a cat then value the baby over the furniture.. Also buy some scratching post as well..
Gary said it best. Until people put their pets over their beloved furniture, nothing is gonna change.

kattaddorra

01-21-2009, 05:51 AM

Even worse is that a lot of declawed cats end up in shelters because being deprived of their claws for defence,some turn to biting,some stop using the litter tray etc .So the selfish people who had it done for the sake of their furniture, blame the cat and get rid of it.
Yes if people would stop asking for it, it would be far better than struggling for a ban,if vets would explain it's as a last resort, not to be done to kittens routinely etc etc ...
Thanks to anyone who has signed the petition,there's not much else we can do from here so we may as well keep on.

Randi

01-21-2009, 06:49 AM

Hi, and welcome to PT. :) I'm very much against declawing, so I'm glad someone is tryng to educate people not to. Declawing is also banned in Denmark, where I live.

There are so many other options than declawing, and vets should be the first to know this, and tell cat owners!

Good luck with the petition!

Gin

01-21-2009, 05:28 PM

Welcome to Pet Talk, Kattaddorra! I signed the petition, but had to go the Petitionthem website directly. The link didn't work for me either.

Declawing cats is a horrible practice. It should have been banned long ago, and I'm glad to see someone finally taking a stand in this matter.

phesina

01-21-2009, 08:39 PM

Rather try to enact more laws, and bans, educate the public. What we dont need are more laws and more bans.

I gather that banning declawing seems to be working in England and Denmark, am I right?

Russian Blue

01-22-2009, 07:48 PM

If you need more resources, please feel free to link back to our website - Stray Pet Advocacy. I helped to do background research on many cat issues (spay/neuter, feral population controls etc.) including the declawing issue.

You can read more here -----> Stray Pet Advocacy (http://www.straypetadvocacy.org/html/declaw_detoe.html)

weluvcats

01-22-2009, 08:47 PM

I think a ban on declawing cats in America is a great idea. As for the argument that if declawing were banned here, it would increase the number of cats being abandoned because they have damaged furniture, I think that's a pretty weak reason. How hard is it to clip a cat's claws? I've had cats all my life, and we've always clipped their claws, and our furniture has come through just fine.

Declawing, as far as I'm concerned, is a form of mutilation. And just for the record, our family has taken in two declawed strays over the years that have been abandoned. The first was a neutered male about 20 years ago. We named him Jellybean, and he was the sweetest, most gentle cat I think I have ever known. We tried for weeks and weeks to find who he belonged to with no luck. Someone must have abandoned him, because as sweet as he was, you'd think that someone would have been looking for him. More recently, we took in a female, spayed stray a year ago last October. Her name is Baby. She is one of the most adorable cats that I have ever had in my life. We love her dearly, and consider ourselves so lucky to have her...She had been hanging around our house for months off and on before we finally took her in. What prompted us to make the decision to take her in was one day she showed up limping. Once we were able to really get a good look at her, we realized that she had two wounds...one on her left hindquarter, and one on her left rear paw. Both were infected, especially the one on her foot. We took her to our vet who cleaned out the wounds and put her on antibiotics for the infections. It took time, but Baby healed good as new. Our vet said that by the look of the wounds, she had been bitten by another cat. Being on her own outside without claws to help defend herself had to be a factor in her getting hurt.

We looked for months for who she might have belonged to. We ran ads in the paper, checked repeatedly with the animal shelter, the police, and all the vets in town, with no luck. We also believe that she was likely mistreated by the way she reacts sometimes when we pick up something like a coat hanger or broom, around her. So, assuming she was abandoned (because no one was looking for her), the fact that she was declawed apparently didn't make a difference to whoever dumped her.

Anyway, because of my personal experience with declawed cats and their circumstances, I am very strongly opposed to the practice of declawing.

Judy

phesina

01-22-2009, 09:04 PM

blue

01-22-2009, 09:29 PM

I gather that banning declawing seems to be working in England and Denmark, am I right?

I have no idea if it is working in England or Denmark, so no I dont think your right.

JustineNYC

01-22-2009, 09:37 PM

SADLY DECLAWING WILL NEVER DIE HERE AS LONG AS PEOPLE VALUE THIER FURNITURE OVER THIER CATS, AND IF ITS A CASE OF A CAT NOT BEING ADOPTED AND DYING OVER THIS, THEN DECLAWING MAY BE THE ONLY ALTERNATIVE.
I WONDER HOW MANY CATS ARE ABANDONED FOR RIPPING THE 3000 DOLLAR COUCH APART.:eek::eek:

And their kids. My friend has a 3 year old son and a male cat who is a doll. When her son started crawling around he always went for the cat and the cat would turn around and swat his face.

Their are many groups of people who wouldnt own cats except if they were declawed, not just people who value their furniture. My friend has 2 labs who have permanent scarring on their faces from her cats. People with kids who are afraid of them getting scratched up are another group. Some people whom own dogs will not own cats with nails.

Growing up we always had declawed cats, it wasnt my doing as I was only a child. I dont declaw mine, but our cats werent traumatized by it, nor did they stop using the litter. Their feet healed and that was it. One lived to be 18 and her sister 21.

My mom adopted a cat who was declawed and then when she got Wendy, her vet told her you cannot own one cat who has nails and one who doesnt....Thats why our cats were always declawed. Just FYI, not all people who declaw through their animals out on the street.

momcat

01-22-2009, 09:58 PM

When the infant kitten Groucho adopted us, the first thing I asked our vet was when to have him neutered, the second was about declawing. Doctor Kenny explained the process and clearly answered my questions. Doctor made it very clear that she does not support declawing unless it's medically necessary. Groucho was neutered but still has all his claws. The joy and unconditional love he has brought into our lives far outweighs inappropriate furniture scratching!!!!!

I DID sign the petition and shared it with my friends who are owned by kitties. Just a thought here, maybe some veterinarians need to be educated as well..... as in "attitude adjustment".

phesina

01-23-2009, 04:30 PM

I have no idea if it is working in England or Denmark, so no I dont think your right.

To the British and Danish members of this forum, and citizens of other countries with similar bans: Would you please inform us on how well the ban on declawing is working in your country?

Ruth?.. Randi?.. Anyone else with first-hand knowledge on how well a ban on declawing works in your country or region?

Do people in your country by and large understand and agree with the reasons for not declawing cats? What does someone do with a cat that scratches inappropriately? Use scratching posts and Soft Paws and such to redirect or retrain the cat?

Or are lots of cats just punished or abandoned if they start trimming their nails in undesirable locations? More or less since these bans were put into place?

Blue raises a good point saying he thinks such bans don't work. I would like to find out whether or not they are effective (I hope they are) and if so in what ways.

Thanks!

JuniorxMyxLove

01-23-2009, 04:47 PM

Growing up we always had declawed cats, it wasnt my doing as I was only a child. I dont declaw mine, but our cats werent traumatized by it, nor did they stop using the litter. Their feet healed and that was it. One lived to be 18 and her sister 21.

Same here. Out of the 7 cats we've had, 6 have been declawed; 4 of those were our choice. None of the cats ever showed any issues after declawing, and neither of our babies show issues now. They healed and moved on.

Most of the cats that are in our shelter right now are NOT declawed. I know a few of them are in there because they were causing damage to furniture, other pets, and people. It seems like people would be more likely to keep their pets if they were declawed? I dunno.

**Please note that I'm NOT supporting declawing. I honestly do not feel strongly either way on the issue. I just figured I might as well mention my experiences. Feel free to correct me or explain why declawing is seen as bad. I'm really very curious and I'm trying to learn more about declawing. Perhaps then I can decide where I stand on the issue.

G535

01-23-2009, 04:58 PM

Declawing is banned in most civilized countries.

People shouldn't have cats if they're not prepared to make adjustments in their living style for them.

Killearn Kitties

01-23-2009, 05:16 PM

To the British and Danish members of this forum, and citizens of other countries with similar bans: Would you please inform us on how well the ban on declawing is working in your country?

Ruth?.. Randi?.. Anyone else with first-hand knowledge on how well a ban on declawing works in your country or region?

Do people in your country by and large understand and agree with the reasons for not declawing cats? What does someone do with a cat that scratches inappropriately? Use scratching posts and Soft Paws and such to redirect or retrain the cat?

Or are lots of cats just punished or abandoned if they start trimming their nails in undesirable locations? More or less since these bans were put into place?
Phesina, I find it quite hard to answer the question of how well the declawing ban works here, or whether people agree with it. It is simply not an issue. I have no idea when declawing was banned. I had never heard of declawing until I joined this forum. So far as I am aware, the only place it is allowed in the western world is North America.

I have never heard of a cat being given up here because it clawed the furniture. Perhaps others will know of such a situation.

A lot of cats in this country have access to the outdoors, and probably do the majority of their stratching there. Scratching posts are very heavily marketed for indoor cats.

JustineNYC

01-23-2009, 05:20 PM

Declawing is banned in most civilized countries.

People shouldn't have cats if they're not prepared to make adjustments in their living style for them.

Cat derive from WILD ANIMALS. That is what people need to accept. They may pop you in the face at any time, for any reason, or no reason, and some people, do not want to deal with that.

Our cats when I was a child didnt go out. My moms calico was nuts. My friend Michelle has a tabby that jumped on my back one day when I walked in the door and I have scars on the back of my neck from him and he was neutered. He decided to leap onto my back and tear me up. How do you adjust to a whacky unpredictable animal?

Im an animal person, my own cats scratch me so I didnt flip out, but if that was someone else, they may have sued or gotten real hurt.

Cats are small tigers, thats all they are. There is nothing separating them from tigers or lions except size.

Personally, I wish someone I know would declaw her cat, cause her poo Lab has scars all over his face. One day itll be his eye.

Just to step outside the box so to speak, I own dogs and also corn snakes. Just from posting on other animal forums, there are alot of people who truly do not like cats. I read a comment on a snake forum about how destructive felines are to outdoor habitats. They kill anything they play with, and its not like other animals do, for food. The man was defending how horrid people think snakes are, and he gave a good reasoning about how essentially wildlike cats are. I think he used the term "cold blooded" And many dog people despise cats. So if declawing them is going to allow more people to bring cats into their homes, who otherwise wouldnt be there.....I dont know:confused:

G535

01-23-2009, 05:22 PM

I had heard about declawing before I joined PetTalk but had no idea that it was still common practice in the US. I also don't know when it was banned in Australia , it's certainly not an issue here either.

JustineNYC

01-23-2009, 05:30 PM

I have never heard of a cat being given up here because it clawed the furniture. Perhaps others will know of such a situation.

.

My neighbor used to breed Maine coons, and someone returned a cat after 3 years because they got a new sofa set and the cat no longer "matched" with the living room. People come up with anything.

kattaddorra

01-26-2009, 12:42 PM

Here in England the ban on declawing works very well,it's looked upon as an outdated barbaric procedure and people who don't like cats to have claws, don't get cats. But even so, cats are the most popular pet in our country.We bring up our babies and children alongside our pets and teach them to respect the animals,having children is no excuse to have a cat declawed.Our children grow up loving animals and treating them properly.Having a dog scratched by a cat is no excuse either,taking away the cats claws is removing its defence against dogs, dogs soon learn not to mess with cats,declawed cats wouldn't stand a chance against a dog.
I worked as a vet nurse all my working days and even before the ban, people here rarely asked to have a cat declawed,if they did they were told in no uncertain terms that it was just a last resort for very serious scratching problems. I knew about declawing, of course because of my training, but in all the years I worked, I never saw one done because once people knew it was amptutation of the toes, they wouldn't put a cat through it.A lot more vets are refusing to do it in the USA and Canada, because research shows that many many cats have problems, they are forced to walk differently for a start, after the first days of excrutiating pain, it takes a fortnight to adjust to the new walk,which causes back problems to many poor cats.Some people say well my cats are OK ! But are they ? Cats hide a lot of pain and they adjust, they have no choice but to go on,many suffer secret mental torment. A cat needs it's claws for everything ....walking, grooming, playing, stretching it's muscles .....the more research I do the more I'm sickened that anyone can deprive the beautiful creatures of their rightful claws.The stories I've heard have kept me awake at night, I could go on for ever about it all.....more and more are joining in the quest to have it banned.There are some really explicit remarks alongside some of the signatures.
THANK YOU to everyone who has signed it, sorry the link was broken, I can't think why, but I'll post it here again ...
http://www.petitionthem.com/default.asp?sect=detail&pet=4312
and finally my poem on behalf of the many declawed cats in Rescue Centres right now ....
I once used to have such elegant paws,
My furry feet had beautiful claws.
How I loved to stretch them out,
I was really happy just jumping about.
They tidied my ears, they groomed my coat,
They kept the fur neat around my throat.
I thought I had my claws for good,
I thought my owners understood
Just how much they meant to me,
Oh but how wrong can a cat be!
One day I was taken to a frightening place,
I had no idea what I had to face.
I was put to sleep against my will
And woke up in pain and feeling ill.
My paws hurt so much I couldn’t stand,
How would I jump? how would I land?
Worse was to come, as I was later to see
Just what those people had done to me.
My toe ends and claws had gone for good
My owners hadn’t understood.
I couldn't ask why as I don't have a voice,
Or free will, or any choice.
They had ruined my life without a doubt
So I bit those people and they cast me out.
Now I sit in a shelter hurting and sad,
How could anyone treat me so bad?
My paws always ache, I feel very alone.
I wish someone kind would give me a home.

Randi

01-26-2009, 01:43 PM

Phesina, you ARE right in supposing the ban on declawing cats here, works!! First of all, it's not legal for a vet to declaw a cat here, people who wants a cat, know that they have claws, so they deal with it! :p

More people in Denmark (and Europe), than in USA, let their cats out, so they will sharpen their claws on trees for the most part. :) However, there are some who don't let their cats out, and on cat discussion forums here, some discuss how to prevent cats ruining their furniture. The replies are... clip their nails, get a scrathing post! Declawing is not an issue at all! I have never known anyone with a declawed cat here.

It's cruel to have your cat declawed, and it''s sad that not many people seem to know what the procedure imply - and if they do, it's even more sad! :(

phesina

01-26-2009, 05:01 PM

Thank you to all who responded to my question.

I am SO GLAD to hear first-hand how well the declawing ban works in various societies from people who live in those societies.

carole

01-26-2009, 05:24 PM

Firstly i would like to say well done for trying to do something about it, and i think it is a bit wrong to say nothing will change as long as people value their furniture over cats, obviously it does work, it is the same in New Zealand, declawing is not even an issue here, i also did not even know of this practice until i joined PT, and was horrified to say the least that it is legal especially in the United States.

I know of no-one who has declawed their cats, and it is illegal for a vet to do that here too.

So don't give up thinking it cannot happen in the US of A, it is working well in many countries, so it will work there too.

Keep at it and yes i will sign the petition too, as I hope others who are concerned will too.

Cataholic

01-27-2009, 08:57 PM

Personally, I wish someone I know would declaw her cat, cause her poo Lab has scars all over his face. One day itll be his eye.

My sister has a chocolate lab that I adore. He has raked my legs, my bottom, my arms, my son's arms, etc. He is a horribly mouthy lab and has mouthed my arms, my son's legs, etc, leaving visible marks (he isn't biting us, he is just mouthing us). A 80 pound lab has so much force in his paws that he could do some serious damage, all unintentional, none of it from meanness. Have you ever seen a dog rake a doorway? Chew a coffee table leg? He is entitled to his claws. He is entitled to his teeth. I would not think to declaw or de-tooth him.

Why is it any different with cats?

kattaddorra

01-28-2009, 11:10 AM

Randi

01-28-2009, 11:20 AM

Declawing has been discussed many times here, so if you do a search, I'm sure you'll find threads that are useful to you. :)

JustineNYC

01-28-2009, 02:11 PM

My sister has a chocolate lab that I adore. He has raked my legs, my bottom, my arms, my son's arms, etc. He is a horribly mouthy lab and has mouthed my arms, my son's legs, etc, leaving visible marks (he isn't biting us, he is just mouthing us). A 80 pound lab has so much force in his paws that he could do some serious damage, all unintentional, none of it from meanness. Have you ever seen a dog rake a doorway? Chew a coffee table leg? He is entitled to his claws. He is entitled to his teeth. I would not think to declaw or de-tooth him.

Why is it any different with cats?

That is a good question and please dont think I am putting down cats. I have had cats since I was born, dogs too, and let me tell you you cannot compare them.

Dogs are dogs and cats are cats.

My friend has a Lab who was one of the dogs searching for people at the World Trade Center site. He alerts for possible people, alive or dead. Can a cat be trained to do that?

Some cats can do some remarkable things and I think they are just as smart as dogs, but they are not dogs.

I have 2 Labs, a chocolate and a yellow and 7 cats, and let me tell you, the Lab you speak of needs to be trained because he doesnt know who the alpha is. My dogs DO NOT USE their paws on my cats, they DO NOT MOUTH them under any circumstance and that took oodles and oodles of diligent training. I would not tolerate bosterous behavior from my dogs under any circumstance and I most certainly will not let them terrorize my cats.

Dogs needs to be trained and taught how to live and co-exist in a household, whether it is with cats or kids, people think they just know and they isnt true. Right now on the Lab board I post on, someone has a cat who the moment she sees the Lab, goes RAWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW and claws his face, the labs urinates on herself when this happens and never initiates the confrontation. Now, guess what people have replied to this person.....Declaw the cat before she rips the dogs eye out.

Good luck training that cat not to do that. You cant train a cat not to be afraid of a dog because its perfectly understandable. Some may get used to the dog, and some may never accept it.

Just like my friend cannot train her tabby cat to not jump on peoples back when they come in and claw the crap out of them.

Honestly, I know what your saying and will say I agree.....no person should incorporate a dog and cat into the same environment if you arent willing to put time in and make sure one isnt terrorizing the other. I have never seen dogs rake a doorway and chew coffee tables simply because I do my research and dont allow it.

I think sometime cats are the unpredictable ones and thats why they are the animal being declawed. If its either, we keep this cat and declaw or hand him over to a shelter, what is better?

I know people who told my best friend when she had a baby to get rid of her cats because they would smell the milk and suffocate her. Not everyone is rational about what cats will and wont do. You have to understand most people who own animals are very stupid.

JustineNYC

01-28-2009, 02:21 PM

Good point Cataholic !! The docking of dogs tails is also banned now in our country thank goodness.It's so nice to see dogs wagging their lovely plumes instead of waggling a stump.
But back to declawing cats, could anyone please tell me any true stories of how cats have been affected by declawing ? I'm making a collection and would like to include them, just with your user name or even an initial.Today I've heard of a cat bleeding to death after declawing,another who lost both her back feet after the op went horribly wrong,another fully declawed abandoned by a roadside ..apparently still didn't suit his owner, cats with biting problems, litter tray problems, and back problems.
Why on earth would any true cat lover take the risk of any of these happening to their cat ?

I think the problem is all of the "I heard" stuff. You heard? What if I told you my mothers been declawing cats since she got her first when she was 18 and shes never had anything like that happen. She has 4 now all declawed.
Their feet are sore, they heal and go on with life. Her friend Nancy has declawed cats too. Wendy and Taffa were declawed and one lived to be 18, the other 21.

I think its un-necessary to declaw cats, personally, I wouldnt want my fingernails removed, but I also dont believe half of these old wives tales about declawing.

Many people have "heard" things about declawing but dont want to listen to people who actually have declawed cats.

That isnt fair, argument wise.

Cats arent the only victims of stupidness.

Anyone aware MOST breeders remove the declaw on dogs? That isnt a nail guys, its the whole thumb. The entire finger.

Why do they do it? Because the legs look better without the claw on the side.

When I bought my chocolate Lab and she came home, I was like "Where the hell are her thumbs?" How often, they remove them as puppies WITHOUT anesthesia.

weluvcats

01-28-2009, 04:07 PM

But back to declawing cats, could anyone please tell me any true stories of how cats have been affected by declawing ? I'm making a collection and would like to include them, just with your user name or even an initial.Today I've heard of a cat bleeding to death after declawing,another who lost both her back feet after the op went horribly wrong,another fully declawed abandoned by a roadside ..apparently still didn't suit his owner, cats with biting problems, litter tray problems, and back problems.
Why on earth would any true cat lover take the risk of any of these happening to their cat ?

I can tell you about my experiences with declawed cats...Over the 25 years that I've been married, we have taken in 10 stray cats. We kept all but 3, who we found homes for. Two of the cats that we kept had been declawed...One a female (Baby) just a year and a half ago, and the other a male (Jellybean), about 23 years ago. Both of these animals had apparently been dumped or abandoned in some way...Why, I'll never know because they both are (and were) two of the sweetest cats I have ever known in my life. Baby had been hanging around our neighborhood for a couple of months on and off. She was spayed in addition to being declawed and was so sweet, we thought maybe she had wandered away from home, so we tried to find who she might belong to. We called the police, the animal shelter, all the vets in town, and ran 3 different ads in the paper with no luck. It seemed no one was looking for this wonderful cat. Right when we had decided to keep her, she showed up one afternoon limping. As it turned out, she had two bite wounds on her left hind leg, one of which was badly infected. Long story short, we took her to our vet, treated her wounds and updated her shots, etc. She became ours that day. The vet said that her bite wounds were undoubtedly from another cat...She had been in an altercation of some kind, and without front claws was clearly at a disadvantage in defending herself. I'll never understand why anyone would abandon any animal, but to abandon an animal that cannot effectively defend itself is just beyond me. I'm sorry about the circumstances that brought Baby to us, but I am so very thankful that we have her.:love:

Judy:)

kattaddorra

01-30-2009, 11:38 AM

OK maybe 'I heard' was the wrong choice of words, these are true stories I'm receiving now,and there is no reason why anyone should make them up. If I wanted to have horror stories I could write plenty of my own, but that would be pointless when I'm out to find the truth.Only by people coming forward can we know how many cats are affected and in what way.Like the abandoned ones above, that happens to a lot of declawed cats,some people are never satisfied,they adapt animals and if they still don't suit, they get rid of them and are free to just go out and get another and do anything to them that they please. Some people just should not have animals, they think of them as possessions, not living feeling creatures.It is never right to take parts from animals,they are born with them for a reason and its unfair to make them live their lives without these parts.
People in countries where declawing is banned manage nicely with cats and dogs and children,one day declawing won't be an option anywhere in the world,it's classed as animal abuse where it's banned,because that's what it is. Maybe it was acceptable to some at one time,although whoever thought it up and no doubt experimented on countless poor cats, has a lot to answer for as he/she has caused untold suffering for many more cats.
Thanks anyway. I'll search for stories on here, but I really need permission to use them.

Karen

01-30-2009, 11:49 AM

Anyone aware MOST breeders remove the declaw on dogs? That isnt a nail guys, its the whole thumb. The entire finger.

Why do they do it? Because the legs look better without the claw on the side.

When I bought my chocolate Lab and she came home, I was like "Where the hell are her thumbs?" How often, they remove them as puppies WITHOUT anesthesia.

You are generalizing here as much as she was. I have never heard that "most" breeders remove dewclaws, in fact all our dogs have had them intact, and I never remember meeting a dog without them.

I do not believe any petition will succeed in banning declawing. Education, education, and education will. With any surgery there are risks and good and bad surgeons as well. I have know declawed cats that we fine and normal, and ones that were not.

I would never declaw a cat - but I am terribly allergic to them, so cannot own one anyway. I do dissuade anyone who talks about it from ever getting it done, and that is what everyone should do - educate, educate, educate.

lvpets2002

01-30-2009, 12:33 PM

:) Well since I can remember people had the Dewclaws removed from a dog paws == So the dewclaw would not get hung on something & rip off.. This was done with mostly Working/Farming dogs due to they were into so much stuff.. Now my city dogs have theirs.. Yes I will agree with Karen as fas with declawing of cat is all in the Education.. I for one am so so Against it & wish it was against the Law.. I wish all Vets would refuss to do it..

kattaddorra

02-01-2009, 01:38 AM

We are educating as many people about the truth of declawing, as we can too. I've eaten,drank, slept(or lain awake I should say) declawing since I discovered in November that it still goes on. I've 'met' many many people in the countries where it still happens, who are against it but no one knows how to reach everyone or what to do next to get the message over ! Thankfully we are saving cats along the way, it's true, many people don't know what declawing is,they think it's just like clipping nails and not a major operation.
I'm not enjoying doing this, but I can't turn my back on it until someone comes along in the places where it happens and gets out on the streets and educates others.
I'd be there myself but I'm too old and too poor !
Why do I bother some people say, it's not in our country ....no thank goodness it isn't ...but cats are cats all the world over, born with claws for a reason....and no one should take them away.
1113 people agree with me so far, OK not many in the scale of the world, but that's only in 3 months.....one day we'll have enough signatures and facts to present to the authorities ! :)

JustineNYC

02-01-2009, 11:27 AM

You are generalizing here as much as she was. I have never heard that "most" breeders remove dewclaws, in fact all our dogs have had them intact, and I never remember meeting a dog without them.

I do not believe any petition will succeed in banning declawing. Education, education, and education will. With any surgery there are risks and good and bad surgeons as well. I have know declawed cats that we fine and normal, and ones that were not.

I would never declaw a cat - but I am terribly allergic to them, so cannot own one anyway. I do dissuade anyone who talks about it from ever getting it done, and that is what everyone should do - educate, educate, educate.

I dont think I was generalizing. Just going by my own experience. I post on 3 Labrador Retriever message boards and majority of the breeders on there, and they are the responsible ones who do all the health clearances prior to breeding, remove the declaws. Many of us are friends and attend the "Labfest" had twice a year, its very very common. The 3 Labs next door are show dogs, champion lines and they do not have declaws either. I cant speak for the dogs and breeders you have met, only my own. From my understanding, Schnauser grow them on the hind legs and majority responsible breeders remove the declaw when they are puppies too. Its common. So is docking tails and cutting half of certain breeds ears off, isnt it? Boxers have their tails docked, so do Dobermans is that generalizing?

Dogs are unjustly doctored too. Which was my point.

JustineNYC

02-01-2009, 11:30 AM

:) Well since I can remember people had the Dewclaws removed from a dog paws == So the dewclaw would not get hung on something & rip off.. This was done with mostly Working/Farming dogs due to they were into so much stuff.. ..

Is that ok then? What if someone said they had their cats claws remove so they didnt get hung up on things?

If doctoring animals is wrong and inhumane, it has to be wrong on both accounts.

Kirsten

02-01-2009, 11:39 AM

Welcome to Pet Talk, kattaddorra. Here in Germany, where I live, declawing is also banned. Same goes for docking the tails and ears of dogs. I hope sooner or later these things will be a no-go in all countries...

Kirsten

kattaddorra

02-05-2009, 01:52 AM

Hi Kirsten and thanks for the welcome and how I agree with you in hoping that one day all animal abuse will be banned worldwide. But meanwhile many animals are suffering daily.I can't understand why some vets, the very people trained to help animals, are willing to mutilate them.How come vets in countries where it is still legal, yet who know it is cruel and wrong, still do it. Surely they must know their fellow vets in the same country who won't do it,and all the vets in other countries who would never even consider doing it,have good reason not to ! I wouldn't trust any vet who will do these operations as it's purely for the money and the selfishness of the client. Of the many Americans and Canadians signing our petition, most are boycotting these practices..... hopefully they'll get the message soon.
Katt

kattaddorra

02-05-2009, 01:58 AM

JustineNYC, so we should declaw all cats incase they get hung up on things ? You are joking I hope ! How many cats have you seen do that ? In a lifetime of working for vets,doing cat rescue, and having cats of my own, I've never seen that even once !! Should we remove all parts from all animals incase they hurt them, take their teeth out incase they break one ?
Maybe we should have our finger ends chopped off incase we break a nail and get it caught in something ????
Same thing !
Katt

kattaddorra

02-23-2009, 11:07 AM

1212 signatures now and just made contact with Annie Bruce the USA author, she has been battling for years to get declawing banned ! She's thrilled to know we in England care and says to thank everyone everywhere who has signed the petition.
Katt :D

carole

02-23-2009, 01:54 PM

Way to go, good for you, some might think it futile, but if you don't try it is not going to happen, keep up the hard work, i am sure it will pay off in the end, i hope your petition numbers grow steadily, good luck.:):love:

kattaddorra

04-04-2009, 12:32 PM

Thanks Carole !:) Well we now have 1303 signatures from 41 different countries, although 50% are from the USA !! 25% from England, where its banned anyway but we care about cats even not in our own country, and 25% from the others.We are soon launching an 'International Ban Declawing Union' which when we have enough signatures and statistics of cats suffering after declawing, we hope will be taken seriously.
We have had a USA vet sign our petition , he is now refusing to declaw cats !!! This is GREAT news !!!
http://www.petitionthem.com/default.asp?sect=detail&pet=4312
and a writer in the USA has devoted her weekly spot to the truth about declawing. The beautiful cat Jozef featured on his scratching post is one of ours !!!
http://frequentlyfeline.blogspot.com/2009/04/dont-declaw-save-paws-friday-on.html
Also on Yahoo Answers, 24 people have changed their minds about declawing their cats after reading about it,more and more are joining us against it ! 24 isn't a lot on the scale of how it goes on, but if those 24 will spread the word even to one person each and they..... do the same and so on,it will reach everyone eventually.... vets won't tell the truth while making money from this barbaric practice, so its up to us !!
:)

catmandu

04-04-2009, 03:36 PM

Although in fairness to Vets , there have been cases and My Own Vet has told me this where these Cats are scratching valuable furniture and the Guradians cant break them of the habit.:eek:
So its either the Cat is declawed or goes to the SPCA or is "accidentally" lost , a phrase someone used to him.:eek:
He took that Cat with thier consent and now Mortimers His Cat.:love::love:
I would of course NEVER DECLAW a Found Cat, but then again my furnitures all second hand.:D
Even if I paid for good furniture I know I wouldnt declaw , but try and train them what they can scratch,
But then again I am retired and have a lot of free time.
This is a touxhy situation , and I am trying to see both sides something My Dear Mother taught me years ago.
:love::love:

PayItForward

04-04-2009, 04:09 PM

kattaddorra, Nice to meet you, from another English cat lover, I have a site here which I would like to put your petition link on if you don't mind. Aptly named http://www.declawing.co.uk/index.html :)

Medusa

04-04-2009, 04:54 PM

You have to understand most people who own animals are very stupid.

Now, that is a generalization. They may be unfamiliar with or uneducated regarding declawing or other practices but that doesn't mean they're stupid. Some people are irresponsible pet owners, not all.

I've never declawed a cat and never will and I've never rescued one either. i had always made it a practice to adopt only cats w/disabilities or that had been abused and/or neglected so I can't speak w/authority about how declawing has affected cats. I can only go on hearsay and everyone that I know that has had cats declawed has reported no issues, albeit if the cats could talk, they may tell a different story. I still would never do it because my ret. vet told me when I asked him about declawing "Do you think it would hurt if I pulled off all your fingernails and cut your fingers off at the first knuckle?" Case closed for me.