Opinions on Declawing

[Bastet27]

Since Piper is going to be an inside cat, I'm thinking of getting her declawed. From some people I've heard its a good thing to do, from others terrible. I want to hear some PT opinions before I make my decision.

[Lacey]

I've read a little bit about declawing, and what I've read, I haven't liked. The way I understand it, a kitty's claws are extensions of the bones in his or her feet. So when you declaw a cat, what you're actually doing is amputating part of its toes.

You might want to try training her on a scratcher first. Scratcher training isn't hard. Just sprinkle catnip on the scratcher. At least, that's all I did for Zelda. Occasionally she takes a shine to one of the chairs, but all I do is push her away lightly and say , "No."

[QueenScoopalot]

http://www.declawing.com/ I'm going to paste a number of articles about declawing. http://www.catscratching.com/ There's more! http://declaw.lisaviolet.com/ One more......http://community-2.webtv.net/zuzu22/STOPDECLAWCOM/ I have even more under my other screen name, but my opinion is it's barbaric, and training is the way to go about it. I make my own scratching posts, and before I'm even done, the cats are going nuts on them! Sisal rope, some home grown catnip, and a piece of plywood are the basics. It is banned in so many countries around the world, and I sure wish it was banned here as well. Please read all the links I posted, and you can make an educated decision. And cats are stoic by nature, and don't show the pain they are in. It is built into a cats being as a survival mechanism to not show pain. Dogs aren't the same. Would you chop off a dogs toes for digging in the garden? Or a childs fingers for drawing on the walls? I'm sure you wouldn't.

[Dog1,Cats2]

Don't do it! It's too cruel - and unnecessary. I've never had problems with the cats I've had - just trained them where it was ok to scratch.

California has banned it.

[trayi52]

I think the way Jen explained it is their toe are amputated, and cats walk on their toes. Am I right in this assumption, Jan?

I had thought one time about it too, my vet made it sound so simple, like all they do is cut the nail out. When I came to Pet Talk I learned the terrible truth about it. Seen a diagram of what they actually take off the poor little kitties toes. I would rather cut the ends off my own toes and fingers than to do that to Grover or Stubby.

Please do some more research on it, find out the truth. I think you will find that you want your kitty to keep its claws.

Willie

[catnapper]

All I know is that cats walk on their toes. When you declaw, its removing their toes and causing their whole body's alignment to become out of whack.

As for scratching, I provide several scratching posts. They have taken to scratching the couch, but I've never corrected them because I HATE that couch... perhaps we'll get a new one faster They don't scratch anything else in the house. I have some nice pieces of furniture in the same room as the couch and they've never once laid a claw to any of them.

I keep their nails trimmed, and its not a major thing to do so. I've found some catnip before a trim does wonders for their agreeable-ness during the trim

Please collect the data people will post. Read the information and make the best decision for you and your cats - not your furniture. I've seen people who have done it because they wanted to preserve their possessions, but spent more afterwards for follow up vet visits, behaviorists, medicines, etc. than they would have for a new set of furniture.

[lat192004]

My opinion:don't declaw. Had a Siamese who had it done, made her defenseless. Scratching is an expression for a cat. I have scratching posts in every room almost. When the outdoor cats come to the window, and after the indoor cats sit and exchange stories with them, they both walk away.Then the old scratching post gets a workout. Must have been some hot news, for the old scratching post really gets scratched hard. So, if it was my kitty, don't declaw

[NoahsMommy]

Ack, not another declawing (FIGHTING) thread. Maybe you should do a search on "DECLAWING" instead of making a thread. We've had many, many hurt feelings over threads like this.

By the way, declawing was only outlawed in West Hollywood, CA.



My two cent are here, this is the perfect link with sound, logical information: www.declawing.com

In short....NO to declawing. If you don't have time to teach kitty how not to claw furnature (ie: how to behave), you don't get a kitty, in my opinion...

[Ally Cat's Mommy]

I would recommend that you read the articles mentioned, and chek out PIF's web site at PIFTAILS.COM

As others mentioned it IS an amputation, not a de-clawing. I have two cats, both with their claws intact, and through providing a scratching post and training them to use it, I have never had any inappropriate scratching behavior.

I am sure you will get all the support and help you need from everyone here at PT, to assist with training the cats to use a scratching post.

[NoahsMommy]

Originally posted by Ally Cat's Mommy
As others mentioned it IS an amputation, not a de-clawing. I have two cats, both with their claws intact, and through providing a scratching post and training them to use it, I have never had any inappropriate scratching behavior.

I second that...I have EIGHT cats and have no problems with any sort of scratching in my home.

All of our cats, but two, were kittens when we brought them home. They are very simple to train in that aspect.

[CathyBogart]

IN MY OPINION (Truly truly truly don't want to start any arguments, just atating my opinion and if yours is different that's A-OK with me. ) it's mutilation of an animal to suit a human's wants, and it's cruel. I don't like the idea at all.

[trayi52]

Yes, I think it really is awful for the cat. Grover is the one that likes to scratch the furniture. She does the dining room chairs, the back of the couch, and other things around the house.

LOL, she loves our living room wall to! But I would rather she kept her claws than see them amputated. That really does give me the heebie jeebies for sure. I look at her cute little paws and I just cringe thinking about those cute little toes be cut off. *shudders* She doesn't really do that much damage anyway.

My advice, don't declaw.

Willie

[Kater]

Originally posted by trayi52
My advice, don't declaw.

Same here for all the reasons already stated. Training a cat to scratch on a scratching post is very easy in my experience. Your cat deserves the chance to live a normal life and perform it's own natural behaviors.

[aly]

If you do a search for 'declaw' on Pet Talk, you'll find tons of loooong threads, hehe. The sites people have provided also have a wealth of information. I would never declaw a cat. I have 9 cats here and have trained them all to go to the scratching posts instead of anything else.

[PayItForward]

Originally posted by Ally Cat's Mommy
I would recommend that you read the articles mentioned, and check out PIF's web site at PIFTAILS.COM

My site is down temporaly (No idea why I am waiting for the server place to open so I can ask

BUT if it was working here is the link....If you want I can email them to you ?

http://www.piftails.com

I have posted my opinion underneath in order to present my views but I still want to talk to you about alternative treatments and generally discussing the fate for your sweet kitties toes

But I wanted you to read my opinion, please bear in mind I am from England where Declawing is illegal. So I struggle as to the advantage of Declawing over a simple scratching post ?

I have a lot of experience in trainning cats to use posts if you want the help, just ask

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In short Declawing is a painful expensive un-necessary operation.

It takes minutes to train a cat to use a scratching post versus a lifetime of potential problems.

There are a minimum of two cats on PT which I know have had bad reactions to declawing. One which was weeing thoughout the owners home. Other cats have been know to turn into fearful and aggressive biters, as they are scared and in pain.

Now I would prefer owning a scratching post, to sitting on a pee filled sofa or dealing with an aggressively biting cat anyday.

( NB. Not all cats with bladder problems are declawed, but it is a know cause of SOME cats bladder problems)

And scratching posts are cheap, a few dollars versus hundreds for an operation.

If you have a strong need for your cat to never ever to scratch anything try softpaws. These are soft caps which are glued lightly to your cats natural claws. Get the vets to put on the first set and show you what to do.

I would be interested in who thinks it is a good idea !!!

They tend to fall into two groups...Vets who make a lot of money with this operation and people who have been told that it was a good idea by their vet (who makes a lot of money from this procedure)

Last point

Over 20 countries have banned all forms of declawing (including when they snip the nerves too), it is illegal.

In human the equilevent operation would be cutting every finger and toe of at the first joint and making you walk on the toes and pick up things with the hands. Straight away

If we did this to a human it would be classed as torture, why should it be acceptable behaviour towards a cat