Declawing: against or for?

[nodgeness]

Have read all those links but I thank you for the suggestion.

Again, I don't care where the quote came from about an unsuitable home. My home is very suitable for my cats(not that i have to justify). Both are very happy & are the queen & king of the palace.

An unsuitable home for an animal is a place where the animal isn't loved, cherished,or respected.

[Amber]

De-Clawing a cat is the owners Choice. am I right?
Maggie is de-clawed and is a indoor cat.

[moosmom]

Cataholic quotes:

I guess it is easy for me to sit here and tell you what I won't be doing in the future, after having done it in the past. In fact, I imagine my post might be a little bit unbelievable. I feel hypocritical. I can only tell you, after education, I have changed my mind. I am against declawing, and can assure you, the last thing I ever want to do is 'eat my words'...I won't do it.

When Mollie Rose and Casey (RB, 2002) were younger, I got new furniture and found they were scratching it. I asked my vet what to do (she is no longer my vet) and she IMMEDIATELY saw dollar signs and told me to declaw. Being as naive as I was, I listened to her. At the time, they were my only 2 cats. I was very fortunate that my cats didn't have behavioral problems or any other kinds of problems related to declawing. I have since been adopted by 6 others. The 6 are fully intact. It was only after working in animal rescue for over 7 years that I was educated in the procedure, and totally changed my opinion.

Like Johanna said, I also feel hypocritical. But it was only after being educated that I realized how much pain I caused my 2 furbabies Every one of my 6 other kitties has been trained to use the scratching posts (I have 2 cat trees and various posts around my apartment for them to use). I would NEVER, EVER declaw ANY of my cats again.

I totally agree that the procedure should be outlawed.

Hard lesson learned.

[PayItForward]

Please Note. These comments do not apply to anyone who adopted a declawed cat or had a cat declawed before they understood what that actually meant

I think I get upset, as I don't see the point of declawing. It is expensive for the owner and painful for cat, a classic LOSE LOSE situation.

What is the big deal, about training a cat to use a scratching post?

What have these cats done to deserve this treatment ?

[Cataholic]

Originally posted by PayItForward
[i]
What have these cats done to deserve this treatment ?

It is these sort of statments that make me cry. The answer is, of course, nothing. I can't defend what has happened, but, can work to prevent it in the future. That is why I posted my situation. PIF- I know you aren't directing this to me, personally. I wish I had met you 10 years ago...really, I do. It would have made me stop and think.

[PayItForward]

Please don't be upset.

You are right I wasn't getting at you at all, I know you love your beautiful cats. (So do I.)

It just was the normal thing to cat a cat declawed years ago, you didn't understand the procedure, nobody did. Thats why I stuck that statement at the top of a couple of my posts, I didn't mean everyone who had a declawed cat was a monster just that we need to spread the word today.

In fact Cataholic I'm so proud of you. You stood up, admitting you have changed your mind about this subject, in light of more information.

That doesn't make you a hypocritic, it shows what a strong person you are. Weak people refuse to open their eyes to the truth and cling to past opinions pointlessly.

My heart breaks for people who are told by their vets, that it is a simple op etc. with little side effects. I wish the cats could give their side.

The important thing is that we educate people today to stop todays kitties from going though this ordeal. Maybe the USA will make it illegal

[PayItForward]

I was lucky enough to be brought up in a country where declawing is illegal.

This is why I feel so strongly about this subject but I realise it must be difficult to re-educate yourself in a country where declawing is the norm.

[Kater]

Originally posted by PayItForward
In fact Cataholic I'm so proud of you. You stood up, admitting you have changed your mind about this subject, in light of more information.

That doesn't make you a hypocritic, it shows what a strong person you are. Weak people refuse to open their eyes to the truth and cling to past opinions pointlessly.

I agree. Cataholic, you are no hypocrite.

[NoahsMommy]

First...YLL....if you can train your kitten to walk on a leash and harness, YOU CAN learn to put Soft Paws on him. YOU CAN!!!

You can take your cat to his vet with a box of Soft Paws and the techs will show you how to hold Sammy and how to do all that.

We put Soft Paws on an ABY!!! I"m sure you've all read about Aby's and their nature...well, I did it and I'm a huge baby when it comes to restraining our cats. I will say that it takes a few minutes to do, we let him go for a few seconds and play with him, then grab him again to glue another couple on.

ITS EASY, I SWEAR! If I can pill and put eye goo in Hermie...you can put Soft Paws on Sammy. If I was any where near you, I'd come over and do it myself. It just takes time and practice. My advice woud be to have your vet do the initial application and you only add them as they fall off. It'll give you practice.

PLEASE reconsider. It makes me ill to think that precious little guy will have to be put through that.

(Um...can I get the "I'm only saying this cause I care" pass too? I know my views are strong and maybe pushy, but I can't even tell you how strongly I feel about this subject...)

Cataholic...you're awesome! You are so NOT a hypocrite. It takes a bigger person to learn from their mistakes.

[Uabassoon]

My advice woud be to have your vet do the initial application and you only add them as they fall off. It'll give you practice.

My friends cat Pookie is a total terror (what orange tabby isn't ) Her vet charges $1 per claw to put the soft paws on and that includes the price of the soft paw. He doesn't charge her anything additional and she doesn't even have to worry about ordering them or anything. She just takes Pookie in, and the tech relaces the missing ones for $1 a piece.

Laura (UA), your sig is hilarious; I about fell off my chair when I saw it.

Thanks!

[Pattycat]

My vote is for sure against declawing and I would never choose that for my boys, or future kids. My guys all came to me pretty full grown, so I did not have the luxury of early training with a scratching post. Over the years I've had every kind of post and the guys will use them. That doesn't stop them from using the furniture and carpets though. They scratch everything. Oh well. Like someone mentioned, that's what cats do. If you visit my house, you will get cat hair on your clothes and you will have to look at shredded furniture! I've learned it takes a good couple years to really RUIN the piece..smile. The boys know very well they are not supposed to scratch and stop immediately if they're caught, but there's no stopping when we're not around, and they will sneak in their scratches at night.
I have never clipped their sharp little claws. For some reason, my thinking was that would make them scratch even more, to get them sharp again. Am I totally off base in this belief? Not that at 13, 14 and 6 they are going to start letting me clip them, but I'm curious.

[shais_mom]

Kylie came to me declawed. I never really thought much about it before I got a cat. Now that I have been educated, no I wouldn't declaw.
Do people at the end of their rope, that have tried everything possible, still love their kitty when they have to get them declawed. Yes I believe so.
Is Kylie my princess? Definately. It wasn't my choice/decision to get her declawed.
Do people need to be educated about this barbaric action? Yes.
My friend that has Kylie's sister didn't have her declawed. Before I knew better I told her to do it, she didn't and Tome is very happy with all of her claws. Kylie is happy even tho she doesn't have them, well at least I like to think so b/c I love her so much. I just hope and pray that she doesn't have any behaivor issues. My thread of hope is that she realizes that I didn't do it to her!!!

[wolf_Q]

I'm against declawing...I really didn't know anything about it before reading a website (posted on PT) that told what they really did. I had no idea it was an amputation.

I've talked quite a few people at Petco into giving softpaws a try.

There's my 2 cents for what it's worth....not much I suppose considering I don't have a cat...

[All Creatures Great And Small]

Originally posted by Pattycat

I have never clipped their sharp little claws. For some reason, my thinking was that would make them scratch even more, to get them sharp again. Am I totally off base in this belief?

As far as I have heard, they scratch things to put their scent on them, and to also help remove the claw "sheaths" (as we used to call them) that they naturally shed; the outer layer of the claw. I don't believe the reason they scratch is to sharpen the claws.

[carole]

AGAINST:

There would have to be a very good reason before I would even consider this option, but for my two it will never happen.