Something to think about (no heated discussions, please)

Everyone KNOWS how you feel about declawing, but I want to ask you THIS:
Would you automatically deny someone adoption of a homeless cat SIMPLY because they might declaw it?
Now don't say YES without hearing the rest.
I am going to site an example. This is about a person I have known for 20 years. She is a great pet owner. She has worked as a vet tech/receptionist for over 20 years and knows all the procedures and outcomes. She has worked in rescue and has seen all the heartache. She has owned many cats as well as dogs, sometimes 20 at a time. She makes sure her pets have the best of everything...........and YES she declaws. Is she a bad person? Should she be rejected her next kitty based on this fact alone?

Now I repeat, we do not need any heated discussion here, I just want you all to think about the bottom line:

Is that cat better off DEAD at a over crowded shelter or along a roadside than it would be alive and well in someone's home but missing it's front (toes) claws?

And don't be so quick to say "but there are no-kill shelters out there". YES< but if they can't adopt out a kitty then another kitty can't move into the system.

I just happen to think there is a little room for compromise, sometimes.

By the way, if this gets moved to the dog house, I understand.

Why doesn't the lady adopt an already declawed cat. I hear on these boards that many cats are turned into the shelters declawed.

But No, I can not condon placing ANY cat with an owner who wouldn't try to train the cat, but would automatically put the cat though an unnecessary painful pointless operation.

Can't you educate her in what declawing actually means etc. Even if you didn't give her a kitten, she could get one from somewhere else and declaw that poor cat.

I really believe education is the ONLY way to stop people from declawing their pets.

Jen,

In my opinion declawing is a horrendous thing to do to a cat. In 97% of the cases where it is done, it is completely unnecessary. However, in the situtation that you describe I feel it might be okay. If everything else goes well for this kitten, the declawing is done by a truly caring and knowledgable vet and the kitten has a caring and knowledgable person overseeing it's recovery who will keep it inside, loved and cared for the rest of the kitten's days, I feel the declawing would be a better option than death.

Maresche (mom of 1 declawed and 2 "clawed" kitties)

No, I wouldn't deny adoption as long as these people keep the cat indoors only. We have neighbors that declawed their cat and let it outside. This part of it scares me. I know people that declaw their cats and they have WONDERFUL homes, they're not hurting, they're indoors, and get so much love. I think this is way better than the alternative. Just my opinion. Now the cat organization we volunteer with will NOT adopt a cat to those that declaw.

This is the very point my vet made the first day I was there at work. His view is that he'd rather declaw the cat than euthanize it or have it wind up in a shelter. If it's the only way to save a cat's life, then that's the reason to do it.
I can understand his view, and I don't think people are bad if they declaw their pets. My mom knows where I stand on the issue, but she has declawed cats. Good people everywhere have them in their homes. However, I think educating potential and current cat owners about it and about alternatives is always the best way to go. Where I work, if the client wants a cat declawed, that's what they get. They don't get any advice about it, so that's what upsets me. If people want cats, then why can't they try and make an effort to train them to scratch appropriately? If they have tried everything and the cat is really bad then maybe that would warrant the cruel procedure rather than having the cat dumped. I do believe alternatives should be tried first, because why wouldn't an owner want what's best for their pet? Otherwise, why get one? Or, go to a shelter and adopt an already declawed cat. I see plenty in the shelter where I volunteer...
BTW, I am one of the lucky few that have a cat with behavioral problems as a result of the declaw procedure. :(

A friend of mine was chairman of the board of the local humane society and cat owner. Although by far the preference is NOT to declaw....she believes it is better than the alternative.

Some cats are too old -- or too stubborn when they are adopted to "untrain" or "retrain."

I do not believe that declawing -- in and of itself -- affects a cat's behavior or disposition. I have seen horrid clawed cats and unclawed cats. And visa versa.

I do NOT understand EVER removing the back claws.

W/out a doubt your friend should have that kitty! I'm for declawing over death or stuck in a cage @ a humane society.
K&L, I can't believe someone would declaw their kitties and let them outside! Both of mine are declawed & are NOT allowed outside.

A happy life in a home with people that take care of you or living in a cage or worse, being euthanized?

Then I can allow de-clawing. But we can still work on educating people on alternatives - I think education is more powerful than legislation.

We used to have a de-clawed cat and she lived to be 17 years old and had a great life.

btw-our cats right now are not de-clawed.

I have posted this before but it was a long time ago. Trevor and Andy are both declawed. Trevor was my first cat and I was totally 'cat ignorant.' My friends who had cats at the time I got him all had declawed cats. I assumed it was "the norm." I am fortunate that I have never had any behavior problems with either of them. In fact they have been really good, sweet kitties their whole lives.

I do believe that declawing a cat is better than the alternative - being put down at a shelter. There are just too many cats and not enough homes. If that is the only way they will find their forever homes I can't see why not allowing it. My two have certainly been loved and spoiled for years in spite of what I did to them. That said, I would not declaw again. As I said, I was ignorant at the time. I really have some concerns about declawing an older cat though. A kitty that has had his claws for years and years and then suddenly doesn't have them must certainly go through unbelievable adjustment problems and therein might come some of the bad behaviors that are reported.

I feel badly about what I did but there is no use crying over spilled milk. If informing a potential adopter about training methods, soft claws, etc. doesn't change their mind, I would still prefer to see a kitty go to that home rather than be put down. I really think tolerance is the key here. People who declaw aren't monsters. Mostly they are uninformed. (my two cents)

Of course with our pet overpopulation crisis, people will say a cat without their claws in a home is better than a dead cat with their claws. But I don't buy that, when options are available and it's 9 times out of 10 the the human owners that make the procedure necessary. Because we don't want to take the time to educate ourselves or train, off go the nails.

If I was trying to find owners to adopt my cats, I would try to exhaust all avenues before giving to a person who will automatically declaw a cat. Then, if no other option is available, I would give that cat to that person and hope to h!ll that cat does not end up on the street or problems from the declaw procedure.

IMO, it's better than the alternative, definitly. But, must be inside. Also, there is a new laser procedure that is supposedly much less painful for the cats. Not an ideal, but again, better than the shelter.

No, I would not deny someone like that adoption.

Like Pam, I am a reformer. All six of my kitties are declawed- all at my doing. All six of my kitties have lives better than many people (course, they deserve it, too). I would not declaw any future kitties I might acquire.

I don't know, Jen, the 'real' answer. I think a 'good' life is better than no life, but, I sometimes can't stomach what I did to my cats. Like Pam said, no use crying over spilt milk.

I need to start this by saying I have never declawed a cat. But in the opinion of others, I have done much worse. My cats go outside on a regular basis, by their own choice.

So who am I to say that declawing is a terrible thing. One of my best friends has just stated that she did it, and her cats are fine. My sister did it, and both of hers are fine too. I didn't do it, and both of mine are fine as well.

Jen, I think people have to make informed decisions and be offered alternatives. If they can train their cats to claw in specified locations, good for them!! And I hope that all would try that method first. But as my vet told me recently, he doesn't like declawing, but prefers it to people sending their animals to animal control or throwing them outside to fend for themselves. He brought me a whole new perspective on the subject.

Logan

If I may Jen, just one question, if you could answer for me.
Since your friend is a vet tech/receptionist, she obviously is aware of the horrendous pain that a kitty goes through with declawing. Why is she so quick to have them delawed? From what I read that you posted, it's like it's not an option with her, she just automatically has them declawed. Is it cause she has so many of them that she doesn't have the time to train them not to claw the furniture? Oops sorry, that's 2 questions. I'm just curious as to why she is so quick to have them delawed.

As others have said, a good life is better than no life and it doesn't make your friend a bad person.