Please help us ban declawing

[Randi]

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]

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]

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]

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.

Judy

[kattaddorra]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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

[carole]

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.