Declawing: against or for?

[kaoK'okung]

i must repectfully disagree...my cats Zip and Shy are indoor cats, and they are still the way they were when i got them...WITH claws...they are cats, these wonderful creatures are born with claws, that is how it is...if you are going to have indoor cats and have expensive furniture then it is up to the RESPONSIBLE cat owner to train the cats properly, so as to minimize any damage, if this isn't an option, too quote someone earlier...GET A GOLDFISH!!!!....we don't detooth dogs because they bite do we???...how about debeaking the bird because it pecks???...it's like buying a tarantula as a pet and ripping it's fangs out becuse you're afraid it will bite you...ummm, it's a spider, they have fangs and bite......

[sammy101]

Bear got her front feet declawed.This happened when i was little,so i had no say in it.She is declawed,and i personally dont have a problem with it.She's a old kitty now and rarely goes out,and is very wobbly when she walks.Bear was declawed when she was older,i believe it was when we move to Louisiana from Canada.In Canada,she was outside all that time.She never was/is in pain from getting declawed.
I personally wouldnt do it now.

[Cataholic]

Originally posted by Cataholic
ACGAS and YLL,

I have six cats, all of them declawed, at my request. I have no one to blame it on but me. Having said that, I will tell you I have changed my position, based on education, and tolerance. I would not declaw my next cat...which, because of Binx and Tex's health, and Minnie's reclusivenss, will not be anytime in the near future. So, 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.

I ask that you really really educate yourself, and think things through carefully (as I know you will).

Johanna


P.S.- I am also against docking, cropping, breeding, etc!!!

Good Lord, did I really write this all that time ago? At least I can now shout from the rooftops- I AM AGAINST DECLAWING! And, have Monte to show for it.

Monte came into my home 12/03, fully wheeled, and ready to wreck havoc on my life. I do have a brand new couch that has some 'wear' on it..he he..from Monte, that's life with cats. I do have Jonah (came into my home 9-04) and on rare occasions, he gets a scratch from Monte. That is life with cats. I get scratches from all the cats, that is life with cats.

I can state from first hand experience, there isn't any problem with one clawed kitty and 6 declawed ones. Monte's claws are NOT the problem His temperment and youthful exuberance, maybe. His claws? NOT.

I do trim his claws, usually front only, when he is napping, and usually can get it done at one time.

To those people that say they do it as they have pride in their homes...I say...what do you propose I do with Jonah? He really chooses the most inappropriate places to spit up. AND, his dirty diaper has stained a shirt or two of mine. Oh, he sometimes spits his food out, and it gets on the wall. What shall I do?

[kaoK'okung]

glad that you have changed your mind, cataholic, and i'm fairly certain that so is monte .(.your honesty and openess, is also nice)...thnx for sharing your experience...

[IRescue452]

My cat Sonny was front declawed thirteen years ago because my parents felt it was better. I personally wouldn't do so because of the alternatives available. I like soft claws products. The county vet here does not do a good job declawing. Three people I know have brought home cats with bleeding paws and nerve problems that last the cat's life. My mom's friend has a siamese that has limped on the sides of its paws for years because of being declawed. When I volunteered at the local humane society I kept the cats' nails well trimmed so people didn't look in the cages and see talons coming at them like they do sometimes when nobody cuts their nails.

[sandragonfly]

totally against, period and period is PERIOD. end of discussion.

a sad story: I adopted a dear little fluffy, clayton and his previous owner NEVER mentioned anything about declawed him. I found him with NO claws when I pet him all over with my love...about a week after I got him. "what the........???!" he looked at me gorgeously innocent... he couldn't talk!!

[katie&pets]

I am totally against declawing. My Buffy kitty just got declawed and just insn't her self. All she wants to is lay around and get left alone. She is usally running my family up the walls. And is a good entertainer if the satilite goes out.

[kaoK'okung]

well katie, we all learn from our experiences...just give lots and lots of love!!!...(i'm certainly not a vet, nor an expert)...i can only talk from personal experience and the 3 declawed cats I lived with were not normal as i know cats...they were VERY defensive and offstandish...i only hope the best for you and your cats! ...

[greendoor678]

I'm very much against declawing for many of the same reasons posted here on P.T.

One thing that aggravates me, is when a new cat owner has the immediate reaction to declaw the pet after only one incident (or in some cases: no incidents!)
I think it's sad.

[ANTH055]

First off, I'd like to say, I do not own a cat. That said, my fiance is a cat lover through and through. She's all for the humane treatment of all animals, as am I. We do, however, agree on one thing, if your cat stay's indoors, get the thing declawed.

I've read alot of the posts in this thread, and I've read alot of nonesense from alot of supposed educated cat people. like this payitforward person. Ignorance doesn't even begin to describe you, among some other people here. You seem to attack people for choosing to declaw their cat. It's their decision, leave them to it.

As far as some of you people saying a person does not love their cat because they got it declawed, or they should own a fish, or whatever...get over it!! After reading a few of these posts I was compelled to reply to it. I love the one where payitforward says someone is narrow minded for not checking out all the other options, before declawing a cat. All this person seems to think about is don't declaw, don't declaw, don't declaw. Even for a justified reason. Hell, because the owner wants to have their cat declawed is justified reason enough. It's more justified when you want to protect the contents of your home, like furniture, walls, whatever. Don't declaw, Don't declaw, Don't declaw...anyone see anything narrow minded here??

To those of you who would say not to have a cat if your worried about furniture, and people care more about their furniture than their cat, I say this... my fiance has a cat, she loves it more than anything and she chose to have it declawed. She would not want to know life without a cat, so should she not have a cat because she prefers to have it declawed?? Of course she should have a cat, because she is a loving person who chooses to give her love to one lucky cat.

Those of you who say it is cruel...if it's done when the cat is a kitten, yes it still feels pain (supposedly. No one really knows), but the pain is not remembered. It's the same as circumcized babies, they don't remember the pain. I'm sure alot of you neuter your pets, this also could be looked upon as cruel (I'm sure some of the extreme cat people on here think it is), but is accepted because cat's, like all other animals have no concept of birth control. They also have no concept of not ruining my leather couch and my custom home theatre, and, although I love animals, I love my home theatre too!!

There are other options, right?? Sure train the cat not to scratch, that will work, until that ONE TIME when it decides to have a go at my coffee table. Caps, on the end of the claws?? I, personally, would rather have my nails removed than have plastic or rubber caps glued to my nails. One question here...can the cat even retract it's nails with these abominations on?? If it can (although I can't see how) the extra space taken up by the caps will also cause pain permanantly. If they can't retract their nails while wearing these silly inventions, well, wouldn't that be slightly uncomfortable too??? OF COURSE IT WOULD!!! Did you so called cat lovers who think declawing is inhumane think about that one???

I may not own a cat, but I will be inheriting one in two months when my fiance and I move into our new house. Someone here said that people should not comment, or know nothing about cat's if they don't own one. Well genious, I've had dogs all my life. I'm very good at training, have read many books on the subject and my dog Mickey, a beautiful Golden Retriver, is an amazing dog. When I move, I've decided to leave him with my parents, they are retiring soon and love him to bits. So, when I move and no longer have a dog, should I not comment on dog's because I don't own one??

It's funny how most of you think your so much better than others because your againt declawing, and think other's love their cat's less because they choose to declaw. Do any of you people have kids?? Babies for that matter?? Must be nice when your kid get's all scratched up by your special cat. Well, I'll be having kids in the next couple of years, and although I'm not going to have our kid declawed, or circumcized for that matter, I can sleep at night knowing our baby wont need a new eye because a cat's claw accidentally tore it out. If you think that sounds rediculous, you should really review what some of you have said on here, rediculous doesn't even begin to describe it.

One thing's for sure, my leather couch, my home theatre, my car, my coffee table, fridge, carpet, walls, and yeah, even my future kids will all be intact, because I decided I'd be smart and make sure our cat is declawed. Do I think material things are more important than life itself?.. no, but I REALLY love my home theater and my leather couch. All of you who disagree with me can KMA!!! <you can figure that one out on your own.

[kaoK'okung]

Originally posted by kaoK'okung
i must repectfully disagree...my cats Zip and Shy are indoor cats, and they are still the way they were when i got them...WITH claws...they are cats, these wonderful creatures are born with claws, that is how it is...if you are going to have indoor cats and have expensive furniture then it is up to the RESPONSIBLE cat owner to train the cats properly, so as to minimize any damage, if this isn't an option, too quote someone earlier...GET A GOLDFISH!!!!....we don't detooth dogs because they bite do we???...how about debeaking the bird because it pecks???...it's like buying a tarantula as a pet and ripping it's fangs out becuse you're afraid it will bite you...ummm, it's a spider, they have fangs and bite......

and i'll say it again!!!!

[ANTH055]

ummm, it's a spider, they have fangs and bite

ummm, they also devenomize lethal spiders before they are sold as pets, ummm.

[IRescue452]

I already posted an opinion on here but forgot to add that Sonny has gotten his back nails stuck in carpeting and blankets and has ripped them to a point of bleeding several times. The vet we brought him to for his front claws 14 years ago did a wonderful job and he never seemed to be in pain afterwards. I think that declawing should be regulated greatly but not illegal.

[PayItForward]

Originally posted by ANTH055
Ignorance doesn't even begin to describe you, among some other people here.

Nice attitude.

Originally posted by ANTH055

One thing's for sure, my leather couch, my home theatre, my car, my coffee table, fridge, carpet, walls, and yeah, even my future kids will all be intact, because I decided I'd be smart and make sure our cat is declawed. Do I think material things are more important than life itself?.. no, but I REALLY love my home theater and my leather couch. All of you who disagree with me can KMA!!! <you can figure that one out on your own.

My house and furniture is all intact too and I am very smart as I didn't spend any money on declawing operations. Just five minutes a day to train my cats when they first arrive here as adults or kittens. No big deal.

I am not narrow minded in my attitude to declawing far from it, I have an open challenge on my declawing site, looking for any advantage to the cat in being declawed.

If I found one advantage to the cat in being declawed, I would change my mind on this issue. However the only reasons which have been put forward to date have been owner related reasons.

Feel free to post on this thread or on my declawing site, if you can think of any advantage to the cat in being declawed. I even allow guests to post without registering in this section, as some people would not post if they had to put a name to their post.
Main site
http://www.declawing.co.uk/
Declawing section
http://www.piftails.com/forum/upload...splay.php?f=17

[PayItForward]

Originally posted by IRescue452
I already posted an opinion on here but forgot to add that Sonny has gotten his back nails stuck in carpeting and blankets and has ripped them to a point of bleeding several times.

Trimming his claws weekly would have been just as effective. I do this with our older cat George and as long as we trim his claws (2 minutes once a week) he no longer catches his claws on anything. Just a thought.