Declawing: against or for?

[stephanie0122]

I do understand where you are comming from when you say that the cats are wrecking your house. They were wrecking mine too...but if you can learn how to do this you wont have to get any surgery done.

[GoldenRetrLuver]

Very much against.

There ARE less expensive, and pain-free alternatives instead of de-clawing.

We clip our cat's nails every few weeks, and use Soft Paws.

Here's just a picture of Angel stylin' her Soft Paws.

[paul_brum2003]

Originally posted by Uabassoon
I'm against declawing cats. Esepcially now that their are alternatives such as soft claws. In my opinion if you don't want an animal that scratches don't get a cat. That's what they do. I feel the same about people that debark their dogs. If you don't want a pet that barks then don't get a dog. If you really want a cat that is declawed then just wait until one shows up at the shelter, that's what my sister did. Her roommate wouldn't let her get a cat unless it was declawed and my sister refused to get a cat and put it through that procedure. So she went to the shelter and put in a request form, everytime a declawed cat came in they were call her and she kept looking at cats until she fell in love with one declawed cat.

I believe IF it for health reasons for the cat then & only then should it be declawed .Also I do not see how it would not be degradeing to the cat as well as painful & one person I know who got their cat done said she thanks hers died of shame because hers would not eat & so it died shortly .plus what about infections etc.

[paul_brum2003]

Originally posted by Chinadoll
Adding my 2 cents...

I would highly recommend other alternatives before declawing. Declawing is solely for the benefit of humans and not in the best interest of the cat.

It isn't very hard to train your cat to a scratch post. All it requires is a little time and a squirt bottle. It also helps to have a scratch post/scratching area in every room your cat frequent until they get the hang of it.

It also helps to keep your cat's claws clipped regularly. Clipping/trimming the claws will greatly decrease the damage when your cat does scratch. Soft Paws is also an option.

At 4 months old you kitty is still a baby and learning. You wouldn't remove a dog's teeth because as a puppy he chewed on everything(meaning furniture shoes etc..)? If your kitty started biting as a form of play, you wouldn't remove his teeth, would you? Instead you'd teach the kitty that's not an acceptable form of play.

I have 3 cats all of which came to me between the age of 5 to 12 weeks. With a little effort on my part, they were all trained to a scratch post within the first few weeks. They were all fixed at 6 months and all get their nails clipped every other week.

Please reconsider declawing. There are other options...even for the wildest of kitties, he's still young enough to be trained.
JMHO

I have a foot stool just for my cat to scratch on & so far that has been all she has used.I also have a scratching post for her & with a little catnip in it to start with she loves it . I have not heard of "soft paws

what is "Soft paws" & what do they do to the cat ?

[leslie]

go back to previous posts. They are only allowed to be put on the claws by a vet. Or go to google and type in soft claws. I can't personally vouch for them but go to previous posts, maybe others can! Better than bone surgery!
I agree with PIF.
And, I have spent much money on furniture, antique wood bookshelves, etc. when the cats have an inclination to mark that "priceless piece" I make a decision. There are ways to keep them from doing this, or, I make the piece inattractive (i.e. just move it to another location of my apt.). They do loose interest with age.

[shais_mom]

Originally posted by leslie
go back to previous posts. They are only allowed to be put on the claws by a vet. Or go to google and type in soft claws. I can't personally vouch for them but go to previous posts, maybe others can! Better than bone surgery!

actually you can buy them thru mail order for dogs and cats and you can apply them yourself.

[shais_mom]

cats


http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produc...rtial&Np=1&N=0


dogs



http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produc...rtial&Np=1&N=0

[Jods]

against... Lets see how you feel if your finger is removed at the first knuckle.... Sorry to say it like this I just can't stand the thought of it

[Uabassoon]

I've used soft paws on Tibby before and loved them. I bought them at Petsmart they were around $17 for a pack of 40. They last a pretty long time.

[LIzzzzy]

I'm all for it.

[carole]

Are you saying you are all for declawing, if so can you please explain why to me that you think it is ok, to put an animal through un-necessary pain for what reason? Thank you.

[davidpizzica]

I totally agree, Carole. There is NO EXCUSE for putting a cat through torture. I, too would like to know your reasoning for declawing.

[shais_mom]

Originally posted by LIzzzzy
I'm all for it.

??so you are all for total amputation of what is equivalent to our first knuckles to our fingers??

[mina'smomma]

Originally posted by david p
Mina's Momma, I've said before that I'm dead set against declawing for the reason of saving furniture, but in Mina's case,if it would relieve her of pain, I think that it would be a good reason.

Thanks david p. Several of my friends where I'm at keep telling me I'm being cruel getting it done. They keep telling me to keep doing like the vet told me to do until she get big enough for the surgery and that's is a special way to trim her nails which leaves her poor paws sore for the next couple of days and she doesn't play. I will never declaw a cat for cosmetic purposes unless its to save the cats life. (example its on death row at the animal shelter). But with Mina's condition its either she has the surgery or she is in pain every other week from having to have those blasted nails clipped. (we are now having to clip right into the quick of her nail because its growing right into her paw.)

[Miranda_Rae]

I'm against declawing. Although Heidi's dewclaws were removed when she was a puppy. The reason they removed them is because when she is hunting they could get ripped and torn off running through the cattails and the fields. She gets REALLY beat up, so I know that that would happen to her dewclaws.