Declawing cat or soft paws?

[fakereadhed]

I made a lame attempt to lighten things up earlier because this thread is so over the top. I should just let it go, but phantom limb pain? Seriously??? Did the cats fill out comment cards after surgery with that complaint? A survey? To act like that is a fact is bizarre. You can hypothesize since humans feel phantom limb pain that cats might, but no way could that be a proven fact. Let's just say it is an unnecessary painful surgery and call it a day and leave out all the speculation veiled as facts.

 

[GinnyEmma]

I made a lame attempt to lighten things up earlier because this thread is so over the top. I should just let it go, but phantom limb pain? Seriously??? Did the cats fill out comment cards after surgery with that complaint? A survey? To act like that is a fact is bizarre. You can hypothesize since humans feel phantom limb pain that cats might, but no way could that be a proven fact. Let's just say it is an unnecessary painful surgery and call it a day and leave out all the speculation veiled as facts.

Makes sense to me.

 

[princessmom29]

What if the cat gets outside? There are lost pets everywhere, check craigslist! How is the cat going to defend itself?

Personally I don't understand the declawing issue, if you don't want a pet with claws just don't own a cat! There is no need to create the perfect pet for your furinture by disfiguring your cat. Get a bird or a hamster.

My ex has a cat that he rescued that doesn't have its back or front claws and it refuses to use the litter box. They've tried everything, been to the vet multiple times for it and years later he's still using the bathroom all over their house. The vet thinks it's because of him being declawed because his back ones are gone too, the litter itself could be causing him pain.

The cat is 13, has never "gotten outside" (doesn't happen if you pay attention) and never toileted anywhere other than her box. The ONLY cats we have ever had that went outside the box had claws. Failure to use the litter box has little to nothing to do with claws in the majority of cases, and everything to do with attitude. Kitty is mad at you= cat pee on your stuff and floor in many cases.

In this cat's case it was not about furniture, but about the safety of the people in her life. MIL has an autoimmune disorder and the cat was a scratcher. They tries a lot of things before the declaw. Nice way to judge without knowing the situation!

 

[PatriciaH]

I don't make personal decisions based on what other countries think.

There are all kinds of things that are legal/illegal in other countries that are or are not in the US. That doesn't mean it's morally right or wrong. Of course I would abide by the law, but as a thinking person I don't make moral decisions based only on whether it is legal or illegal in another country.

But the reason the AVMA gives for still allowing declawing is that in the US people would put their cats down if declawing became illegal. Basically saying Americans are jerks in regards to their animals so allowing declawing saves cats. Pretty messed up when you think about it. They say it should be a last resort.

 

[Hellothemouse]

I think declawing a cat is mean, just like docking a puppies ears or tail (which has been banned in many countries, and yes, I know it's legal here, but seriously people, occasionally countries other than the United States make good decisions, too). If you don't have the time or inclination to train a cat not to scratch things, then don't have cats.

Just because you CAN do something doesn't always mean you SHOULD do something, or that it's the right thing to do.

KC

So I guess since we have had our birds wings clipped you would think that is mean too

 

[si-am]

I think declawing a cat is mean, just like docking a puppies ears or tail (which has been banned in many countries, and yes, I know it's legal here, but seriously people, occasionally countries other than the United States make good decisions, too). If you don't have the time or inclination to train a cat not to scratch things, then don't have cats.

Just because you CAN do something doesn't always mean you SHOULD do something, or that it's the right thing to do.

KC

Furniture is just STUFF. Furniture doesn't have emotions and doesn't feel pain. I would never cause pain and trauma to my cats in the name of an inanimate object.

 

[justbishop]

But my DS still refuses to use the litterbox.

 

[Celidh]

Funnily enough, I had my cat declawed (after he ripped up several pieces of furniture) and he is still happy and healthy at 17.5 years old but I did not circumcise my son. I believe, unless it is for religious reasons, it is just plastic surgery on your baby. No health benefits whatsoever -just teach the kid to wash properly (and not doing it will not ruin brand new furniture!).

Unless he pees on it!

I have 2 cats, neither of them are declawed. They were both abandoned kittens when I brought them home. If I had problems with my furniture, I would have to do some serious thinking. They do like to scratch one of the 2x4s in my basement though. I don`t know how they don`t get splinters but they seem to be happy and they leave my furniture alone. My two cats I used to have were declawed.

I do wonder, for those of you who have declawed cats that came to you that way and have litter box issues and other issues, are those issues from being declawed or did they always have behaviour issues. Maybe it is not linked to being declawed. When you don`t always know the history of a pet, you can`t definitively say what the cause of a behaviour is. Even if you do know the history, it`s not like they can tell us why the bite, scratch or eliminate in inappropriate places.

Oh and to the pp who posted a pic of their cat with the pink claws, cute! My one cat would have you shredded to pieces if you tried to do that. I can`t groom her, cut her nails or even pet her unless it is on her terms. She has been like that since I got her at 4 or 5 months old. She likes being petted sometimes but only on her head and behind her ears and although she is not mean, she isn`t overly affectionate except when she follows me in the bathroom, then of course she wants attention. Go figure! She is beautiful though, she has long fur (with knots!), blue eyes and is pointed like a Siamese. Her fur is unique, very soft like rabbit fur. She looks like pictures I have seen of a breed called ragamuffin.

So, I`m on the fence in this debate but feel to each his own. It`s too bad things can get out of hand so easily sometimes and people can`t respect other`s opinions (even if it seems totally unreasonable), voice one`s differences and just leave it at that.

 

[Piecey]

I have our new kitten sitting next to me, purring so loudly I can't hear the TV.

I found him in the woods outside MILs apartment- his eye was so infected it was crusted shut, he had tapeworm, fleas ALL over him, and he was starving. MIL said the rest of his litter died. He was about 5 weeks old.

I brought him home with me, and he purred in my lap the whole way. Took him to the vet the next morning, got Frontline, all the tests, etc. & gave him a flea bath 2x a day until they were GONE.

He's an indoor kitty, sleeps right next to me, has a bowl full of clean water and food.

He was declawed (& neutered) two weeks ago. Laser declawed. He had NO bleeding, never acted like he was in any pain at all. Vet said he'd have NO pain with a laser declaw & I believe the Vet because he has shown no signs of pain.

He would still be in the woods starving to death, being eaten by fleas, eith a tapeworm and possibly dead already... Instead of purring at my feet, curled in a ball.

No one will EVER convince me that what I did was cruel. Cruel would have been leaving him in the woods to die, and I'll never see it any other way.




OP, I've had front declawed cats my entire life with no behavioral issues, no litterbox issues, or why of the other stuff I read here. So that's 6 cats with 0 issues at all.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, and until a cat can talk, that's all either side of the argument will ever be.

 

[Priorityonecb]

We have two cats. Both laser declawed front. We rescued them both, and they have lived happy, spoiled and loving lives since. I don't regret our decision one bit. They came home from the vet pain free, enjoy "kneading" with no pain and have never had an issue with the litter box or bad behaviors. They are both the sweetest, most loving animals. As I type one is laying across my chest purring in her sleep. The other is curled up with "his girl", our daughter sleeping soundly.

I've heard stories of cats in pain, but have never experienced that IRL. Maybe those people are not choosing the proper veternarians for their furbabies?

 

[GinnyEmma]

Considering we have two pee everywhere cats who haven't been declawed, I'd bet those stats are like most. Made up to make a point.

I have one cat who claws the furniture. I've never seen it, but at least 2 good pieces have been ruined. You all may not care about your inanimate objects, but i hate that she ruined them, because I paid a fortune for them and I like them. I don't blame people for making the choices they do. If a cat keeps a good home because of it, rather than being brutalized or put down, then all the more power to them. Other people need to mind their own business, frankly.

 

[tlbwriter]

Furniture is just STUFF. Furniture doesn't have emotions and doesn't feel pain. I would never cause pain and trauma to my cats in the name of an inanimate object.

But the thing is, no one wants to cause their cats pain and trauma. It's just that people who choose to declaw do not believe that the cats suffer pain and trauma from it.

 

[marie1203]

Furniture is just STUFF. Furniture doesn't have emotions and doesn't feel pain. I would never cause pain and trauma to my cats in the name of an inanimate object.

I have two cats and I would never consider declawing my cats. Things are just things that can be replace but my fur babies can not. My cats have never done any damage either except once when they were gone and left them with a pet sitter we found our one of our cats hates it when we are gone so we have work with her and now she is much better we have been increasing the time we leave little by little. People might like to deny it but declaing in fact can cause other behavioral problems. Puppies chew, cats claw, etc this are the things you have to expect when you get a pet. This behavior can be corrected without surgery.

 

[mhsjax]

To your first point- I'd rather see a cat declawed than euthanized, but I don't condone declawing unless 1) You have someone immunocompromised in you our house, or 2) You have tried EVERYTHING else (including training, 3 or 4 different types of scratching posts, soft claws, and trimming). "I don't want my furniture scratched" is not a valid reason to disfigure your cat. If you value your furniture that much, don't get a pet with claws.

To your second point- There is a difference between piercing ears- which does not cause permanent pain, and declawing, which causes phantom limb pain, early onset arthritis, and behavioral issues.


It's not bad because some people "don't like it'. It's bad because people who hold doctorate degrees have done SCIENTIFIC research that has shown that declawing is inhumane, causes lifelong pain, and directly contributes to major behavioral issues.

You keep talking about this permanent pain. You obviously didn't see my cat after she had been declawed. As I stated earlier, my vet, who only deals in cats, says most vets are afraid to use the right pain relief. When I had mine done, she was literally running and jumping and playing the next day. Purring up a storm and loving life. We had to try and keep her from playing and jumping for the next few days. Never pee'd in the house. Sounds ike a real damaged kitty to me.

Not to mention, she never bit, and yet my friends cats who aren't declawed with bite the crap out of you.

Also in regards to the above poster talking about puppies chewing, yep the do, but they outgrow this, I have NEVER, and I do mean NEVER, seen anyone be able to train their cats not to scratch. I have had them tell me they have only to see the cats still scratching and tearing up stuff. Cats aren't as trainable as dogs.

 

[KCMiller]

So I guess since we have had our birds wings clipped you would think that is mean too

Yup.

 

[SaraJayne]

I have two cats and I would never consider declawing my cats. Things are just things that can be replace but my fur babies can not. My cats have never done any damage either except once when they were gone and left them with a pet sitter we found our one of our cats hates it when we are gone so we have work with her and now she is much better we have been increasing the time we leave little by little. People might like to deny it but declaing in fact can cause other behavioral problems. Puppies chew, cats claw, etc this are the things you have to expect when you get a pet. This behavior can be corrected without surgery.

I have been a cat owner since I was 11 years old and I will turn 37 in a couple weeks.

I've had cats continuously in that time and I have never once had a behavior problem with any of my cats...and every single one of them was front declawed.

I'm not buying that declawing causes behavior problems.

 

[GinnyEmma]

I have two cats and I would never consider declawing my cats. Things are just things that can be replace but my fur babies can not. My cats have never done any damage either except once when they were gone and left them with a pet sitter we found our one of our cats hates it when we are gone so we have work with her and now she is much better we have been increasing the time we leave little by little. People might like to deny it but declaing in fact can cause other behavioral problems. Puppies chew, cats claw, etc this are the things you have to expect when you get a pet. This behavior can be corrected without surgery.

Anything CAN cause behavior changes. My cats were normal until someone left the house/garage door open one night. I've no idea what they saw in the garage but we've been feeding kitty prozac ever since.

People use information to make their point. That doesn't mean it is accurate, helpful or in any way pertinent. Yes, if you chop off the ends of cat's toes it is going to hurt. That doesn't mean that is what everyone does.

 

[tlbwriter]

Anything CAN cause behavior changes. My cats were normal until someone left the house/garage door open one night. I've no idea what they saw in the garage but we've been feeding kitty prozac ever since.

LOL!

I have two cats and I would never consider declawing my cats. Things are just things that can be replace but my fur babies can not. My cats have never done any damage either

Well, I'm sure most people wouldn't declaw their cats if they never did any damage. But not everybody is that lucky.

 

[GinnyEmma]

LOL!

It has been terrible, lol. That happened 5 years ago. We've never seen an indication of other animals trapped in there, but I've always wondered if an oppossum might have been trapped too. Surely a mouse wouldn't have scarred them for life.

 

[Boardwalk Gal]

i have ONE question for those who posted that declawing is mean and inhumane and cruel...

Are you a meat eater??? If so, then i rest my case!!!!