declawing cats....cruelty?

[Disney1fan2002]

The post about the cat having to go got me thinking about something that really bugs me. Why are cats declawed? Couldn't that be considered cruelty? Even if the cat is kept indoors, there is always a chance it can get out, and having no claws, it is utterly defenseless.

I have a cat. It is the 2nd cat I have owned in my life. the 1st cat we got as a kitten when my DD was 3. He got out last year when we were in between houses during a move, and sadly, we have not seen him since. I got the kids a new kitten just before Christmas.

Both cats had their claws. My furniture is not torn to shreds, and I don't even have a scratching post. In our other house, yes, the carpet outside our bedroom door got a little beat up, because the cat would try to claw his way in when we had the bedroom door closed. But it was one corner of the carpet, right at the doorway. Nothing devastating.

As for the kids being scratched. Sure they got scratched when the cats were kittens, either during a rambuctious playtime. or the kids did not know how to read the kitty's warning that she had enough. They learned soon enough.

When I think of a cat being declawed, I look at my fingers and imagine it being equal to a human having their fingernails removed.

Cats have claws for a very good reason, so can anyone give me a non-selfish reason why they are declawed?

Just wondering.

 

[Charade]

It's illegal in the UK. I don't have a problem doing it. All my cats have been declawed and they haven't had any of the side effects declawing opponents have claimed. My cats are indoor cats and even without claws managed to wreck the back of my old sofa. They liked the material, obviously. Some vets won't do it but most will. Some adoption agencies make you sign a form saying that you won't do it.

 

[Charade]

When I think of a cat being declawed, I look at my fingers and imagine it being equal to a human having their fingernails removed.

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Actually, it's more like the finger from the first joint being removed.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

We have 3 declawed cats and will NEVER declaw again. The first 2 were for convenience and it was heartbreaking what when we got them home and saw their bloody paws and realized what we put them through. When we got the 3rd cat, we thought it would be a safety issue--actually thought she scratched one of the others in the eye.

All of our other editions have escaped that horrible fate. At the time of the 3rd declawing, we still weren't aware of the type of surgery it is and when we found out--terrible!!

The cats are fine being housecats and don't escape. The other cats are indoor/outdoor as they were raised to be (before we got them)...so them having their claws allows them to follow their instincts and protect themselves.

We're having some issues with the kitten b/c he's still young..but we have brand new couches..and no "damage" yet. He responds well to a loud noise when he's doing what he shoudln't be doing.

I do think declawing should be banned.

I wish our society, at times, wouldn't be so "convenience" oriented.

 

[Charade]

Cats have claws for a very good reason, so can anyone give me a non-selfish reason why they are declawed?
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Uh oh... getting the popcorn ready.

 

[tiggersmom2]

I have 3 spoiled persian babies......declawed. No...there is no remote possibility of them getting outside. I am happy with my decision as is my furniture, curtains, carpet, bedding, shower curtains and some clothing. The cats never had any problem after it was done......I don't feel the need to justify my actions.

 

[mick67]

Declawed cats are not defenseless. Cats fight with their back claws. Only the front claws are removed during declawing. I've even seen declawed cats climb trees.

Every cat I ever had that wasn't declawed tore my furniture up.

 

[tiggersmom2]

Every cat I ever had that wasn't declawed tore my furniture up.

But....but....but.....don't you know that is a SELFISH reason to declaw?!

 

[Aidensmom]

Our cat is declawed. We didn't declaw her because we were worried about the furniture, but rather because we did not want our son (who was 6 months old when we got the cat) to be scratched. She has never suffered any ill effects from it. I think it actually probably makes her happy because she loves playing little games where she bats at you, and we can let her do that because we know she isn't going to hurt anyone.

She is an indoor cat. She has no desire to be an outdoor one. When she was a kitten, our home was broken into when we were at work, and the front door was left standing open for hours. When I walked in the first thing I thought was that my cat was gone, and then she came running out of the bedroom to greet me. She did once follow DH out the back door once and he didn't notice, and when he came back in she was shut outside. Rather than going off exploring, she sat at the back door meowing to be let back in, with a pitiful look on her face I might add.

I have no regrets declawing her, and don't think it was cruel at all.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

Well, 14 years ago we did make the decision to have our cats that we had at the time declawed. We were moving and they had done damage at our house that we had at the time (clawing at carpet to get in our room or out, etc, clawing furniture, etc). We had three cats and figured that it was the right decision. I'll have to say, they were in such terrible pain and very out of it for awhile. They healed and were fine.

When those cats eventually died and we got kittens 5 years ago I started clipping their claws, which I didn't keep up with. We have a scratching post in our family room with sisel and tree bark, which they really were attracted to. We also have a small post in our living room and scratching pads upstairs outside of the bedrooms. The cats never scratch the furniture. It's a total non-issue, and even if they had of, we wouldn't have declawed. If they had of scratched I would have continued with the cutting of the claws, which seemed to help a lot.

It was very difficult seeing the cats in such pain after the declawing. I can't say that it was terrible on my part--I was doing what I thought was the right thing at the time. But, having it to do over again I obviously wouldn't make the same decision. Been there, done that, and not doing it again. I do have an understanding of those that do declaw and maybe they feel that it's their only option like I once felt.

As far as our cats scratching our kids, it's only happened rarely, and the child was doing something that they shouldn't be doing, ie pulling it's tail, etc. Not a reason to declaw in our case!

T&B

 

[SherryNC]

No...there is no remote possibility of them getting outside. I am happy with my decision as is my furniture, curtains, carpet, bedding, shower curtains and some clothing. The cats never had any problem after it was done......I don't feel the need to justify my actions.

I like the way you said that.

 

[mick67]

But....but....but.....don't you know that is a SELFISH reason to declaw?!

If it keeps me from killing the cats, is it still selfish?

 

[720L]

I'd rather have a cat declawed than have to put it to sleep because it was wrecking furniture,etc. I don't think it's mean if you make sure your cat doesn't go outside!!

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

If it keeps me from killing the cats, is it still selfish?

This was our justification for the first 2 kitties.

My opinion on it was probably formulated by "how" the vet did it. It was NOT a pretty sight. Probably just a bad job by the vet. #3's recovery was MUCH different (switched vets). But we aren't chancing it again.

But evidently--"killing the cat" would also be considered "convenience" as well .

 

[osukristin227]

If it decides between a kitten/cat having a home, I'm all for declawing. I work at an animal hospital and we have just begun doing laser declaws. From the few that I've seen after surgery, it seems to heal faster and seems to be less painful.

My cat is not declawed and I rarely have trouble with her clawing anything other than her post.

Ear cropping, on the other hand, I cannot find a decent reason for...

 

[IamTink]

It's cruel, I couldn't do it.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Ear cropping, on the other hand, I cannot find a decent reason for...

What in the heck is ear cropping and what is the justification for it when people have it done?????

 

[JennyMominRI]

I wouldn't declaw my kitties,but I'd rather see a cat declawed than dumped or taken to a Kill-shelter.. They do have kitty morphene for after a surgery.I got it for my female cat when she was spayed

 

[lesroi]

As a volunteer at a Vet office, I have seen a declaw surgery firsthand. The poster who mentioned it is like cutting off the first finger joint is correct. They actually DO cut off the tip of their little fingers.
I never got my cat declawed as I knew when I got her that I would always have dogs and I wanted her to be able to tell them what's what if she needed to. Now she thinks she's a dog anyway, but I know that she could defend herself if necessary.

I would personally NEVER get this done on any cat I owned. I actually just feel like it's cruel and also lazy of the owner. If you don't want your cat to scratch up your furniture and rip things (which, by the way, my cat NEVER does) just cut their nails. If you start when they are young, they will be very used to having their paws handled. We cut our cat's nails if need be, but she mostly trims them herself with her teeth when she does her little grooming ritual.

This is just my opinion, of course, but after seeing the surgery my feeling on declawing was definitely confirmed!

Tracy

 

[Catzeyes]

My cats are not declawed because I do not believe in it. They are all inside cats and we have new furniture which they have never touched. I clip there nails once a week and start that when they are young kittens. We buy them the cardboard type scratching posts with the catnip and they use those. I have had cats all my life and have never had a problem with any of my kitties shredding carpet or furniture.