? for all cat lovers? To declaw or not?

[eclectics]

Ya know - I don not know why I came back to read the rest of this thread!
It infuriates me when someone takes a question and rather than just answer it and move on - they feel the need to CONSTANTLY argue with every other poster that doesn't have the SAME exact opinion as themself!
You post your opinion.
nuff said.
leave it alone.
The more you argue - the more it makes me want to do the opposite of whatever you say - as you make yourself out to be a nutcase!
I am sure you are a wonderful person - but leave it alone now... geeezeee..

If I'm the culprit, I apologize. But when someone answers one of your posts with a question or a challenge, it's pretty hard to restrain yourself and not respond to them. I found the debate interesting, but I will move on.


And having been found guilty by implication (see below) I will go back to the company of my non-confrontational cats. Ignore Feature On, Captain Video!!!!!

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

I never said that. I said someone maybe should think twice about getting a cat if they anticipate a problem with clawing in their household. Cats claw. No one should be shocked by that after the fact. Hate clawing? Think before you adopt. Keep in mind that you might have to declaw your cat. If you know that going in and you don't have a problem with it, go ahead and adopt. All I said was that I personally wouldn't put a cat through that ordeal. Loving cats is the only criteria to be a cat owner. What's unfair is insinuating that I would rather see a cat put to sleep than have someone adopt it and declaw it. That is ridiculous.

No what you said was this....(emphasis added)

I'll just say one more thing and then I will shut up. If someone would send a cat to the pound (to perhaps be put to sleep) for scratching and damaging a piece of furniture, then maybe a cat isn't the best pet for you to have in the first place.

I don't see where anyone was shocked by it. Your tone implies that if you have to declaw---then you are not cut out to be a cat owner.

While you are entitled to how you will raise your kitties--you have implied that indeed someone who cannot put up with normal cat behavior shouldn't own a cat. That is what was not fair for you to say. Only in later posts did you say otherwise.

You are right--it is rediculous.

 

[sha_lyn]

While you are entitled to how you will raise your kitties--you have implied that indeed someone who cannot put up with normal cat behavior shouldn't own a cat. That is what was not fair for you to say. Only in later posts did you say otherwise.

I don't get why you think it was unfair. Why should some who can't put up wth normal cat behavior get a cat? I'm also suprised at the poster who said that they declaw all their rescued cats, since most pounds/rescuse organizations make you sign a notice saying you will not declaw.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

I wasn't even going to click on this thread, but here I am, anyway. I'll give you my story.

We had three cats that we got within a few years of getting married. Eventually we got tired of having them claw at the furniture and carpeting (clawed at the carpeting when they wanted in a room that had a closed door) and had them declawed. They were in horrible pain after that procedure. It didn't seem to really change their personalities, however.

We no longer have those cats (they got old and died), but we currently have 2 cats and 2 kittens. When we first got our cats we trimmed their nails and bought a lot of scratching posts. We'd rarely had any problems with them.

We've only had the kittens a month and are still working with them. They love scratching on the scratching posts and don't usually go for the furniture. And they are improving all the time. I do need to trim their claws, but need to get new clippers since ours seem dull.

I can't say without a doubt that I'd never declaw again, but I can't imagine making that decision again. IF I did, I would use the laser technique, which is supposed to be less traumatic on the cat. I would also only do it as a last resort for a real problem scratcher.

First try the sticky pads over the speakers, spray deterrent, water bottle, etc. Also, make sure you bring the cat to the scratching post often and put catnip on the post if your cat likes catnip.

There are lots of things I would try first.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

I don't get why you think it was unfair. Why should some who can't put up wth normal cat behavior get a cat? I'm also suprised at the poster who said that they declaw all their rescued cats, since most pounds/rescuse organizations make you sign a notice saying you will not declaw.

B/c it is a legal procedure and a legal option. It does not make one unfit to have cats. It is not for everyone, nor is it for every cat. But the condemnation is unfair.

Cats have lots of innate behaviors that stem back to their ancestors well before they were ever domesticated. Lots of these behaviors are just inappropriate (Balancing ontop of room separators, bringing in little lizards, climbing...et cetera). I have never been cruel to my kitties. I even have an indoor/outdoor cat. That is frowned upon. But I didn't like that she expressed her dissatisfaction with not being let outdoors on my entry rug. Therefor--she gets to go out. She cannot add to the pet population. She has her claws to defend herself. She knows when to come home. In fact she insisted on going out last night--and as soon as she walked out...she walked right back in. That animal sense of knowing that bad weather is coming.

Birds get their wings clipped to prevent them from flying afar. Other animals probably have things done to them for their safety.

It is an unfair blanket statement that she made.

Note--we have no intentions of declawing anyone ever again...not a very pleasant experience for us. Due to allergies--we would actually give away a cat if it's scratching could not be controlled.


I'm surprised about the rescue cats as well. As far as I know they do make you sign to say you will not declaw.

 

[jenm2878]

The Humane Society and rescue groups I got my babies from only asked if I intended to declaw. I never had to sign anything. They also asked me what I intended to feed them and if they'd be indoor cats. If any of those answers changed (ie had to change food several times because my boy had tummy problems) I didn't feel like I had to clear it with the groups. My babies have a great home, and my boy is always touching me when I'm home. He's always either sprawled on my lap, has his head on my chest, or lays behind my knees when I sleep. For them to take him away because I changed my answers to the original questions they asked me would be tragic for him AND me. He has a great home and they are all loved immensely - I just happened to decide later on that declawing was best for him. (BTW, the decision to declaw each was based on each cat individually)

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Makes sense Jen--the ones around her are pretty particular and vocal about that...and do make you sign a form agreeing not to do it. Hence my surprise.

 

[goofygirl]

My girls are declawed. They don't go outdoors. They are declawed for my own safety, as well as theirs. They get along, but sometimes they play roughly, and claws can really cause a problem then.

I never understood those who get so militant about not declawing.

 

[Toby'sFriend]

since most pounds/rescuse organizations make you sign a notice saying you will not declaw.

Most? I realize that several cat rescue groups will do that. Several of them also have gotten quite the reputation as "hoarders" in that they take in hundreds of animals, only to deny a good percentage of the adoption applications that come to their door.

I didn't realize most shelters also did this. Most of the ones I have come into contact with have cats coming out their ears and it all they can do to give them a week or so sentence before they have to be put down in order to make cage space for next week's crew.

IMHO, declawing is not optimal. But as I think of it -- it is no more unhumane that keeping three cats in a wire cage barely big enough to hold one cat and a litter box for MONTHS if not YEARS, hoping that your ideal of the perfect pet owner will come along.

 

[Redbudlover]

I agree - You have to train the kittens to use the scratching pole. We would take our little babies whenever they started to scratch on anything other than the poles and gently put their claws on the pole. When they scratched we would praise them greatly. It didn't take any time at all for them to use them.

 

[epcotfan]

Don't do it.

 

[puffkin]

I never understood those who get so militant about not declawing.

I think many people are "militant" about this topic because of the actual procedure involved. To some, myself included, it just is incredibly inhumane. I can honestly say before I researched this, I had no idea what was involved, but once I found out what really happens in the procedure, I just cannot justify doing it merely as a convenience.

I think many on the other side have no idea what the procedure does, are not bothered by it (which doesn't necessarily make them a bad person) or think the conveniences of the procedure outweigh the inconveniences.

It does appear that more and more vets and cat welfare groups are vocalizing about this, and I wouldn't be surprised if it is eventually outlawed in the United States. My friend is in University of Pennsylvania's veterinary program and they are not encouraging the procedure in their curriculum anymore.

 

[epcotfan]

I agree - You have to train the kittens to use the scratching pole. We would take our little babies whenever they started to scratch on anything other than the poles and gently put their claws on the pole. When they scratched we would praise them greatly. It didn't take any time at all for them to use them.

That is what we did as well, however my cats were not young kittens when I got them. However, they learned quickly. Not to say they don't slip up from time to time but a firm "NO" will put a stop to it. My male cat will go straight to his scratching post when he needs a scratching fix.

 

[jbdreamer]

since most pounds/rescuse organizations make you sign a notice saying you will not declaw.

I have never heard of such a thing! I know they make you get pets spayed or neutered because of the over population problem. But to sign a notice saying you won't declaw??

The goal of the shelters is to get the animals adopted. They are over-populated as is, they would be stupid to deny the animal a good home because of the declawing debate. It's not against the law (in the US at least).

I do think declawing is inhumane, but I would rather see the cat go to a good home and be declawed than be uthenized because no one wants him with claws.

Declawing as a kitten probably isn't as bad. But I do think it would be traumatic for an older cat.

 

[Sleepy]

Declawing as a kitten probably isn't as bad. But I do think it would be traumatic for an older cat.

Put your mind at ease.........I declawed a cat I got from the shelter. She was 7 years old. She did just fine with the surgery and recovery was no different than that of a kitten. Nothing about her changed except she no longer had front claws.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

I have never heard of such a thing! I know they make you get pets spayed or neutered because of the over population problem. But to sign a notice saying you won't declaw??

Our local county shelter does not make a person sign anything (at least they didn't 5 years ago), but a different shelter would have. And our rescue organization where we just adopted our kittens did make us sign something.

 

[ravengirl]

hello, I don't post nearly often enough but I had to chime in.

The declawing of cats is illegal in England. I work for a cat shop HERE where we sell a product called Sticky Paws, which is double sided sticky tape. Well, on the packaging as it is American is the heading 'Don't De-Claw, Get Sticky Paws' as it is an American Product, and I get asked about the declawing dozens of times a week, all of my customers think it is the barbaric, inhumane treatment of any animal.

On the flip side, when I was a little girl in Jersey City, there was a childhood cat I grew up with of whom my parents had declawed, I remember the cat trying to rip it's bandages off constantly and when it finally succeeded in the middle of the night, waking up and finding trails of bloody footprints everywhere. I could never do that to my cat, even if I were not living in England and had the choice to.

Just my paws for thought, back to lurking... Ella

This is Boo Boo (Bourbon) The Master of Mischief, Claws and all...

 

[eclectics]

hello, I don't post nearly often enough but I had to chime in.

The declawing of cats is illegal in England. I work for a cat shop HERE where we sell a product called Sticky Paws, which is double sided sticky tape. Well, on the packaging as it is American is the heading 'Don't De-Claw, Get Sticky Paws' as it is an American Product, and I get asked about the declawing dozens of times a week, all of my customers think it is the barbaric, inhumane treatment of any animal.

On the flip side, when I was a little girl in Jersey City, there was a childhood cat I grew up with of whom my parents had declawed, I remember the cat trying to rip it's bandages off constantly and when it finally succeeded in the middle of the night, waking up and finding trails of bloody footprints everywhere. I could never do that to my cat, even if I were not living in England and had the choice to.

Just my paws for thought, back to lurking... Ella

This is Boo Boo (Bourbon) The Master of Mischief, Claws and all...

What a great looking cat Ella! I love his expression! Reminds me of one I lost 2 years ago.

 

[Sleepy]

I found that declawing is illegal in Italy as well. Considering most cats are either strays or left to run the streets with bowls of food outside, I wonder just how many requests there actually were for declawing. Is there a European association of vets which made Italy feel the need to participate in this banning? Why is there no countrywide ban for docking dogs tails if cat declawing is considered so cruel and inhumane here?

 

[Disney1fan2002]

I found that declawing is illegal in Italy as well. Considering most cats are either strays or left to run the streets with bowls of food outside, I wonder just how many requests there actually were for declawing. Is there a European association of vets which made Italy feel the need to participate in this banning? Why is there no countrywide ban for docking dogs tails if cat declawing is considered so cruel and inhumane here?

I don't think you can compare docking a tail to declawing. Cat claws are used for survival. A tail is just there.