De-Clawing

[eyelids]

A friend of the family just had their cat de-clawed and I think it's horrible. As far as I'm concerned it's borderline mutilation and in the same boat as removing venom glands from Hots.

What are your thoughts and are your cats de-clawed?

 

[Scott&Nikki]

I know people that have had their cats de-clawed and other that haven't. Both cats seem to be very happy, but who knows if that even makes a difference. Correct me if I am wrong, but in order to de-claw, don't you have to basically tear off the ends of their paws? That might have come off wrong, but those of you who know how it is done can maybe clarify what I am trying to say. I think that is terrible, but I may not know the whole story.

 

[eyelids]

Here's some links with lots of info...

http://amby.com/cat_site/declaw.html

http://www.declawing.com/

Here's a good paragraph from declawing.com...

Before you make the decision to declaw your cat, there are some important facts you should know. Declawing is not like a manicure. It is serious surgery. Your cat's claw is not a toenail. It is actually closely adhered to the bone. So closely adhered that to remove the claw, the last bone of your the cat's claw has to be removed. Declawing is actually an amputation of the last joint of your cat's "toes". When you envision that, it becomes clear why declawing is not a humane act. It is a painful surgery, with a painful recovery period. And remember that during the time of recuperation from the surgery your cat would still have to use its feet to walk, jump, and scratch in its litter box regardless of the pain it is experiencing. Wheelchairs and bedpans are not an option for a cat.

 

[marula]

oh my god...i can't belived...why do that?

 

[StinaKSU]

First I want to say that I am NOT a fan of declawing...that said....I am NOT against it entirely either. Declawing has saved the lives of MANY MANY cats....personally I'd rather see a cat without its claws, than see it euthanized. Now again, I am not a fan of declawing...I don't think it should ever be done to adult cats except in a case to save the cat from euthanasia (adults cats often recover slowly and painfully and it can often turn them to biting). In kittens I dont' think its such a horrible thing...I would never recommend someone declaw, I would always suggest trying to train them not to scratch undesired items or try soft-paws...but kittens do recover very quickly and generally with very few side effects if any....and again if that's all it takes to get a cat a loving home, I'm ok with that.

 

[BalloonzForU]

I had to have my cats de-clawed in order to keep them per the lease agreement at my apartment when I got them. They were young and it was done at the same time I they were spayed.

They actually amputate from the first knuckle down, and they seemed to heal up very fast, compared to what you would think. To me it's like cropping a tail/ears and removal of dew claws in dogs. I'm not completely for it but if it has to be done to give a cat a loving home then I can't see the harm. My cats don't walk funny they run and play like a normal cat, and they don't get in trouble for clawing anything.

 

[brandy101010]

I use soft claws on my cats. They are kind of like fake nails for cats. they stay on for a pretty long time and make it so the cat can not destroy furniture or scratch people but does not effect their natural behavior. After they get used to them they do not even know they are there. (and they come in pretty colors lol)

There are plenty of alternatives to declawing. If a cat has a place to scratch like a few posts, or a strip of carpet on the wall. They will use them. You just have to make it desirable for them. rub cat nip on the posts, hang a toy there. If you notice your cat scratching where it is not supposed to . Give it an alternative that is similar. If it likes the feel of your recliner, get some similar material and make a post out of it the exact hight of where the scratches are on the recliner. Once you can find the perfect scratching areas for your cat he/she will continue to use them and should not use other spots.
There are also other reasons a cat could be scratching. If your cat is scratching excessively in different places all over the house, it feels threatend and is scratching to mark teritory. If this is the case you need to find out why your cat does not feel safe in it's own home and fix it. For example If your cat is getting bullied by another cat.

I don't beleive in declawing. Not when there are other ways to deal with the problem.

 

[StinaKSU]

I don't beleive in declawing. Not when there are other ways to deal with the problem.

There are alternatives and ways of dealing with it.......but they don't always work and some people just don't have the time to try and train their cats not to scratch.....you can't redirect a cat when you're at work for example. Some cats also won't put up with soft paws...sometimes there is no other alternative.......besides giving the cat up or having it euthanized....and like I said, if its a choice between that a healthy cat without the tips of its toes and a dead cat (or another cat in the shelter), I'd rather a cat missing the tips of its toes.

 

[eyelids]

I agree that if it's a life or death issue then it's ok... However, I don't practice that myself. I'm not supposed to have cats with claws in my apartment, but obviously I do and I don't mind replacing the trim on the doors or losing my deposit when I move. My couches are tore up and so is the base of my bed, but it's all good; they can be replaced. Furthermore, my cats are like siblings and I could never hurt them. It was hard enough taking them to get "fixed".

I don't want to start a war on this. These are just my opinions. I respect everyone's opinions on this because it comes down to it being a personal issue. Like Stina said, some people just don't have the time to try and train their cats not to scratch.....you can't redirect a cat when you're at work for example. It's part of my personality to not care about the cats ruining furniture or what not. It all depends on what matters to you. Now before getting angry, refer back to the begining of this post...

 

[Double LY]

My couches are tore up and so is the base of my bed, but it's all good; they can be replaced. Furthermore, my cats are like siblings and I could never hurt them. It was hard enough taking them to get "fixed"...

I agree. Our cat is not declawed. She's not a HUGE scratcher, but occassionally likes to tug on one of the chairs or the carpet a bit. We found her at a shelter. She had been dumped, young and pregnant and had all of her babies adopted while she waited for a family. She bit and clawed us when we tried to pet her and I knew no one would ever want her. I wasn't about to make her go through an unecessary surgery if I didn't have to.

She came to live with us almost 12 years ago and still is only friendly to me (guess she knows her saved her life ). The claws have also let hubby, a 100 pound Rottie, a Chow/Sheltie mix, a Lhasa Apso (and every once in awhile the human kids) know who is the REAL boss of the house

 

[Sandra]

A friend of the family just had their cat de-clawed and I think it's horrible. As far as I'm concerned it's borderline mutilation and in the same boat as removing venom glands from Hots.

I don't think it is the same. In the case of snakes, they are animals that will live in a tank their whole lives. If the tank is secure and you treat them with respect and very carefully, you shouldn't need to remove their venom glands for anything... If you do it's because you want to handle it with your bare hands, which is completely unnecessary when you keep a snake. But in the case of a cat, you are obliged to interact with it everyday. If it is a scratcher and other methods don't work with him, I understand that de-clawling is an option to consider.

In my opinion, I wouldn't make an animal (whether it is a snake, a cat or a dog) go through surgery if there aren't any medical problems or another serious reason. All surgical procedures cause pain and anesthesia is very annoying. I had to get my mouth operated some time ago, I guess that's how venomoids feel :main_rolleyes: It wasn't an unbearable pain but, of course, the postoperative hurt.

I don't think that people that de-claw, de-venom or crop their dogs' tail or ears are monsters, they must have their reasons and if it's done correctly it isn't all that painful (people that practice house-made cropping or de-venoming are a different matter :main_angry: ). I just wouldn't do it.

 

[KiKi]

we have a cat and we didnt declaw her because i thought it was too cruel to do, besides god forbid if she got out she would have no way to defend herself from other animals. i dont believe in declawing

 

[StinaKSU]

I've already given my reasons for not being entirely against declawing. But I don't really believe the not being able to defend themselves thing......declawed cats still have teeth...and declawed cats can still catch prey. I also don't believe its a cruel procedure.....I dont' think its a very nice procedure....but far from what I would consider cruel. I'd consider it more cruel to euthanize a cat or send it to a shelter than to get it declawed.

 

[brandy101010]

Like I said I am against declawing. I don't look down on others for their own opinions though. If you already had cats and you had to move into a house that required you to declaw your cats. I would probably do it too if I could find no other alternitive. I would not move into an apartment that I already knew had this rule and then get a cat and declaw it though. If it is a life or death situation. Then again yeah I would do it. I have never heard of such a situation though....

In my opinion, And I hope no one gets ofended because It is just my opinion...
If you do not have the time to properly train your cat and make sure it is comfortable then a cat is probably not the right choice for you.

 

[StinaKSU]

If you do not have the time to properly train your cat and make sure it is comfortable then a cat is probably not the right choice for you.

So then you're saying people who have an 8 hour work day or work 2 jobs or some similar very time consuming thing shouldn't have cats?....b/c when you are gone that often it would be nearly impossible to train a cat not to scratch things. It is often a life or death situation for the cat.....perhaps its not the best home when people don't want a cat that will scratch their furniture....but its a home...and even if its not the best it doesn't mean its not a loving caring home. Again, I'm not saying declawing is good, and I will always advise against it...but I KNOW it has saved the lives of MILLIONS of cats that would otherwise have been euthanized or dumped in shelters (or outside).

 

[BluGnat]

So then you're saying people who have an 8 hour work day or work 2 jobs or some similar very time consuming thing shouldn't have cats?....b/c when you are gone that often it would be nearly impossible to train a cat not to scratch things. It is often a life or death situation for the cat.....perhaps its not the best home when people don't want a cat that will scratch their furniture....but its a home...and even if its not the best it doesn't mean its not a loving caring home. Again, I'm not saying declawing is good, and I will always advise against it...but I KNOW it has saved the lives of MILLIONS of cats that would otherwise have been euthanized or dumped in shelters (or outside).

This is why I'm not strictly against declawing. There are so many kitties that need loving homes. By saying that an owner needs to be home a certain amount of time, and by placing more obstacles in the way of cat ownership mean less homeless cats will be adopted, or alternatively, more will be given up. I really feel that if the anti-declawing information wasn't so...rigid, that many more cats would be incorporated into excellent families.

Having said that, unfortunately, there are vets that are terrible at it, and there are procedures that go wrong (as with any surgery). Many years ago, my cat at the time had the horrible experience of a bad declaw job. I left a loser that I was dating for three years whom I lived with. I had adopted my kitty while we were together and I wasn't living with my folks. When I left I had no where to go but back home with my folks - and they put the stipulation on my return home that I would declaw my kitty (their cat wasn't declawed - he never scratched anything that he wasn't "supposed" to by human standards). It was declaw my boy or give him up to the Humane Society. I chose the former. The vet totally botched it - from the surgery to using the wrong stitches (he said they would dissolve and fall out on their own, but he hadn't used dissolving stitches).

For various reasons, many years later, my current two cats are both declawed. I did a lot of research and asking for referrals and found a vet to do a declaw via laser. They use pain medication post-op and the healing time is very quick. With my older cat, I tried the SofPaws - they drove him absolutely batty. I would absolutely not recommend declawing for every cat or every owner and other alternatives should be exhausted first - but if having claws is something that stands between cats having a good, loving home and being unadopted in a shelter and risking eventually being put to sleep...well, which is meaner.

 

[robin]

all of my cats are4 declawed except for one. i got their declawing done at the same time they were spayed or neutered and at the earliest possible time. the only one that did not get declawed was already 6 or so months old and i felt she was too old to get declawed. the ones declawed do not go outside. the one that still has her claws does from time to time. there is a difference between docking tails and removing the dew claw. the puppies are generally a day or so old and the nerves like with babies are not , damn i can't remember what it is called. anyways, i have a schnauzer we did not get her ears cropped, personally she looks cuter and there was no reason to. i would say i not for or against it. it is a personal choice. but i think if done early enough it is not torture or inhumane.

 

[BalloonzForU]

My cats are 13 & 11 and have never had any issues with their feet from the declawing. They also don't go outside, even if they had their claws I'm not sure they would want to go out, or that I would let them. I see too many stray cats around here. I used the soft paws for a time before their declawing and I swear that seemed more stressful on both my cats then the surgery. They would walk funny, like a cat when they get their paws wet. LOL Now that I have my own house, de-claw won't be happening with the next cat(s). But another cat will have to wait till my girls have lived out their lives, as I don't think it would be fair to them to bring in a younger cat with claws.

 

[robin]

felica the youngest one here is 9 years old. the oldest is a bit over 12. no problems either. i have five cats too. they are pampered and have never even had one problem due to the declawing.

 

[brandy101010]

So then you're saying people who have an 8 hour work day or work 2 jobs or some similar very time consuming thing shouldn't have cats?....b/c when you are gone that often it would be nearly impossible to train a cat not to scratch things. It is often a life or death situation for the cat.....perhaps its not the best home when people don't want a cat that will scratch their furniture....but its a home...and even if its not the best it doesn't mean its not a loving caring home. Again, I'm not saying declawing is good, and I will always advise against it...but I KNOW it has saved the lives of MILLIONS of cats that would otherwise have been euthanized or dumped in shelters (or outside).

I'm not saying that people who work alot should not have cats. In fact in my opinion cats are the best pets for those people because they can easily entertain themselves and take care of themselves as long as a litter box, food, and water are provided. In my experience of haveing tons of cats in my short life. It has never been that hard to "train" a cat to not scratch where it is not suposed to. As long as there are places in the house where the cat is aloud to scratch it will use them and as long as these places are desirable to the cat They Usually will only use these places. It's not time consuming at all. You buy a few scratching posts but them where the cat likes them and there ya go. maybe I have just been extreamely lucky and never had a cat that could not very easily be convienced to use a scratching post instead of the furniture. :main_huh: