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VanG · 10-29-2007, 11:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kaitin

From The CatSite:

Like most well-intentioned people, they didn't understand the extent of declawing- it's not just a manicure. The entire claw, tendon, bone and ligament to the first knuckle of each joint is amputated. It is a major trauma, with long-lasting repercussions.

During the procedure, the cat's paw is extended. Large nail clippers, similar to pruning shears, crunch through the joint. Hemostats- clamping scissors- help tear the joint away from the paw. The bloody stump is cleaned, and an adhesive is squeezed into the gaping hole where the cat's toe had been. Pressure is applied to stop the bleeding and the paw is bandaged.

Examine your own hand, palm up. Look for the crease at your first knuckle. That's where the clippers crush down to amputate. Imagine having all ten of your fingertips chopped off. If they were your fingers and toes, there's no one on earth who could possibly tell you that "...soon you'll be good as new."

People who think declawing will solve one problem, are often surprised to learn this: Declawing often starts a chain reaction of medical and psychological disasters. Please don't declaw. The possible benefits rarely outweigh the probable negatives. These include:

* Increase in biting- Because their first defenses - claws- are gone, declawed cats often respond to stress, and even play, by biting.
* Litter box problems- Cats cover over their deposits. But when they feel pain in their paws, as Annie Bruce, cat behavior consultant and author of "Good Cats Wear Black" reports, declawed cats are far more likely to urinate outside the litter box than cats with claws. Dr. Kimberly Harrison in Colorado, collected data on cats with litter box problems that were not medically related- 90% were declawed cats.
* A declawed cat can NEVER safely go outdoors. Because he can't fight, a declawed cat will try to escape, usually by running up a tree, and they need front claws to do that. A declawed cat is an easy target for all kinds of predators.
* Scratching is a natural behavior. Declawing does not change the need to scratch.
* Personality change- Once subjected to this trauma, many cats have residual, 'phantom pain,' similar to what a human experiences after amputation. They may distrust the person responsible for such pain- you. Or drastic personality changes can occur- after declawing, that gentle tabby becomes a temperamental tiger.
* Medical studies have only started to document the long-term problems - debilitating arthritis, and pain in the knee and hip joints, because of structural changes from loss of that first knuckle.

Declawing has absolutely no health benefits to the cat. It's done for human convenience, not feline consideration. Many veterinarians recognize that declawing is inhumane, and won't perform the surgery. In Australia, England, Finland, Norway, Spain, Portugal, New Zealand, and many other countries, where it is considered inhumane, declawing is illegal. Educate-don't mutilate.

I don't think people declaw to hurt their cats, but I think it hurts. It is not meant as abuse and is not like hitting a cat. But it is not humane. When I volunteered at the Humane Society they asked people not to declaw. Yes, better than killing the cat because of clawing, but still cruel. JMO.

Vaccines are separate.

From the Humane Society: Declawing cats: More than a manicure

Too often people believe that declawing is a simple surgery that removes a cat's nails, the equivalent of a person having her fingernails trimmed. Sadly, this is far from the truth. Declawing traditionally involves the amputation of the last bone of each toe and, if performed on a human being, it would be comparable to cutting off each finger at the last knuckle.

Declawing can leave cats with a painful healing process, long-term health issues, and numerous behavior problems. This is especially unfortunate because declawing is an owner-elected procedure and unnecessary for the vast majority of cats.

This is kinda harsh quote from website. Personally, there are pro and con and it is depending upon you and your cat. I don't follow what website said because Angel's cats are doing fine without claw. I really know this is biggest debate. If you don't like declaw the cat. Use it for outside or don't get it at all. If you like cats to be indoor and want to save furniture but don't want to declaw it. All I can say is find a way to prevent the furniture but at least 85 percent of cats still think furniture is their way of marking their "MY OWN!" on furniture which is common happen in America's household.