Never ever declaw a cat...

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Angel said:
I've read many many anti-declawing websites which list all the bad side effects from declawing.. I love ALL my indoor cats and not once have I noticed any true negative side effects from declawing them and when we arrived home after picking them up at the vet, all of them ran, jumps and plays like nothing ever happened to them, they didn't look nervous or off-balance at all... My cats seem pretty dang happy to me and I adore all of my cats and they're just like one of my children, I did tried the soft paws at first, they were drive themselves crazy trying to take them off with their teeth, so that when I made an decision to have them declaws instead, but they still have their back claws but not the front.... I respect the opinion if someone feels strongly against declawing, but *I* don't see declawing as being cruel or abuse...It was my decision to have it done, and they're my cats....There are many pro and cons in EVERYTHING, so it's up to you to make that decision alone...

Peace out.. :)


Edit: Now they have Laser declaw...
Click to expand...

laser Declaw is a much better option to choose from.. less pain, less bleeding and quicker to heal.
 
You've got a good point there, Rebelgirl.

I've seen more and more pet owners not getting the proper care for their animals which included vaccines there's many reasons why they're delaying on getting their pets vaccinations, one reason is that they can't afford it, nor don't have any money, or believes that it is not even necessary, when it is necessary because it protected some diseases by vaccinations. I believe pets should be vaccinated to protect them from many highly contagious and deadly diseases but on the other hands there are people out there who don't believe in vaccines just like Rebelgirl states cuz of side-effects.

My dog has received side-effects every time he has his vaccinations, but that only lasted for about a day or two. Does that means I'm abusing my own dog because I still highly recommended him to go see the vet to be on his currently vaccines? No, I did it to keep him away from future diseases, because he does go outdoor to do his business, and I do take my dog for a walk also. I want to protect him at all cost, that is one reason why I continuing taking him in for his vaccinations.

It's the same thing for those owners who decide on declaws, they have their reason and that reason you might won't agree, but that doesn't mean they do not love their cats, nor is abusing their cats.
 
Cheri said:
You've got a good point there, Rebelgirl.

I've seen more and more pet owners not getting the proper care for their animals which included vaccines there's many reasons why they're delaying on getting their pets vaccinations, one reason is that they can't afford it, nor don't have any money, or believes that it is not even necessary, when it is necessary because it protected some diseases by vaccinations. I believe pets should be vaccinated to protect them from many highly contagious and deadly diseases but on the other hands there are people out there who don't believe in vaccines just like Rebelgirl states cuz of side-effects.

My dog has received side-effects every time he has his vaccinations, but that only lasted for about a day or two. Does that means I'm abusing my own dog because I still highly recommended him to go see the vet to be on his currently vaccines? No, I did it to keep him away from future diseases, because he does go outdoor to do his business, and I do take my dog for a walk also. I want to protect him at all cost, that is one reason why I continuing taking him in for his vaccinations.

It's the same thing for those owners who decide on declaws, they have their reason and that reason you might won't agree, but that doesn't mean they do not love their cats, nor is abusing their cats.
Click to expand...
exactly!
 
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.
 
Kaitin said:
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
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None of this ever happened to any of my indoor declawed cats...And my oldest is 10 years old, still a happy purring cat! :D



two :thumb: up to RebelGirl and Cheri...exactly girls!!
 
It depends.

I am actually very much against declawing cats, but with my cat I had no choice. When my cat cuddles with me, he likes to dig behind my head. When he did this, he would leave scratch marks all over my scalp, neck and my ear. I gave him 6 months to learn not to do so. The final draw was when he got deep into my ear and manage to scratch the ear canal.

I choose to get his front claws declawed because he wouldn't learn and stop. To this day I am glad I did so because he still does dig. I no longer have claw marks all over my scalp, neck and ear.

He's had no health problems due to being declawed. Nor has my roommate's cat. They are both perfectly healthy cats.


So as for declawing cats. It's a personal choice. It's a choice that everyone should seriously sit down and debate on weither it's good for both the cat and you. Give the cat time to learn to stop a certain behavior you don't want them to do.
 
I've had my cats declawed for many years. Yes, it hurt for a few days, then they're fine and have same sweet personalities as before they were declawed. All cats have different personalities so each one react differently after declaw surgery....but for my cats its been all good. Now that there is laser to declaw, why not use that from now on so the cats won't hurt as much? I would except that I don't have cats anymore in my house due to my allergy.
 
People who have limbs amputated don't always get infections either.
Just because some cats don't get infections from declawing doesn't make it any less INHUMANE.
Declawing a cat is inhumane, cruel abuse for this simple reason - it's like amputating a fingers with part of a hand in human.

It's CRUEL CRUEL CRUEL. no if and buts about it :(

Fuzzy
 
I dont like cats...

*runs and hides* :giggle:
 
RebelGirl said:
laser Declaw is a much better option to choose from.. less pain, less bleeding and quicker to heal.
Click to expand...

Yes, laser does help a lot and less pain. Same with fixing and spay. This is new modern medication for lessen pain for declaw.
 
Kaitin said:
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.
Click to expand...

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.
 
Audiofuzzy said:
People who have limbs amputated don't always get infections either.
Just because some cats don't get infections from declawing doesn't make it any less INHUMANE.
Declawing a cat is inhumane, cruel abuse for this simple reason - it's like amputating a fingers with part of a hand in human.

It's CRUEL CRUEL CRUEL. no if and buts about it :(

Fuzzy
Click to expand...

I know what you mean. There are many people's opinions about declaw or keep it. But I must remind you and other people. Mistreating the cats is more inhumane than declaw because of my experience of attending to court and tell them what I observed on cats being treated inhumane. So I will say this. Mistreating the cats are inhumne than declaw cats are way different. But I agree with you about if you don't want furniture to be scratchmark or don't like the idea of declaw then DON'T GET CAT!
 
Audiofuzzy said:
People who have limbs amputated don't always get infections either.
Just because some cats don't get infections from declawing doesn't make it any less INHUMANE.
Declawing a cat is inhumane, cruel abuse for this simple reason - it's like amputating a fingers with part of a hand in human.

It's CRUEL CRUEL CRUEL. no if and buts about it :(

Fuzzy
Click to expand...

It is inhumane, but sometimes you have no choice. My cat won't give cuddles to anyone else but me. He has choosen me and refuses to have anyone else. I had to declaw him or else I'd end up shredded up in bits.
 
Yup, cats and furniture don't go well together. haha. We also adopted a cat few yrs back that was declawed and he had long infections in his paws. It made me so sad to see it suffer at times.
 
VanG said:
Mistreating the cats are inhumne than declaw cats are way different.!
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Agreed! I've actually seen cats being mistreated because they were clawing the furniture, banished, or put outside. I don't think indoors cats being declaw are inhumne. I rather to see cats being kept indoors than outdoors, that's just my opinion. :)
 
Angel said:
I did tried the soft paws at first, they were drive themselves crazy trying to take them off with their teeth.
Click to expand...


Yes, the posters from several forums said the same thing what you said here when I asked them for their cons/pros feedback over soft paws because it´s new to me. After received their most negative feeback, I check with my Vet on this and want to know why we don´t have any soft paws here in Germany. Her replied is: Why soft paws for? I was like ooohhhhh... just wondering... She asked: What´s wrong with train cat to scratch on the scratching post like what we did train our children to not do that.... It belongs good patience. I was like yeah...
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GalaxyAngel said:
Not my business.. as long their respect wishes.. declaws or non-declaws cats..

I have two cats still have their claws.. mostly loved stayed outside nearby my sunroom. My cats already damaged my furniture one of them.. Sadly I've been trainned my cat to stop scratching on my furniture sofa.. Kept directly to scratch post but never used.. think it's bored their toy..

I'm glad my two cats are loved to stay outside which it's great.. doesn't want go inside my house.. I have no idea why two cats changed their behaviored and loving stay outside nearby my sunroom.
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Question: Did you have scratching posts for the cats to use? If yes, you keep on let your cats know that scratching posts are only one they are allowing to scratch. You show your cats and add their claws gentle *scratch* *scratch* on scratching post.. then your cats will know that you allow them to scratch on that scratching post.

Just use water spray to let your cats know that you don´t like them scratch your sofa or whatever... or said "NO" with raise voice to them.

My 3 cats like to eat some of plants... I sprayed with water to put them off and know I don´t like them to eat my plants.
 
LakeTahoe said:
I don't believe having cats get declawed. If cat accidentally escaped outside and had to protect her/himself. So I prefer leave it alone. If you want a cat, get a kitten and TRAIN the kitten not to touch the couch or anything...get a scratching post for the cat. My friend did called one of the vet and said that having cats get declawing is cruel so she dropped having her get declaw and trained her not to damage the furnitures. So far she did great!

So it is every owner's business what she/he want to do with her/his kittens/cats. :)
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Exactly! That´s what I did the same with my 4 cats (now 3 cats).
 
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