Pet forum for dogs cats and humans - Pets.ca

Pet forum for dogs cats and humans - Pets.ca (http://www.pets.ca/forum/index.php)
-   On topic - Pet chat, opinions, feelings and rants (http://www.pets.ca/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=35)
-   -   Declawing: against or for? (http://www.pets.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=28103)

Kelly_ann1980 June 24th, 2006 11:28 PM

Declawing: against or for?
 
'm totally aganist declawing because it is abusive and causing unnecessary pain and suffering with no benefit to the cat. It is a serious surgery and with a painful recovery afterwards; it is removal of the claws, the last bone of the cats claw has to be removed. Declawing is actually an amputation of the last joint of your cats "toes". Also, part of the digital pad is removed and incomplete removal of the nailbed. Removing the claws makes a cat feel defenseless. Declawing changes their behavior real fast and their personality changes all together. Some cats become nervous or aggressive, often resorting to their only means of defense, is their teeth. They become biter; using their teeth as a only defense against prey and they become depressed. I have tabby that is declawed on all four paws, he was like that when we adopted him. I recommend don't get your cat declawed. They become really different cats after the surgery. There are other alternatives things you can do like soft paws. They are caps you put on the cats claws but would have to replace every 6weeks. By him/her a scratching post and showed how to use it, put some catnip on the post. Just don't get them declawed. I am curious as to what other cat lovers think about declawing

mafiaprincess June 24th, 2006 11:33 PM

Thank you for posting and tryign to educate, but you are trying to educate a board that is already very vocally against declawing? Anyone who has been around long enough to get educated is pretty much against it.. and we are fully aware what declawing is.. If you'd read past posts on the subject you would know the tone of the board.

Prin June 24th, 2006 11:46 PM

Here's an old one about it.. [url]http://www.pets.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=13884&highlight=scalpel[/url]
The welcome email you get from here says that most people here are against declawing.;) No debate here.

glasslass June 25th, 2006 12:34 AM

It's a well-discussed subject, but with so many newbies everyday, its good to bring it up ever so often. Totally against. It's so easy to just trim the sharp points and provide scratching posts.

Cinnabear June 25th, 2006 12:57 AM

It's quite easy to say trim their nails and you do, but when they cause destruction to your house you might want to consider declawing. Sometimes I do wish that I had the 2 older cats declawed. They are destroying my walls past the point of drywall, and destroying all door frames.:eek: We do not have money to fix the damage they do. No I will not declaw them now tho.

Prin June 25th, 2006 01:03 AM

Hmm... My old yellow lab chewed on door frames, gyproc, etc, and I would never have thought of getting her detoothed. We just got her something to chew on instead.:D

LM1313 June 25th, 2006 01:42 AM

I'm against declawing. My kitties use cardboard scratching pads and never scratch people. :)

chico2 June 25th, 2006 06:10 AM

What bothers me the most is unethical vets and there are many,promoting a "package-deal",spay/neuter/declaw as if it was no big deal to unsuspecting new cat-owners:evil:

Stacer June 27th, 2006 10:14 PM

Completely against. I think under no circumstance should a cat be declawed. There are so many alternatives, and if you're proactive with your behaviour modification, then you should be able to curb the inappropriate scratching. I recently had a huge issue with my brother and his GF (mostly just his GF) over the possibility of them declawing their cats. I won-yay! And my brother has informed me that he is now trimming their nails regularly without any problems. Educate those around you, I think most people don't realize that it is in fact an amputation, and alot of vets don't volunteer that kind of info when asking if you'd like to have your cat declawed.

Ford June 27th, 2006 10:59 PM

As with any open discussion forum, quite often topics will re-appear from time to time, and we welcome that. Otherwise, we'd wind up with a finite number of posts, and eventually we would have nothing further to talk about. And, as mentioned by Glasslass, it's always beneficial for the newbies to re-visit topics.

If you feel that a topic is redundant or not necessary, please feel free to move on to another thread which you may feel worthwhile.

chico2 June 28th, 2006 06:33 AM

IMO,If we can stop only one new cat-owner from mutilating her cat,repeating this subject over and over is worthwhile.
I would scream it off the roof-tops if I could:D

Kerrye June 28th, 2006 06:36 AM

Hi
I'm against declawing - I had two rescue cats that came declawed. My two current rescue kitties are not declawed and I don't intend on declawing them. I have a wooded board in my house that I have tucked away in a corner. I rubbed wet catnip on it and my two cats now use the board to scratch on rather than the furniture. We do have the odd go at the furniture but mainly they use the board.

Lissa June 28th, 2006 11:57 AM

I am against declawing as well BUT if it came down to putting a cat to sleep or declawing, I would rather declaw.

All of the cats I know have been declawed, including Minnow and none of them have any issues. IMO, people who get cats and don't spend time with them or let them get obese because they do not exercise them are just as bad.

Bottom line is most people do not understand or put in the effort to keep their cat healthy and active. I made the worst mistake of my life by allowing Minnow to be declawed but I do not believe for a minute that she would rather have kept her claws and lived ANYwhere else.

Prin June 28th, 2006 12:44 PM

[QUOTE=Ford]As with any open discussion forum, quite often topics will re-appear from time to time, and we welcome that. Otherwise, we'd wind up with a finite number of posts, and eventually we would have nothing further to talk about. And, as mentioned by Glasslass, it's always beneficial for the newbies to re-visit topics.
[/QUOTE]And we've never had a poll about declawing, so it's not the same ol' thread. :thumbs up

RVT092481 June 28th, 2006 01:13 PM

[QUOTE=chico2]What bothers me the most is unethical vets and there are many,promoting a "package-deal",spay/neuter/declaw as if it was no big deal to unsuspecting new cat-owners:evil:[/QUOTE]

I am an RVT in an animal hospital (have been for four years). I'm neither here nor there with declaws. Yes all my cats are declawed (all are rescues).
In regards to the above post though...it's not unethical to offer a spay and neuter together. IF an owner choses to declaw their cat, it's "easier" on the cat to have them done together. Less anesthetic to the cat = less cost to owner as well. Also, if an owner is considering it, I'd rather have them get the procedure done when they are ~5-6 months old rather than when they are 5-6 YEARS old and owners are ticked off because the cat has ruined couch/chair/curtains/etc. It is MUCH riskier on an older cat (anesthetic wise) and much more painful as well (no matter how much pain killers we give them). We educated pet owners about trimming nails, scratching post, soft paws...give lots of life learn hands out as well.

Prin June 28th, 2006 01:23 PM

[QUOTE=RVT092481]it's not unethical to offer a spay and neuter together. [/QUOTE]hee hee... I wonder if it's ever necessary to both spay and neuter... :D (kidding)

I thought like that too when I was working for a vet- it is much less painful on a kitten, but that doesn't mean it's right either... Just less painful.

chico2 June 28th, 2006 01:40 PM

I am sorry,but there is nothing in this world that would ever make me declaw a cat.
I have 3,all with claws and all my other cats before that had claws.
If you get a cat,just like with a puppy,you can expect some damage to your house,furniture etc..
There are ways to train your cats,but nothing is fool-proof.
If you do not have the time or inclination to work with your animals,don't get any!
Declawing is a cruel practise,plain and simple:mad:

Luvmypit June 28th, 2006 02:50 PM

Poo to declawing for me! Don't have cats but I still love them.
And really who can say what is painful and what is not. Maybe less painful because they aren't physically showing signs of distress but that is an animals nature to hide their ailments.

I get what your saying RV but at the same time declawing in general at least in most of ours opinions is inhumane and uneccesary. Next time tell people who want their cats declawed to get a plant. I get that is better to do it all at once that i do not deny its just is it neccesary to do at all? I really can't think of any argument that doesn't result in people complaining about material things as their reason. If your cats pain is less important then that pillow then there is something wrong there. IMO

jessi76 June 28th, 2006 03:06 PM

[QUOTE=Prin]Hmm... My old yellow lab chewed on door frames, gyproc, etc, and I would never have thought of getting her detoothed. [/QUOTE]

LOL... thanks for the laugh, Prin!

I have 1 cat who came to me declawed (front only) and I have another who has all her claws. In fact, the vet I use is now STRONGLY against declawing, and takes the time to talk everyone out of it.

I simply provide scratch posts, and I clip their nails on a regular basis.

Shamrock June 28th, 2006 03:39 PM

It's certainly true that if declawing is to performed, its far better to do this while the cat is young.

I am shocked however at the number of cat-owners who state they were not properly informed about all the ramifications of declawing.. and were under the false impression that it was a routine, simple and common procedure.
That - it isnt.:sick:

To me, offering it along with spaying promotes the notion that declawing is an option for "preventative measures" -for a problem that may not have even occurred, or one that has not had time to be addressed in other ways.
An inevitable outcome that might as well be taken care of now. Nothing could be further from the truth.

I'm sure that most vets today do cover all the detals, and the seriousness of this measure to their clients, so that they may make a careful and informed decsion. I just dont believe it should should be suggested at all in conjunction with spay and neuter.

Many cats have no adverse affects to declawing, and there are no regrets following this decision. There's also no denying that many for cat owners - there are many.
Cant put the claws back:sad:

Declawing is illegal in many countries, I sincerely hope one day it will be here too.
While any surgery carries risks..declawing is the only feline surgery I'm aware of that does not benefit the cat in any way.

mastifflover June 28th, 2006 04:11 PM

Barbaric. Would you like your fingernails and toe nails removed?

dogmelissa June 28th, 2006 04:13 PM

Unrelated response... I am against declawing but trying to figure out what the difference is between "I don't know" and "unsure" in the options? I noticed that no one has picked it; does that mean they're so confused about the whole situation they can't figure out which fence-sitter option to pick?

Melissa

papillonmama June 28th, 2006 06:50 PM

It's not a bad thing to offer it during the initial spay/neuter, however, if I hadn't come to this forum and seen so many posts about how the cat won't pee in it's litter or whatever else now that it's been declawed I never would have known how painful a procedure it could be, or even that it could be done incorrectly leaving the cat marred for life. My vet sure didn't mention that when they offered me the package.
Luckily for my big orange brutes they didn't get declawed, personally I think cats have claws for a reason and should keep them. How else would they shred my window blinds to bits and rip holes through the screens on my windows?;)

Melei'sMom June 28th, 2006 09:01 PM

I am not particularly fond of cats myself but I think the practice is barbaric.

We had a cat when we lived on an acreage, and even though her favorite games to play with me was jump out of the hamper onto mom's leg and "lets see if mom will scream when I claw her hand while she is sleeping", I never once even considered removing her claws. Like another poster said, cats have claws for a reason.

erykah1310 June 29th, 2006 11:59 AM

I have never been a fan of the whole declawing thing! IMO ANY amputation, no matter what reasons for it is cruel.
But to each their own i suppose! Its sad our animals have to suffer because it is soooo easy to just say on the phone " ya hack my cat!, I like my furniture"

chico2 June 29th, 2006 04:04 PM

You have to adjust your house to your animals,be they cats/dogs,I've always had cats and yes,some sofas were kind of destroyed..but were replaced by leather,cats do generally not scratch leather.
I also bought a corner-unit in Ultra-Suede also no scratching,great stuff,easy to clean.
We do not have any drapes,I never liked drapes to begin with,I have beautiful expensive windows,why cover them up??
Instead I have Roman Blinds in almost every window,no fun to the cats:D
Also regular klipping of the nails and cat-trees etc...plus training,will keep your cat off the furniture.
You adjust your house to the cats,not the cats to your furniture:thumbs up

greaterdane June 29th, 2006 06:31 PM

I am against declawing (even though i clicked the wrong stupid button)

I worked at a vet in highschool and saw it done too many times to count. It was disgusting. The other day I saw a woman with an american eskimo puppy. They are wanting to have it declawed because he would catch his nails on her sweater. I couldnt help myself and said...hes a dog, clip his nails. They said "my vet does it for dogs, its not painful" I said..let me pull your finger nails out, and you tell me if its painful. They just looked at me like i was nuts and walked away. What jerks.

CyberKitten June 29th, 2006 09:10 PM

I am surprised this is even a poll on this site to be honest - when so many of us utterly loathe and despise declawing which is illegal in almost every other civilized country except the US and Canada! We need legislation outlawing this barbaric pratice!!!

Writing4Fun June 29th, 2006 09:15 PM

[QUOTE=Lissa]I am against declawing as well BUT if it came down to putting a cat to sleep or declawing, I would rather declaw.[/QUOTE] I'm not sure I understand this comment. I'm not saying that to tick anyone off. I'm just confused. If someone can't handle a cat doing cat things, then maybe they shouldn't have a cat in the first place. :confused:

Shamrock June 30th, 2006 02:55 PM

I can truthfully say that I would rather rehome my cats than ever subject them to declawing.
If I was unable to find a workable solution, and me or others in the home were unwilling to accept this cat behaviour, it would be kinder, imo.. to find kitty a new home, where they can be accepted whole.

As for a death sentence being a solution for the "crime" of it's anatomy and natural instincts, cant imagine that scenario any more than putting a dog to death for digging or barking.

The day cant come soon enough when this abomination is no longer an option period.
And if you took a "kitty poll" on that.. I'm guessing it would be all paws up. :thumbs up

chico2 June 30th, 2006 03:48 PM

Shamrock,I feel the same,I would NEVER under any circumstances mutilate my cats or any other cats.
The threat of Vinnie being de-clawed,was actually why I kept him with me,we did not really want 3 cats.
A doctor(friend of my old vet)was interested in him,but needed him declawed and there was absolutely no way,that was ever going to happen.
Our government does not seem at all concerned about our animals and it does not look good on Canada,it seems anything goes,be it puppy-mills,pet-shops or mutilation of both dogs and cats.
Heck,you can even shoot 60 dogs without repercussions,how important would mutilating cats be to them??

Feral_cats June 30th, 2006 04:23 PM

as i have said before , my cats are de-clawed , my reasons were not because they scratch couchs or anything like that, i would NEVER declaw a cat for reasons like that , my reason is for my dogs safty , the shelter i work at doesnt TNR , so my ferals are cats i have saved from euthinazia who have only bonded to me and wont bond to other people. it was either them get euthanized , or me take them and have them declawed because it takes a while for the cat to trust that the dog wont hurt it. i am not for declawing unless its a life or death situation , mine couldn't be rehomed so it was my only option other then euthanasia or having my dogs faces torn appart in the introduction.

AnimalMom1985 October 29th, 2006 10:29 PM

Totally against Declawing
 
When I got my cats Cougar and Alex I was 7 years old and my mother made me get them declawed in the front. Once they came out of the anesthesia Cougar repeatedly hit her bandaged paws against walls and table legs until she got the bandages off and Alex seemed fine. Not long after the surgery, Alex had tape stuck to her left paw and when getting it off I noticed that her second digit was not in its correct place but she walked and acted just fine. Years later I have learned that when the Vet declawed Alex he had broken her toe! It is now healed in an odd position but luckily it has not dragged her down. I can safely say that my 6 month old kitten Orion will never be declawed!

If you are thinking of declawing please consider buying claw clippers instead, mine were 5 dollars and have a lifetime warranty.
Also a great new invention is SoftClaws, plastic caps that fit over your cats claws and they can scratch all they want without knowing the difference!

It is very easy to clip a cats claws since a lot of cats have clear nails and you can see the blood vessels in the nail that way you don't accidentally clip too short.

I have to clip my kittens claws about once every two weeks and my adult cats claws about once a month. Your vetrinarian can also clip their claws on your visits most of the time for free. And most dog groomers can clip your cat's claws for a very small fee.

What I have found is that having a small 5 dollar scratching board in each room of my house keeps my cats from scratching on other desirable objects. If you are having trouble with scratching then I suggest buying a scratching board or post and placing it near the object which your cat normally scratches on. Let the cat smell it and if they don't know what to do with it (like my cats) run your own fingernails on the board (they may look at you funny) and they should understand. If not, then a little bit of catnip (whole catnip if possible) should help. Over a small amount of time (usually a week) move the scratching board or post further away from the previous object of scratching desire and into a more permanant place.:thumbs up

nansel October 30th, 2006 01:40 AM

I have a feral rescue cat and a dog, and my cat is NOT de-clawed.

It's a horrible, cruel, barbaric practice. I especially can't imagine offering it with the spay/neuter! What the heck is the logic there? I've had many cats in my life, and only one ever scratched furniture (and she was the one my family had when I was a baby, I don't know what her issues were). Why the heck would I mutilate all my cats on the off chance that I don't want to solve the problem of scratching - like buy a scratching post?

My feral kitties (litter mates) had never seen a scratching post before we brought them home and they caught on in, oh, minutes with the use of catnip. And as for the problem of him scratching the dog - well heck, it takes only a couple of minutes every few weeks to trim Bo's claws back. And we gave him a safe room so the dog can't get at him (babygate).

coppperbelle October 30th, 2006 07:00 AM

I have never owned a cat so I am totally clueless about living with one. I do understand that they can do damage to the house and furniture. With a puppy when they are in the destructive stage we crate them so that they are safe and so is the house. As they age they are gradually given some freedom and once they are old enough are free in the house. With cats, do they scratch their whole lives or is this a kitten stage? Can all cats be trained not to scratch furniture?
The reason why I am asking is because my son is thinking of getting a kitten and he lives in my house.
I have a question and it is only a question, not a statement. It was mentioned that some would rather give up their cats and rehome them rather than have them declawed. Honestly with so many cats in rescue and in shelters the chances of a cat being rehomed is slim to none especially if it is a cat that destroys furniture. Would it not be better to declaw than to give it up to a shelter if a person was not able to train the cat and it was destroying the furniture? Again, this is just a question because I have never had a cat and always thought the practice of declawing was a bit barbaric.

Frenchy October 30th, 2006 12:20 PM

coppperbelle; I know a cat is not a dog but you can still train them. If the cat decides to destroy furniture,people can buy scratching post and everytime the cat does it elsewhere,you take him and put him in front of the scratching post. Might not work for all cats tough....

Prin October 30th, 2006 01:18 PM

Yeah, it's like a bad dog- sometimes all it needs is the right home, with somebody experienced enough to get the unwanted behaviors to stop. :shrug:

Once you see a declawed cat depend on its nails that aren't there (even though they only had the claws for a couple of months and never really used them before they lost them), you realize that it is so instinctual for them to have claws, for so many different reasons, that it really does become mutilation. It's kind of like a person who has lost his sight turning to look when he hears a noise.

And while people declaw for behavioral issues, they tend to end up with more, as cats tend to start biting after being declawed.:shrug:

normag October 30th, 2006 04:04 PM

I dont have a cat, but I am definitely against declawing I feel sick to my stomach just talking about it.

~michelle~ October 30th, 2006 04:14 PM

I am against declawing, and always have felt it was wrong, however until i started to visit this forum i didnt realize what a barbaric procedure this was.Its a great topic to bing up again! Keep the education going!

LM1313 November 3rd, 2006 08:54 AM

I took in a stray who'd been declawed (not by me) and when she gets uncomfortable (like if my kitties are too close), she compensates by BITING. Luckily I haven't taken anyone to the vet for an infected wound [i]yet[/i], but it's a shame someone took away her first line of defense. She goes through the motion of clawing by "clawing" at the edge of cardboard boxes or my cardboard cat scratchers . . . either because she wants my cats to THINK she has claws or because she likes the motion. She's also very, very defensive. Of course, cats often are in new situations, but I think it's partly because my kitty boys have claws and she doesn't.

Edit: They do scratch all their lives, Copperbelle. They do it to shed loose claw sheaths and to mark their territory. (They have scent glands on their paws.) My boys were a breeze to train, I just bought disposable cardboard scratchers, which they loved. Then whenever one tried to scratch a doorframe or something, I would scold, take them over to the scratcher, set them on it, and praise them. Putting catnip on it also helps. The cardboard scratchers are great because you can afford to put one in every room . . . The closer the scratching post is when the cat gets the urge, the more likely it'll be used.


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 04:57 AM.

Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.