Quote:
Originally Posted by MyCatsRLoved
If you want to declaw your cats, that is YOUR choice. I have heard much BS about the unhappiness of cats that are declawed. Perhaps it had more to do with their human companions, than the declawing. Now, not all the cats in my life were declawed, but the ones that were, were never "bitter", never hissed, and most lived well into their late teens. with one living long past the age of 20. I fed them the best I could afford, I never declawed their back feet; those are the ones they actually defend themselves with; so if it declawing a cat, means it will be rescued from a cage, and years of being locked up in noisy kennels, do it, if you must. Don't let ANYONE make you feel like you love your cat any less for declawing them. Just please make sure you intend to keep them indoors. Oh, and btw, indoor cats tend to live longer as well. And please don't bother declawing the back paws. It gives them traction to jump and a fighting chance, as they fight with their back claws. I liken these rabid anti declaw guilters to rabid vegans and members of PETA, who use women as sex objects to get their stupid messages across, and so I tune them out completely. All my cats lived well beyond the average age. All were happy and loving, and while I hope the next I adopt is already declawed, like with surgeries that are painful for humans, there's a thing called pain medications and most vets will supply you with enough to get them through the first weeks of pain.
It's up to you and you alone. Don't allow anyone to shame you.
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Just out of curiosity, how many amputee's have you spoken to? I have talked to two, both who have talked about how the phantom pain has ruined their lives. How did their doctors know they were in pain? Because they were able to talk. Cats can't talk. They can't tell you that they are in pain. Their instinct is to hide pain as much as they can as a weak cat is is a dead cat out in the wild.
There is a reason why the European community has banned declawing, it's too bad Canada's gov't still lives back in the dark ages.
Your last sentence speaks loudly ...
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/phantom-pain/DS00444
Definition
By Mayo Clinic staff
Phantom pain is pain that feels like it's coming from a body part that's no longer there. Doctors once believed this post-amputation phenomenon was a psychological problem, but experts now recognize that these real sensations originate in the spinal cord and brain.
Although phantom pain occurs most often in people who've had an arm or leg removed, the disorder may also occur after surgeries to remove other body parts, such as the breast, penis, eye or tongue.
For some people, phantom pain gets better over time without treatment. For others, managing phantom pain can be challenging. You and your doctor can work together to treat phantom pain effectively with medication or other therapies.