Can you tell me how you feel about declawing cats?

[Bob Hubbard]

We have 3 cats, all intact. As much as it's a pain in the *** to deal with their clawing, and has cost us a couch so far, neither my wife nor I are inclined to declawing. You can somewhat control this by proper use and placement of scratching areas, and water bottles.

 

[yorkshirelad]

My wife and I have five cats. They all have their claws and all use the cat toys we've provided for clawing. Our furniture has remained unscathed. I would never even consider mutilating my cats in such a way, but I did ask my vet what he thought of the pocedure. He told me that he would not consider declawing a cat. He said that the procedure is very painful and their paws remain sensitive for months. He said it is comparable with removing the finger nails and a fraction of the top of the finger from humans. I would advise all those people who find it apt to declaw their cats to removed just one of their own fingernails, so as to experience just a fraction of the pain your cat will feel.

I love the response "I doesn't seem to have effected my cat". What do you expect? Do your want your cat to jump on your lap and say "Daddy, my paws hurt?"

One of my cats Kaizer, burned himself on what I believe was an exhaust pipe. He is a black cat and I didn't notice the burn at first. A couple of hours later he jumped up onto my lap and it was when I began petting him that I noticed the burn. I took him to the vet and the vet told me that it was a third degree burn and that although it was small, it would be painful. Funny, but the cat never told me that he was in pain.

I love to hear all these people that say it's morally wrong to waterboard terrorist *******s in Guantanamo and then see nothing wrong with tearing the claws out of their cat's paws to save their couch.

 

[Bill Mattocks]

I love to hear all these people that say it's morally wrong to waterboard terrorist *******s in Guantanamo and then see nothing wrong with tearing the claws out of their cat's paws to save their couch.

I didn't do it to save my couch, I did it to save my other cat, which came to me already declawed and which was being beat up by my wife's two cats which had their front claws. And they're not people, they're cats. I love them and am against cruelty to animals for the purpose of sport or entertainment. I also don't care for cropping dogs' ears and tails; since that is for appearance only. Cat's claws I do not put in the same category.

 

[Bill Mattocks]

There is apparently some correlation betweencontracting HIV and circumcision. The WHO and the NIH of both recommended male circumcision as part of a broad based plan to curtail the spread of HIV.

Not something I have any concern about. It would not be possible for me to contract HIV via STD.

 

[Bill Mattocks]

Do you remember it??

Not consciously, but we remember everything that happens to us on levels we cannot always access with our waking minds. Not having a conscious memory of it does not mean it did not affect us.

 

[Jade Tigress]

Correct me if I am wrong, but when you declaw a cat isn't it up to the first joint? In other words, not just removing the "nail" but also part of the "finger". If so, I would consider that to be maiming.

You are correct and I think it's cruel to declaw cats. I have seen other declawed cats that seem to be fine but have had vets tell me it sometimes cripples them. I have never had any of my cats declawed.

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".

More.

More.

 

[girlbug2]

That's what I thought Jade Tigress.

In another post somebody commented that cats defend themselves with the hind leg claws. In my experience that is not so. I have had about nine cats all told--they definitely "jab" with the front claws, and in a fight they use the front at least as much as the back legs to grab onto and scratch.

Also, I have observed my cat climbing our back yard fence many times. He is very athletic, a part-siamese. It is seven feet tall and made of wood. He jumps up about 2/3 of the way, then uses his claws to dig in and pull himself up the rest. He wouldn't be able to make it without both front and back claws. Cats also need a full set of claws to climb most trees (for instance, to safety, if it is being chased). Something to consider-- if a cat has even the slightest chance that it will slip past you and escape, it has no chance out in the wide world without its claws.

For the humans who have seen declawed cats that "seem to be fine". It is also my observation that cats, when in pain, rarely make obvious noise and they don't have the ability to make a pained facial expression. Cats are very much "suck it up" types who suffer silently, unlike dogs and people. if it mildly pained a cat to walk about on declawed feet, we really have no way of knowing that now do we? They can probably learn to get about, sure, but that doesn't mean it is comfortable for them.

Okay, end of soap box. get claw tips if you worry about the furniture. Here is a link that might be useful:
http://www.softclaws.com/

 

[Blade96]

Princess had one of her back paws cut and it was oozing fluid and everything. once. She didnt tell us she was injured. It was only when mom grabbed her paw and played with it - and she pulled away with a screech - that I took a closer look, and found it, in all that hair. We took care of it and she's fine now.

Puss last year never told us he was getting sick. We only noticed it because he was reverting to a thousands of years old instinct to hide away from predators in high places. That and not eat. (we found it - feline leukemia, which he died from.)

Cats usually are very good at hiding sickness and injury - it is imperative to their survival. Even though they dont need to anymore as most live with people, they still hold onto traditional ways.

That said however, some cats do let their guardians know they arent feeling well. In early 1996 my cat Fluffy one night got out of his bed and sprawled right across the kitchen floor. In plain sight, where we could see him. He'd never done that before. That let us know. The diagnosis? Kidney disease. (Ofcourse he also hid himself away. But that was later.) With a special diet and care he lived another 6 years. He died at age 15.

So just let people know its hard to say what a cat might feel after being declawed. I've heard of humans feeling spasms and phantom pain for years after having a limb amputated. Maybe declawed cats feel the same and simply adjust and get used to living that way - because they have to.

Cats are actually incredible smart and thinking animals. They can figure out how to think and to solve problems. I even read a study that said cats posess a intelligence surpassed in the animal world only by various non human primates. (of course dogs are intelligent too. I watched my own collie dog figure out how to solve problems. What an intelligence she had. I miss her. She and Fluffy were best of friends.)

Puss and Fluffy were always fighting animals. Fluffy was lucky he didnt catch anything and Puss wound up with feline leukemia. I have witnessed battles, and they went after their opponents with their front claws. Of course when grappling Judoka - style, they also do use the back legs. Of course having very loose skin and a very flexible spine helps.....if a predator grabs them they can twist aound and crab them and get away.

You have anecdotal evidence to one side, and I have it to the other. That's a stalemate.

stalemate, stalemate - i like that.



btw our furniture has had a few scratches but we have never had to replace a furniture because of cats. You cant even see them. Like i said - come and have a look - I dare you to find the scratches.

 

[Bill Mattocks]

btw our furniture has had a few scratches but we have never had to replace a furniture because of cats. You cant even see them. Like i said - come and have a look - I dare you to find the scratches.

And we had to throw away furniture that cost a bundle, was only a couple years old, and was so torn to ribbons that even with a sheet thrown over them, they didn't look like chairs anymore. The Salvation Army would not take them. Looked like a couple of ghost Quasimodos crouching in our living room. You could not even sit in them. Nothing like p*ssing away a few thousand dollars in furniture to make you think about the rights of cats vis-a-vis my peace of mind. But again, we didn't get them declawed for that reason.

 

[yorkshirelad]

I didn't do it to save my couch, I did it to save my other cat, which came to me already declawed and which was being beat up by my wife's two cats which had their front claws. And they're not people, they're cats. I love them and am against cruelty to animals for the purpose of sport or entertainment.

"My one kid was born with no arms because of Thalidamide and my other kid would punch him in the face every now and again, so I just cut the kids arms off.....End of problem." That's how ridiculous your argument is!! Of course they're not people, but who cares? My cats actually mean more to me than most people. They are the nearest thing to children I have.