Declawing

I wanted to post this for a while and I guess i can't hold it in anymore I'm sure there are some of you who will tell me i'm wrong but i know i am not. I think all of you are great and I hope no one hates me for this but i have to say what I feel. Anyway anyone who is considering declawing or would like information on it please go to Stopdeclaw.com. If you are still considering mutilating your cat after you see this well then... you shouldn't even have one. Thanks for being open minded ( I hope!)

 

I'm not even going to that site. I already know what I will see and it horrifies me. I would never even consider de-clawing a cat. Even thinking about it now as I type makes me cringe.

With patience, you can teach a cat what they can and can't scratch. Water bottle, double sticky tape, scratching posts, clipping nails...the list goes on as to how to properly teach and train a cat. De-clawing is not the answer.........

 

:0020: Good for you Pooh! I'm so glad the first response was a positive one!

 

Well, to ease your mind SugarLovesPits......
I'm pretty sure that many of the members here are strongly against declawing.

 

nern is absolutely right. I think you'll find that most here agree with you. I'm willing to spend the $8/month to have my babies claws clipped.

 

You don't know how happy i am ta hear that, i said it cuz a guy on here was talking about his cats being declawed and i wanted ta see how people feel about it. Really that web site is horrible tho that's why i wanted people who are thinking about it to see what would really be happening to there kittie, Anyway thanks guys!

 

Add my name to the list of "no declawers". I recently adopted an already de-clawed cat on a trial basis and he bit me 3x in the two weeks he was with us--none of my other cats with claws have ever done that. Not to mention that it mutilates them!

 

IMHO, folks that have their kitties declawed have no clue as to what it actually is.

When I was 18, I had my kitty's front claws removed (I thought it was just the claws removed).. I had no clue at the time that it involved amputation of the front fingerbones of the paws.. Luckily, she faired well and it didn't screw up her personality but I feel sooooo guilty about it now that I know better. To this day, I literally cry about it. I can't believe the vet didn't tell me what intrusive surgery it was. It's amputation and mutilation and nothing less.

 

the way i think of declawing is...

how would YOU feel without your fingers or toes? hmm?



I'm sure no one would like that 8) .

 

I am also very much against declawing. You couldn't pay me a billion dollars to declaw my kitties. There is just nothing in the world that anyone could offer me to do such a cruel thing to my fur babies.

 

Cassie that is exactly why i started this thread with the web address, most people have no clue how horrible it really is. I'm glad your kitty is ok and atleast you know better now. Also I think any vet who will preform a declaw is unethical and therefore isn't going to inform you of the facts, they most likely just want the money. My vet and many in my area refuse to declaw. Go Dr. Kathio!

 

it never ceases to amaze me (for the record I'm strongly against declawing) that I belong to 4 different cat board and a dog board where posters are also strongly against declawing - one cat board I belong to has approx. 10k members (SICC)...it blows my mind that declawing is still considered legal in the US when there are so many people who are against it. I've talked quite a few people I know out of declawing and they didn't have a clue as to what it really entails...I wish vets would be a little more inclined to give people the truth about it - but then they would lose income.

 

the way i think...is...if your more worried about your pretty furniture, than your kitty's well being...then you shouldnt have a cat. i love my furniture...dont get me wrong. and i dont like it if they sometimes scratch...(which they rarely do) but i wouldnt declaw just because i wanted to keep my furniture pretty. cause isnt that generally the reason?? :0011: :roll:

i put throws on my stuff...neither cat will scratch over the throw. they will if i take it off...especially one chair. [-X but i give that example because look how easy it is to come up with a simple solution vs declawing a cat.

only mikey uses the scratcher. sometimes they will knead on the wicker chairs which is fine...and max scratches on my carpet.

i guess my point is...its just furniture...

i do think it is education though. i grew up with the idea that you declaw the front claws of your cat. our siamese were declawed, my siamese was declawed when i was in college, and otis was declawed. that was over twenty years ago.... since then...i have learned about what it really is...

so i think its important to educate...not get mad at people....they may not know. if someone got mad at me way back when i would have been totally confused...like..."whats their problem?" i had no idea it was an amputation...(dont get me wrong..im not saying anyones mad here)

i really like this thread...most of us know about it now...but maybe some dont...there was a time i didnt....

 

I buy used furmiture although my husband has made all of our tables, etc. The photo of me - the credenza thing behind me he made.

Anyway I always found kids to be rougher on furniture than my pets were/are.

My logic on cats, furniture and claws is this - if someone's furniture is so darned precious to them that they would have their cat's claws cut out if they had a fire what would they save first...their precious furniture or their cat?

It's all material stuff anyway...replaceable but a cat's claws aren't. I'm not into material things, we live quite simply. I tend to live more by NEEDS than WANTS. Yes like everyone else I want things but when I shop (which is rarely) I ask myself if I really need something.

But my cats? Yes they needs their claws. Items can be replaced...they couldn't care less if we care about them - but a cat's claws can't be replaced and they belong to the cat.

Another board I used to belong to a woman was posting about the drapes she had custom made for ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS for 2 windows (this is way beyond my sense of logic) so she got her cat declawed. First I can't imagine spending a grand on drapes and 2nd I can't imagine mutilating a cat over window treatments

 

exactly.... :wink:

 

I argue with people about this quite a bit at the ASPCA one of our adoption policies is that an adopted cat CANNOT be declawed alot of people argue "but my precious furniture" however once you explain the procedure to most of them and show them a panphlet they're like :shock: "oh i never knew" but then you get the few that are like "so i don't want my furniture ruined" and those are the people who go home kitty less! So basically that was my intention with this thread I am not in any way mad at anyone who unknowinglly declawed however If someone were to read all this and still do it well then i would be beyond mad! Ya know it really is wonderfull to be amongst a group of such bighearted animal lovers!! :qm3: :kiss_heart:

 

None of my current cats are declawed and none of my future cats will be declawed. My first cat, Pooky (RIP) was declawed. Back then I did not know anything about cat care or rescue. We purchased Pooky from the Great Northern Mall in Syracuse, NY.

 

Sadly, I'm pretty sure my aunt will be declawing her little one. My mother told me she was considering it and I told my mother that I'm was'nt worried because I figured the vet (we go to the same vet) would talk her out of it. Boy was I wrong, not only does the vet think declawing is just fine but her own cats are declawed :shock: ...I'm sure my aunt found this comforting and is going to listen to the vet over me.

 

wow that is sad, seriously I think you should look into getting a new vet!

 

Although, I was really disappointed and suprised to find out that my vet feels this way I've been going to her for years and besides the declawing issue she really is an awesome vet.