Are there any other adverse issues to declawing? I know some people call it in-humane.
2006-07-11 03:44:12 · 18 answers · asked by kzalterego 1 in Pets ➔ Cats
please do not de-claw. I work at a shelter and to many de-clawed cats get put to sleep because of: Litter box problems, biting, stress related chewing, pre-mature arthritis and agressiveness. A cats claws are in intrical part of the cat. Even the American Veternary Medicine Association agrees it should be done as a last resort, not as a rutine surgery. A cat uses its claws to releve stress, strengthen it's muscles, play, jump, defend it's self and many other things. Believe it or not, cats can tell that their claws are gone. They cannot get the good, stress releving scratch that they one had. You can train a cat, just like a dog, to just use a scratching post. People who de-claw are often eneducated about the side effects, or, are just to lazy to train and clip the cats nails. Claws are a part of a cat, just like their tail, their ears, and their voices. If you need to remove a part of an animal to get one, don't get one. I'm sick of putting cats to sleep because of de-claw side effects. Some people will say "but he is going to get a home" if they de-claw. Newsflash! Cats could care less about being in a home if it means cutting of their toes. Cats would rather be out on the street. Cats are not as domesticated as we would like to think. Their main goal in life is not to live in a nice home with people. They would like to survive, thank you very much. A cat does not know it is "safe" in a home. He just knows that he must survive. Taking his claws puts him in a constant state of stress. Most countries and some states have banned it because they understand. Please, let's all be smart like the rest of the world and not be so darn selfish.
2006-07-11 04:13:55 · answer #1 · answered by clmcanine 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have been in the pet industry for quite some time and am now volunteering for the SPCA. I have pet safety and wellbeing as my personal motto. I spend huge amounts of time educating people about cruelty to animals as well as proper nutrition.
However, I believe in declawing cats and have never once seen any adverse reactions to it. The animals are put under anesthisia while the operation takes place so they do not feel any pain. Nor do they exhibit signs of pain when they wake up. As with any operation, there is the risk of the animal developing an infection if the site is not kept clean. I think my cat has actually become more nimble with the use of his paws since being declawed. He picks up things as if his paws were hands....it's quite a sight!
The debate about declawing a cat will never end but this is my theory and something to really think about. How many cats do you suspect get abandoned every day, or left at a shelter because the owner cannot put up with the cat destroy their furniture/carpets/and other belongings? I'm sorry but I would much rather see a cat declawed (which for an indoor cat they don't need claws anyway) then for someone to just get so mad at the cat that they either kill it or abandon it somewhere. Please tell me which is more humane?!
Use your best judgement and if you feel that you can't have a cat with claws, then get it declawed. Honestly, if I lost my fingernails and toenails I don't think I would be that heartbroken.
Good luck.
2006-07-11 04:09:12 · answer #2 · answered by PAWS 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Declawing a cat is akin to chopping your fingers off at the first knuckle.
I did this once and will never do it again. It is inhumane. But they can still stretch there paws and knead if they find that a comfort.
They don't have the same agility without the claws to grab things and they bite more often too when they are playing. They can get along ok after they heal up though. I want you to think about my first point though. If someone was doing that to another human being would we not call them evil?
2006-07-11 03:51:00 · answer #3 · answered by Ragdollfloozie is Pensive! 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A cat can stretch their paws after declawing. My cats are declawed, but I would never do it again. I thought they just removed the claw bed so that they wouldn't grow again. Like removing an ingrown toenail. What they actually do is cut off the first joint of their toes. That is maiming the cat and inhumane. It's better to get the cat a scratch post and show them that's that is where they sharpen their claws.
2006-07-11 04:03:29 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It amazes me that the same people who are so against declawing a cat wouldn't think twice about cutting off the end of their baby boy's private part in the interest of "cleanliness." We're the only civilized country who still does that.
Anyway, my cats are declawed and they stretch out their paws. They do scratching actions on my woodwork. They seem to believe they still have claws.
2006-07-11 03:57:07 · answer #5 · answered by Gabby_Gabby_Purrsalot 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
thats not true, they can stretch their paws. ive hadlike 8 cats over my lifetime, 2 of which i have now. they have all been declawed and there was never anything wrong with them. they still act like their scratching things like furniture and stuff. i dont see how its in-humane because their arent any side-affects.
come on people, a cat getting declawed is not like a person getting their nails permanently removed. when cats get declawed, they are asleep so their really is no pain. plus, they're not worried about how their feet look without their claws b/c cats arent like people in that they dont judge eachother by their looks. people withouth nails or their last nuckle looks weird, but more importantly, limits your use of your hands. cats use their feet the same, with or without claws. plus, it saves damage from ur furniture!!lol
2006-07-11 03:50:30 · answer #6 · answered by familyguynnascar 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No.. it is not true.... I have a clawing thing in my house and my cat uses it every day at least once... The ONLY adverse thing about declawing is that IF the cat ever got out and was attacked by another cat or animal, it could not adequately defend itself.
2006-07-11 03:48:25 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
My cats are declawed in the front, and they stretch their paws just fine. However, there may well be an issue if they have to defend themselves in an outdoors environment.
2006-07-11 04:43:09 · answer #8 · answered by Tigger 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's not true. I had my cat declawed years ago. She does stretch. Shes acts like always. At first she will be sore.
2006-07-11 03:53:02 · answer #9 · answered by Gail S 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Just keep in mind, if the cat accidentally gets outside, it will have no way to protect itself if it is declawed.
2006-07-11 04:15:06 · answer #10 · answered by Cosmic I 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋