Thinking of getting your cat declawed?

Question

A lot of people seem to be suggesting and even actively promoting declawing. If you're considering it, PLEASE look into what it actually involves before making that decision.
It isn't just a case of pulling the claws out - which would be painful and distressing enough. A cat's claw is closely adhered to the bone, and to remove the claw, the last joint in your cat's toes also has to be removed - it's basically an amputation of the end of each toe.

It's very painful surgery (ever had orthopaedic surgery?) and has a long painful recovery period.

If you've been considering it, PLEASE (I beg you!) pay a visit to these pages:

http://www.declawing.com/

http://www.declawing.com/htmls/declawing.htm

Then look into those big pussycat eyes and think long and hard before you put the little love through this.

Thanks xx

Just to add, I am in no way suggesting anyone goes and pulls out any children's fingernails either!
Witchywoman, if you love your cat as much as I love mine - have a look here: http://www.softpaws.com/
It's a painless alternative to declawing and will save your furniture and is safe for the children. I love EVERY part of my cats, sharp bits and all!

Answer 1

Declawing a cat should be made a criminal offense under the laws dealing with animal cruelty.

Answer 2

I was in a semi-supervised apartment for disabled people when I had my first cat, Sylvester..he did very minor damage to a table and the caseworker in charge of the apartments said I had to have him declawed. I was never told I could look into other ways of solving the problem like SoftPaws or claw capping. So I had him declawed...although he was his old self MOST of the time, when he got annoyed with things, he bit me. I would NEVER have Tika declawed(I live in consumer-run community housing now and the landlord has no problems with me having her with claws intact)...

I'm thinking about sending an e-mail to the local Humane Society about what happened with my first cat because I don't think it's right to make anyone declaw their cat to 'teach' the person not to let Kitty scratch...and that the alternatives like SoftPaws should be talked about with the resident. No one, not even a caseworker, should suggest anything as cruel as declawing a cat in order to protect some furniture. Furniture is replaceable, a cat's life and sanity is not.

Answer 3

Anyone considering even doing this to a cat, deserves to have their fingers cut of and their bloody toes, see how you like it.

Declawing in my eyes goes with docking dogs tails, I know my area the vets are joining together in banning docking, I may approach them about declawing, I have four cats, they have scratching posts, but still claw the furniture, I have throws that I put over when I have visitors, because I dont like the look of it, but they are cats thats what they do and I chose to have them, well I chose three, the other was a stray, that visited and like the service.

I cant believe any vet would do this, unless for medical reasons.

Cats can survive in the wild, thats why you get ferral cats, factory cats, even some farm cats are wild, its in their nature to be able to survive.

Answer 4

In some cities, declawing is a criminal offense. Declawin is mutilation and anyone who considers it should not have a cat. Accept the cat with the claws or else do not get one.

I am an advocate against declawing as inhumane. Many cats develop problems later in life such as arthritis because they no longer walk properly.

I am glad there others who are advocates for a whole cat.

Thank you for posting this.

Goddess bless.

Answer 5

I have 2 cats that are declawed each of their four paws. My cats were taken to a highly admired vet in our area. He used lazes and NO stitching and no real after pain did I notice. Now each are happy content 8 and 6 year old cats, who DO GET THE BEST vet care available. But I do love my cats enough to have them altered also, and they remain in the house so we can enjoy their company for many more years than freely roaming cats. Some think clawing an animal to be cruel, I do too, if it isn't done with the aught most care. Wild tiger big cats I think never should be declawed, that would be cruel.

Answer 6

How would you like it to have someone hack off your fingers at the first knucle and you could never scatch where you need to when you get an itch? What if you had no defenses (as declawed cats) and someone suddenly let you out or worse, you got left BEHIND during Katrina like happened to thousands of pets here last August? How would you defend yourself when all the other pets were dehydrated and starving? You couldn't even get food with nor claws to catch something floating in the dirty flood waters.

Just think about that! It is so cruel that it is banned by most Humane Societies and SPCAs and my vet considers it "cosmetic" and not good.

Please don't! Thank you.

Answer 7

Okay, I think it is kind of ridiculous that a lot of people are assuming that getting cats declawed makes me a HORRIBLE person. I have five cats, and they are ALL declawed. But you know what? I adopted all these cats. I saved them from euthanasia, I feed them, I love them, I will keep them inside to sleep on a pillow for the rest of their natural lives, and I have spent almost a thousand dollars in the last six months to take care of them. All I insist on is that they cannot scratch my couch.

They are not unhappy. I have them declawed when I get them altered, and frankly, they didn't miss a beat. I seriously don't think they noticed at all. My cats are not outside, they are not defending themselves, and they aren't serious biters now. We have not experienced any of the horror stories described on this site.

I am not saying that declawing is a nice thing to do. I just think that my actions speak louder than words, and I SAVED these cats.

Answer 8

My cat was declawed when I got him, and the reason I got him was because he'd become a bloodthirsty biter--he's all better now. but I swear he had nightmares, the poor little thing. He's happy and healthy now, but if someone's going to declaw a cat, I highgly reccommend they give the cat to someone like me who would actually love the cat and take the time to train him rather than causing him the physical and psychological damage of declawing. Thank you for posting this

Answer 9

An excellent and informative post which everyone even thinking about declawing should read. I have no idea why some people have voted your post as a thumbs down. I can only assume it is people who are happy to mutilate their pets for their own convenience and vets who are afraid they may lose money if people were to see the light and stop mutilating their cats.

Answer 10

Declawing is against the law in the UK, and if you know of anyone doing this you should report them to the RSPCA. Declawing is a despicable practice and more action needs to be taken in those countries where it is still permitted. A person who values their furnishings more than their cat should not be allowed to have one. Thank you to "Sarah Pussycat" for raising this issue.

Answer 11

Visited your pages as suggested and my mind is even clearer that it is a barbaric act. Cats need their claws so why on earth anyone should even consider removing them is beyond my comprehension....so basically a cat has to go thru this operation to save some wierdo selfish assholes furniture....well done you and I hope it goes a long way to dissuade these useless morons from going thru with it tho something tells me they are a lost cause cos they have no heart and no brains!!!!