Why do people still advocate declawing of cats?

Question

WHO SAYS DECLAWING IS A BAD IDEA?

Declawing is illegal or considered inhumane in many countries around the world, including in the United Kingdom, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, France, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Slovenia, Israel, Yugoslavia, Australia, New Zealand, and Brazil.

In the United States and throughout the world, many respected individuals and organizations are opposed to declawing.



The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (www.aspca.org):

"The ASPCA does not approve of the declawing of cats as a matter of supposed convenience to cat owners. It is form of mutilation and it does cause pain."

The Humane Society of the United States (www.hsus.org):

"It is the policy of The Humans Society of the United States (HSUS) to oppose… declawing of cats when done solely for the convenience of the owners and without benefit to the animal."

The Cat Fancier's Association (www.cfainc.org):

The CFA perceives the declawing of cats (onychectomy) and the severing of digital tendons (tendonectomy) to be elective surgical procedures which are without benefit to the cat. Because of postoperative discomfort or pain, and potential future behavioral or physical effects, CFA disapproves of declawing or tendonectomy surgery."

Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, Great Britain (www.rcvs.org.uk):

The RCVS describes declawing as "mutilation." Further it states "the removal of claws…to preclude damage to furnishings is not acceptable."

"Claws are an integral part of a cat's life…Declawing is a painful and permanently crippling procedure that should not be practiced."

Dr. Nicholas Dodman, author and professor, Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine:

"Declawing fits the dictionary definition of mutilation to a tee."

In Defense of Animals (www.idausa.org):

IDA opposes declawing, and in their publications state, "The excuses people use for wanting to declaw a cat are usually trivial, and nearly always put the well-being of their belonging above that of the cat."

Friends of Animals (www.friendsofanimals.org):

"If you love your cat, don't declaw."

Dr. Louis Camuti, noted author and veterinarian:

"I wouldn't declaw a cat if you paid me $1000 per nail!"

Animal Protection Institute (www.api4animals.org):

"Please make the humane choice -- do not declaw."

The Association of Veterinarians for Animal Rights (www.avar.org):

Declawing is "unacceptable because the suffering and disfigurement it causes is not offset by any benefits to the cat. Declawing is done strictly to provide convenience to people."

Animal Care and Control Department, City and County of San Francisco:

"Declawing is NOT the answer. Declawing is a painful and difficult operation. It is the same as removing the first joint on all your fingers. It impairs the cat's balance and causes weakness from muscular disuse."

Paul Rowen, DVM, Little Shelter Animal Sanctuary, New York:

"You can't declaw with love."

The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals of Los Angeles (www.spcala.com):

"We do NOT support, nor condone, the act of declawing cats. It is cruel, unnecessary, and inhumane."



http://www.pawproject.com/html/faqs.asp

Fine soul: don't own a cat, give it to someone who will treat it humanely.

Thank you KM for the reminder....

http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_declawing_and_its_alternatives.html

This site offers alternatives to declawing, such as soft paws nail caps, training, repellents, and cliping

big diff sarah, there are no alternatives to spay/neutering, and "people" do not end up dealing with babies, SHELTERS do.

I am aware that the majority of cats surrendered are not declawed, of course, as the majority of cats in general are not declawed. I'm trying to figure out what on earth that has to do with anything?

Wow blue eyes, you found a vet who advocates it? hmm here's a whole web site dedicated to those who don't

http://www.declaw.com/list.asp

oh, here's another...

http://www.declawing.com/

and another from The Association of Veterinarians for Animal Rights....

http://www.avar.org/

oh boy, here's another vet...

http://www.petstation.com/declaw.html

and another Vet association...

http://www.wsava.org/AniWelfareComm1.htm

shall I keep going?

For the vet's out there providing this "service" that's such a good idea...why don't they run low cost clinics? like most do for spay/neutering?

Answer 1

People who advocate declawing usually do so out of ignorance. People who are educated on the procedure and it's potential outcomes and still advocate it are unethical and value inanimate objects over living ones -or- are too lazy to train their cat, trim claws, and/or use vinyl nail caps.

With all of the alternatives to declawing that are available there is no good reason to declaw a cat.

Oh, and to anyone who says declawing is acceptable if it means the cat can stay in its current home: If this were truly the case, you wouldn't see any declawed cats in shelters. People who declaw for convenience such as heck aren't going to have the patience to work with a behaviorist if their cat develops some ugly behavioral problems after their declaw surgery (inappropriate urination/defecation, increased aggression, biting, etc.)

Answer 2

It's unbelievable that people who claim to love their cats have them declawed at the same time.
I would never ever even consider mutilating, crippling, and damaging the mental state of, "my children" this way.
And there are so many great alternatives.....
So an occasional scratch or a damaged couch aren't valid reasons to me, obviously.
It just boils down to laziness; laziness to look into proper training, laziness to trim nails every two weeks, laziness to put on the soft claws - just have 'em declawed so you don't have to worry about all that - no matter what the consequences for the animals may be, no matter how brutal the surgery is. BRRRRRR.
To me that's just criminal.

Answer 3

once you are going to think of alongside those strains, then you definitely could besides evaluate that the relatives cat replaced into surprisingly much created via guy. That had it not been for guy's 'self pastime', then the cat could on no account have become what it fairly is. That if guy had not existed, the relatives cat breeds that all of us understand and love as we talk does not exist. The sphynx or the ragdoll did not take place certainly...each and all of the breeds got here to be with the aid of fact of selective breeding, with the aid of fact guy pointed out characteristics and deformities and then mixture-and-matched. The cat replaced into not certainly guy's pal...it replaced into delivered into guy's abode with the aid of fact it have been given rid of rodents and different pests as a wild tom cat species. Now, after hundreds of years, the relatives cat is what it fairly is. Neutering and spaying improves the cat's well being, so do some extra actual study earlier you pass leaping on the animal-rights bandwagon and throwing words like 'hypocrisy' around merely with the aid of fact it reinforces the sensation of self-righteousness on your in any different case meaningless day.

Answer 4

People declaw their cats to protect their furniture, yes, but also so they can't scratch their owners. I would not do it because declawing a cat for that would be like pulling a childs teeth because he or she bit someone or cutting off the hands for hitting...It is just plain MEAN.

Answer 5

I agree with you. My cat is 9 months old and we never will and never have declawed her. We trim her nails every few weeks. I, too am in the A.S.P.C.A and give them $18 every month. I bought a lot of things from them on-line...shirts, bag, braclets, necklaces and cups. I think it is wrong to declaw cats. First of all it hurts them. Second of all if the cat ever gets outside it will be utterly defenseless.

Answer 6

I have read on a web site that says that most cats that are dumped are cats that have their claws and not the ones that have been declawed.
They get rid of the cat that :
Ruin Furniture
Scratch screens
Curtains
People and children
scratch at the carpet
ect........
http://www.geocities.com/declawing/index.htm
My cat is declawed and she is happy and she is also love.

Cats who are declawed
no problems using their litter box
no problems jumping up and down from furniture
no balance problems
no personality problems
no behavorial problems
no bitting problems

Answer 7

I think declawing is terrible. I read somewhere that declawing is equivalent to having ten amputations, and that some cats just bounce off the walls because of the intense pain. Whoever thinks it's ok should have their ten fingers cut off and see how THEY like it!

Answer 8

It is like if you had a nail ripped out at birth,. yeah itd hurt at first, but it doesnt cause pain for life!
BOTH MY CATS ARE DECLAWED!!! One cat kept getting his claws caught in EVERYTHING, the vet trimmed them and it didn't help- he would get caught on something and BE STUCK. They are indoor only cats, I dont have fancy furniture and I'm not a cruel person.
So, point to my story is, my cat was declawed by RECOMMENDATION OF A VET, it was for HIS OWN GOOD, and since we had another cat it was only fair. they are front declawed only and have adjusted well, after 2-3 days they were back to normal and HAPPY. no infections, no complaints, just HAPPY DECLAWED CATS!!!!
Both my cats were rescued! one was living in a cage at a CRAPPY humane society that did nothing for the fact that he had intestinal worms and ringworm and an eye infection. I took him in a PAID to have him fixed, declawed, dewormed and I put the drops in his eyes every day, and your gonna quote your precious "humane society" ALL THEY PROVIDE IS FOOD AND SHELTER. they dont let cats sleep on the bed with them, they dont cuddle with the cats and play with them. THEY FEED THEM- THATS IT!
SO look at both sides before ranting and proving how IGNORANT you really are!
Whats next you gonna oppse fixing cats and dogs too?

Answer 9

Dunno??? You can inexpensively buy nail caps from any store pet and glue them unto there claws to prevented them from sratching, if that sort of thing is a problem.
IT IS JUST AS EFFECTIVE AS DECLAWING!!!!!!!!!!

If someone was that concerned about cats sratching that they would Declaw them, maybe they shouldn't own a cat!!!!

Answer 10

Some people just thinks its safer, especially if you have kids.
I had my first cat at five, my parents had him declawed so he wouldn't scratch me when playing. It didn't seem to bother him. He made up for it by being the nicest cat in the neighborhood to people and kids, but still hunting like a beast and kicking every other cats harbles. He would just grab the cat/random animal with his front paws, hug them to his chest, bite their head so they can't get away, then go to town on'em with his back claws!
God, Bidjou was the best...had him fifteen years.

I really miss him.