I was horrified to find out that after a recent trip to Canada, one of my mum's friends had her cats 'de-clawed' so they wouldn't scratch at the furniture. I think this is disgusting and barbaric !!
I'm just wondering how many people have done this to their cats in US/Canada? It's certainly not common practice in the UK.
2007-10-31 00:57:39 · 24 answers · asked by Gem Gem 5 in Pets ➔ Cats
I think that if you have children, and you don't think they are safe, why would you get a cat in the first place?
And as for 'its ok - they are house cats' what gives you the right to alter an animal like that, just for the convenience?
2007-10-31 01:47:19 · update #1
Front claws I will but not back claws incase they get out they still have their defense.
People have worse done than declawing
2007-10-31 01:08:46 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 2⤋
It is more common to declaw in the US and Canada because we're more likely to keep our cats indoors. I had my kitten declawed at 4 months old (front claws only). The younger the kitten is, the better. All this information online told me that she would be deformed and depressed and never be the same. She was fine and still is fine. For 7-10 days I had to use a special pellet litter called Yesterday's News which was probably the only negative part of the whole thing because it's non-clumping and you have to empty it out and clean the whole box daily. After 10 days she was back to normal. Her front paws look exactly the same, they just don't hurt me or my furniture anymore (plus no lawsuits from friends and family who could potentially get scratched). She has torn into me with her back claws a few good times so I know she will be fine if she ever does by accident get out. Everyone is entitled to their opinion about the practice, however, I believe there is so much negative information on this topic that some people who are considering doing it and are scared to do it need to see the other side of the argument.
2007-10-31 11:52:20 · answer #2 · answered by TMCooleygrl 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
It's true a lot of cats are de-clawed. All of my former cats have been indoor/outdoor cats, so they have always had their claws. I don't care for declawing of cats since I normally give my cats a scratch pad and have a squirt bottle handy if they did scratch my furniture.
There are a lot of debates about declawing cats, it is believed that their claws reinforce their foot-pads to help them walk easier and more comfortably (which makes sense to me).
I don't particularly see the practice as barbaric, but I do not condone it.
I am all for spaying/neutering pets though
2007-10-31 08:32:47 · answer #3 · answered by thechief66 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Totally agree with you. I cannot understand how anyone would want to do this to a pet they claim to love.
You won't have heard much about declawing in the UK because it's illegal, as is the cropping of dogs' ears, or the docking of non-working dogs' tails. All of these procedures are classed as "mutilation" and banned on the grounds of animal cruelty.
Underneath all of their justifications for having it done to their cats. It really is a case of too many lazy owners, and too many greedy vets I'm afraid. If millions of cat owners around the world can cope with cats who have claws - why can't they?
2007-10-31 17:30:35 · answer #4 · answered by Michele the Louis Wain cat 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think it's appalling and unfortunately a fairly common practice in North America. Some vets even offer "discount packages" if you get the cat de-clawed and neutered/spayed at the same time.
I would never declaw a cat for any reason - cats should be allowed to do what they evolved to do, which is scratch. As cat owners it's our responsibilty to provide acceptable furntitue for scratching and channel the behaviour so that it is not destructive to our property.
I do know a few people with declawed cats, but not many. :(
2007-10-31 09:45:50 · answer #5 · answered by Anlina S 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Yes, it does seem harsh -- but no more so than when people have their dog's ears clipped or their tails docked (shortened). Most people keep their cats indoors. There is no need for them to go outside, so defence is usually not an issue.
I've adopted cats from shelters who had had their claws removed. After having a dear calico who had claws, and after being unable to train her to not shred the furniture, it was a bit of a relief to have cats that would not destroy everything in sight.
However, I remember how the cats would shake their paws (particularly during damp weather), and it made me wonder about their pain. I later learned that they never are without pain after having the claws removed, and that seemed so unfair. Apparently, there are new methods of removing the claws, using laser surgery, but I still don't think I would have claws removed. But, for the most part, most people in Canada do not get their cats de-clawed. A visit to a large animal shelter (with over 150 cats for adoption) had only 2 cats without claws, so I would say that de-clawing is not quite as common here as you might think.
2007-10-31 08:38:22 · answer #6 · answered by SB 7 · 3⤊ 1⤋
You're going to get a lot of answers - de-clawing is the hottest topic on Yahoo Pets!!
Yes it happens a lot in the USA, but pretty much only there. People seem to have a weird attitude to pets in America - they think it's OK to alter animals to suit themselves. Some are against declawing because of the risks i.e crippling the cat or turning it into a biter - but I haven't met one single American who gets the real issue, which is that you don't subject an animal to the risks of an anaesthetic if it's purely for your own benefit.
I don't think it happens at all in the UK, I've never heard so much as an enquiry about it. I don't think it would occur to anyone over here - cats have claws, that's how they are!
Chalice
2007-10-31 08:09:02 · answer #7 · answered by Chalice 7 · 5⤊ 1⤋
I think it's 50/50 here in the US. Anyone that is an animal lover and strongly supports the lives on animals would never do that. That's how they are, that's how they defend themselves.. what if they ever got out of the house?? How would they climb up a tree to get away from a dog, or find food. If you're doing it for the sake of your children, you should get rid of your cat and find a good home for it, it's just cruel to put them through that. It's like ripping off your fingernails. There are definitely other alternatives. I was very glad to see that when we just adopted our kittens from a feline rescue society they had a rule that if they ever found out from a vet that we declawed them, they have every right to come and take them away, and if we ever considered it, please just return them and they'll find another home so they wouldn't have to go through that. More people should realize the harm and danger you're causing to your pet if you choose this as an option.
2007-10-31 08:44:05 · answer #8 · answered by crystal_raindrop 3 · 3⤊ 1⤋
I don't declaw. Of course I try to keep his claws very short since he's an indoor cat. Little tyke doesn't like it too much, but it is better then the alternative. My furniture has been alright for the wear. My couch is like a corduroy and that lasted a lot. I have to chase him when he does the bed though. My sheets can't take much of him.
2007-10-31 08:25:42 · answer #9 · answered by dirty_jerzee99 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
It is fairly common in the US. I, personally, have done it one time- many, many years ago (front claws only). I was just out of high school and out on my own for the first time and fairly uneducated on the issue; it was a poor decision on my part. The cat I'm referring to passed away this year at the age of 13 due to kidney failure. One time I took him out to my parents house, who live in the country, to visit. We were in the backyard and he started chasing a squirrel. The squirrel took off and ran up a tree and my cat was right behind him. After seeing him try to climb that tree, fall back, and then turn and look at me, I felt so bad and swore I would never do it again....and, I won't.
2007-10-31 08:42:22 · answer #10 · answered by Nina Lee 7 · 4⤊ 0⤋
Its not barbaric, If the cat stays an indoor cat. Being an indoor cat they don't need the front claws as much for protection. If you love your cat and your kids, declawing your cat keeps the little ones from being scratched in the face. Plus declawing them makes you more safe, your cat can pick up certain things on their claws when they use the litter box, and if they scratch you you can get allot of stuff off of that. Its no less barbaric than neutering them, they are put to sleep when its done. I personally think the furniture is worth more than the cat, not to mention your health as well. We have our inside cats declawed and they dont seem any less unhappy!!!
2007-10-31 08:24:40 · answer #11 · answered by jack_black_91 6 · 0⤊ 4⤋