Would you declaw?

All the cats I've had have been declawed. I've never thought of it as being inhumane... just something you do to protect your sweaters, lol. I've never seen a declawed cat have any long lasting problems but I suppose there's always that chance. There can also be complications with getting your cat spayed or neutered.

I dont think its a MUST to de-claw cats since they are indoors. It was a choice I made for a couple of reasons.
Peanut killed our couch and YES I DID give him cat trees, etc. and he also was getting a bit aggressive and would use his claws to literally attack myself, my dad, and our dogs. Sorry but that doesn't go in this house.

I know people think its a horrible horrible thing but sometimes it does more good than bad.
JMO

Noooo, no, I didn't mean that indoor cats MUST be de-clawed. I meant that de-clawed cats MUST be kept indoors.

Other way around.

My dad used to insist that cats were declawed so I've had three declawed cats. The first two were fine but the third was declawed late in life and he was never the same.

Sorry my bad.

Sparky used to sneak outside sometimes - he's declawed. He used to beat the crap out of the strays. He was declawed so young (before we got him), he learned other ways of defending himself. He gets the other cat in a death grip with his front legs and claws with his back paws all while he's biting the other cat's face off. I swear. I've seen it.

I just can't do it........ I rescued a declawed cat and she did seem fine, but I have had many cats through here and the only *dirty* one was fully clawed, she just refused to share a box, she went to a single cat home and they have never had an issue. People constantly dump cats around our farm and my vet and I work together to fix them up when needed and s/n them before finding them homes.

I have had Nuts since he was a small kitten and he was never declawed, I simply taught him not to scratch the couch etc, it honestly was never much of an issue with multiple scratching posts and rug covered houses. Same with Bolts who my Mother in Law brought to me from NS because she knows how much I love big pawed kitties, he was about 4 months old. Even the abandoned rescues seem to *know* what the posts/houses are for!!!

Some vets may do this, but many use a laser. And, having done anesthesia on the cats having the declaws, there's no blood during the procedure, and very little tissue is lost. That's with a laser though, so another way of doing the procedure could differ.

I have two cats, both adopted, who were declawed before I got them. Neither have any joint issues, litterbox issues, nor do they bite. They're both as agile as our other cats who have claws..even the chubby Persian.

I don't think it need be a preventative action, but if it's a matter of a cat being put to sleep or being declawed, I'd vote for a declaw.

The three cats we've had have all been declawed. They are also exclusively indoor. If we adopted another cat, it would be already declawed or we would have it done again. The cats haven't had any issues, are mentally sound and healed very quickly. I don't think that makes me lazy or impatient. I'd rather have intact furniture and dogs with eyes, as I'm sure that Ruby would have lost both by now. IMO, as it's been stated, I'd rather declaw a cat than leave it in a shelter to *maybe* get a good home or be PTS.

This is the way it was explained to me by two different vets.

I think the other way is the old technique and the way some low tech clinics still do it... but most vets have changed to the newer technique.

Whoa whoa whoa. Spaying/neutering should never be compared to declawing. They are not even close to being the same.

Just for the record I have many cats with their claws over the years. Not one of them tore of anything. It just takes some nail clipping and training to prevent it.And if my dogs get scratched nine times out of ten they deserved it. Its unfair to expect declawed cats to defend themselves against the dogs play.

My cats are declawed, but only because my parents had it done when I was a young child. While I haven't seen any negative effects from the procedure, it is definitely something that I wouldn't be willing to put my future cats through.

It would be the absoulte extremae last resort I would do.

With that said, I never will have a cat declawed, just to save furniture. I ave only had 1 cat in my whole life, which is Marley, she will be 1 in April (where did my teeeny kitten go lol). I like to think i did a good job training her. I basiclly acted as if she were a dog (training wise, as I didnt know better lol). She knows that "no" means to stop what she is doing. She likes to scratch my computer chair, and Im fine with that as it is old and half way dead and eventually will be tossed. She doesnt use her claws on people very much at all. just if you get her worked up enough while playing, but again a quick "no" cures that.

I just think its so inhumane to do. Marley is strictly a indoor cat (espeacially since she is SO tiny, about 4lbs, I swear she is the size of a chi, teeny, a hawk would grab her in a second). but what if I declawed her and some how she got outside (she doesnt have any intrest in being outside. unless she sees Blaze in the back yard. even then she goes on a leash with me to supervise her) and she got in a fight with a stray or a dog, she wouldnt have her nails to defend herself.

I dont agree with it at all.

cats ARE smart and can be trained. most people just dont even think you can train a cat. there is nail covers, clipping and filing nails, cat trees, training ect so much you can do to teach a cat not to claw.

I think she was making the point that there is the possibility of future harm with most surgeries but many times people will see the benefits outweighing the harms and decide to perform it despite those future consequences.

yes, thank you

:thumbup:

I have had a LOT of cats over the years and one was declawed by my mother's then boyfriend because he said he was sick of looking at my hands with kitten scratches on them. This cat was dead within 48 hours. The vet had neglected to do something properly and his wrapped paws were soon soaked red. My kitten bled to death due to declawing. I did research on this and it's the equivalent of cutting your fingers off at the last digit... the ones with your fingernails on them.

There are nylon caps that can be glued to the kitties claws. Most cats can be trained to be careful with their claws. I have seven cats... and NONE OF THEM... not even the kittens have gotten me with their claws in a long time.

Declawing makes me SOOOOOOO mad.

And declawing is a procedure where the benefits do NOT outweigh the harms no matter how you cut it. Unless you're fooling yourself to feel better about it.

It does not compare to spaying/neutering in any way. Period.

When I was a kid, I had a cat who would scratch me up - a lot. She would go from totally friendly to nasty in the blink of an eye. Declawing her was never even considered. I learned to wash the scratches well and I learned her triggers.

I might consider declawing as an absolute last resort if it was a choice between declaw or PTS, but otherwise, nope not at all.

if you are going to put a piece of furniture or a sweater over an animal's FINGERS, then I don't think you should own a cat. Just my opinion. Its mutilation, and unnecessary.

I live with 23 cats, none of which are declawed to save my couches. I would NEVER do something like that to them!!

Would you debark your dog? Would you remove your dogs paws? I highly doubt it.