Declawing Cats

[countrygirl12]

Yeah, I don't believe in declawing cats. It's unnatural. I get the scratching is a pain in the neck, but it's not as abnormal is removing a part of their anatomy.

Using that logic I guess you would think it is wrong to have them neutered? I am not sure why people get so upset with what other people do concerning their pets? My cats are declawed. They also have a really good life.

[countrygirl12]

If you are thinking of declawing your cat the best person to ask is your veterinarian.  They would know if they type of cat(s) you have could tolerate such a procedure.  I mean it is a serious surgery where a cat’s toe bones and claws are amputated.  If the same procedure was performed on a human, his finger would be amputated at the last knuckle.  At worst there is chronic pain, lameness, bone spurs, necrosis, and nerve damage, aversion to using the litterbox (due to the cat’s pain in their paws) and increased biting (in compensation for the loss of claws).  That's why it's illegal in most European countries, as well as Israel.  Many Californian cities have passed declawing bans, including Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, West Hollywood, Burbank, San Francisco etc.  At best there is no real side-effect to the cat (that is physically visible.)  Again, only your veterinarian can really know and give you the truth as to whether your cat(s) should be declawed, but my opinion, do it if you think it will benefit your 'baby', not just to save your furniture because that's a risk you took by getting one.         

It is not a serious surgery. It is very minor, no real pain, no risks. And they go home the same day.  It also  not amputation.

Yeah there are some vets who won't do it but there are also idiots and vets who think you should not spay nor neuter them because it is depriving them of something. And no it isn't. 

The biggest thing this country needs is more people taking care of their own life and less time spent trying to tell somebody else how to live theirs.  If people don't want to declaw their cats then that is fine. But that same person doesn't have the right to attack or scream and yell at somebody else because they do.  And I know people personally who have took it that far.

[1imaginarygirl]

If you are thinking of declawing your cat the best person to ask is your veterinarian.  They would know if they type of cat(s) you have could tolerate such a procedure.  I mean it is a serious surgery where a cat’s toe bones and claws are amputated.  If the same procedure was performed on a human, his finger would be amputated at the last knuckle.  At worst there is chronic pain, lameness, bone spurs, necrosis, and nerve damage, aversion to using the litterbox (due to the cat’s pain in their paws) and increased biting (in compensation for the loss of claws).  That's why it's illegal in most European countries, as well as Israel.  Many Californian cities have passed declawing bans, including Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, West Hollywood, Burbank, San Francisco etc.  At best there is no real side-effect to the cat (that is physically visible.)  Again, only your veterinarian can really know and give you the truth as to whether your cat(s) should be declawed, but my opinion, do it if you think it will benefit your 'baby', not just to save your furniture because that's a risk you took by getting one.         

It is not a serious surgery. It is very minor, no real pain, no risks. And they go home the same day.  It also  not amputation.

Yeah there are some vets who won't do it but there are also idiots and vets who think you should not spay nor neuter them because it is depriving them of something. And no it isn't. 

The biggest thing this country needs is more people taking care of their own life and less time spent trying to tell somebody else how to live theirs.  If people don't want to declaw their cats then that is fine. But that same person doesn't have the right to attack or scream and yell at somebody else because they do.  And I know people personally who have took it that far.

Please educate yourself. Declawing absolutely is amputation and therefore a major surgery. The distal phalanges are removed at the joint. It is not painless and it is not risk free. As with any surgery, there are risks of complications and infection, both during the surgery and after. This is not a necessary procedure for most cats. This should be the very last resort for cat owners who have exhausted all other attempts to prevent destructive behavior.

Pets are a lot of work, and cats like to scratch. It's their nature. If you don't want to put the time, money and effort into training and caring for a pet, please don't get a pet. If your furniture is more important than your cat's health, please don't get a cat.

[ghunter]

I do not have a cat, so no.

[1imaginarygirl]

I have been online doing research on declawing cats. Have thought about it but I don't know. I heard of people who have done it, and I have heard of people who are against it. Sometimes cats will scratch carpets, sofas etc, regardless of countless cat trees. I only have 1 cat tree, working on purchasing another soon.

You don't necessarily have to get a full size cat tree. They make small scratchers for under $30, some have toys attached. Just make sure they are sturdy and don't tip over when kitty tries to scratch.

[countrygirl12]

If you are thinking of declawing your cat the best person to ask is your veterinarian.  They would know if they type of cat(s) you have could tolerate such a procedure.  I mean it is a serious surgery where a cat’s toe bones and claws are amputated.  If the same procedure was performed on a human, his finger would be amputated at the last knuckle.  At worst there is chronic pain, lameness, bone spurs, necrosis, and nerve damage, aversion to using the litterbox (due to the cat’s pain in their paws) and increased biting (in compensation for the loss of claws).  That's why it's illegal in most European countries, as well as Israel.  Many Californian cities have passed declawing bans, including Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, West Hollywood, Burbank, San Francisco etc.  At best there is no real side-effect to the cat (that is physically visible.)  Again, only your veterinarian can really know and give you the truth as to whether your cat(s) should be declawed, but my opinion, do it if you think it will benefit your 'baby', not just to save your furniture because that's a risk you took by getting one.         

It is not a serious surgery. It is very minor, no real pain, no risks. And they go home the same day.  It also  not amputation.

Yeah there are some vets who won't do it but there are also idiots and vets who think you should not spay nor neuter them because it is depriving them of something. And no it isn't. 

The biggest thing this country needs is more people taking care of their own life and less time spent trying to tell somebody else how to live theirs.  If people don't want to declaw their cats then that is fine. But that same person doesn't have the right to attack or scream and yell at somebody else because they do.  And I know people personally who have took it that far.

Please educate yourself. Declawing absolutely is amputation and therefore a major surgery. The distal phalanges are removed at the joint. It is not painless and it is not risk free. As with any surgery, there are risks of complications and infection, both during the surgery and after. This is not a necessary procedure for most cats. This should be the very last resort for cat owners who have exhausted all other attempts to prevent destructive behavior.

Pets are a lot of work, and cats like to scratch. It's their nature. If you don't want to put the time, money and effort into training and caring for a pet, please don't get a pet. If your furniture is more important than your cat's health, please don't get a cat.

Please educate yourself. Declawing cats is not amputation. Nor is it major surgery. Pretty sure my vet knows more about it than you do.

As for the rest of your smart alec response I would bet everything I have that I take better car of my pets than you would yours.  Like I said before you need to mind your own business and take care of yourself and not worry about what I do or what somebody else does.

[1imaginarygirl]

If you are thinking of declawing your cat the best person to ask is your veterinarian.  They would know if they type of cat(s) you have could tolerate such a procedure.  I mean it is a serious surgery where a cat’s toe bones and claws are amputated.  If the same procedure was performed on a human, his finger would be amputated at the last knuckle.  At worst there is chronic pain, lameness, bone spurs, necrosis, and nerve damage, aversion to using the litterbox (due to the cat’s pain in their paws) and increased biting (in compensation for the loss of claws).  That's why it's illegal in most European countries, as well as Israel.  Many Californian cities have passed declawing bans, including Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, West Hollywood, Burbank, San Francisco etc.  At best there is no real side-effect to the cat (that is physically visible.)  Again, only your veterinarian can really know and give you the truth as to whether your cat(s) should be declawed, but my opinion, do it if you think it will benefit your 'baby', not just to save your furniture because that's a risk you took by getting one.         

It is not a serious surgery. It is very minor, no real pain, no risks. And they go home the same day.  It also  not amputation.

Yeah there are some vets who won't do it but there are also idiots and vets who think you should not spay nor neuter them because it is depriving them of something. And no it isn't. 

The biggest thing this country needs is more people taking care of their own life and less time spent trying to tell somebody else how to live theirs.  If people don't want to declaw their cats then that is fine. But that same person doesn't have the right to attack or scream and yell at somebody else because they do.  And I know people personally who have took it that far.

Please educate yourself. Declawing absolutely is amputation and therefore a major surgery. The distal phalanges are removed at the joint. It is not painless and it is not risk free. As with any surgery, there are risks of complications and infection, both during the surgery and after. This is not a necessary procedure for most cats. This should be the very last resort for cat owners who have exhausted all other attempts to prevent destructive behavior.

Pets are a lot of work, and cats like to scratch. It's their nature. If you don't want to put the time, money and effort into training and caring for a pet, please don't get a pet. If your furniture is more important than your cat's health, please don't get a cat.

Please educate yourself. Declawing cats is not amputation. Nor is it major surgery. Pretty sure my vet knows more about it than you do.

As for the rest of your smart alec response I would bet everything I have that I take better car of my pets than you would yours.  Like I said before you need to mind your own business and take care of yourself and not worry about what I do or what somebody else does.

Well I'm a certified veterinary technician, so I'm pretty sure I'm educated. I'm required to be educated on a yearly basis in order to keep my certification.

dictionary.com says:
amputate
[am-pyoo-teyt]
verb (used with object), am·pu·tat·ed, am·pu·tat·ing.
1. to cut off (all or part of a limb or digit of the body), as by surgery.
2. to prune, lop off, or remove: Because of space limitations the editor amputated the last two paragraphs of the news report.
3. Obsolete . to prune, as branches of trees.

Please see definition 1.

[tnshpalmer85]

I don't see anything wrong with declawing cats. When I was thinking of getting a cat, I was going to have it declawed. I don't see it any more wrong than get your pet spayed.

[appy9104]

It is horrific I have seen it done (worked for a vet). And yes it is chopping of the end of the digit, there are plenty of radiographs around that show this.  So many cats suffer in pain for life,  many will not use a litter box because they have pain when they try to dig.  It is extremely different than spay and neuter.  There is no good reason to mutilate a cat.  It is banned in most countries.  If the couch is more important or you cannot take time to train the animals maybe  a pet is not for you. 

[haimsterette]

I have been online doing research on declawing cats. Have thought about it but I don't know. I heard of people who have done it, and I have heard of people who are against it. Sometimes cats will scratch carpets, sofas etc, regardless of countless cat trees. I only have 1 cat tree, working on purchasing another soon.

Okay, I'm worried by some of these replies, haha. If you really, genuinely care about your cat, I think you'll decide not to. Scratching is a natural, stimulating experience for a cat, and one I would argue is necessary. In my experience, if they go for an upholstered chair, for instance, in your presence, it may be because they want attention from you. Using throw blankets over targeted furniture, using repellent spray on the furniture, and providing scratching posts will help a ton. We have done all these things and seen a wonderful improvement. Put a cat tree within 6 feet or less of whatever your cat likes to scratch that you don't want messed up.

We had one cat, an elderly male, that was declawed by a previous guardian, and it left his toes disfigured. He still attempted to scratch and it was so sad to watch. Besides that, some of the other cats targeted him to pick on because they knew he couldn't effectively fight back. If you ask me, ripping an animal's claws out is really not a call for a human to make! Hope I've helped! (Don't forget -- you can also trim your cat's claws--carefully--using basic toenail clippers!)

I and others really truly care about our cats. There is NOTHING wrong declawing them.  Cats do not scratch furniture or other things like door facings because they want attention from you.  Cats scratch to sharpen their claws.  Everyone does not want throw blankets all over their house.

People who declaw cats keep them in the house so there should not be too much of an issue with fighting with other cats.  And no it isn't like ripping your toe nails out.  Too many bleeding heart liberals with too much time on their hands. People sit around and think up all this stupid stuff to protest about. Like idiots trying to tell neighbors they can't have Christmas lights outside because they are offended.

Well, I'm not interested in an argument or a debate, but if you read through the thread here, you'll see relevant responses from people in the vet field.

Besides that, none of this has anything to do with "bleeding heart liberals." It has to do with having empathy and compassion toward another sentient being, whose body you don't have a right to be in control of because you're overly concerned about the aesthetics of a piece of furniture. You wouldn't chop off your child's fingers because they were using Crayola all over the walls and you couldn't get them to stop.

The cat we had that was declawed by someone else was a housecat. They were indoors, 24/7, with other indoor cats. They were still picked on. Point blank, declawing is cruel and unnecessary, and unnatural. Household furnishing are not that important and having some pretty throw blankets on some of them really shouldn't be an issue.

[tantricia44]

Buy another cat scratch tree. If it isn't broke don't fix it! Even if it's an indoor cat, her ability to defend herself should she possibly get out; would be lacking without her claws!

[Nancy5]

I really don't want to start a major war, but when you declaw a cat it definitely is an amputation of their claw up to the knuckle.  You can deny this all you want, but this is the truth.  I have many cats, all rescued, some have their claws some dont.  I have never and will never have that done to any of my cats. The ones who had the surgery i rescued like that.  With this being said, I would never tell anyone what to do with their cat.   I realize they can do major damage with furniture and I understand the reason for declawing, as a pet owner the choice is between you and your vet and not what other people think or say.

[countrygirl12]

If you are thinking of declawing your cat the best person to ask is your veterinarian.  They would know if they type of cat(s) you have could tolerate such a procedure.  I mean it is a serious surgery where a cat’s toe bones and claws are amputated.  If the same procedure was performed on a human, his finger would be amputated at the last knuckle.  At worst there is chronic pain, lameness, bone spurs, necrosis, and nerve damage, aversion to using the litterbox (due to the cat’s pain in their paws) and increased biting (in compensation for the loss of claws).  That's why it's illegal in most European countries, as well as Israel.  Many Californian cities have passed declawing bans, including Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, West Hollywood, Burbank, San Francisco etc.  At best there is no real side-effect to the cat (that is physically visible.)  Again, only your veterinarian can really know and give you the truth as to whether your cat(s) should be declawed, but my opinion, do it if you think it will benefit your 'baby', not just to save your furniture because that's a risk you took by getting one.         

It is not a serious surgery. It is very minor, no real pain, no risks. And they go home the same day.  It also  not amputation.

Yeah there are some vets who won't do it but there are also idiots and vets who think you should not spay nor neuter them because it is depriving them of something. And no it isn't. 

The biggest thing this country needs is more people taking care of their own life and less time spent trying to tell somebody else how to live theirs.  If people don't want to declaw their cats then that is fine. But that same person doesn't have the right to attack or scream and yell at somebody else because they do.  And I know people personally who have took it that far.

Please educate yourself. Declawing absolutely is amputation and therefore a major surgery. The distal phalanges are removed at the joint. It is not painless and it is not risk free. As with any surgery, there are risks of complications and infection, both during the surgery and after. This is not a necessary procedure for most cats. This should be the very last resort for cat owners who have exhausted all other attempts to prevent destructive behavior.

Pets are a lot of work, and cats like to scratch. It's their nature. If you don't want to put the time, money and effort into training and caring for a pet, please don't get a pet. If your furniture is more important than your cat's health, please don't get a cat.

Please educate yourself. Declawing cats is not amputation. Nor is it major surgery. Pretty sure my vet knows more about it than you do.

As for the rest of your smart alec response I would bet everything I have that I take better car of my pets than you would yours.  Like I said before you need to mind your own business and take care of yourself and not worry about what I do or what somebody else does.

Well I'm a certified veterinary technician, so I'm pretty sure I'm educated. I'm required to be educated on a yearly basis in order to keep my certification.

dictionary.com says:
amputate
[am-pyoo-teyt]
verb (used with object), am·pu·tat·ed, am·pu·tat·ing.
1. to cut off (all or part of a limb or digit of the body), as by surgery.
2. to prune, lop off, or remove: Because of space limitations the editor amputated the last two paragraphs of the news report.
3. Obsolete . to prune, as branches of trees.

Please see definition 1.

LOL.  Claws on a cat are not limbs.  And anybody can claim to be whatever they want to be on the internet. Like I already told you - I believe MY VET not some random yahoo on line that wants to try to prove everybody wrong. And can only do so by talking down to everyone.

[countrygirl12]

It is horrific I have seen it done (worked for a vet). And yes it is chopping of the end of the digit, there are plenty of radiographs around that show this.  So many cats suffer in pain for life,  many will not use a litter box because they have pain when they try to dig.  It is extremely different than spay and neuter.  There is no good reason to mutilate a cat.  It is banned in most countries.  If the couch is more important or you cannot take time to train the animals maybe  a pet is not for you. 

It isn't mutilating them.  Millions of cats are declawed and they have no problems with the procedure.  Like I already said - do it or don't. But if you choose not to you have no right to berate others so do.

[countrygirl12]

I have been online doing research on declawing cats. Have thought about it but I don't know. I heard of people who have done it, and I have heard of people who are against it. Sometimes cats will scratch carpets, sofas etc, regardless of countless cat trees. I only have 1 cat tree, working on purchasing another soon.

Okay, I'm worried by some of these replies, haha. If you really, genuinely care about your cat, I think you'll decide not to. Scratching is a natural, stimulating experience for a cat, and one I would argue is necessary. In my experience, if they go for an upholstered chair, for instance, in your presence, it may be because they want attention from you. Using throw blankets over targeted furniture, using repellent spray on the furniture, and providing scratching posts will help a ton. We have done all these things and seen a wonderful improvement. Put a cat tree within 6 feet or less of whatever your cat likes to scratch that you don't want messed up.

We had one cat, an elderly male, that was declawed by a previous guardian, and it left his toes disfigured. He still attempted to scratch and it was so sad to watch. Besides that, some of the other cats targeted him to pick on because they knew he couldn't effectively fight back. If you ask me, ripping an animal's claws out is really not a call for a human to make! Hope I've helped! (Don't forget -- you can also trim your cat's claws--carefully--using basic toenail clippers!)

I and others really truly care about our cats. There is NOTHING wrong declawing them.  Cats do not scratch furniture or other things like door facings because they want attention from you.  Cats scratch to sharpen their claws.  Everyone does not want throw blankets all over their house.

People who declaw cats keep them in the house so there should not be too much of an issue with fighting with other cats.  And no it isn't like ripping your toe nails out.  Too many bleeding heart liberals with too much time on their hands. People sit around and think up all this stupid stuff to protest about. Like idiots trying to tell neighbors they can't have Christmas lights outside because they are offended.

Well, I'm not interested in an argument or a debate, but if you read through the thread here, you'll see relevant responses from people in the vet field.

Besides that, none of this has anything to do with "bleeding heart liberals." It has to do with having empathy and compassion toward another sentient being, whose body you don't have a right to be in control of because you're overly concerned about the aesthetics of a piece of furniture. You wouldn't chop off your child's fingers because they were using Crayola all over the walls and you couldn't get them to stop.

The cat we had that was declawed by someone else was a housecat. They were indoors, 24/7, with other indoor cats. They were still picked on. Point blank, declawing is cruel and unnecessary, and unnatural. Household furnishing are not that important and having some pretty throw blankets on some of them really shouldn't be an issue.

That is about the most foolish thing I have ever read.  Declawing a cat is not the same as chopping off your child's fingers.  Like I said, do what you want, and quit trying to control what others do.