Declawing Cats

[debidoo]

Oh I wanted to add my cats are indoor only and always have been but the main thing is if they are declawed then they have no way to protect themselves I read if they go outside or accidentally get out.

[kathleenkleinhans]

I really believe it is a personal decision.  Sometimes if a cat is not declawed it can scratch you, children, guests etc.  Not to mention gauge leather, wood floors.  I personally had our 21 yr old kitty declawed right away.

[countrygirl12]

Oh I wanted to add my cats are indoor only and always have been but the main thing is if they are declawed then they have no way to protect themselves I read if they go outside or accidentally get out.

As long as the have back claws they can climb a tree.

[countrygirl12]

I really believe it is a personal decision.  Sometimes if a cat is not declawed it can scratch you, children, guests etc.  Not to mention gauge leather, wood floors.  I personally had our 21 yr old kitty declawed right away.

Exactly. But too many people like my aunt and others think they have the right to put others down.

Kind of like people who put an animal to sleep instead of paying huge medical bills.  It is really no one else business.

[UGetPaid]

Oh I wanted to add my cats are indoor only and always have been but the main thing is if they are declawed then they have no way to protect themselves I read if they go outside or accidentally get out.

As long as the have back claws they can climb a tree.

I've heard this and I suppose that it may be true, but there isn't always a tree around to climb, and defending itself is not necessarily limited to running away/escape.  Sometimes instincts will dictate stand your ground and fight - but when your primary offensive weapon are front claws that you no longer have, you have a problem.


I'm not necessarily looking to get into a full debate over it - as I said, it is each owner's decision, but I think it's slightly shortsighted to conclude *back claws + a tree = ability to defend itself*  As humans, we can logically conclude that might be the best survival option, but I'm not so sure that a cat relying on natural instincts rather than cognitive brain power can safely reach the same conclusion when faced with the imminent danger of a predator or even just another experienced territorial cat.

[bremer51]

When I had a cat, I had her front paws declawed.  I did this for one reason. Everytime we went to the vet she buried her claws in my skin.  She had some health problems so we had to make periodic visits to the vet.  I got tired of bleeding.

[mrsmere]

I don't have a cat so I never had to deal with that issue.

[JediJohnnie]

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.

That's a false equivalency for one thing. I'm not against neutering pets. It serves a function. Controlling the pet population. Declawing cats is basically an act of convenience. People don't want their furniture (or themselves) scratched up. I think it's wrong to put a cat under the knife for a trivial reason such as that. You get a cat, you know what you're in for- otherwise don't get a cat.

And for the record, I'm not suggesting that people who declaw their cats are "horrible" people and the cats lives are "ruined" or something. I have my opinion on the topic and gave it. That's all.   

[JediJohnnie]

Oh I wanted to add my cats are indoor only and always have been but the main thing is if they are declawed then they have no way to protect themselves I read if they go outside or accidentally get out.

That's one of the main reasons I've heard against declawing. If they get out (and let's face it 97% of them do, even if they're housecats) they'll have no chance for self defence.

[JediJohnnie]

Oh I wanted to add my cats are indoor only and always have been but the main thing is if they are declawed then they have no way to protect themselves I read if they go outside or accidentally get out.

As long as the have back claws they can climb a tree.

That's kinda like saying. "it's ok if I get in a fight with my arms amputated. I still have my feet so I can run away!" lol

[pectacon]

If I had to get a cat, I always thought it would be nice to have a declawed one. However since I learned it's less like having nails cut and more like finger amputating surgery, I understand it's pretty hard on the cat and I would feel too bad to have it done.

[Yukichan77]

I don't have a cat but I've heard you're not supposed to declaw them. As an animal lover, I would say it seems wrong to declaw them.

[Skyisbluetoday]

        I have seen cats that don't have their front claws any more, they seem happy cats. I would think that if the cat has some destruction, I would declaw the cat. Just cause you would spend more replacing items vs having the issue fixed. If the cat isn't an issue I would leave the claws.     

[bretay]

i cant imagine having one declawed..i have 2..one scratches and the other doesnt..but they are both inside/outside cats..and their claws are their only defense against attackers...i understand why people do it though.