Declawing cats - inhumane?

[ConstipatedVigilante]

We didn't declaw either of our cats, but they were outdoor cats - and they loved to hunt.

 

[StageLeft]

Originally posted by: totalnoob

Originally posted by: Skoorb

Originally posted by: RESmonkey

Originally posted by: Skoorb
fvck it they are cats, i have two and they have no front claws. When they die i will buy a massive male maine my excellent compatriot and cut that little bastards knuckles off, too.

what the fuck?

YOU HEARD ME! If I had a housecat that was scratching furniture I would kick that thing into a wall and that is a fact.

Is this you???

http://i38.tinypic.com/wqy6mx.jpg

That is fvcking brutal. It's one thing to talk about it like a 2 year old(holla!) but I wouldn't actually do it.

 

[aircooled]

I don't do it, but you can also see the damage in my house from my decision. My cat's go outside so it's not an option. I'm just gonna be cat free for a while when these 2 die, so I can fix the molding in my house.

 

[bloodugly]

I didn't read through all of the posts, but this is what I think: Is it inhumane? Well kinda sorta maybe. Kittens get over it easily, just hate seeing adult cats having it done.

I have 2 stray sisters in my house, and they don't claw a thing. Is this the norm? No.

I have a 5yr old that is the biggest love of my life and she claws tightly woven fabric, like couches. Solution: put aesthecially pleasing blankets over the couch.

I will never declaw, they are what they are. Some are just easier than others. My main girl is a clawer, I've just learned to accept it. You can call them "domesticated cats", but really, they aren't at all domesticated.

An animal is just that, an animal. Love them for what they are.

 

[KillerCharlie]

Originally posted by: spidey07
Only if they spend anytime outdoors. They have no defense. Otherwise I'm fine with it. My 3 cats are declawed.

Remember that guy who posted the kill count for his cat, listing all the animals his cat killed every month? That cat was declawed IIRC.

 

[ultimatebob]

One of my cats has his front claws taken out by his previous owner, because he LOVES kneading things. If he still had those claws, he'd destroy everything I own!

He can still hold his own against the other fully clawed cat in the house as well... mostly because he's a fast runner and has fur so thick that it's like a suit of armor

 

[frostedflakes]

Inhumane? Perhaps, but no more so IMO than cutting off their balls. If I got a cat that was already neutered and still had their claws, I'd try training or trimming their claws before surgery. If I got a kitten and it was going to have to be put under anyway for neuter, I'd probably go ahead and have the vet remove the front distal phalanges as well.

 

[lokiju]

I grew up always having cats and none of them were ever declawed but my wife grew up with cats also all her life but with them always being (front) declawed.

So when we adopted two cats from the humane society 4 or so years ago now, it became a bit of a debate, I do recall having a pretty active thread on here at the time but there's about a snowballs chance in hell of find it with the way search sucks so much.

In the end we went with laser declawing after lots of research and back and forth discussion.

They both rebounded just fine from in and within only a few days were back to their normal selves.

Now I kind of wish we did front and back since they will still from time to time dig off on something to run away or get a claw into me while getting startled while being held.

 

[TwiceOver]

Originally posted by: lokiju
Now I kind of wish we did front and back since they will still from time to time dig off on something to run away or get a claw into me while getting startled while being held.

I don't know of any Vet that will remove rear claws. It fucks up the way the run.

 

[SonnyDaze]

We had a cat that was declawed. She still hunted. She lived a full happy 16 years.

 

[Nik]

Declawing cats should be a rare occurrence. I had my cat declawed only because she doesn't go outside ('fraidy-cat, literally) and the ultimatum was given that either the cat gets declawed or it gets given away. :brokenheart:

If she were an outdoor cat, I'd never declaw her because claws are used for all kinds of things like climbing and (more importantly) defense. Declawing a cat simply because it claws you jumping out of your arms or some other such ridiculous reason is selfish and ignorant.

If it's a matter of the cat destroying property by kneeding and solutions such as cat posts and are exhausted and fail (PetSmart has lots of kneed-problem solutions), THEN maybe consider it.

For some of the reasons stated in this thread, declawing a cat is borderline cruelty.

 

[fleabag]

If your pet cat isn't a bastard that tears things to shreds or attacks you, I don't even see a point in trimming their claws, let alone de-clawing them. My pet cat has a scratching post and he's fine. I mean occasionally he'll scratch us but that's because we don't trim his claws and he just happens to be in one of those moods where everyone is a potential meal. It's never serious though and I can usually snap him out of that mood and since he does do anything stupid with the toilet paper, attack curtains or scratch up other things, I see no need to not only de-claw him but even trim his claws. The claws are retractable so unless he feels like using them, they're usually not an issue.

I saw, don't de-claw them.

 

[fleabag]

Originally posted by: ScottyB
Not declawing leads to tattered furniture and a pretentious dingbat owner.

My cat's claws aren't even trimmed and I've never had an issue with him attacking furniture or basically anything in our house. The worst thing our cat is known for is peeing on comforters and beds and I believe the reason for that is because he may have a UTI.

 

[Jeff7181]

Mine are decalwed. It was done with a scalpal, not the laser crap. They were fixed at the same time, spent the night at the vet, came home the next day and were chasing each other around the house... along the back of the couch... on window sills... up and down the stairs.

 

[0roo0roo]

its no more inhumane than making an animal infertile. people tell scare stories about cats being all damaged by it. smells a bit like the anti abortion crowd where they claim horrific deep emotional trauma happens with every abortion anyone thats met a declawed cat knows they can be just fine. in any case losing your claws to get a pampered life is hardly a poor deal. anyways responsible owners keep their pets inside.

 

[krylon]

I didn't just declaw my cat, I cut it's front paws completely off. No tearing up my furniture now, bitch!

I laugh myself to sleep about it every other night or so.

 

[KK]

I prefer depawing

 

[Leros]

Growing up, our cats were always declawed. They could climb trees and fences just fine with their hind paws. They also had no problem defending off a large dog.

 

[jkenn19]

Have had 3 cats declawed - perfectly content. Just because a few have issues is no reason to assume it is inhumane. My lefty sister who has more animals than most of the posters here, is also fine with it. If they ever banned declawing, I would never get another cat.

 

[chalmers]

When my Mom got her cat declawed it totally changed. It was perky and fun and pretty much overnight it turned into a sulking unfriendly cat. As long as your cat doesn't destroy your possessions I see no reason why to get them declawed. Cats are like people though, they have their own personalities and each one is different. My singular experience has led me to believe in not declawing them.

 

[frostedflakes]

Was it neutered at the same time it was declawed? I've never understood the claim that declawing "changes" cats, it makes no sense. Removing reproductive organs messes with their hormones, though, and absolutely could cause changes in behavior. Maybe people who get both procedures done at the same time are placing blame on the wrong thing.

 

[chalmers]

No I bought her from a pet store already neutered. It could be from something else but the cat literally went from being friendly and fun to laying around all day and doing nothing. I don't have an explanation, but that's pretty much how it went. I don't see a reason to declaw cats if you keep their nails trimmed regularly and they don't wreck your stuff. I've just gotten lucky with my two cats as they're pretty good about not scratching everything.

 

[frostedflakes]

Was it neutered recently before she bought it? I think the hormonal changes can take a few weeks to take effect.

I guess it's possible, but like I said, it makes no sense to me. Declawing isn't going to mess with their brain chemistry or anything like that, which could effect behavior. And a lot of people have contrary anecdotal evidence, for example, declawed cats being back on their feet within days of the procedure and living long, active lives.

 

[theblackbox]

comparing declawing to spay or neuter? you kidding me. declawing is a terrible thing, we try not to do it, and will do our best to change our clients minds, offering either soft paws or education on how to trim nails as a substitute. it's a terrible thing to do to an animal.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Originally posted by: chalmers
When my Mom got her cat declawed it totally changed. It was perky and fun and pretty much overnight it turned into a sulking unfriendly cat. As long as your cat doesn't destroy your possessions I see no reason why to get them declawed. Cats are like people though, they have their own personalities and each one is different. My singular experience has led me to believe in not declawing them.

Did the cat ever recover? I noticed ours was a bit down when we got it done but she was back to normal a week or so after. We got her fixed at the same time, so she was in quite a lot of pain I'm sure, but we figured it would be less hard on her to have both done at same time and over with.

But yeah it's true they each have their own personalities. Some take it harder then others. Best to only get it done as a last resort - where discipline is simply not working.