Opinions please - pets
I just saw someone on my timeline compare:
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I worked at a boarding kennel, and had cats come in for recovery sometimes when people wouldn't want to deal with it themselves. Those poor kitties were miserable after the procedure. It would especially piss me off if they still let their cats outside, leaving them defenseless. Most people did it to protect their furniture! And like a pp said, a lot of them resort to biting instead. I also noticed it took a while for some of the kitties to regain their natural sense of balance.
Oh please. Just because I had my cats declawed I'm lazy and shouldn't be allowed to own a pet? I've seen people who go through multiple pets because they adopt one and it takes more than a week to potty train so they take it to the pound and a month later go out and get another one and repeat the process over and over. My neighbor keeps his dog locked in a cage year round outside. I've seen people let their pet live with a broken bone because the vet is too expensive. My dog had hernia for 6 months before I got her because her previous owner couldn't afford the surgery. You see on the news rescued dogs that are so malnourished you can see their bones. I've owned a total of 4 pets in my adult life . I still have all 4 of them. They are never neglected, I take them to the vet for ANY problem regardless of the cost, I feed them, I have them groomed, I don't mistreat them. There are a lot of people who should never own pet. I'm not one of them. And it has been 9 and 10 years since I had my cats declawed. They are FINE.
There is a reason it's been outlawed in most civilized countries other than the USA. It is like cutting of your fingers at the first joint. That's a fact. It's not like they just cut the nails. I've always wondered why is okay in people's minds to do that. It's fairly easy to clip the nails or have caps put on them. Don't want to get little scratches then don't get a pet. When dogs scratch I don't see people removing their claws
@babyrn, I'm not insulting anyone. I'm stating my opinion. I haven't said anything specific about anyone or mentioned anyone on this thread.
If you feel offended by my opinion and want to take it personally then that's your problem, not mine.
You clearly feel confident in your choices, so why should my thoughts on the general issue hurt your feelings?
I think declawing cats is sad and kind of cruel. You take away one of their only means of protection and their ability to be as agile in climbing. The declawed cats I take in never even make it a year (I live in the country and take in all kinds of cats that couldn't be rehomed as barn cats). They have plastic fake nails for cats now that slip over the real ones. My best friend got her cat some. Its hilarious to hear her walk on tile but they work excellent and cant tear the furniture.
I have a cat. When we first adopted him he scratched our couches and used to attack and bite our ankles and feet.
I did my research and I got him scratching posts and I redirected his attention. I play with him more often and I make sure he's happy and stimulated in his indoor environment. He now has a cat run, and perches, and lots of toys. He's a young cat and I wouldn't expect anything different.
Like I said before, cats are animals. They will exhibit animal behavior. It's our job as pet owners to accommodate that behavior. If you can't handle it then don't have a cat. It's not that hard.
Only person I see attempting to stir the pot is you, @babyrn. OP asked for our opinions and we gave them.
It's my opinion that declawing is a lazy and irresponsible way out of actually taking care of your pet. I don't really care if people find it offensive or rude.
I believe it is completely inhumane. Which is why it banned in many countries.
Cats use their claws to feel the world around them. So yes I agree with it being like cutting off their fingers.
I clip her nails every once in a while and that is only because she is very playful and accidentally scratch you.
It's so different. With the child you're only trimming. They'll grow back. And they don't need them long.
With a cat they need there claws. If the get out or need to defend themselves having claws can be life or death. And I imagine it's very painful. My mom declawed her cat and she had to have her paws wrapped for weeks. Not to mention she was not letting you touch her either.
Some people are so stupid.
My cat is deff not declawed. I brought it up to hubby when we first got him but he grew up with cats that were declawed and he said he could never do that to an animal after seeing that they actually take the knuckle off!! My cat doesn't scratch anything in the house and only will only use his claws playing with toys. I'm nervous about a toddler playing with him but we will cross that road when we get there
To me it's not really different than clipping ears or docking tails, except.those really don't serve any purpose besides aesthetics. When people wait to do the tail, it is cutting off an appendage basically, my vet considered it an amputation and charged as such (to try to keep people from doing it)
I declawed my first kitty before I knew better (long time ago!) and have felt guilty about it ever since, even though the little guy had no complications or trouble defending himself...
Now, Declawing is illegal in the UK where I live since the Animal Welfare Act came in. To be honest, I'm surprised to hear it's still legal in some places?!
Yes, it is disgusting and mean, but when you have a client that comes in and tells you that it's either they declaw the cat or put it in a shelter or euthanize (yes people do choose to euthanize their pets over something that can be corrected) them because of their behavior, you would naturally want them to stay in the home that they are in. You can't tell clients that they are stupid or wrong whatever the situation.
No matter how much you try to educate someone on how to train or better the lives of their animals there will always be that client that won't budge.
Growing up, it was the thing to do, get your animal fixed and declawed. That's all I ever knew. It was the norm. The cats I have now however (eta- 1 of my 3 is declawed, she's the old lady of the house) are not declawed because of the education about the subject that I have received.
I don't think it's fair to bash people for decisions they might not have been talked to or educated about.
I never knew about nail caps till I got a kitten 2 years ago. Never knew how to manage a cat that had claws. But decided to work around it and buying 2 large scratching posts has saved the furniture as well as clipping their nails frequently. There are always ways to correct bad behaviors if you are willing to take the time.
I've only ever had indoor, declawed cats... they have all lived long happy lives until at least age 16. I would only ever use a vet who performed laser surgery for removal as it is a more exact cut, has shorter heal time and much decreased rate of post op infection. Versus the knife, which I think is cruel, inexact and more painful. We always get it done at same time of neutering, and they always get a post op pain patch. Anyone who has a vet who lets them use litter after surgery should lose their license! Stores sell newspaper litter. My pets never have an issue with not using their box and they also remain very playful and seem to adjust beautifully. I'm in healthcare though can can't really have lots of open cuts exposed to all the germs I see at work... and honestly the 6 cats I've had in my lifetime have never had an issue and are happy, loving, spoiled pets :-)
Please don't declaw a cat. Just like their whiskers that IS their survival. That is equal to them being dead really.
Doesn't matter if cat is only indoor cat. If at some point the cat got out or some other issue. They will die. IMO it's just ignorance saying it's an indoor only cat so declaw they will never ever leave the house, they will never "need" their claws. You do Not know the future and can never determine a mistake happening or not.
My kitty's front feet are done. He's a Ragdoll and will never ever be outdoors. He actually gave me a serious case of cat scratch fever. He wasn't out to scratch me, just ran across my chest and gave me a good gash. That combined with him refusing to scratch his post, was enough. I was hoping he wouldn't need it done, but don't regret it. He's a great cat, no bad behavior. He healed fast, used his shredded paper instead of litter, and was jumping around like normal 2 days later. He was also neutered at the same time so it was all over with at once.
You use shredded newspaper or the paper pellets instead of litter, i like the shredded paper, it is softer. the clay litter is really bad for this type of wound because it is not only painful for them to walk on, but it can become impacted in the wound before it is done healing and cause an infection. I am kind of appalled that a vet would let a cat stay on litter at their clinic and not tell the owner not to use it until the feet are healed this is something my vet was adamant about.
I have never declawed any of my cats, but my mom did all of hers and they didn't have any problems behavior wise etc. It's not something I am Gung ho about I just know with all of the cats without homes in this country sometimes it's the lesser of the two evils. Also, I wouldn't recommend doing it to an older cat.
When my brother and his wife deployed, the person taking care of their cat declawed him. So, when they called asking me to fly down and get the cat. It was crazy, he had a crap job done. He had a infection and I took him to the vet as soon as I got him.
I am not sure how I feel about it now after seeing what happened to him. I do not own cat's, I will just say anyone who has it done. Should make sure the vet is respectable and has a great history of care.
@Isla after kitties are declawed they are/ should be restricted to shredded newspaper for litter, for at least a week
Declawing not only can cause health issues later in life is can affect them mentally as well. They also should never Be in a home with other cats that have claws as this can result in extreme aggression toward the declawed feline. It is an unnecessary procedure; and the claw sheaths work very well to prevent scratching and furniture damage. Declawing does not make an owner "evil" however they should be informed of all the issues it can cause.
Some of these comments demonstrate why some.some . Declan procedures have problems. You are not supposed to use litter until the feet are completly healed, I can't believe a vet would have a recently declawed cat in litter??!!!
Like I said, I haven't seen many issues but apparently I worked for a vet that actually knew what she was doing...
Out of ignorance, I had my first car declawed when I was about 17. They did a good job, and that cat ever *seemed* to be in pain.
But then I learned that it is removing their first knuckle to remove the claw, which IS the equivalent of chopping of part of one's finger.
I'm grateful my first cat didn't have a botched job, because I have since seen many.
But now that I know what it is, I could never in good conscience do it again.
All cats I've had since, just simply trimming their claws and having scratching boards/posts with their preferred material was sufficient.
I could never declaw my kitty. He is an awesome cat, doesn't claw furniture, and catches mice with his claws! My son has gotten scratched a few times, but honestly he was bugging the cat and cat just acted out. My son is much gentler now (life lesson #1) lol. When I took my cat to get fixed this other man was picking up his cat that got declawed. The vet wouldn't release him because the cat chewed his stitches off and was bleeding everywhere. I could hear the cat screaming from the back room. It was so sad!
Its illegal in the UK and can result in a ban from keeping animals for life. My cats sit on my knee and let me clip their claws so they are blunted a bit rather than sharp to protect toddlers face as he likes to chase them . I've never heard anyone do it here but appreciate different cultures in the states .. We think dressing up dogs is degrading as well though .. That's Brits for you
I will never declaw a cat ever. If I adopt a cat and they happen to already be declawed fine but I usually just pick up strays and bring them home and clean them up. Cats need claws to defend themselves and climb. So unless a cat is strictly an inside cat they deserve to have their claws for defensive purposes.
I have 2 cats. My first one was a stray I took in ten years ago, the other one I adopted from the vet about a year later. They are both completely declawed. Neither one showed signs of pain or any problems after the procedure. They never go outside (except to the vet). They have never had behavior problems or problems using the litter box. They are healthy, well fed and always up to date on check ups and vaccines. Yes, clearly I am a cruel person who should never own a cat.
I worked in a vet clinic. I would not get a cat declawed. Not only is the procedure painful but the recovery is traumatic too. I've seen kitties who opened up their sutures and bled all over the place, cats who are in so much pain they try to walk on their back legs only. Litter stuck to their bloody paws, and the crying and yowling from pain is heartbreaking. There are other options available. Glue on nail sheaths that protect your furniture, regularly trimming your cats nails, both are perfectly fine. Just think twice about amputating your cats toes, if you had to watch the procedure on your pet I guarantee you wouldn't do it!
I dont agree with it because it is cutting the tip of the bone off... it can cause litter box issues because they relate the pain they feel after being declawed to the litter. They can also start biting because they cant use their claws to protect themselves. I understand the argument of having them declawed as opposed to being in the pound.... but I volunteer with a cat rescue and we have multiple cats there that have been declawed and wont use a litter box... meaning no one will adopt them and they will live the remainder of their lives in the shelter.
I do know plenty of people that have declawed cats and they are fine... so I guess people can take their chances.. I just wont do it personally
It rarely saves cats from the pound. Cats that are declawed because of behavioral problems just adopt new ways to act out, usually by biting because they feel otherwise defenseless. It doesn't fix anything, especially being such a painful procedure.... It's not just the procedure itself, but the recovery. It's similar to humans recovering from an amputation, they can get phantom pain. It can also make using the litter box painful because the litter irritates the nubs, so they might resort to relieving themselves on the carpet where it's not as painful.
If you're not willing to train your cat to scratch in appropriate places, you shouldn't own a cat. It's just their nature, and mutilating their paws isn't going to fix behavioral problems. There's a reason vets are beginning to refuse to do the procedure.
Do I agree with the comparison OP presented? Eh, not really, mostly because primate fingers are anatomically different and have different uses, but I do agree with the idea presented that it's senseless mutilation of an innocent creature.
I agree with the pp about declawing vs the pound dilemma.
Depending on how old school the clinic is the procedure can be pretty brutal.
Newer clinics use lasers instead of the handheld clippers. I was shadowing at a clinic where I live and they still use the handheld clippers...it was shocking.
It is basically cutting the last bone of your digits off but I wouldn't compare it to a child.
I have a 9 year old kitty that was declawed and on two of her digits they didn't do it right and cut just half of the bone off.
It's cruel and involves cutting bone. People don't realize this and are sold the whole vision that its like cutting nails or hair. It's horrible. If you read up on it, you'll be horrified.
Plus, a cat that somehow gets outside without claws is completely defenseless. Even if you have an indoor only cat, what if they slip out the door unseen one day. It'll be a sitting duck.