declawed or not?
By NuttyMomma
@NuttyMomma (901)
United States
March 4, 2009 6:08pm CST
is your cat declawed or still has claws? if it doesn't have its claws did you have them removed or did you get the cat that way? I have a kitten that i had declawed when he got neutered. I am sorry we had it done because he was in pain for weeks! i feel bad but he was very destructive. my older cat is not declawed but he wasn't destructive like this little guy, so how about your kitties? claws or no claws?
3 people like this
7 responses
@Anora_Eldorath (6028)
• United States
5 Mar 09
Our Lightening is declawed in her front, but she's still a little terror lol. I'd go with declawing though anyday because I know if she wasn't we'd find all sorts of things shredded. Though, believe it or not, she can still make leaps up the doorjams and hang on using her back claws.
It's definately been safer with the kids though.
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
5 Mar 09
Ekkk! Hope you don't mind my butting in here but you have NO idea how against I am with declawing. Declawing isn't simply removing the claws but pure amputation and mutilation ...think of it this way...it's the equivalent of say a surgeon removed all the tips of your fingers up to the first joint. I've done a lot of research about this and even done articles. In most European countries declawing is completely banned. I've had cats nearly all my life and never once were any declawed. My attitude is so what if they tear at the furniture? Furniture can be replaced the health of a cat can't. Many declawed cats will have personality changes after declawing including depression and/or extreme aggressive behavior. Instead of declawing there are things one can put on a cat's claws to prevent them from being destructive
@NuttyMomma (901)
• United States
5 Mar 09
believe me I am extremely regretful that i chose this option. i am talking about this only to educate so someone else might not make the mistake that i did. as far as my furniture goes, i am not a wealthy person. i love my cats but i refuse to live with torn up furniture just because i have cats. yes furniture can be replaced but for some of us that is not easy to do. i didn't do it mainly because of the destruction of material items but he cut up my daughter even though we trimmed his nails.
@Anora_Eldorath (6028)
• United States
5 Mar 09
First of all, I "didn't" do it. She was declawed when my husband first had her as a kitten. It was he and his family that made the decision when she climbed up into the false ceiling, and got lost. He couldn't stand the thought of her becoming lost again and dying or getting hurt somewhere. The choice was based upon not being inhumane by letting her starve somewhere.
He didn't want to declaw her, it was a matter of figuring out what was the best protection at the time. I had no choice in that matter as I wasn't with him. Now, that said, she's still very agile, has not changed personalities since he's had her-she's just herself. And, when she gets a hair up her backside she can still climb the walls using her back claws.
I've read the articles online about it, on both sides, and not one has an actual "true" empirical study done. They say they have "research" but after having read through it, it is not a true empirical study with a set groups, methodologies, etc.
Now, we still have issues with her doing other things that are far more dangerous-like eating wires that nothing we've done has stopped her from doing. She's just Lightening and we deal with it. I'm not that inhumane that I'd have her teeth removed!
Anora
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
5 Mar 09
I can't begin to tell you how against I am for cats to be declawed..I've done extensive research about this and have done articles. did you know declawing is banned in most European countries? Many cats will develop behavioral problems after being declawed...either very withdrawn and depressed or very aggressive--declawing is pure mutilation and isn't just the removal of the claws but severe surgery that amputates up to the first digit of the joints as well. I've had cats ever since I was five years old, and at age 53 have two cats now...none of my cats have ever been declawed. Sorry for sounding harsh, but people need to look up what declawing actually is to understand exactly what it is and what it means. There are alternative means like the Soft Paws which are things one puts over the claws like caps and are helpful in making a cat less destructive with their claws but allows them to keep their claws intact.
1 person likes this
@Loen210 (1540)
• United States
3 Jun 09
Pyewacket is so on. Even before reading so many articles and facts about declawing, I never would have even considered having any of my cats declawed, even when I was a child. As A child, energetic, and loving to play with the kitties, I really even had a cat who as a younger one, used to pounce on me and scratch in cycles of cute, sweet, into attack, and I got scars and lots of blood on my skin. Also, our couches are still there, with the scratches all over. We obviously don't love that, but would never, ever consider doing the cruetly or declawing.
@NuttyMomma (901)
• United States
5 Mar 09
you are 100% right. i am extremely wrong for having done this. i didn't do the research. be harsh, i am not offended. it is important to get the message out there that this is not right to do. thanks for sharing.
@Aurone (4755)
• United States
7 Mar 09
I am with Pyewacket on this one. Declawing is barbaric. Would you like your fingertips removed because you scratched somebody? I don't think so, so why would you do that to a precious kitty? They are other ways to change the cats behavior or take care of the scratching situation besides removing parts of their paws. You can trim their nails or apply nail caps to the cat claws. Or put tape or bitter spray on the items you don't want clawed. There is absolutely no reason ever to declaw a cat. I think it should be outlawed so that it can't even be done. I mean what if your kitty got out by accident? She would have no way to defend herself.
@fifileigh (3615)
• United States
6 Mar 09
my current cat that i had adopted has claws. but he doesnt really destroy anything. he just likes to play with his scratch post and boards. he never scratches me.
my late cat that i have had since she was 6 weeks old, i had her declawed because she was a little destructive and kept climbing the curtains.
both indoor cats. and both happy as indoor cats. i dont think it matters as long as u dont let a declawed cat go outside because they cant defend themselves anymore, and they might die. an indoor cat is cleaner, safer and happier anyway.
@blue65packer (11826)
• United States
3 Jun 09
I don't own a cat myself but I work at a stable where there are cats. The older barn cats are neutered but were not declawed. Thw owners brother brought out his 2 cats out to live at the stable 5 years ago and they are declawed. The tiger cat is lazy and very friendly! His buddy a big yellow tabby is part wild! He only will come near a person when being feed but you can't touch him! He runs away! A few months ago some friends of mine didn't want to get rid of their 2 cats because one was becoming a problem with pissing all over the house! So I told my friends to bring the 2 cats out to the stable! The 2 females are fixed but never were declawed. My friends don't believe in declawing a cat! Now I don't believe in it now! I didn't realize how much it can effect a cat and the pain a cat can go through! I feel sorry for all declawed cats and never will do that to a cat I might own in the furture!
@kellycat (48)
• United States
5 Mar 09
No Declawing!!!!!! It is extremly painful and bloody surgery!!! Some cats never recover. I have never had any of my cats declawed and I have had many many cats! Of my current 7 one came to me declawed. Minnie Moose was 7 when I brought her home after her owners brought her in to the vets where I worked to have her euthanized becuse she was to FAT, 25lbs, took me 3 weeks to get her down to 19lbs. She still walks funny and she had her surgery when she was spayed at 6 months old. She tries to use the scratching post to this day, instinct. Please take special care of your newly declawed kitty. You can always find a way to train your cats to use the scratching post. I gave mine their own chair, an old recliner in the family room, which is now looking very torn up, so I put an old sheet over it and let them use that, rubbed it with catnip and let them have it. I also gave them a log from the nearby forest, proped it up in a corner of the family room and rubbed it with catnip and they love it. They love their post too, rubbed with catnip also, its great. Buy some at the pet store or grow your own. Every month or so I vaccum their chair and post and rub new catnip on it. Sounds like alot of work but I love them and I choose to keep them in the house for their saftey and I have to compromise. Yes they have used my good furniture, but they know 1 squeal from me and they run for their own chair!!!!
