Declawing cats - yes or no?

[LynneSin]

My vet has asked if I plan on declawing Abbott. Abbott will be a strictly indoor cat, but I'm kinda hedging on the declawing. I mean, I wouldn't want my fingernails pulled out.

So my question to the cat owners of DU: Is Declawing a good or bad thing

[Booberdawg]

1. fronts, not backs

[Melodybe]

23. I used to be morally opposed to declawing, then we had kids

We had to get one of our cats declawed. Instead of running off when our 9 month old crawled up and started pulling her whiskers, she would scratch him in the face. Twice was enough and we HAD to it, we did not want to give her away. She still has her back claws and she can still kick other kitty ass if she needs to.

My advice, if you are worried about one of your kids loosing an eye, do it, if not then I don't think that it is worth it.

[LibInternationalist]

57. didn't want to give her away, so you cut off the tip of her fingers...

terrific -- and sickening

[REP]

75. How On Earth Did I Survive Childhood??

My parents refused to mutilate cats, and yet I managed to escape childhood unmauled by the many, many cats I grew up with - even ones that slept with me in my crib as an infant.

[MadMike]

2. I can't find my cat's claws. Or his butt, for that matter....

[matcom]

3. its not just fingernails

its like getting the entire first joint of you fingers lopped off

[Blue-Jay]

4. Here we go again.

A: How would you like it if I cut your fingers off at the first knuckle....

OR

B: It only hurts them for a little while, and it's worth the damage to my furniture....


Take your pick. This is gonna be a long one.

[LynneSin]

6. Bare with me - first totally indoor cat

I had a cat before, but it was a feral that I took care of, so removing claws would have been stupid (but I did get her fixed).

I've heard both sides of the argument about declawing and I'm leaning towards not doing it - but I'm just trying to get some good information from those who own cats.

[Gingersnap]

11. I have four cats and say don't do it

Two of my cats were declawed when I got them from the shelter. The two kittens I have are not declawed. I made sure to buy a bunch of scratching posts and things and I have not had a single problem with furniture. I have a very expensive leather sofa and no one has touched it. One kitten did try to scratch a small rug, but I bought this two sided tape called "sticky paws" that I put on it and now he isn't interested anymore.

I think if you get your cat young (or adopt an adult that has always had a scratching post), you can train them easily not to ruin things. Plus, there are plastic "claw covers"--sort of like false fingernails--that you can get to put over their claws if it is really a problem.

I think declawing is cruel--out here a lot of rescue places won't let you adopt if you are planning on declawing and many vets won't even do the procedure anymore.

[Blue-Jay]

14. I didn't mean any offense, Lynne.

It just seems like these threads always go on forever with nobody ever reaching a conclusion. My two cents: Get some good scratching posts and whatnot, and see how the cat does for a few weeks. If it looks like he's going to be destructive (some are, some aren't), yank the front claws. I've had cats that never clawed anything, and a few that would've cost me thousands, had I not declawed them.

Good luck.

[htuttle]

5. You should understand something about the procedure

It does not involve pulling their claws out -- if they did they would grow back.

They amputate the first knuckles of the cats 'toes' and 'fingers' when they declaw cats.

Personally I've always been against it. Not just due to the amputation part, but in case they ever manage to escape outside, I don't want them to be defenseless.

[CaptainJaneway]

72. Against It

I am totally against this. I love cats (all animals) and feel that if you are going to take on the responsibility of getting an animal you take everything that comes with it - fur getting everywhere, maybe your couch will get scratched, litterboxes, etc.

I don't even agree with people cutting dogs' ears or tails because of some "purebred" rule that says you have to. The only reason I even got my cats fixed was because the females make soooo much noise when they go into heat and the males spray everywhere.

[Bertha Venation]

7. my two cents

Seems you're already on board w/ what's right for Abbie. Here's my take: no piece of furniture, no rug or carpeting, NOTHING is worth your cat's pain & suffering. Declawing is barbaric. It's illegal in much of Europe.

Besides, you can train him not to scratch. Try him on all kinds of scratching posts, pads, mats, etc., and buy two or three of the kind he likes best. Spray them w/ catnip spray. Squirt him w/ water when he engages in unauthorized claw-sharpening. Keep his claws trimmed (your vet can show you how) so that even when he does scratch the wrong thing, it'll do very little damage. Or try http://www.softpaws.com/

There are many alternatives. It's not worth it.

[damnraddem]

21. Screw the 'barbaric' and the nutty places that make it illegal.

It's a question of whether the cat is to be indoor all the time (as our declawed cat is). If not, the problem isn't the declawing, it's the lack of a defense against other cats. Personally, I will not own a cat that has its front claws, but then nor will I own a cat that is not a totally-indoor cat. If the gene wizards come up with a cat that lacks front claws, I will applaud their efforts.

[Bertha Venation]

34. I disagree.

I don't care if it's indoor or outdoor. I will never remove a cat's claws. I would adopt one that had been so mutilated, but I will never do it myself.

It IS barbaric. It is completely unnecessary. As I said, no earthly possession is worth forcing a sentient and helpless being to endure unnecessary surgery and a painful, messy, miserable recovery.

In my opinion no one should ever declaw a cat.

[XNASA]

8. Declawing your cat is positively the worst thing you can do.

Not only is it terribly painful, but it leaves you cat defenseless.

It also greatly impedes your cat's ability to climb, for instance, a tree so that it can escape danger.

I witnessed first hand what can happen to a declawed cat that accidentally stumbled into the wrong yard. A yard occupied by a large dog.

The cat had no chance. It was really terrible.

We have two cats, neither declawed. Wouldn't have it any other way.

[rppper]

71. never...no way...and this is why i wouldn't.....

we had a wonderful adopted siamese...pretty cat too....meowed in different tones and meowed often, not to mention he was very loving to everone in the household. he was a total inside cat but, like all cats, he was curious about what was behind the big door. he got out of the house during halloween, 1999. we found his mangled, partialy EATEN body behind our house a week later, apparently eaten by one of the many owls we have in our trees here...yes, they are known to attack and kill cats here, and ours was a small siamese...maybe 5 pounds dripping wet...whatever the case, he never had a chance because his front and back claws were removed.....none of my current 4 have their claws removed for that very reason...we use a water bottle to disuade them from clawing the couches and furniture and have mats laid out for that very purpose.....

[Elad]

9. It's more than just like having your fingernails torn out

It's equivalent to having your fingers chopped off at the first knuckle. It's completely unnecessary and dangerous to the cat's physical and mental health.

[soleft]

10. The huge scar on my wrist votes for declawing

But it depends a lot on the age of the cat. Kind of like circumcision that way.

[NoBorders]

12. Just trim their claws with a nail clipper

If you start early, they get used to it.

[Lisa0825]

13. It's illegal in some countries, and I wish it was here too

Check this out....

Educate! Don't Amputate!
declaw.lisaviolet.com/

[supernova]

15. No, don't do it

Reasons against:

1) All the things about the procedure. there's no need to go through unnecessary surgery.

2) If they do get outside, claws are their defense. They also need to be able to climb trees to escape. Can't do that without claws.

3) You can teach a cat to claw at the scratching post or some other place acceptable to you, and not on your designer furniture.

4) Declawed cats have a tendency to bite more than cats with claws intact.

[damnraddem]

16. If the cat is to be a strictly-indoor cat, yes have the fronts removed.

But if you will let the cat go out where other cats can access, don't do it -- it will leave Abbot defenseless against other cats.

If people had claws like cats do, then removing them would be a sacrament!

[ProfessorGAC]

17. I Say No

We've had, since we've been married 8 cats. (As many as four at once.)

None have ever been outside. None have been declawed. Total damage to our house. NONE!

It's unnecessary surgery. I'm against that, for humans and beasties.
The Professor

[flamingyouth]

18. Use Soft Paws

They're like Lee Press-On Nails for cats. They even come in stylish colors. We had to get them for Winky, as she was destroying all of our furniture, plus we have to give her medication twice a day (and she was drawing just a little too much blood).

Have a vet or groomer put the full set on first, then they just fall off one by one, and then you can replace them yourself.

Say hi to Abbie for me! :hi:

[BiggJawn]

19. We have 4. All are declawed and neutered.

Here it's legal. and let me put it to you this way; All 4 cats are adopted. 2 came from the vet the way they are, and the 2 that wandered in on their own are declawed.
Now, if they were NOT declawed, they would NOT live here. they likely would not be living anywhere, and since the newest cat looked like he had pnuemonia when we decided he would become an indoor cat, we most likely saved his life. End of story.

For what it's worth, I'm circumcised and damn glad of it, too.

[Caution]

20. My cats never touch the furniture

Any time you catch a cat near the furniture pick it up and bring it to a scratcher, if this doesn't work a good loud strong "NO!" will do the trick. I have two cats, neither one declawed, both indoor cats, one for 6 years, one for 4 years and neither has EVER touched my furniture.

[rogerashton]

22. Nip the claws.

If you start young enough, most cats will learn not to fight it. (Turkish Vans are a special case. My vanalike will still snarl and fight a little -- but I get her anyway.)

Of course, that is only a partial protection for furniture. Even dull claws will shred e.g. a rope chair. Yes, I have one, and the cats love it much more than their scratching posts.

[TreasonousBastard]

24. Dead set against...

and I wish it was illegal here, too.

Yeah, furniture is expensive, and some cats can get pretty feisty with those claws. (I've got more than a couple of scars from playtime that got out of hand.)

But, if the possibility of that small damage is so important to warrant such a radical surgical alteration, it's better just not to have the cat.

[Toronto Ron]

25. Fuck the furniture

You have a decision to make: own nice furniture or cats. We have 3 indoor cats with intact claws, and a 2 year-old daughter. The cats do like to stretch their claws on one corner of our couch, but over the course of two years this has only caused slight damage. The cats have never intentionally scratched a human (unless said human tried to force a bitter pill in their mouth...)

[jobycom]

26. No, I'd rather lose my furniture... and have.

We have four cats. I refuse to declaw them, and they are purely indoor cats. They have destroyed our couches. We put sticky tape made for that purpose on the furniture to stop the cats from scratching it, but the tape stuck to us and pulled off the couches, so we decided it didn't work. A couple years later I was cleaning the couch, and found one corner that still had the tape on. The cats had never touched it. It was quite exposed to them, too, so it had to be the tape.

Try the tape, don't take the hit on your conscience.

[Kolesar]

27. get a dog

Actually, we are thinking of getting a cat to complement our dog and am wondering what my oh-so-comfortable sofa is going to look like in a year.

[ProfessorGAC]

28. Oh Yeah. Dog's Are Much Lower Maintenance!

Yeah, right!

Actually we have both kinds of beasties in the house. Big dog and the kitties. They are good companions to one another. The two cats actually have more problems than either has with the doggie.

And, we have no torn furniture or curtains. Cats can be housetrained. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. A squirt gun when their babies, does wonders.
The Professor

[City Lights]

29. Declawing is a terrible thing.

We have seven cats, and only one of them is declawed. All of our cats are indoor cats. They use their claws when they are playing with toys or when they are playing with each other, so claws do not just come in handy when they are outside. Sometimes our cats will actually climb up the cat tower as though they were climbing up a tree. We only have one that likes to scratch on something other than the scratching posts. He likes to use the carpet. I'm sure he could be trained to use a post, but I'm too lazy to do it.

[Suziq]

30. Please Don't Do It . . . .

I have two cats that rarely mess with the furniture. We purchased a good cat tree with scratching post when we got them. When one of my cats expressed interest in the couch, we put the double-sided tape to deter her. It worked!

Also, if the cat accidentially gets out of the house, it would be defenseless.

[NJCher]

35. Declawing: a veterinarian's view

I've communicated with this vet before. She's very dedicated to the welfare of cats. Here's her views on the matter:

http://www.declawing.com/


Cher

[Blue Gardener]

31. It's Amputation, Don't Do It!

Banned in some countries (England) because it is horrible and cruel. I trim my cats toenails when needed and don't have any trouble.

[SoCalDem]

32. Declawing actually can cripple them in old age..

When their toes are chopped off, it damages the tendons and ligaments and as they age (and often put on weight) their weight shifts to the "cut" part of their toes.. Some declawed older cats walk very gingerly and some even limp, because it's painful to walk..

Our vet said that the tendons and ligaments lose their elasticity and can cause their little feet to "curl", much like a bound foot..

I am sad to say, that my 3 oldest are declawed (didnot know any better all those years ago).. but the SIX subsequent ones have all their claws.. A spray bottle works well when you want them to stop doing something... and if Abbie is going after your couch, how about getting a cover for it and protecting the edges under the cover? Until he has learned the rules :)

Our clawed kitties scrap and romp with each other, and I have NEVER seen them use their claws in anger..

We have scratching posts, but what most of ours LOVE ..and it's so cheap..
They love those stupid wooden shim strips.. We moved some bookcases and my husband used a few of them and did not break the ends off right away.. well all the kitties just love them.. they claw the daylights out of them, so we just left them stciking out.. a hardware store can sell them to you.. you could even spray them with a little sprayable catnip to get his attention..

[intheozone]

33. NO no no no no no no never ever declaw!

Bad bad thing to do, I have always had cats and never have declawed them. Very unkind thing to do.

[RebelOne]

37. I agree. What if the cat gets outside? It will have no defense

to protect itself against other cats or dogs.

[OneBlueSky]

36. I would never declaw a cat . . .

even if he were an indoors critter . . . as many have mentioned, cats do get out on occasion despite one's best efforts, and they need claws to defend themselves and to escape up trees should they encounter danger . . . it's also just a barbaric practice that shows, imo, that you care more about physical things than your living companions . . . if you feel you have to declaw, please don't get a cat . . .

[Neko hime]

38. No

Cats who have been declawed bite much more. Biting is their only defense. They will actually draw blood! A friend has one who was declawed and he's totally neurotic and hates everyone except for her. He'll actually attack you. So, I say no. They can also get bone spurs and infections from the declawing. I've seen it done and it is not a pretty sight. All of mine have their claws (I have five in the house). The trick is to find out what they like to scratch. Some like the scratching post, while others like that round thing with the corrugated cardboard. I have four different scratchers and they leave my furniture alone.

Abbie is young enough to train right. So, good luck!

[Zomby Woof]

39. we trained ours not to claw

Declawing is cruel, and severely affects tendon strength and the joints.

We keep a water spray bottle handy, and let it fly if he attempts to pin the sofa. It works, he rarely ever tries, and is ready to fly when we even reach for the bottle.

Plus, get yourself a nice tall pinning tree, he'll love it! And, he'll learn to pin that and not the furniture.

[curse10]

40. Please don't do it Lynne

it's an awful procedure and I can't believe people would put their cats through such torture in the name of furniture. So my furniture has a few scratches? I don't care, because I have two lovely kitties that love me and provide hours of affection, they are cuddle monsters!

Their isn't a single good reason to do it, imho.

[Kamika]

41. please don't, in worst case you can cut them

We always cut our cats nails it worls better.. man just imagine getting your nails drawn out..

[adriennel]

42. No, please no

declawing cats is inhumane. I have heard it would be like having all your fingertips cut off at the first joint.

My guy is 10 years with claws. I started clipping his claws when he was a kitten so he became used to it and actually lets me do it. So if you are starting with a kitten, try clipping them yourselves (I am sure this does not work with ALL cats ; )

Also, my cat was an indoor cat for 7 years, then he started going outside (because we moved to a safer location). Outdoor cats without claws are seriously at a disadvantage--my friend's cat has no claws and has gotten the crap beaten out of him more than once (by other cats.) So even if the cat is indoors now, there may be a remote possibility this will change.

Finally, my guy has gone through a number of scratching posts but has never destroyed furniture. He likes to scratch our carpet, actually, but we divert him to his carpet covered posts (he has several around the house)

[chiburb]

43. Not to be contrary or anything...

But a question:

What if the cat DOES get out of the house? Everyone talks about the cat being able to defend itself against other cats and dogs, but what about the birds the cat kills? Why is the bird's life worth any less than the cat's?

Fyi, in our area the number 1 cause of death of birds is cats; usually house cats that are outside by accident or purposely.

on edit: #1 before West Nile virus.

[adriennel]

44. it's a risk

though I have to tell you that my DOG actually caught a bird...still don't know how that happened!

it breaks my heart when my cat comes home with a dead little something...luckily it doesn't happen very often and they're usually small rodents (which we have plenty of here, not that a rodent's life is worth less than a bird's, but I don't feel as bad if it's a rodent.) I can't get mad at him though, it's in his nature. he does not stay out overnight anymore, which is when he is most likely to find something

[KadeCarrion]

55. Two words: Food Chain

Such is life.

[LynneSin]

45. OKOKOKOKOKOK - No declawing

:D

[Zomby Woof]

46. good!

Now let's wager on the Eagles' chances in the playoffs! :D

[curse10]

49. Yeah!!!!!!!!!!!

your new kitty loves and thanks you :D

[LynneSin]

52. well, I didn't want you KICKING MY ASS

:D

[LynneSin]

59. ack!!! That reply was for Skittles

:shrug:

[LynneSin]

60. ack!!! That reply was for Skittles

:shrug:

[Skittles]

47. NO

IT IS CRUEL. I did have it done to a cat once and I have always regretted it.

[Bossy Monkey]

48. Kinky Friedman will come and blow up your house

Don't mess with da Kinkstah! http://www.kinkyfriedman.com/guv.html

[curse10]

50. LoL

Is that guy for real?

He'd be buddhist if it weren't for Richard Gere? LMAO!

[bedtimeforbonzo]

51. not only no

but hell no.

[zanana]

53. There are lots of declawed cats in animal shelters...

And their chances of being adopted are slim to none. What if one of them sneaks out of the house? He won't be able to defend himself against other cats without his claws. If he becomes lost, he's dead. And let's face it; even indoor cats sneak out sometimes. PLEASE DON'T DO IT!

[CanuckAmok]

54. Here's the solution:

http://www.softpaws.com

I promise you...these WORK! At least try them, before declawing or throwing out your furniture.

[geniph]

56. I've never seen the need

I wouldn't pull a dog's teeth out because it might someday chew on my shoes or nip me, either. A cat is what it is. Claws are part of that.

None of my three ever claw furniture. I don't have drapes or carpets (we all have allergies and asthma), so don't know how they'd be with that stuff. They all love the big sturdy rope-wrapped post we built for them, and use that heavily. They also like the cardboard scratchers.

I trim everybody's claws every two weeks. With Maine Coons, you really have to - otherwise, they have FORMIDABLE talons.

I just don't see that it's necessary. If it's furniture that concerns me, well, my stepsons have done ten times the damage to my property that my cats have ever done...I'm not having their fingers foreshortened, either.

[MrSlayer]

58. It depends on the cat.

My first cat "Eddie" aka "Satan" is so vicious we had to get him declawed or we would all be dead. I'm serious, when this guy attacks you he tries to literally kill you. I just couldn't deal with him biting and clawing my kids (not to mention my wife and I). He's calmed down a lot after 4 years but still gives a very serious bite when people agitate him. The kids have learned his warning signs and know when to leave him alone so we all avoid getting bit most of the time. Hah. He's a maniac, if he kept his claws we could have never kept him and no one would have taken him. In effect declawing him saved his life. On the other hand, my second cat "Jasper" aka "Monster" is very gentle with his claws and knows to keep them retracted when you play with him. He doesn't damage the furniture and is a good mouser so we're letting him keep his. He gets de-balled though right after the holidays. Declawing really depends on the cat's personality I think.

I would show pictures but they are too big.

[ibegurpard]

61. NOOOOOO!

What if a situation ever came up where your got lost or something? How would he climb a tree or defend himself? Get a scratching post and a water bottle that you squirt him with every time you catch him starting to claw on furniture.

[Dirk39]

62. I invade the USA...

if dead things are more important for you than living beings, there shouldn't be a cat in your house. And to even destroy your cat's WMDs, although your stronger than Abbott anyway isn't fair.
I call Kofi Annan!

Hello from Germany,
Dirk

[davsand]

63. I say it depends on the cat.

I had a cat that was a rescue--she'd been horribly abused before I got her--and she was a vile tempered animal most of the time. She lived with me for 17 years as an indoor cat, and the only thing that made it possible was that I had her declawed in front when she was under a year old.

I spent the first 8 months with her in my house and I looked like hamburger from the elbows down and the ankles to the knees. She bit, she clawed--she would stalk you when you walked thru the house. To make it worse, she was huge for a cat. She weighed in at around 16 lbs in her prime--and she was not fat. She was just a really BIG kitty with a horrible case of bad attitude, and she viewed grooming or nail trimming as a personal attack.

I'd worked with both the vet and a couple of folks from the Humane Society to try and moderate that behavior and it was not working. I was literally at the point where I was constantly worried about infection from the continual scratches. I loved her dearly in spite of her attacks--but I was just about ready to give her up to the shelter--even knowing that they would most likely put her down rather than try and adopt her out.

As I said at the beginning of this post, she lived with me for 17 years. She was a treasured member of the household. However she also was not welcome in at least three different vet clinics because of how vicious she was. I literally had one vet tell me NEVER to bring "That CAT" back again. (To be fair, the cat had bitten her badly that last time... I still won't take another animal back there again, however.)

In her case, declawing probably did save her life.

Would I do it again? Probably not--but I now know better than to go on a three day drunk and take in a rescue.

Our current cat came from a shelter--but I spent at least a couple hours with him hanging out and observing his temperment. I knew he was a very mellow baby before he ever came into my house. So far, in the two years he's been with us, I have NEVER seen that cat scratch or bite delibrately--even when being pilled!

Laura

[Flaxbee]

64. Please don't!!

My sister is a veterinarian and strongly against declawing, not only is the procedure rather distasteful, but when cats can't flex their claws because they've been removed, the muscles in their legs atrophy. Not good. We have many cats, and not one of them scratches the furniture. I get "Cosmic Catnip" scratching cardboard thingies and they're exceedingly happy to sharpen their claws on those (and anything else cardboard that happens to be around -- meaning, they're easily trainable as to "scratch" and "don't scratch" objects). My other sister has little claw-covers put on her cat's front claws (vet does it), they're sorta like fake fingernails, only they prevent scratching without declawing and fall off naturally ... plus, you can choose exotic colors like red or pink or blue (;-))

[arewethereyet]

65. absolutely

you can leave the rears for when he gets out and needs to elevate.

its real simple, new cat (from the Humane Society of course) is like under a hundred or free from the kid with the box of kittens). new couch, hundreds or more.

the cat won't remember it after a few days, you'll remember the ruined sofa for years.

but do yourself a favor and get a dog. way better.

[Blue-Jay]

66. Hitler declawed his cats,

I'm pretty sure that Dr Mengele performed the operations.

You don't want to be like Hitler, do you?

DO YOU?!?!?!

(I hear that Hitler had some kickass furniture...)

[Dirk39]

68. You're a liar:-)

"Alexander, the big, Napoleon and Hitler (...) were afraid of cats like hell (...). The ones, who try to conquer the world, are well-advised to not even spend a minute with an animal that would resist every attempt to conquer it by any means."
Desmond Morris

Just imagine, what use Abott would make of her claws, confronted with that guy:


http://hometown.aol.com/janatabbytalk/images/mypaws!.jpg


Hello from Germany,
Dirk

[chicaloca]

67. absolutely not, no no no no

I'm absolutely, completely against declawing. Part of the reason domestic cats scratch furniture is to mix their scent with that of their beloved humans, which is why sometimes cats will scratch furniture but not their scratching posts. Therefore, it helps to put an old sweater with your scent (ie unwashed) on their scratching post. It also helps to play games with them and their toys around the scratching post.

Also, my parents had our first cat declawed, and he never exactly became a nice cat. I don't know if it was the declawing, or what, but the two cats I have now aren't declawed and are the sweetest, most friendly kitties imaginable. Also, they do a lot of physical things that our first one wouldn't. For example, they'll do that cute stretching thing after they wake up, when they stretch their front legs out and stick their butt in the air and then stretch their back legs as they walk away. They also arch their backs up to stretch, which I don't ever remember seeing our first cat do. I've heard that those types of stretching behaviors are really difficult for declawed cats, which explains why our first one never did it.

I remember asking a British friend of mine whether declawing cats is legal in Britain. At first he said, "Yeah, sure it is." Then I said, "You mean, like when they have surgery to take their claws out so they won't grow back?" Then he got this completely horrified look on his face and said, "No, God no. That's crazy." Turns out he thought I meant clipping their nails.....

(This declawing discussion reminds me that someday I'm going to start a thread on why I love Europeans.) :)

[Dirk39]

69. Abott told me her secret plans, so better beware:

Dirk

[Lindsey]

70. Lynnsinn...I'M BEGGING you not to do this....

it truly is torturing your precious, defenseless and loving critter. My little one is 2 and 1/2 years old and there's only one small place on a small section of a couch (it's my old one and I don't have it covered - btw, covering is also an option for you) that she ever claws. When I adopted her from the animal rescue shelter, I had to sign a contract that I'd NEVER have her declawed or EVER let her be an outdoor cat (I'm in L.A. and it's dangerous for cats here due to the traffic). She's given me so much joy and I feel that I've given her joy. I could never be involved in any form of "cruelty to animals" and declawing definitely is.

[Dogmudgeon]

73. Some Really Really Stupid Questions About Cats' Claws

First, with everybody saying it's like getting your fingers chopped off, can't they use anesthetic on cats? I've heard of cats having pretty sophisticated surgery on them, and I'm sure some kind of anesthetic is used then. And a veterinary inhalation anesthetic shouldn't be too expensive.

Second, wouldn't filing down the claws' tips do the same thing? The cat could still fight and climb, though not quite as effectively. But the risk of torn flesh and furniture would be much lower.

I haven't really looked into this. I never owned a cat, and to be honest, some of the cat-love maniacs I've run into (in RL) have really turned me off to the idea of owning one. But I like critters in general, including cats per se, and I also believe there have to be more than just the "solutions" of allowing sharp claws vs. amputation of the phalanges.

Any feedback? Wise-ass retorts? Considered opinions?

--bkl

[OldEurope]

74. It´s not because of anesthetic. It´s : you´re disabled for the rest

of your life, if you have got all your fingers cut off!!! And so is a cat without claws.