Declawing cats

[FallinWoman 1]

From that website:

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Declawing is a painful procedure that has long-term physical and emotional effects.

Again....that is a blaket statement that they are not proving. Just because someone says it on a website does not mean that I believe it. Where is there scientic evidence? What studies did they conduct? What was their study group and control group? What conclusion are we able to draw from the data??

~Anne

I'm a Doll!!!!

[Tonto 1]

I can see why no one expects the Spanish Inquisition!

t

It's the year of the Pig.

[misskriss 0]

The Humane Society of the United States (www.hsus.org): "It is the policy of The Humans Society of the United States (HSUS) to oppose… declawing of cats when done solely for the convenience of the owners and without benefit to the animal."

I believe the Humane Society is a pretty credible source. I also believe The Discovery Channel is credible as well but maybe I am naive. I wonder why they would just spew out false information. I haven't seen a site yet that condones it. This is just my personal opinion .. I'm not judging what you do.

[FallinWoman 1]

They are crdible sourses, but they are just making blaket statements about the issue. They are not proving it. Just because someone creidble says something does not make it true.

~Anne

I'm a Doll!!!!

[benforde 0]

Cats are cool WITH their claws, Kubla Khan killed a brand new sofa, ok the color I picked was 'mouse grey'! But c'mon he attacked the sofa the day it was delivered! The cat and his claws won and own that piece of furniture, I am a little bit disappointed in his attitude but hey, this is sometimes the price you have to pay...
Either you love cats or you don't! this is Nature, not some fucking car dealership where you can pick the options!
I can't believe some of you have nothing against the concept of inflicting mutilations, alterations... this is no longer the middle ages!

Talk to me about Female & Male Genital Mutilation: CIRCUMCISION,
cats are cool, but how does your ass react to that one?

[tigra 0]

Can you prove that it isn't painful? Or that its necessary?

People get their kittens declawed when they start climbing the drapes with their dagger sharp claws. They're just being kittens, doing what kittens do. They outgrow it and they CAN be trained. No one "detooths" a puppy when he chews everything in sight!

[goose491 0]

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But again....my scientific mind does not believe every statement made on the internet. Where is your proof that it handicaps the cat? That it causes long term physical or psychological effects?

Dr. Doolittle can tell you what your cats are saying in their old age... they are saying that their hips hurt a bit because their spine hurts a bit because their shoulders hurt a bit because their front legs hurt a bit because they have been walking on their cat-heels all their life.

We all know that if you don't have the proper support in your footwear, that it will mess up your entire back!... imagine what it's like to be missing part of your toes all your life... you'll get used to it. You'll live just as long... You'll skydive just like before and you'll enjoy your life... but you will experience back pains and skeletal problems you wouldn't have otherwise.

But just "a bit" (?) We do forget, in a discussion like this, that we are dealing with an animal who's quality of life is already improved several times over simply because it is a housepet. Given the opportunity, your cat may not say a damned thing about it's arthritis and backpain in it's older years. A house cat with the tips of it's fingers cut off is WAY better off than a feral cat or even worse, a house cat on the streets. That is not being argued by anyone here.

To those comparing this to say, spaying or neutering... you don't use your your reproductive organs to support your entire bodys weight and carry you around from place to place... and if you do... you some freaky freaky skydivers

My Karma ran over my Dogma!!!

[goose491 0]

Tequilla... you forget that this is the topic of the thread?
I mean no disrespect... but I could say similar things about... my kids
(not that I have any)

"I don't care if you think it's wrong to beat 'em up. My kids, my choice."

And besides, check out my other posts... I'm sure your cats are very happy.

My Karma ran over my Dogma!!!

[mnealtx 0]

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because they have been walking on their cat-heels all their life.

Incorrect.... the part of the digit that contains the claw is not weight bearing...

Mike
I love you, Shannon and Jim.
POPS 9708 , SCR 14706

[skycat 0]

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Well - I declawed both my cats...of course this is after both ruined very expensive pieces of furniture....both cats are fine and have no issues...just ask Skycat - one can climb mirrors...

Hey it's not Fox's fault she was confused and thought he was clawing the furniture so was just trying to make him be a good kitty.

Fly it like you stole it!

[benforde 0]

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Or how about people that refuse to declaw a cat, but will have their son circumsized....

It looks like you should start a thread on Female & Male Genital Mutilation: CIRCUMCISION. Some might be horrified by the result.

[Remster 30]

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Female & Male Genital Mutilation: CIRCUMCISION

Please take that to Speakers.

Remster

[TequilaGirl 0]

Not to mention Andy is not the brightest Persian cat....funny how my declawed American shorthair had no problems putting Foxy in her place in the corner..."disabled" and all....

[goose491 0]

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because they have been walking on their cat-heels all their life.

Incorrect.... the part of the digit that contains the claw is not weight bearing...

Neither are your toes... try walking around without them though.

My Karma ran over my Dogma!!!

[Conundrum 1]

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Because if eitehr one of them would destroy any of my furniture, they would be put to death.

I find that really sad.

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I find it funn that so many are against declawing, but have no problem with the neutering or spading.

That was not the subject at hand so how do you know how many people are ok with it and against declawing? I, for one, am not fond of spaying or neutering, although it does actually have some health benefits, where declawing is strictly for the owners convienience, as you've just demostrated.

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Let me ask you Conundrum, would you rather have the tips of your fingers removed, or would you rather have your ovaries removed?

That's comparing apples and oragnes, it's not even the same. An Oophorectomy (removal of one or both ovaries) is performed to: remove cancerous ovaries, remove a large ovarian cyst , excise an abscess, treat endometriosis or remove the source of estrogen that stimulates some cancers.

Cutting off someone's fingertips has no health benefit whatsoever (unless they are diseased, if you want to get extreme)

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Now, I am assuming that all these anti-declaw people are also vegetarians. Because I don't see much difference between "mutilating" a cat for self gratification, or killing any other animal for self-gratification, because eating meat is certainly no inherent need.

That is a whole different topic that I'm not going to start in this thread arguing about.

[SkyDekker 1,465]

Okay, I'll ask you the question then, since nobody else seems to answer it:

Would you rather lose all your finger tips, or would you rather have your balls removed?

Do you eat meat?

What would you do with ants crawling all through your house.

For those in Florida, what do you do with termites once they have infested your house?

[Conundrum 1]

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Okay, I'll ask you the question then, since nobody else seems to answer it:

Would you rather lose all your finger tips, or would you rather have your balls removed?

I just answered you in my last reply.

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Do you eat meat?

What would you do with ants crawling all through your house.

For those in Florida, what do you do with termites once they have infested your house?

Again, this is a completely differnt topic, make another thread if you want to debate it with people.

[SkyDekker 1,465]

To Conundrum:

Well the other option was leaving one of them in the snow as a little kitten, shivering. Because I picked her up from the street on a -20 degree night.

To make a long argument much shorter. I don't understand the argument about hurting animals just for owner's convenience when it comes from people who have no problem doing it when it comes to other animals. (not saying this is necessarily true for you)

The comparison to people is not as apples and oranges as you may think. An Oophorectomy for cats or humans would have mainly the same effect. Reduce the amount of babies (the world is already overpopulated of both species) and reduce the chances of certain illnesses.

[SkyDekker 1,465]

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I just answered you in my last reply.

I know, guess we typed at the same time.

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Again, this is a completely differnt topic, make another thread if you want to debate it with people.

It is not. It goes back to hurting animals just for human convenience. that is the problem with declawing isn't it? So, why doesn't it appear to be a problem when it comes to animals who aren't cuddly and furry?

[Conundrum 1]

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Well the other option was leaving one of them in the snow as a little kitten, shivering. Because I picked her up from the street on a -20 degree night.

So why not keep her that night then bring her to a (no kill) shelter the next day?

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The comparison to people is not as apples and oranges as you may think. An Oophorectomy for cats or humans would have mainly the same effect. Reduce the amount of babies (the world is already overpopulated of both species) and reduce the chances of certain illnesses.

I agree that an Oophorectomy is the same in both humans and animals but that's not what you were arguing.
You weren't comparing ovary removal in people to animals, you were saying that declawing and ovary removal are the same, which is wrong.

[Conundrum 1]

***It is not. It goes back to hurting animals just for human convenience. that is the problem with declawing isn't it? So, why doesn't it appear to be a problem when it comes to animals who aren't cuddly and furry?

[lawrocket 3]

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am not fond of spaying or neutering, although it does actually have some health benefits,

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An Oophorectomy (removal of one or both ovaries) is performed to: remove cancerous ovaries, remove a large ovarian cyst , excise an abscess, treat endometriosis or remove the source of estrogen that stimulates some cancers.

Ask any woman in menopause what the sudden decrease in estrogen makes them feel like.

Again, to say that depriving a cat's body of a hormone it is designed to have pumping through it is not exactly a positive without benefits.

Do cats get hot flashes? We don't know. They may suffer a lifetime of them, right?

My wife is hotter than your wife.

[SkyDekker 1,465]

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So why not keep her that night then bring her to a (no kill) shelter the next day?

No such thing where I live. Shelters are full, only way to get an animal in is by dropping it off in a box in the middle of the night. If not soon adopted it will be killed.

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You weren't comparing ovary removal in people to animals, you were saying that declawing and ovary removal are the same, which is wrong.

I don't think it is. THe spading and neutering we only do for the benefit of ourselves. To save ourselves of the abundance of stray cats we would otherwise have and to save ourselves of the agony of watching our favourite pet die of a disease we thought we could otherwise prevent. Plus, it often stops spraying and other unwanted behaviour.

I don't share your belief that cats are fixed to help them live a longer and happier life. They are fixed to make us happier, as some are declawed to make us happier.

[SkyDekker 1,465]

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Declawing is for laziness, eating a chicken is for nutrition.

Don't need to kill the chicken for nutrition. Many a vegetarian eates a very well balanced diet. But then, chickens aren't cuddly and furry, so who cares if we slit their necks open, hang them upside down to drain the blood, just so we have something to put in a stir fry.

[Shotgun 1]

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As the thread takes a *SCREEEEEECHING* left turn...

Well, you can't have a thread in Bonfire without someone trying to hijack it with sex talk.

But, as for the original subject.... I would personally never declaw my cats. I don't have very strong feelings regarding whether other people declaw their cats or not, but I don't really understand why anyone would even want to have cats if they feel the need to declaw them. I mean, I like dogs and all, but I don't have one because I am not willing to deal with their behavior; I wouldn't have cats if I was not willing to deal with the fact that they might tear a few things up. Of course, I provide them with enough things that they are allowed to scratch that it makes it easier to train them not to scratch the things that I really don't want them to.