Declawing cats

[Conundrum 1]

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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.

Well then you have unusal circumstances to make you keep the cat. You could have taken her to a grocery store and given her to a family or something, no?

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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.

That's all fine and dandy, and I agree with you, which is why I said I'm not fond of spaying () and neutering, but I added that it has health benefits because that's what I've *heard*. I still don't really agree with it though. My dog was neutered when I got him, my other dog is not spayed and will never be spayed.

[Ladybug 0]

I've got a cat who has trouble keeping it in the litter box - maybe I should just have her butt sewn shut.

[eeneR 3]

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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.

Heehee...I know this is off topic of the thread...but I think that there are quite a few humans that need to be spayed neutered We are like you said way over populated, there are sooo many children already in the foster care system etc.

My stance on the whole thing...if it is not medically needed then why do it? Yes I dont like de-clawing...and I am pro for spay/neuter. But let me add this. I used to volunteer at a Humane Society, 2 months into it was offered a job on staff as one of the Staff animal care givers. and for the record... ididnt make much money, and actually gave most of it back to the shelter buying thing for the shelter out of my own pocket. We were a no-kill shelter, any animal that came into our care would NOT be put down unless it was medically needed or the animal showed signs of aggression that could not be corrected. The reason they brought me on is my background and training in animal behavior. I have on my own time done a shit load of studying on animal behavior, more canine then feline, but still learned a bit of both.

Most if of our animals were pulled from surrounding shelters that were infact kill facilities. Each state is different with how they handle the shelters. Most of them are required to take in any animal that shows up on the door step...having said that they are also set with strict standards of how many pets can be there at any given time. Guess what....the dog/cat that has been there the longest...goes bye bye. As soon as we have space we would go from shelter to shelter and take these animals in. Keeping them from being put to sleep for no good reason. This shelter is not state funded, completely private funding. That is the only way we didnt have to kill.

The animal population is far to large....and yes eveyone is helping pay to keep the shelters open those that are state funded anyway. People need to take responsibility for there animals. Most dont, they let them breed, then just hand them out like candy to random people. Well guess what, those animal go from home to home then finally to the shelter.....then guess what...good chance of dying if they end up in the wrong place.

I have numerous times gone to these shelters (if you have never been to an animal control site...go take a look) and cried at all the animals there...with no home. Because the owners didnt take responsibility to work with them to train them. In addition I have with out the shelters help managed to actually save a few dogs on my own with my own resources. One infact was going to be put down for biting...the damn care giver knew nothing about dogs...they were a state employee....the dog never broke skin..That same dog is now living in a wonderful home with children and is happy as can be.

So anyone that compares declawing with spay/neuter is way off. There is a specific reason for spay/neuter. Most humans can barely take responsibility for themselves much less a breedable animal. The shelters are full....over full.

With the declawing, if the owner had completely tried EVERYTHING to curb the behavior, then maybe just maybe that was an option. However that is not the case 90% of the time. They do it because they dont want to take the time to train the animal. That is why most animals end up in the shelter. They are perfectly good animals...that had shitty owners. I do thank one shitty owner that didnt want to pay attention to his dog...that kept running away. Now I have the best lapdog, couch potato, teddy bear pooch ever!

Real simple here....PEOPLE TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOURSELF AND YOUR PETS. Stop trying to find the easy way out. If you dont want to take the time to train the animal where to chew/scratch...then dont bother getting one. Do you take out the bladder when they piss on the floor? nope didnt think so. If you dont want to get your pet fixed, then you had better damn well lock them in the house and then take responsibility if infact they do get preg..that doesnt involve putting them in a box out on the street "Free Kittens/Puppies"

I saw way more then i ever realized working at that shelter...way more.

Edited to add...

[sarcasm]Hey maybe the owner of Dakota could have clipped his leg tendons to stop him from jumping the fence and running away [/sarcasm]

She is not a "Dumb Blonde" - She is a "Light-Haired Detour Off The Information Superhighway."
eeneR
TF#72, FB#4130, Incauto

[goose491 0]

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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.

It's still our fuckup; as persons wanting to share their households with animals, pet owners will have to do certain things contrary to natures code...but the spaying is a buttload more necessary then the declawing.

Have you ever seen a pregnant cat?... Have you ever seen a pregnant cat too young and small to have the kittens growing inside it?

Ever put waaaaay too much water in a water ballon

That's one of the things we are avoiding by spaying the young female cat. Because it is captive... it can be raped on the outside.

When you cut off it's fingers... it's to save yourself either a) the expense of a scratching post or b) the inconvinience of training your cat.

My Karma ran over my Dogma!!!

[mailin 0]

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Have you ever seen a pregnant cat too young and small to have the kittens growing inside it?

Yep, and seen the poor thing die as a result



Jen

Arianna Frances

[livendive 8]

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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.

Not a cat, but we spayed our bulldog solely because the vet told us it would reduce her risk of uterine cancer by an order of magnitude.

Blues,
Dave

"I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!"
(drink Mountain Dew)

[goose491 0]

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Have you ever seen a pregnant cat too young and small to have the kittens growing inside it?

Yep, and seen the poor thing die as a result

Poor thing

My buddy had waited too long to spay his cat. She got out and she got had. Took us a while to figure out what was wrong with her... but then it became painfully obvious.

We had the kittens aborted and the cat spayed... she made it and is now Tucker the wonder cat
This very same Tucker used to destroy the couches and table legs in the shit palace we called home. No problem, it seemed so very minor compared to the damage we'd produce with our wild parties!

My buddy has since moved into a nice home with his fiance... the cats have been told that they can't pull that shit there... and they don't. We let them keep their digits.

My Karma ran over my Dogma!!!

[Rebecca 0]

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Ooh, if my kitties still had claws, i'd been getting the pink caps.

You guys - seriously - SoftClaws are awesome!!!

In my book, which was revised when I learned what de-clawing involved, no cat should ever have to be de-clawed for any reason, especially with these little home-savers.

Tyson the cat now has little clear plastic caps on her claws, which means she can do everything she wants without causing damage to fabrics, furniture, dog or human. She gets pissed off when we put them on, but then just goes about her business as usual.

They look like a little acrylic kitty manicure!

you've got to ask yourself one question: 'Do I feel loquacious?' -- well do you, punk?

[goose491 0]

Are you kidding me? Such a thing exists? Is there a link so we can see?

My Karma ran over my Dogma!!!

[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...

Actually... cats, are digitigrade, which means they walk on their toes.

Their back, shoulder, paw and leg joints, muscles, tendons, ligaments and nerves are naturally designed to support and distribute the cat's weight across its toes as it walks, runs and climbs.

My Karma ran over my Dogma!!!

[goose491 0]

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They are not proving it. Just because someone creidble says something does not make it true.

Everyone involved with this thread, please read this site!

Because you are not a cat whose fingers we can chop, and because you'll never be able to comunicate directly with one, I fear you will never get your "proof"...

How about a breakdown of how it happens?

"A cat's claws are used for balance, for exercising, and for stretching the muscles in their legs, back, shoulders, and paws. They stretch these muscles by digging their claws into a surface and pulling back against their own clawhold - similar to isometric exercising for humans. This is the only way a cat can exercise, stretch and tone the muscles of its back and shoulders. The toes help the foot meet the ground at a precise angle to keep the leg, shoulder and back muscles and joints in proper alignment. Removal of the last digits of the toes drastically alters the conformation of their feet and causes the feet to meet the ground at an unnatural angle that can cause back pain similar to that in humans caused by wearing improper shoes."


Nick

My Karma ran over my Dogma!!!

[Rebecca 0]

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Are you kidding me? Such a thing exists? Is there a link so we can see?

Sure!

http://www.softclaws.com/



They're great! She clicks on the hardwood floor when she walks, but then again, it doesn't hurt when she gently tells me she's had enough playtime!

you've got to ask yourself one question: 'Do I feel loquacious?' -- well do you, punk?

[FallinWoman 1]

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that can cause back pain similar to that in humans caused by wearing improper shoes."

And how do you know that it causes back pain?? What scientific experiment was conducted and what data was collected that proves that the cat has back pain and that the declawing caused it?

My old cats have always still been able to run and jump and climb right up til the end.....even though they were declawed at an early age.

~Anne

I'm a Doll!!!!

[jlmiracle 7]

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

You can live a long happy healthly life without ever eating chicken.


Judy

Be kinder than necessary because everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.

[justaflygirl 0]

all three of my cats are declawed in the front. They were all done by laser, which produces very littel bleeding and pain. I dont think it is anymore wrong than letting my cats shred my kids to bits, or my furniture. They have their back claws and defend themselves just fine, they still catch birds, squirrels and other small animals and they still climb trees. If it was so inhumane, dont you think that vetrinarians would quit doing it? Just my 2 cents....

[tigra 0]

Well, vets in several other countries HAVE quit doing it. The main reason the vets in this country still do it is to get your money. Did you click on the link a few posts up?

It IS true that kittens can be destructive with their claws. They outgrow it and can be trained. Puppies are destructive with their teeth but nobody talks about removing them! They hope the puppy will outgrow his destructive behavior and they train him.

[Nightingale 0]

I try to put either black or blue softclaws on my kitties, mainly so I can notice quickly when one needs to be replaced. The clear ones are harder to spot.

[goose491 0]

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Well, vets in several other countries HAVE quit doing it. The main reason the vets in this country still do it is to get your money. Did you click on the link a few posts up?

Did anyone click on the link I provided?

Declawing is illegal or considered extremely inhumane in 25 countries around the world, including most "civilized" nations: England, Scotland, Wales, Italy, France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Norway, Sweden, Netherlands, Northern Ireland, Ireland, Denmark, Finland, Slovenia, Portugal, Belgium, Spain, Brazil, Israel, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and Yugoslavia.

My Karma ran over my Dogma!!!

[tigra 0]

The problem here is that no one who has declawed their cat(s) is willing to admit they might have done something cruel and unnecessary in order to protect their material possessions.

[goose491 0]

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all three of my cats are declawed in the front. They were all done by laser, which produces very littel bleeding and pain.

It still produces 10 very real amputations. To what we know of amputation in humans, it is not uncommon to experience what is called the "Phantom Limb" syndrome. 40% of amputations experience this syndrome with PAIN involved.

So translate that to 10 amputations and you've got a very very likely chance that your cat is experiencing pain.

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I dont think it is anymore wrong than letting my cats shred my kids to bits, or my furniture.

If you can't keep them from shredding your kids or your stuff... you shouldn't have 'em. Sorry but that's a fact of life.

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They have their back claws and defend themselves just fine, they still catch birds, squirrels and other small animals and they still climb trees.

And paraplegic humans live "normal" lives too... not an excuse to purposely create more.

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If it was so inhumane, dont you think that vetrinarians would quit doing it? Just my 2 cents....

For the money! Is it that hard to beleive?

Declawing is illegal or considered extremely inhumane in 25 countries around the world, including most "civilized" nations: England, Scotland, Wales, Italy, France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Norway, Sweden, Netherlands, Northern Ireland, Ireland, Denmark, Finland, Slovenia, Portugal, Belgium, Spain, Brazil, Israel, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and Yugoslavia.

My Karma ran over my Dogma!!!

[jlmiracle 7]

If I had a cat I would declaw it.

There is talk of cats outgrowing their destructive, harmful behavior. I wish the 7 year old cat that mauled my face when I was babysitting at age 12 had outgrown it. I did nothing to irrate the cat, I heard a noise behind the couch, looked over it and the cat jumped up and clawed my face. If that's overgrown, I would have hate to see what it was like before.

Be kinder than necessary because everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.

[goose491 0]

Your story sounds to me like a reasonable persons justification for not buying a cat.

It does not sound like a reasonable persons justification for buying one and declawing it.

Don't buy a cat

"When I was in grade shcool, this kid punched me in the face for no reason at all! If I ever have kids, I'm going to cut their hands off."



Have a great weekend everyone!
For your viewing pleasures, Tigger and Swiffer!!
(both fully intact too )

My Karma ran over my Dogma!!!

[tigra 0]

"When I was in grade shcool, this kid punched me in the face for no reason at all! If I ever have kids, I'm going to cut their hands off."

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[Conundrum 1]

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If I had a cat I would declaw it.

There is talk of cats outgrowing their destructive, harmful behavior. I wish the 7 year old cat that mauled my face when I was babysitting at age 12 had outgrown it. I did nothing to irrate the cat, I heard a noise behind the couch, looked over it and the cat jumped up and clawed my face. If that's overgrown, I would have hate to see what it was like before.

Don't get a cat, then.

4 years ago both my cats were severly fighting in my room, both boys, not neutered. I tried to stop them and they attacked me instead, shredding my right arm and cutting my leg with their claws and teeth. One of the cuts on my arm was so bad that the tissues/fat from the inside of my arm was coming out. The blood covered my arm and was dripping; actually I wouldn't even say dripping, more like slowly pouring water out of a cup, not pouring, but not single drops. Another slice went from one side of my elbow all the way over the other side of my elbow, literally going half way around my arm and my tendons were showing, amongst many other holes and scrathes from claws and bites. it happend in a matter of seconds. I had to go to the hospital and needed stitches but becasue cats have a unique bacteria in their saliva I couldn't and had to be bandaged up with burn wraps for a couple weeks until the cuts healed. I now have big scars on my right arm. It could have happend to any of my little brothers or sister, I'm thankful it happend to me instead. I took them to a shelter. I would have kept them if there weren't kids in the house, and I still would not have declawed them.

[Squeak 17]

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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?

Well that's easy, balls would go. I don't need them and they get caught under my legs straps occassionally and that sucks.
I've already had a wasectomy, so the testies are of little use to me now, a little less testosterone might even be good for me.

You are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky)
My Life ROCKS!
How's yours doing?