Is declawing wrong??

[DocDolittle]

Alright, a little late here but I feel I should add my two cents:
My aunts cat was declawed when she was a kitten and she is absolutely the same as she always was. She uses the litter box, she scratches furniture with her paws(she still thinks she has paws, I guess), and she's absolutely a happy little cat. Of course, she's a strictly in-door cat. I don't want this to sound like I'm attacking you, Suzy, so please don't take offense. I've never thought of domesticated cats as outdoor animals. There are to many dangers for them out there. If I were you, under your circumstances, I would get the kitty declawed and keep her indoors or at least get some sort of enclosed kennel. I think this is the least painful thing for you to do, see as how much pain she's in when she gets stuck.

Also, if I may ask, why is declawing any different that other surgeries? Spaying is a surgery where the vet has to cut into the dog to remove her reproductive parts. How is this less painful than removing the claws?

P.S. Congrats on becoming a mod, Voodoo!

[miskaffon]

The difference is this: while surgery is uncomfortable, it is not on a weight-bearing surface. Think of cutting the 1st digit off your fingers and toes, then being forced to walk on that the rest of your life. Not fun, and I only would say it would be an acceptable solution in such a case as the woman with the poor cat with unretractable claws. In that case, and few others, the benefits of not having the claws catch might outweigh the resulting discomfort for the cat the rest of its life.

It reminds me of having a leg amputated for cancer, or cases like that. The animal (and human) will adjust, but it is painful, always and forever!

[Access]

I don't agree with declawing (in general) at all. Pets are a mixed bag, but you either take it all or you leave it all. If you don't like some of the parts that come with your cat, maybe you shouldn't be getting a cat at all.

We adopt pets out of love. We should do medical procedures on our pets only for their own benefit, not for our personal convinience. If there were some operation I could do to stop my guinea pigs teeth from growing, so he wouldn't have to chew on just about everything in sight, I wouldn't do that either.

[suzy_99]

Just an update, We have decided that declawing will really only be a last resort. I cut her claws a little bit now almost everyday to keep them from getting a sharp tip on them. Lately I have also not been helping her at all when she gets stuck, this may sound kinda cruel, but she has to learn how to get out of things in case she gets stuck really bad when we are not home. She is actually doing quite well at it. However, there are sometimes when she still needs a lot of help. The other day she tried to jump up the back of our couch and one of her claws got stuck and she was hanging there about 2 feet off of the floor, so i definetely helped her right away. I'm hoping that this condition will be manageable without having to result to any type of surgery.

I wanted to thank everybody for not jumping on me when I mentionned declawing, cause that is kinda what I was expecting. It was nice to actually get helpful comments and information.

[zakfoxmom]

I'm glad that you will only do it as a last resort. One of our cats, Dave, gets caught on things. I trim his nails all the time. I used to rush to him and get him unstuck all the time but then I stopped doing it and he figured out how to undo himself. Your kitty will figure it out :-)

[Butterscotch]

I have 5 cats all declawed, four just in front and one on all fours (he was a rescue, was going to be euthanized becasue of a severe UTI). The other four were done to make sure they couldn't reach in cages in pull anyone out. I have see it done by cats and it's not pretty. They were all done by laser. It is the best, least painful way to go. None of my cats even know they are missing their front claws. They can all climb trees and get around just fine. As for traditional declawing, I DO NOT recommend it. It is horrible to see the pain those poor cats go through. After seeing mine that were done by laser and working around those at the clinic I worked at that were done traditional, no way. Laser is more expensive, but definitely worth it for your cat's welfare.
None of my cats has any problem using the litterbox and only one of them bites. That would be the four-foot declaw. He is a rather cranky little guy and considering some of what he's been through I don't blame him, but he can hold his own. None of my cats are allowed outside without supervision for more reasons than just that they're declawed. They can climb trees and fences with no problems.

[Butterscotch]

Originally Posted by Cavies4eva

I think that thing about people who have cancer too late not being allowed assisted suicide is a good thing every person in this world should go through the same pain as the animals that made their hair products, make up, clothes, house products etc. possible through their own death!

I'm assuming you've never lost a family member to cancer. My father's mother has lost every one of her siblings and her husband to cancer, plus she's survived it herself. My mother lost a sister to cancer. That is one of the cruelest comments I have ever heard. I don't agree with animal testing, but that was just wrong.