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So Im interested if you pet owners declaw your kitties, it seems in the US its pretty common but in most of Europe its frowned upon and sometimes illegal.
| Yes, I would never declaw my cat | 46 | |
| Yes but I care more about the furniture so I do it anyway | 3 | |
| Maybe, I dont think about it much | 4 | |
| No, its fine and they will forget it anyway | 6 | |
| Id only declaw them if absolutely necessary for a medical problem | 19 | |
| other | 3 |
It's disgusting. So is wing clipping. I don't like ear cropping. I don't like tail docking. And so on mmkay.
Agree with you on all points except wing clipping. It's literally just trimming the flight feathers, much like a haircut. They grow back, and it prevents the bird from flying somewhere dangerous or getting lost outside.
I hear ya but I still don't like it. As much as I love birds I would never own one. You can take a bird out of the sky...but should you? Confining a creature of the air to a house and a cage is very sad. Too many of these poor birds go crazy and I would too. They just don't belong in captivity. The same could be said for a lot of pets, but birds especially. Most pet birds are so far away from home too. If they havent migrated here then they shouldn't be here. I dunno man, i just don't agree with altering animals for the sake of their humans.
I have two cats and I will never declaw them. They're about 3 years old now. They do scratch up the furniture a little, but I deal with it just fine. I don't need to amputate them so my furniture looks nice. Even if it wasn't like amputation, I still feel like cats shouldn't have their nails removed.They need their nails. They don't have fingers like we do, so use them as a sort of grip. It wouldn't be fair to take that from them so I can live in comfort. Agai, people act like the thought of their own discomfort is so unbearable that they're willing to cause someone else unnecessary burden in order to live in perpetual bliss.
Whoever is thumbing down all the comments about it being like cutting off part of your fingers, DO SOME RESEARCH! If you support declawing you don't deserve pets.
Fuck that. I have scratches all up my legs, hands, arms, feet and everywhere else from my baby boy and now also my new, baby girl kitten and I never once thought about declawing them. The breeder actually had us sign a paper promising that we would not declaw my cat, not that I wanted to.
Basically it's like cutting off half of your finger, so yes.
I've had cats all my life, but never has any been declawed and everything turned out fine. Have I been scratched before? Yes, but that can happen when you own a cat.
If you don't want to get scratched, then get another type of pet that doesn't risk that kind of injury.
I wouldn't declaw a cat even if I had furniture worth a lot. I'd probably find another solution. What if you declawed a cat and it had "climbing the curtains like spiderman" in its bucket list?!
However, I do wonder whether it's hypocritical for people who are so zealous against declawing, but then be okay with neutering/spaying.
I know neutering/spaying can seem fucked up, and it is, objectively speaking, but it's at least somewhat justifiable.
Animals that don't have it done can be somewhat miserable when they are "in heat," which can lead to massive behavioral problems and unwarranted "punishment" from pet owners.
Not doing it can also lead to huge explosions in domesticated animal populations, resulting in more homeless/sheltered fuzzies.
It's kinda messed up, but at least there's some reasoning behind it, besides convenience...
Hmm. Population control is a good point. The "in heat" part is what I was wondering as well. But getting a cat N/S has behavioral/physical consequences too. I've observed those changes in the few cats I've had over the years. And how can anyone tell if a cat is truly miserable from not getting some booty? The annoying mating calls? And let's say brainwaves/neurotransmitters -were- measured, and signified a level of pain, I personally still wouldn't think that sexual frustration warranted what is the cat equivalent of castration.
Alas, it's a question best left for purists or ethicists. I don't claim to be either as I have my own cat neutered. An interesting argument nonetheless
Exactly there are other ways to protect the furniture. You can also get scratching posts for the cats and teach them to use it and they will not bother with the furniture.
It's very cruel for the cat. Cats need claws for defending their selves and also for scratching and whatnot. Never declaw a cat.
I haven't declawed my cat. He doesn't really do much damage to anything and he keeps his claws in when he plays with us.
He does get stuck on the shower curtain occasionally.
I think it depends on their age really. Like if you're going to do it get it done when they are a kitten. Like when you get circumcised as a baby. But I adopted 2 cats that were already declawed and they sometimes lift up their feet like it hurts. So i'm not sure if its the best thing, you can never really ask a cat if it hurts them or not. But I do know that the cats that are declawed can still play and stuff with out their claws. They just can't scratch and grab a hold of things strongly.
Also one more thing. If your cat is an outdoor cat (meaning you let them roam outside) NEVER DECLAW THEM. Only declaw them if they are indoor only. They need their claws for protection.
But if they are past 1 year of age I would leave their claws on. Its kind of cruel. Imagine having your nails ripped off? You know :/
I don't approve of declawing cats, but this "ripping off nails" thing everyone is saying here is ridiculous.
They don't hold the cat down and "rip" off their nails with a pair of pliers. They remove the last joint of the phalanges which contains the claw in a clean surgical procedure where the cat is under general anesthesia and sent home with painkillers. It's akin to a person having an amputation surgery, not torture in someone's basement.
Exactly its not that bad.
But for the animal lovers Ill put it in their terms.
What if a family adopted you. And you were messing up all their shit and hitting them even though you were told not to or couldn't understand them. So they send you to the doctor and you wake up with no fingers or hands. :/
Its sad to think about. But the cats arn't in any physical pain. The emotional damage it may cause them we may never know. But it's not like they're not able to walk or run or jump. You know?
Im glad we declawed my cat... she likes to sleep on my head which requires some needing with her paws and claws (if she had them).
Really? That's nice, let's rip out YOUR fingernals if it's so great. Fucking asshole. You're not fit to even have animals if you don't have the common sense or compassion to understand that this is wrong.
1. she is an indoor cat
2. she was declawed as a teeny tiny kitten
3. my cat, my decision
Indoor or outdoor makes no difference, it's still a cat. Cats are born with claws, and you know why? It's because they aren't made for the purpose of being your pet. Mutilating an animal for your own convenience is just as heinous as mutilating a person for the same reason. Do you object to female genital mutilation? (I won't even question you on male "circumcision", you seem too accepting of the status quo in general to get your head around that one.) What if they did the mutilation when they were teeny tiny little baby girls? Would that make a difference? Of course not. Your argument is kind of disgusting actually, and evil- implying that it's okay as long as the creature in question is an infant.
"My cat, my decision". Really? Do you hear how horrible that sounds? Again, just to get this into your wormy brain, I compare it to a child: Would you just look the other way if a parent was abusing their child, literally RIPPING off body parts because they "cause less damage that way"? What if they said "My child, my decision"?"
Declawing cats may be legal in your state, but it shouldn't be. Mutilating animals for your convenience is EVIL. And again, if you don't give a fuck about that because your furniture is more important, then you shouldn't have animals.
Don't listen to fanatics who make their point by screaming and swearing. You'll never win because they are so self-righteous. It's your cat, you're responsible for it. I'm sure it leads a happy life if you let her relax on top of your head.
yeah it's cruel and unnecessary. you're cutting off their fingers.
when I got my first normal kitten, I was afraid that she would tear my house apart but to my surprise, training her not to claw the furniture was a piece of cake. all I had to do was buy her a cat tree and she learned pretty quick that that was the only think she can sharpen her nails on
Learn to purr. You can purr to praise your cat whenever he uses his scratching post.
It depends on the declawing method.
If you use nail clipers, or something similar, it is cruel, because their flesh and bone go into their claw. The proper way to declaw a cat is with a special nail file that only sands down the claw without cutting into it. If you do it with clippers, you are being an asshole to your feline master.
Personally I will not sand my cats claws either, because they need claws to defend themselves and kill things.
If you decide to declaw them, please use a special cat claw file.