is declawing a cat cruel?

[Kelemvor]

I'd recommend that if you do it, you find somewhere that does it via Laser surgery. It's less painful and such that way but is sometimes more expensive. Also, definitely consider ONLY declawing the front claws. Those are the ones they scratch with and such but having the back will help if they accidentally get outside and need to get away from something when in danger.

 

[CycloWizard]

Cats don't even know that their claws are missing, at least if it's done while they're young. They will still scratch stuff, only now it won't shred it.

 

[Homerboy]

There are much less evasive options now like laser declawing.

 

[Kwaipie]

I can't even believe people think this is debatable. Of course it is morbidly cruel. It may just be a pet but you have some responsibility here. Educate yourself, talk to an actual veterinarian instead of the morons of ATOT. If you want to have nice things that won't get scratched, get a goldfish. For those that say it isn't so bad for an indoor cat, ask the local humane society how many of their cats are indoor cats.

 

[torpid]

Originally posted by: CycloWizard
Cats don't even know that their claws are missing, at least if it's done while they're young. They will still scratch stuff, only now it won't shred it.

They paw/scratch things generally because they want to release their scent. It's only occasionally for actual sharpening purposes.

 

[Homerboy]

Originally posted by: MagnusTheBrewer
Cats are not animated stuffed toys. If you're to dumb/lazy to train your pets not behave poorly then, don't have pets.

I;ve had plenty of cats in my life... some simply WILL NOT use a scratching post (like the one we have now) and has subsequently ruined all our furniture. Other cats will use the scratchign post without fail, but some are stubborn and simply will not no matter what you do.

Next cat(s) will be declawed using laser. They are 99% indoor cats.
Of note we also had a outoodr cat when I was younger. Spent every night outside, and he was declawed in the front. He still kicked-ass and took names. He'd clean out opossums, raccoons, you name it. He was a bad-mamba-jamma for sure. 22lbs and all muscle.

 

[torpid]

Originally posted by: Homerboy
I;ve had plenty of cats in my life... some simply WILL NOT use a scratching post (like the one we have now) and has subsequently ruined all our furniture. Other cats will use the scratchign post without fail, but some are stubborn and simply will not no matter what you do.

Makes no sense. The cat does not know that it's furniture. If it doesn't scratch the post then try a different material. Like a post made of the same material as your furniture, then put deterrants on the furniture itself.

I assume you had a post in the same room as the furniture too. At least I hope you did. My cat with claws used to occasionally claw at one of my dining room chairs until I put a "turbo scratch" toy nearby.

 

[bsobel]

Originally posted by: cubby1223
Cats don't care if they're declawed. After the first month, they don't remember the claws anymore, and go on with happy lives. It's people who only look at half the picture who think it's unbelievably cruel.

Currently there are 4 cats here, 3 are declawed, and there is absolutely no difference in playfulness between those who are declawed, and the one that isn't. In fact, one of the declawed cats is by far the most playful with cat toys.

^ This man speaks the truth. I've had both clawed and declawed cats, no difference in personality occured from the declawing.

Do I think all cats need to be declawed? No, for many people things like softpaws are great (OP, they are like rubber tubes which glue over the claws, making them less sharp, you have to put them back on about once a month as the claws grow out...). But I've known owners who had a choice of getting rid of the cat (in some cases that would probably mean putting it down, as letting it 'go' in the wild is more cruel) or declawing. I've not known any people who've declawed and really wished they didn't.

(Oh, the people who tell you to just 'train your cat', shoiuld have to live with said cat for a week before stating such...)

 

[Homerboy]

Makes no sense. The cat does not know that it's furniture. If it doesn't scratch the post then try a different material. Like a post made of the same material as your furniture, then put deterrants on the furniture itself.

I assume you had a post in the same room as the furniture too. At least I hope you did. My cat with claws used to occasionally claw at one of my dining room chairs until I put a "turbo scratch" toy nearby.

how doesnt it make sense? yes the post(s) were in the same room as furniture. THe cat just clawed whatever it was near. It didn't stop and think "I want to claw something. I am in a room with that thing this thing and the other thing. All I can claw... I know I have to use that one..."

 

[BW86]

Originally posted by: Pepsi90919
do NOT mutilate your cat. do NOT do it.

 

[moonbit]

Originally posted by: QueBert
Cats love to scratch, I don't exactly think people who do it are intentially trying to be cruel, most of them are just too lazy to try to train the cats not to scratch sh!t like furniture. A scratching post will save your stuff you don't want shreaded and the cat stays happy, everyone wins.

QFT

Regardless of how cruel it is, declawing is unnecessary. Save yourself some $$ and go buy a squirt bottle and the scratching post. Soak the cat for scratching anything but the scratching post. Problem solved.

 

[Looney]

I have 1 cat, and she hasn't ruined any furniture whatsoever. Just get a scratching post.

Do i wish sometimes she was declawed? Yes, because she sometimes attacks the back of my ankle (ie., when i'm half asleep at night and stomping by her loud... she'd pounce and ATTACK my ankle), but i would never declaw her.

 

[Anubis]

in my life i have owned 6 different cats, all have been indoor/outdoor cats, as ive always lives in rural areas, none of them were ever declawed and the thought never even came up, get a scratching post and train the cat to not scratch yoru stuff when its a kitten, its really not that hard,

people train dogs which is infinitly harder then teaching a cat not not kill funiture

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: shocksyde
I sure hope the people that voted "yes" didn't get their baby boys circumsized.

I voted "yes" and I didn't get my baby boy circumsized.

 

[torpid]

Originally posted by: Homerboyhow doesnt it make sense? yes the post(s) were in the same room as furniture. THe cat just clawed whatever it was near. It didn't stop and think "I want to claw something. I am in a room with that thing this thing and the other thing. All I can claw... I know I have to use that one..."

It doesn't have to stop and think. If it claws whatever is near and that results in an unplesant response because it is sticky or rubbery or has unpleasant plastic spikes, then it will eventually stop doing it and only claw the things that result in a positive response.

 

[torpid]

Originally posted by: moonbit
QFT

Regardless of how cruel it is, declawing is unnecessary. Save yourself some $$ and go buy a squirt bottle and the scratching post. Soak the cat for scratching anything but the scratching post. Problem solved.

Squirt bottles are often ineffective unless you follow the cat around 24 hours a day, because the cat will possibly still scratch furniture while you are gone.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: Skiddex
I'll admit it, one of the reasons im considering it is because she kneads my neck and arms out of affection. they look like edward scissor hands had his way with them...difficult to explain at work

Dude, just trim her claws and keep them trimmed. I clip my cat's claws periodically and she almost never scratches me. She is an indoor/outdoor cat though and she loves to hunt. Declawing her would be cruel IMO.

Also, I have leather furniture and she never touches it. The couches we had prior she used to claw but not the leather...thank god.

 

[BoberFett]

Our cat isn't declawed, it does seem pretty cruel to us. Yeah, she kind of claws us sometimes and she leaves little holes in the furniture, but that just comes with the territory. If we end up getting a pug, boston terrier or any other dog with bulging eyes that the cat might catch with a claw while playing, we'd consider getting her declawed.

 

[Looney]

Originally posted by: torpid

Originally posted by: Homerboyhow doesnt it make sense? yes the post(s) were in the same room as furniture. THe cat just clawed whatever it was near. It didn't stop and think "I want to claw something. I am in a room with that thing this thing and the other thing. All I can claw... I know I have to use that one..."

It doesn't have to stop and think. If it claws whatever is near and that results in an unplesant response because it is sticky or rubbery or has unpleasant plastic spikes, then it will eventually stop doing it and only claw the things that result in a positive response.

Cat's are incredibly smart as well. Just push the cat away once or twice and they'll learn. You don't even need to use squirt bottles... i read that that's a good way to train them, but i would think scaring the crap out of them like that wouldn't be that great of a way.

You do need to keep an eye on them for a few days... and if they scratch something you don't want, push them away. A dog you need to train for a week or two... a human baby, MONTHS. A cat, days.

I also hear putting catnip on the post will help too.

 

[jonks]

Growing up I thought all cats were declawed and it was no big deal. When I asked my uncle a few years ago if his cat was declawed, he looked at me like I was Goebbels and got rather upset with me, to understate it.

Since reading up on it, my opinion is it is cruel and unnecessary. But why bother with a cat, get a dog!

 

[Skiddex]

Originally posted by: sirjonk
Growing up I thought all cats were declawed and it was no big deal. When I asked my uncle a few years ago if his cat was declawed, he looked at me like I was Goebbels and got rather upset with me, to understate it.

Since reading up on it, my opinion is it is cruel and unnecessary. But why bother with a cat, get a dog!

this is the boat i was in up until about 6 hours ago, so i appreciate all the info. and to Kwaipie, i know a lot of people here have pets, so i felt the "morons of ATOT" would be a great source of information which they have been.

 

[alkemyst]

Originally posted by: QueBert
Cats love to scratch, I don't exactly think people who do it are intentially trying to be cruel, most of them are just too lazy to try to train the cats not to scratch sh!t like furniture. A scratching post will save your stuff you don't want shreaded and the cat stays happy, everyone wins.

Not really as cat's climb too. A set of dug in claws on your recliner they are trying to get over has nothing to do with them clawing.

The topic is one that is already misunderstood on animal forums, it's going to be a clusterfvk here.

There are at least three ways to declaw a cat and one doesn't involve removing the claw, but rather cutting the tendon that retracts it.

It should never be done for cats that are not indoors and indoors is where they should be.

Also the whole 'finger tip' debate is a layman's one. Cat's do not use their paws how we use our hands. The loss of that digit to them is not as traumatic as it is to a human.

 

[theprodigalrebel]

My cats aren't exactly 'pets'. They hang out in the neighborhood and drop in maybe twice a week, beg for some affection/food and go their own way.

Even though they are street cats, they are pretty well-behaved around the house. The only thing they scratch are the bathroom floor mats.

 

[TheRyuu]

Rip our your finger and toe nails.
How ya feel?

Besides claws being a necessary defense form, IMO it's unnecessary to declaw it (not to mention cruel in my book). Save the $$$. Buy a scratching post, etc....
And clip the nails. If she/he kneads into your neck then just file the nails down so they're not so sharp.
I think $2 worth of nail clipper/nail file is cheaper then declawing too.

So there you have it. The ethical and pratical reasons not to get a cat declawed.

 

[novasatori]

Originally posted by: wizboy11
Rip our your finger and toe nails.
How ya feel?

if I was under anesthesia I suppose I'd feel fine.