is declawing a cat cruel?

[imported_jdv]

My 2 cents.

I'm in the industry and the majority of people who declaw their cats is because of their irresponsibility of taking care of the animal. Not to say there are people who have no other option rather then to give up their animal, I see it on the same level as debarking a dog. I don't see it neccessary when there are options such as soft claws/paws which work wonders.

 

[Googer]

No Claws = It's easier to grill 'em after you kill 'em.

 

[alkemyst]

Originally posted by: jdv
My 2 cents.

I'm in the industry and the majority of people who declaw their cats is because of their irresponsibility of taking care of the animal. Not to say there are people who have no other option rather then to give up their animal, I see it on the same level as debarking a dog. I don't see it neccessary when there are options such as soft claws/paws which work wonders.

Never heard a vet / vet tech calling it their industry.

Debarking a dog and declawing a cat only an idiot would associate.

So are you the cage cleaner or something?

 

[alkemyst]

Originally posted by: 0roo0roo
whats arrogant and cruel is chopping the cats nuts off so you can more conveniently own the pet while depriving it of its natural right to procreation

natural right to procreation was altered once we removed the predators they face to keep their numbers balanced.

Fixing pets is the right choice to do.

 

[Jeff7]

Originally posted by: dug777
As to those who suggests cats don't use their claws that much, and couldn't possibly be worse off without them, have you ever actually watched a cat with claws playing?

Ours extends her claws when grabbing anything, so she's certainly making great use of them She is allowed to hang off/climb/scratch my computer chair, she has a scratching post, and except for the odd stretch on the carpet, she doesn't mess with anything else in our house.

I've no doubt that they adapt to life without them pretty readily, but you cannot deny that there are things cats will not be able to do, that they can do with claws, and which they appear to take great pleasure in.

Taking those things away from them because you're a lazy jerk who can't be bothered to train it seems pretty arrogant and cruel to me

EDIT: I might add that declawing cats is extremely uncommon here, whereas half of yankland appears to be into it?

My cat Scotty would often use his clawless paws to grasp objects, such as a catnip toy he liked playing with. He'd bat it around before grabbing it with both paws to gnaw on it.

 

[John]

I had my two indoor cats declawed (front paws only), when they were only a few months old, so that they still have traction in the rear. After the declawing I stopped using regular cat litter and switched to Purina Yesterday's News for 6 weeks to help prevent any infection. The cats are extremely active, play with toys, and rip and roar all over the place. To this day I still see them trying to use their front paws to scratch on furniture and leave their scent. If they had claws my furniture, speaker grills, etc. would be damaged. Since my cats will always be indoors, and I will keep them until they pass away, I see no cruelty or harm in having the front paws declawed.

 

[LtPage1]

Declawing makes them weird, too. It's their natural defense, and they start biting when it's taken away from them. From what I've experienced, cats are much better at playing, and not hurting, people with claws. Also, it's just weird. Permanently altering a creature's body because it's inconvenient for you? Ugh. Animals aren't toys.

 

[John]

Aren't opinions grand? Domestic animals are toys to a lot of people. Simply because you don't agree with something doesn't make it inhumane.

 

[0roo0roo]

Originally posted by: alkemyst

Originally posted by: 0roo0roo
whats arrogant and cruel is chopping the cats nuts off so you can more conveniently own the pet while depriving it of its natural right to procreation

natural right to procreation was altered once we removed the predators they face to keep their numbers balanced.

Fixing pets is the right choice to do.

same can be said for declawing.

 

[Googer]

Originally posted by: John
Aren't opinions grand? Domestic animals are toys to a lot of people. Simply because you don't agree with something doesn't make it inhumane.

:thumbsup: If you do it while the cat is young, it will grow up and never have a clue as to what is missing.

 

[LtPage1]

Originally posted by: John
Aren't opinions grand? Domestic animals are toys to a lot of people. Simply because you don't agree with something doesn't make it inhumane.

My opinion is that animals shouldn't be treated as toys, and that declawing cats is intrinsically inhumane. Your opinion might be different from mine, but then it'd be wrong.

 

[0roo0roo]

right, animals should be treated as prisoners, property.

maybe you shouldn't own any animal at all since its
"intrinsically inhumane"

 

[tomywishbone]

Originally posted by: A Casual Fitz
If the cat is an outdoor cat, then it's cruel...otherwise it doesn't really matter.

I agree. I also think that since they are an inside cat, it's cool to cut off one or two of their legs, and scratch out one of their eyes. After all, they are an inside cat.


Idiot.

 

[imported_jdv]

Originally posted by: alkemyst

Originally posted by: jdv
My 2 cents.

I'm in the industry and the majority of people who declaw their cats is because of their irresponsibility of taking care of the animal. Not to say there are people who have no other option rather then to give up their animal, I see it on the same level as debarking a dog. I don't see it neccessary when there are options such as soft claws/paws which work wonders.

Never heard a vet / vet tech calling it their industry.

Debarking a dog and declawing a cat only an idiot would associate.

So are you the cage cleaner or something?

No, I'm a retail manager.

 

[Conky]

Cats are outdoor animals as far as I'm concerned.

I have a Rat Terrier who is far more proficient than a lazy cat when it comes to vermin.

I used to love cats when I was a kid but dogs are so much cooler and if you get a breed like the Rat Terrier you will never want another breed... they are wicked cool.

 

[alkemyst]

Originally posted by: 0roo0roo

Originally posted by: alkemyst

Originally posted by: 0roo0roo
whats arrogant and cruel is chopping the cats nuts off so you can more conveniently own the pet while depriving it of its natural right to procreation

natural right to procreation was altered once we removed the predators they face to keep their numbers balanced.

Fixing pets is the right choice to do.

same can be said for declawing.

Right, but I didn't say I was opposed to that either.

 

[alkemyst]

Originally posted by: tomywishbone

Originally posted by: A Casual Fitz
If the cat is an outdoor cat, then it's cruel...otherwise it doesn't really matter.

I agree. I also think that since they are an inside cat, it's cool to cut off one or two of their legs, and scratch out one of their eyes. After all, they are an inside cat.


Idiot.

Idiot was that reply.

 

[alkemyst]

Originally posted by: jdv

Originally posted by: alkemyst

Originally posted by: jdv
My 2 cents.

I'm in the industry and the majority of people who declaw their cats is because of their irresponsibility of taking care of the animal. Not to say there are people who have no other option rather then to give up their animal, I see it on the same level as debarking a dog. I don't see it neccessary when there are options such as soft claws/paws which work wonders.

Never heard a vet / vet tech calling it their industry.

Debarking a dog and declawing a cat only an idiot would associate.

So are you the cage cleaner or something?

No, I'm a retail manager.

So that's like saying I am in the industry of selling stuff, but I am qualified to make a statement on animal behavior and effects of treatments on them?

 

[alkemyst]

Originally posted by: Conky
Cats are outdoor animals as far as I'm concerned.

I have a Rat Terrier who is far more proficient than a lazy cat when it comes to vermin.

I used to love cats when I was a kid but dogs are so much cooler and if you get a breed like the Rat Terrier you will never want another breed... they are wicked cool.

Unfortunately the pro-dog owners you are weakly defending would argue you have a cat.

Didn't know vermin was a problem still in civilized places.

 

[alkemyst]

Originally posted by: exdeath
BP3000TLs sorry. Can barely see them on the edges of the pic for size reference. A pair of BP6's don't cost $4000 at any rate I automatically think of the BP2000 and BP3000 when talking about DT speakers, but they make all sorts of stuff now.

You seem familiar with Def Tech; fan? Before I got these I never knew you could hear subtle things like the sound of the ridges of the fingerprints sliding along the windings of a guitar string or tell the difference between DTS and DD or 128kbps and 320kbps. Awesome stuff. There is way more accurate and expensive stuff out there for music only, but these things are among the best for double duty for both clean music and slab shaking movies and gaming without breaking a sweat. It actually changed my taste for music, I enjoy listening to stuff that has two distinct spectral lines in the highs and the lows simultaneously rather than crowded noise. The sound of a heavy bass guitar with the ear piercing sound of a triangle being struck at the same time and ringing your ears, the bass stopping instantly on command... ok I'm rambling now. Before these I thought my Optimus/Pioneer junk with pro logic was awesome...

Yeah the socks are, but she climbed all the way to the top and the sock will easily give and sink into the drivers with risk of claw puncture the way she threw her weight around to climb them to the top as fast as she could.

She knew she wasn't allowed, she scrambled up them with full force and you could hear the ripping of the fabric (even though it wasn't ripping). Fortunately none of the drivers were punctured, though individual drivers aren't too expensive to replace, I'd rather not have to replace them every month.

Cats have wide ranging personalities, and this one was a bit defiant and feral and not compatible with us. I'm not exaggerating at all, we tried for a week to train her and would yell no, chase her away, lock her up in the bedroom for a few hours, etc. every time she tried. First 5 minutes of being let out, I'd turn around and see her halfway towards the speakers and she'd stop cold in her tracks and stare me in the eye. When I got up to intervene, all of the sudden her pupils enlarged 110% and she bolted straight for them and nothing else. Never mind we got her the tallest cat tree we could find so she could feel superior being above everything else. We couldn't trust her and it wasn't fair to keep her locked up in a bedroom all time.

Just busting your chops on the speakers. I had a Rotel setup with DT BP20/10 and CLR1000. I am running Klipsch Heritage Quartets and Academy now.

You are correct that some cats cannot be trained. Unlike many wild dogs which are able to be, a feral cat is usually unworkable by all but those at the top of their animal training game and even then usually it becomes a relationship of leaving each other alone.

Most here I think have no idea truly what cats (or dogs) are about using experiences they have witnessed or talking about an animal they grew up with, but were never involved with training. And like most owners, probably just bought a pet on a whim, threw it in their home and wondered why 6 months later it acts as if they are strangers.

 

[ohtwell]

My hubby and I would never declaw our cat. We've had her for over three years now and even though she occasionally claws our furniture, I wouldn't want to declaw her. For me, I think of declawing as being equivalent to cutting off all my fingers at the top joint.


: ) Amanda

 

[alkemyst]

Originally posted by: ohtwell
My hubby and I would never declaw our cat. We've had her for over three years now and even though she occasionally claws our furniture, I wouldn't want to declaw her. For me, I think of declawing as being equivalent to cutting off all my fingers at the top joint.


: ) Amanda

It's been discussed here already. For 'declawing' the claw actually doesn't have to be removed (although you do need to clip them still)...also while anatomically the cat's claw = our first phalange...they are not used the same way.

 

[OsoVerde]

Declawed cats have posture problems from missing part of their feet and are more likely to get arthritis and screwed up joints, so that's more misery and loss of quality of life for the cat beyond recovery from the surgery. Imagine learning to walk without half of each of your toes.

Trim kitty's claws or get a scratching pad. My cats didn't like the traditional sort of upright scratching post but loved shredding the disposable corrugated cardboard catnippy ones.

 

[Conky]

Originally posted by: alkemyst

Originally posted by: Conky
Cats are outdoor animals as far as I'm concerned.

I have a Rat Terrier who is far more proficient than a lazy cat when it comes to vermin.

I used to love cats when I was a kid but dogs are so much cooler and if you get a breed like the Rat Terrier you will never want another breed... they are wicked cool.

Unfortunately the pro-dog owners you are weakly defending would argue you have a cat.

Didn't know vermin was a problem still in civilized places.

Vermin is always an issue with estates near forests and water although I'm sure Orkin does a fine job at your housing project.

And anyone who doubts my lion-hearted rat terrier's worth as a dog can take it up with her half-pitbull older sister although the little ratty just killed a bunny as big as herself who could've told you how fierce she can get. :shocked:

 

[Praetor]

I was worried about my (then) new cat scratching up my (then) new furniture, so I asked the employee about getting him de-clawed.

She gave me a quick run down of what it involved and told me that she personally recommended that I not do it, but that the Humane Society would not prevent me from having it done. After hearing her description and thinking about it, I decided against de-clawing my cat. Scratching up the furniture has never been an issue, even before I spent serious money on him getting towers and scratching posts for him to play on.

On the other hand, as a kitten he would climb up my leg and shirt just so he could curl up around my neck. That hurt like hell. Cutting his claws was an adventure the first few times, but he's become fairly docile about it now.

Moral of the story? Don't de-claw the cat.