Miss Kitty has learned to use her scratching post to keep her nails trimmed.
And next it’ll be a federal law that you can’t cross state lines to declaw.
I’ve researched this issue and the technologies used have come light years from 10 years ago. I do NOT agree with essentially chopping off the last digit of a cat’s “fingers,” as was the former practice. Now, they use lasers which are much less intrusive and the recovery time is much shorter.
Regardless, a law against this is silly.
FWIW, it’s really an amputation as they remove down to the first “knuckle”.
It is among the most savage of procedures used on animals and renders the cat defenseless by taking away it’s primary method of protection which is climbing.
It is also extraordinarily painful and the wounds are subject to debilitating infections.
The Law of Unintended Consequences says that this will result in more cats being killed in “shelters” because more people will decide that having a cat is just too much trouble.
Cats are hunters by nature, and declawing is the equivalent of taking away their hunting capabilities which they need in order to survive.
Domesticated cats may not need to hunt for food, but there have been many instances where cats have been abandoned or became lost, and did not have the ability to hunt and survive.
My daughter took in a declawed cat after a friend said she could not take care of the cat. My daughter knew that the cat could not survive on the streets.
(BTW, my daughter is a veterinarian.)
If you don’t want thorns, don’t plant roses.
If you don’t want claws, don’t keep cats.
A pressing issue of our time. If the Anarchist’s end up ruling I’d say declaw because cats will be easier to catch and eat.
Well look on the bright side. Sure ... you can’t declaw your cat but you can still kill your child if you want.
I’ve never had a cat declawed. Just can’t do it.
I vote no. That’s like going to the doctor and him taking your sidearm.
5.56mm
I am NOT a cat person. But a displaced 1+ lb. feral kitten wound up in my yard being barked at and cornered by my Brittany. I took her in. Tried to give her to the pound who would not take a kitten so small. Had to be at least over 2 pounds. I decided to get her fixed and keep her as an indoor cat. I did not have the heart to remove her claws. She does a little damage to the rugs, but I’ll live with that.
It’s pretty horrible and should not be done. Get the cat some things to sharpen on, and give up the desire for billows of silk draperies. I don’t know if all these animal cruelty things need laws, but declawing cats is cruel. As is docking dogs’ ears, chopping tails, etc.
When they get older the claws seem to get longer or they can’t retract them as well.
I had two cats declawed some 10-15 years ago. One cat handled it well. The other did not. As for me - I will never declaw another cat again. And I don’t recommend it.
But. This is a personal matter and should not be regulated by the gubmint.
I did it once. Would never do it again. You can train them to a scratching post.
I would never .. .
My late wife decreed that no non-declawed cat would be allowed into the house. I felt that, in exchange for the declawing (and the spaying), we were giving our cats a completely safe life so that's what we did with the first kitten. She healed fine .. in fact, her paws healed before the spaying cut .. with no complications or problems. So every kitten that we've taken in since then have had the same procedures, all with no adverse reactions or problems.
I understand the idea that "declawing" is cutting off the first knuckle and don't particularly enjoy having it done to my kitties. With the first one, I tried trimming the front claws, but I guess the kitty could feel my apprehension and inflicted great bodily harm on me trying to escape every time I made the attempt.
My three late-kitties all lived in excess of 17 years and all died of complications due to their old ages. My current kitties are fat and happy. I feel that this procedure is an fair exchange to giving these kittens safe, happy, and long lives. If the procedure were outlawed nationally, or in Texas, I probably would not take in another cat or kitten, and I truly would hate that.
My declawed cat has no problems climbing trees and when it is warm enough to leave the back door open leaves multiple kills daily in the house. I think he is muslim, he likes to behead his victims and leave them in public places.