posted 01-10-2004 11:09 AM         

When I was 11 we had my cat declawed b/c we didn't know any better and the vet recommended it. When we went to pick him up at the vet he had these little casts on his paws and they were all bloody at the bottom. He gave us the most pitiful look like how could you do this to me. It was so horrible and I felt so bad for putting him through that pain that I decided then and there I would never have another cat declawed.

posted 01-10-2004 11:23 AM         

Also, I help out at my local shelter and the cats that are declawed are just very different than the ones that are not. It's like a part of them is missing. Granted, there is a part of them missing, but it's like a little piece of their soul is gone too. It's so sad.

posted 01-10-2004 04:38 PM         

I never even knew such a thing as declawing a cat existed until I became an adult!!! Never heard of such a thing when I was growing up in the 60s. But now people have become so materialistic they have to have everything plus the pets and they worry about them wrecking their stuff - so the cats get mutilated and the dogs get to live a life outside.

posted 01-10-2004 05:55 PM         

I just wish the vet would have explained the procedure to us. Neither my mom or I knew at the time what the procedure really entailed.

Granted some pets don't have problems from being declawed, but why take a chance that they would? I think most of the time when pets develop problems after being declawed people don't even associate it with that. I saw an episode of the Pet Psychic where this lady brought her cat b/c it had stopped using the littebox and was peeing all over the house. Sonya talked to the cat and said that it stopped using the box after it had been declawed b/c it associated the box with pain in its paws b/c it hurt to scratch the litter. When Sonya said that the lady said that the cat had stoppped using the box right after being declawed. Whether you believe in Sonya Fitzpatrick or not isn't the point. The point is the cat clearly stopped using the box b/c of the declawing but the owner hadn't even put two and two together to realize that.

posted 01-12-2004 06:10 AM         

Frankly, if you don't want to be scratched, don't want your furniture scratched up, don't get a cat,

posted 01-12-2004 01:55 PM         

I just think of a few things. Even though my cats are indoor and will always be indoor kitties...what if they got out? How would they defend themselves? What if they have an itch they need to scratch (that would just kill me!! Think of when you have an itch you can't reach...annoying right?) Mostly I think that I would never want to do anything that would cause them pain if I didn't have to.

Yeah they claw at the furniture sometimes but you know what, it's just furniture. I have been training them nonetheless and they are getting better but if they don't...so be it, par for the course when you have active little kitties around! I know when I first got Rory the thought crossed my mind but after researching everything about it I decided it was simply too mean.

All I can say is...research the process, take in what we are all telling you and after that, it's up to you. Ultimately you are the only one who can make your decision and NO ONE on this board should make you feel badly for anything you decide. People have strong views on the subject and I do tell people why I think they shouldn't do it but it's not my decision to make - every pet owner should decide for themselves, I just think it should be a WELL EDUCATED decision. I know lots of people who have decided to declaw and have happy problem-free cats. Personally I think it's much more humane to let them keep their claws. I keep my guys claws clipped and have few problems around the house. They have lots of things I allow them to scratch when they need to and they use them frequently.