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I use to have two cats. I got them when they were about five YO. The used to be my sister's, but she moved, and I got suckered into "cat sitting" (for 15 years.) She had the deed done on her watch. Both of us live in NYC, so outdoors wasn't an option.
I have to say, it made them much more acceptable pets. The didn't shred me, themselves, my furniture (and if fully armed, they very much would have.) I also never noticed any I'll effects. They made it to 20 and 21 YO.
I use to have two cats. I got them when they were about five YO. The used to be my sister's, but she moved, and I got suckered into "cat sitting" (for 15 years.) She had the deed done on her watch. Both of us live in NYC, so outdoors wasn't an option.
I have to say, it made them much more acceptable pets. The didn't shred me, themselves, my furniture (and if fully armed, they very much would have.) I also never noticed any I'll effects. They made it to 20 and 21 YO.
If I got cars again, I'd have them declawed.
If they are strictly indoor cats, I don't see the problem.
My cats were running around a day after being declawed and have never showed any sign of any pain or adverse effects.
I had cats , a few of them.. they didn't scratch anything.. they were outside cats.. and were in the house a lot. Never had a scratching post, they didn't walk on my counters.. they knew what was acceptable. They were good cats.
We have always had cats. The first ones we didn't get declawed and they tore up everything. So when they died we got two more and had them declawed. Never again would I do that to an animal. It's torture but I didn't realize that at the time. We feed feral cats but when a feral kitten showed up we knew we had to try and tame him. It took us 3 months to get him to trust us and come inside. He only trusts us though. He is crazy wild and still goes outside, which I'm not used to....always had indoor cats. But he comes in to say hello and be pet and he comes inside at night to sleep. He sometimes scratches the couch but it really hasn't been a problem. He does get on our counters because he is very curious and likes to watch me cook. lol
Saying "it's inhumane to declaw cats but perfectly fine to let them roam outside at the mercy of foxes, coyotes, hawks, bobcats, and owls" = total loss of credibility.
Not to mention the lethal threat a cat with claws poses to songbirds. Years ago our beloved calico - possibly the most predatory feline breed of all - daily gifted us with dead cardinals (and the occasional dead baby bunny) until we realized we needed to keep her inside for the safety of the planet. If memory serves, that eureka came when she gave us a dead mourning dove.
Anyone who votes YES, should NEVER have any pet... maybe a goldfish.
Quote:
Originally Posted by biscuitmom
Saying "it's inhumane to declaw cats but perfectly fine to let them roam outside at the mercy of foxes, coyotes, hawks, bobcats, and owls" = total loss of credibility.
I used to allow my cats out, but no longer. For us the biggest killer are cars and dogs. I have a large male who came to us from who knows where, and a year after getting him fixed and a lot of work training him, he now stays in the backyard and gets a few hours out time a day. The females are allowed out with him every now and again, supervised. That's it. For all intents and purposes we have indoor cats, and they love their lives.
Cats should NEVER be allowed to roam freely. Declawing them is inhumane, and the simple fix is to have plenty of things for them to destroy other than the good furniture. They aren't stupid and are quite trainable.
We have always had cats. The first ones we didn't get declawed and they tore up everything. So when they died we got two more and had them declawed. Never again would I do that to an animal. It's torture but I didn't realize that at the time. We feed feral cats but when a feral kitten showed up we knew we had to try and tame him. It took us 3 months to get him to trust us and come inside. He only trusts us though. He is crazy wild and still goes outside, which I'm not used to....always had indoor cats. But he comes in to say hello and be pet and he comes inside at night to sleep. He sometimes scratches the couch but it really hasn't been a problem. He does get on our counters because he is very curious and likes to watch me cook. lol
Why do you say it's torture?
Did your cats show any signs that they were in pain following the procedure?
The cats I've had declawed never limped, never showed any signs of tender toes, they would jump and even grasp things.
I can see the possibility of a vet doing a bad job and problems ensuing, but that is also true of having them fixed.
I've known lots of cat owners with declawed cats and none of th had problems.
Should that be true of people who had their pets fixed?
Getting animals fixed is not even in the same realm of declawing. In fact, if you don;t get them fixed they will probably get cancer and die a horrible death 7-10 years down the road. A cat needs their claws to align their spines and stretch their muscles as well.
As anyone who follows the Pet forum knows, someone will soon post here about the evils of feeding your cat store bought canned or dry food. Because of course the only humane thing to do is purchase organic dark meat with bones and run it through the food processor.
/end snark
Did your cats show any signs that they were in pain following the procedure?
The cats I've had declawed never limped, never showed any signs of tender toes, they would jump and even grasp things.
I can see the possibility of a vet doing a bad job and problems ensuing, but that is also true of having them fixed.
I've known lots of cat owners with declawed cats and none of th had problems.
Wouldn't it be torture if your nails were pulled out. Why of course!! It's like cutting off each finger at your last knuckle for humans. My cats wouldn't use the litter box because the litter hurt they paws. They sometimes used the floor which I honestly couldn't blame them. They were so sweet otherwise.
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