60% of Americans OK with declawing - agree?

I think declawing, docking and ear docking are fine, as long as the owner who takes the animal in for the procedure has the same procedure performed on themselves.

If ya want a cat, have a cat with claws. Want a dog, have a dog with a tail, want a dog, have a dog with ears.

However I do not object to having pets desexed. Less unwanted domestic animals is a good thing.

 

When we first got Merri, from the rescue, she wasn't the friendliest of cats. However, we knew she needed her claws trimmed.
So, we gathered her up, and very carefully clipped her claws. She was amazingly docile for this.
When finished, she very clearly announced to us "Where is my treat? I get a TREAT for this, you know!"

 

I've had clawed and declawed cats. Declawed cats can too climb trees, catch rabbits, defend themselves and be sweethearts, all in the same day.

 

And start young, when it is easier to train them to enjoy it.

All the foster kittens leaving this household, going back to the shelter for adoption, have experienced at least one claw clipping session.

 

I have two declawed cats. I don't think it's inhumane. Inhumane would be looking at another piece of shredded furniture, then looking at the cat, then opening the door and leaving the cat out to fend for itself for the rest of its life. House cats are frankly entirely useless anyway. It's not at all comparable to cutting knuckles off a person because people need their fingers. My cats spend mots of their life either on us, sleeping, eating, or in the litter. In the grand scheme of things modern cats, including declawed ones, have among the most relaxed, optimal lives of any creature, man or beast.

 

No I would never declaw a cat. It is barbaric.

 

For that matter, eunuchs have a pretty good life, living in luxury. They just need to give something up to have the job of harem guard.

You willing to give that up, in order to live in luxury, like house cats do? :huh:

 

I was discussing this with my GF this weekend and she says declawing the cat essentially created a disability. Our cat has to be very cautious about jumping up on surfaces because she can't "feel" them with the loss of her front toes.

 

Luxury?! Guarding the harem, having given up the only tool by which it can be enjoyed? That's sick, evil torture.

 

I mean they are useless like a piece of art or a pretty vase. It's not that people still dno't want them but they serve no purpose. Domesticated housecats have no functional purpose like a guide dog or hunting dog. Yes, technically this may be a disability, but my cats seem to do a good job jumping up into high spots anyway. I really think that over time they simply adapt and have no idea what they're missing.

I guess in the end nobody has yet indicated that this causes a long term impact to quality of life for a house cat.

 

Maybe I wasn't clear: our cat was declawed and it is now effectively handicapped. Long term. As long as she lives. She is 12 years old now. Most owners would have taken her to the shelter for not always using the litter box, but we know that would be a death sentence for her, so we deal with it.

 

I've honestly never looked in great depth at it. I know a vast number of people with declawed cats that are well behaved. Ours seemed to have no change in behavior. I'm sure some cats do poorly and have complications. I'm sure there are also some cats in shelters because the owner got sick of their claws. If we had another cat I'd look at the science again, but in our personal experience the declawing worked out well. It makes the cats like real little teddy bears

On the other hand I find clipping dogs' ears deplorable. I won't pretend I have a consistent non-hypocritical viewpoint of all this.

 

So, being disabled and in some pain for life is okay, as long as one doesn't misbehave about it?

Yeah, no. Don't have a cat.

 

Putting perspective in some of the arguments, it's time to mention that some cats are ill tempered nasty beasts for no reason whatsoever. Others are sweet and charming despite a lifetime of abuse. Cats are perverse and bizarre little creatures, which I believe is part of their charm.

I have personally known declawed cats with great personalities. I've known some nasty ones too. The same holds true for cats complete with claws. Declawing may increase the likely hood of a bad temperament, but it's not a guarantee.

Getting to the specifics of the question, declawing is a form of mutilation, and as such, should not be done frivolously. I look at it as I would any mutilating medical procedure: it should only be done when the outcome is worse for not doing it.

Generally it is done for the convenience of the owner, which is not a good enough reason. In rare cases, however, it is the difference between a good life as a house cat and euthanasia. In these rare cases it is a tough call. Do you kill the cat and start over with a better one, or mutilate its front feet but let it live. I have seen cases where declawing worked well, and allowed a bad cat to have a good life. I have also seen cases where a good cat was turned evil to save the owner's furniture.

Tom