NationStates Jolt Archive

Many people declaw their pets everyday but is it right? I can understand that cat do destroy furniture but is that a reason to rip out their claws? They may fight with their back legs but they use the front claws for many things? Would you want someone to take away your fingernails? :eek:

Have you ever owned a cat? I had dozens and dozens of scratches from cats I had until they were declawed. It's so right it's not even funny.

I have owned a few cats and I would never have them declawed.

Have you ever owned a cat? I had dozens and dozens of scratches from cats I had until they were declawed. It's so right it's not even funny.


The problem being that it's the equivalent to amputating your fingers from the second nuckle up. And it causes your cats some terrible problems later in life.

Declawing means more pain for their feet - more fear of humans handling their feet, therefore more biting. It also means when a dog is chasing your cat, they cant climb trees - so cat turns and fights.

Any properly trained cat wont claw you to death. Train your cats.

"Have you ever owned a cat? I had dozens and dozens of scratches from cats I had until they were declawed. It's so right it's not even funny."

I must respectfully disagree. I've owned cat's for the majority of my life, and I've only been scratched a few times, and it was never the cat's fault; to be specific, they've never scratched me while playing, only because I was holding them, and someone startled them and they jumped away.
The only cat I've been around who was declawed used his teeth instead. The owners had to get rid of him eventually because he was biting their baby. Also, since he couldn't use his claws to mark anything, he took to spraying and pooping all over their apartment. They wish now they hadn't declawed him, and had just gotten him a scratching post.
Cats can be tricky, but they are trainable. Mine come to a specific call, they don't sleep on our furniture, they are box trained but will also go outside. They like to follow me out to the mailbox and sometimes they even drink out of the toilet...wait a minute! Maybe they're dogs! :D

Well the cats I had were young and barely from the animal shelter...

...They all died. Goddamn coyotes kept swiping them behind my backs. :(

Except for the one mom ran over. Dammit.

Have you ever owned a cat? I had dozens and dozens of scratches from cats I had until they were declawed. It's so right it's not even funny.

You must be bad with cats.

Have you ever owned a cat? I had dozens and dozens of scratches from cats I had until they were declawed. It's so right it's not even funny.

In fact I own six cats and two are kittens so of course I get scratched. My oldest is trained not to scrach and has never bitten anyone. Trust me, my arms are constantly red from the scratches that coat them but I would never declaw a cat unless it had something to do with their health. I also make it a habit of trimming their claws and there is also a decent alternitive which caps the nails so they can still grip things and fight decently but they don't do nearly as much damage! :)

Did I mention three of the cats were abused?

Even after having suffered from Cat Scratch Fever and going through several days on the edge of fainting, I still wouldn't consider declawing my cat. What with them lacking opposable thumbs and all, their claws are a major part of how they manipualte things in the world. If you have ever watched a declawed cat try and pick something up, then you'll see what I mean - not that cats with claws are particularly good at picking things up, but at least they manage it some of the time.

I've got two and I'd never declaw them--furniture you can replace, but you leave a cat defenseless when you declaw it.

I have had cats all of my life and have only had one declawed. She too started biting. All of my other cats were careful with their claws around people and the only scratches were by accident.

Mods can be so cruel is right...declawing is equivalent to amputation at the second knuckle of your finger. As cats claw at litter or dirt to cover their scat, infection is a real threat. I have heard of many cases where the cats ended up losing a paw(s). Although cats do fight with their hind legs, their natural instinct is to flee from confrontation. If they can't climb to escape their attacker, then they are forced to fight. A dog's natural instinct is to grab its prey by the neck or back and shake it. If the cat is threatened by another cat that isn't declawed, it is grossly disadvantaged.

Instead of declawing, check out your local pet shop and get a repellant spray to spray on your furniture. Get them a scratching post and sprinkle catnip on and around it. Cats like to climb and perch in high places. If you can, buy or build a cat tower...a pole with flat perches on several levels, all covered with carpet. My cats have always liked to play "cat in the sack". Just throw a brown paper grocery bag on the floor (putting catnip in it will get their attention) and they will play in and out of that sack for hours.

Instead of declawing, check out your local pet shop and get a repellant spray to spray on your furniture. Get them a scratching post and sprinkle catnip on and around it. Cats like to climb and perch in high places. If you can, buy or build a cat tower...a pole with flat perches on several levels, all covered with carpet. My cats have always liked to play "cat in the sack". Just throw a brown paper grocery bag on the floor (putting catnip in it will get their attention) and they will play in and out of that sack for hours.
Speaking of catnip, I used to buy it at the grocery store and now I can't seem to find it--has there been some sort of move away from it that I don't know about? Or do I just need to get off my ass and go to the pet store? :D

I guess I've always had cats. Wonderful little things. I don't mind if they claw the furniture. It's just furniture. The only reason I've ever been scratched is because I deserved it ... you know ... by doing something like trying to give a cat a pill.

I do trim their claws a little ... as much as I trim my own nails ... but that's it. I've seen pictures of the declawing process. I would never do that to one of my own.

Speaking of catnip, I used to buy it at the grocery store and now I can't seem to find it--has there been some sort of move away from it that I don't know about? Or do I just need to get off my ass and go to the pet store? :D

Personally I get it at the healthfood store, but that's the UK for you.

I have a cat who' about eight years old...her first family had her declawed, and she bites. My mom has two cats, both declawed (front AND back...most cats I know of only get their fronts taken out) and one of them bites. My dad used to be married to a lady with a cat...knew him for 10 years, he was never declawed (she thought it was wrong, just as I do) and he never caused any trouble at all.

Frankly I would rather trim a cat's claws than have them removed. Besides, if I start them young enough doing that, they will be so used to being handled that they won't mind it. Any cat I get will not be declawed...well, by me, anyway. I wouldn't refuse to get a cat just because he was already declawed...I just wouldn't declaw them myself.

My cat refused to use the scratching post we got

Speaking of catnip, I used to buy it at the grocery store and now I can't seem to find it--has there been some sort of move away from it that I don't know about? Or do I just need to get off my ass and go to the pet store? :D

Petsmart and Petco both have it in dried form and as a spray concentrate. You can also grow it in a planter (it's a member of the mint family) so they can get high whenever they want. ;) I grow it in my herb garden...kitty won't poop where her stash is.

I guess I've always had cats. Wonderful little things. I don't mind if they claw the furniture. It's just furniture. The only reason I've ever been scratched is because I deserved it ... you know ... by doing something like trying to give a cat a pill.

I do trim their claws a little ... as much as I trim my own nails ... but that's it. I've seen pictures of the declawing process. I would never do that to one of my own.

Hey Keru, how you doing? I don't have a problem with the cats clawing the furniture. They're too fat and lazy. I do, however, have a dog with separation anxiety that chews up the furniture. We're currently on couch #4.

My cat refused to use the scratching post we got

Try the catnip. You can get a cat interested in a tree stump with catnip.

Sure, as long as they're asleep. I kind of wish my dog was declawed too :mad:

Many people declaw their pets everyday but is it right? I can understand that cat do destroy furniture but is that a reason to rip out their claws? They may fight with their back legs but they use the front claws for many things? Would you want someone to take away your fingernails? :eek:


I own a cat and declawing is wrong.

Not only is it physically painful for the animal, but if they're ever out in the open, they'd have no way to fend for themselves.