I mutilate cats

[windelina]

Both my cats are front-declawed.

I don't see anything wrong with the procedure.

It is related to the fact that I don't see anything wrong with having indoors-only cats. An indoor cat lives longer and is healthier and is not likely to catch diseases, get run over, or harmed by random passersby.

I equate declawing with an appendectomy. Yes, the surgery can hurt, but they give you drugs. And you're removing a bit of anatomy that serves no useful purpose in the current structure.

I am cold-blooded like that.

NOTE: I declawed my cats when they were still kittens. I do not advocate declawing an adult cat.

Comments

[cjdoyle.livejournal.com]

Jen won the "declaw or not to declaw" argument on the cats in our household as they are "her cats" and not "our cats". So our couches are ruined. On the plus side, I've never had to empty their litterbox.

[mattmn.livejournal.com]

I'm getting my kitties declawed in less than a month (then they'll be six months old and get neutered at the same time.)

[hedgiewan.livejournal.com]

I agree entirely.

[fairoriana.livejournal.com]

It requires more consistent effort, but I clip my cat's nails. It has the same effect (they can attempt to scratch the couch all they want) without actually removing the kittie's joints. They don't seem to mind too much, once they got used to it and figured out that getting their nails cut means treats. I do it weekly during our D&D game when my character isn't doing much.

I agree with you on the indoor cats bit, but I sometimes feel very sorry for my poor, bored, indoor-only kitties. Not enough to let them outside, mind, but cats work wonders at inducing guilt.

[lexinatrix.livejournal.com]

I equate declawing with an appendectomy.

You should equate it to having the first knuckle of your fingers/toes removed. Because that's what the procedure is. =)

Having it done younger doesn't seem to have a big impact on the cats I've seen in my years working in a vet clinic.

I'm not against others declawing their kitties; I'm only against them declawing their kitties and then letting them go outside without their natural defenses. I feel the same way about folks who tether their cats outside.

I also accept property damage is a potential result of my decision not to declaw.

[windelina.livejournal.com]

You should equate it to having the first knuckle of your fingers/toes removed. Because that's what the procedure is. =)

But a cat doesn't *need* their finger knuckle if they are an indoor cat. They don't need to climb or defend themselves. Hence, my appendix analogy. I do need my fingers to function, but an indoor cat - to me - doesn't need their claws to function.

And no, never declaw a cat that's going to go outdoors. And I don't like declawing an older cat because they have established behaviors and personalities that will be impacted, at least more so than a 6 month kitty will.

[lexinatrix.livejournal.com]

But a cat doesn't *need* their finger knuckle if they are an indoor cat. They don't need to climb or defend themselves. Hence, my appendix analogy. I do need my fingers to function, but an indoor cat - to me - doesn't need their claws to function.

I understand your point, but disagree on a technical/semantic level. The analogy of claws<->appendix is spurious, in that there's no known use for an appendix, but there are clear uses for claws. And, technically, you don't *need* your first knuckles to function, either. =)

There is a whole line of argument [which I only partially agree with] from animal rights folks that kitties do indeed need to climb/claw/defend themselves to truly be cats. *shrug*

[kalmn.livejournal.com]

i don't see what declawing them has to do with them being indoors cats.

for the record, i'm one of the whackos who think that cats who are pets should be indoors cats. and outdoors cats should be caught and tamed and made into indoors cats.

also one of the people who doesn't currently have a cat, due to allergies in the household.

[windelina.livejournal.com]

On another journal, there were several people who felt that keeping a cat indoors-only was cruel.

Since I dont' think keeping a cat indoors is cruel, I'm not likely to think declawing them is cruel.

Indoors cat = declawed cat to me.

[kalmn.livejournal.com]

ah. i don't automatically make the jump from "indoors only" to "surgery needed".

[windelina.livejournal.com]

In my case, any cat of mine will be both indoors-only and declawed. Indoors only because I want to have my kitty for a good long time. Declawed because I typically have costumes about.

It's bad enough that my cats chew things.

[jmanna.livejournal.com]

It's a choice. If the choice is declaw the cat or discard to a shelter, declaw the cat.

There many many options out there. Clipping the claws yourself regularly. Plastic caps. A different kind of surgery where they clip the tendon instead of removing the joint.

The first is time consuming and uncomfortable to the cat if it doesn't happen on time because they can get ingrown claws (Kiki, my cat does). The second is expensive and often involves numerous trips to the vet when the cats fall off. The last is more humane, but still involves clipping the claws often.

All choices have good points and bad points. If there's less turmoil for you and your pets for them to be declawed, then do it. It's a practical choice that I won't fault you for.

As for going outside, there's people that claim you're cruel if you don't let a cat outside. There's people that claim you're cruel if you ever do. Cat are domesticated animals. This means for the most part, we've changed them through breeding to the point where they are dependant on humans for a healthy happily life. The instinct of a wild cat does not apply. A house cat is not wild.

Hey it's America

[rosencrantz319.livejournal.com]

I feel it's the choice of the indivitual cat owner even if somebody else feel it's wrong. As long as your cats are healthy and comfortable and apperantly happy do what you like. Heck dress as charactors from Gone With The Wind for Pete's sake.

[magicmarmot.livejournal.com]

I just had to clip the nails of The Torturer yesterday. He hasn't quite determined yet whether he likes the attention, but he no longer rips me to shreds when he jumps on me.

I used to let the cats play with cheap balloons. They learned not to use their claws.

Me too.

[redbird23.livejournal.com]

All three of mine are declawed. We did it at the same time they were spayed. By the time they were ready to move around because their tummies were feeling better their paws seemed to have stopped hurting too.

And now they can stretch and scratch and jump and not get yelled at or shot with water every time they turn around. They still climb/jump (always have to be as tall as possible) all the time, and they play and chase each other all over.

They don't seem unhappy that they can't go outside. They are healthy. They always have food. They always have heat. If they are sick they are taken care of.

Somehow, I can't see myself as an evil, awful pet-owner who should not be allowed to have pets.

[ez2beve.livejournal.com]

Personally, I have no problem with declawing or not. It's up to the individual and lifestyle that the cat will be living in. I have three cats. None are declawed. There is a reason. When I got my first cat, I had a house full of dogs and felt the cat needed her defenses. By the time I got the other two cats, I didn't feel declawing them would be fair - leaving them at the mercy of the cat with all claws. I also have two rambunctious Chinese Crested dogs who get very frisky with the cats. Since this variety of dog has no coat of fur, the little tap of a clawed paw lets the dog know the cat has had enough of "play" time. I clip my dogs nails and find it just as easy to clip the cats' claws. I have done so since they were small and they have no problem in letting me. The cats that is. The dogs still struggle. My cats are not outside critters because my neighborhood sometimes has wandering "big" dogs who love to terrorize outside kitties. Does not seem to be a fun sport I want my felines to partake in.

[hellziggy.livejournal.com]

We are a mixed household with one with & one without. Rick has been clipping Gabe's claws since he was just a kitten (yes, he really was small once upon a time) so he doesn't mind it at all. When I moved in with my cat Cougar she was already trained to use the scratching post, and she would get her claws clipped less regularly, due to the fact that she HATED it! After she died we got our little angel, Lump, from the humane society. I didn't even realize until after we had picked Lump that she was already declawed, because she was only 4 freakin' MONTHS old! Not even old enough to be fixed yet. I've never been able to bring myself to have a cat declawed, but we really love having one that came that way! And she still manages to beat the crap out of Gabe even though she is half his size!