That’s right this mutilation also involves removing part of the bone. This procedure can cause severe irreversible damage.
arthritis
crippling
irrevocably altered posture
impaired balance
tension
nervousness
Just to name a few. I too have a leather sofa set that is only 3 months old. The day after I purchased it, the cats “broke it in”, Oh yeah, several little claw holes. Hey man,We can replace THAT.
Let me put it this way: when my time comes, I don’t want to be remembered as the guy who always had a perfect sofa. 
Sounds like you’re the same, LDEML. 
Me neither. Hopefully I’ll be remembered (among other things) as a guy who took two cats off the street when nobody else wanted them, not even a kind soul from Animals Taiwan, despite having an ad up there for the longest time, AS WELL AS being a guy with a nice sofa.
But you’re being facetious, I know… 
[quote=“LDEML”]This procedure can cause severe irreversible damage.
arthritis
crippling
irrevocably altered posture
impaired balance
tension
nervousness
Just to name a few. [/quote]
Wow! I was not aware that this surgery can cause so many long-term health problems. After reading your post I googled and for anyone interested, here’s the best info I found about it. It’s not pretty…
[quote]…cats are digitigrade, which means they walk on their toes.[/quote]The following is a pic showing how cats use their claws to walk.
bobepine
The thing is, it’s a completely painless procedure … for the cat owner … so no harm done, eh?
While I agree that getting a cat declawed should be a last option after all training methods have been attempted, I am telling you my Aunt and Uncle didn’t have an option. The cat was psychotic. It attacked people, we are not talking about a couch that was scratched up, we are talking about people legs, it was like this with everyone. It didn’t like people. It didn’t want to be touched or cuddled or anything. That would be fine if the cat just did its own thing, but it didn’t. It would yowel at anyone who came in the house, then it would disappear and would re-appear by leaping out from behind something using its paws as a shredder on the persons legs. If it had had claws they would be unable to have anyone over to their house and their legs would be in constant danger, or the cat would have to be caged permenantly. I have met many cats and I am telling you that there was something not quite right about this cat. It was a pure-bred siamese and I am thinking that whoever bred it probably did a little to much inbreeding. So while I agree with most of what you said Stray Dog, this is one situation where declawing was the most resonable options for the people and the animal. The people didn’t get their legs clawed to shreds and the cat didn’t have to live in a cage.
Woudsprite, the case you describe is extreme, and I would have to agree with you that with that particular cat, it may have served a purpose (in Europe, the procedure is illegal except in very extreme circumstances, and I wonderif the situation you describe might be one of them).
I’m not here to judge or say that anyone who has declawed their cat is bad, and certainly rescuing stray cats is something I strrongly support of course; I just think that people should know what the operation involves and why it is outlawed in parts of the world where animals have greater protection from cruelty. People here have been shocked to find out the truth behind the practice, and that is my whole point.
I can’t accept the argument that mutilating a cats toes isgood for it, as it will have a ‘better future’, just as I can’t accept female circumcision or footbinding for the same reason.
Woudsprite, would the SoftPaws have worked on that cat? Or would it not let anyone near it to put them on? I can wholeheartedly accept that in your aunt and uncle’s cat’s case, there may have been no alternative. But what did you do about the teeth?
I have rescued several feral cats/kittens, and they were vicious; my hands would be cut to shreds every day. But, for me, declawing is completely out of the question, so I set out to get them used to human contact over a couple of months, and it worked. They are now extremely lovable. There is, in most cases, a humane alternative, and that’s the one I’ll always go for.
Anyway, glad all these cats are being looked after; Maoman, let me know if yours are still up for adoption.
Cheers!
Sean
I agree that every cat should be given a chance and some training. I don’t agree with declawing over a couch, but my Aunts cat is the most psycotic animal I have ever seen in my life. I know animals aren’t evil, but this was satan cat. I imagine the claw caps would have been a good idea, but I don’t know how they would have gotten them on him. As I have said I think he might have come from some pretty imbred stock and was just messed up in the head. When I had met him they had already had him for quite awile and said that he had always been like that and hadn’t changed. I think one of the biggest issues with declawing cats is the consequences if they ever got out of the house or apartment, they have no protection and no claws to help climb anything. However I think that I would rather see a cat declawed and in a home where it is loved and fed than with claws and starving and abandon. I think your arguments for not doing it are very important and that the knowledge you provide will help people make decisions for them. I have never owned a declawed cat so I can’t say how it affects a cat.
I have two cats that I love dearly. They still have their claws. I keep them clipped as needed. They think my speaker covers are scratching posts, and I can’t keep plants in the house because they like to dig in the dirt and chew the leaves.
As for the scratching on my stereo speakers: they each have a scratching post and I regularly put catnip on the posts and they do like their posts AS WELL AS MY DAMN SPEAKERS. I have tried putting plastic wrap over the speakers, tin foil, but they removed the wrap and the foil and continued to scratch. I even bought this nasty spray, and it worked but the spray nauseated me, so I guess it worked TOO well. I clap, I yell when they scratch inappropriately and it works for that time only. I’ve given up. Don’t have any plants, and either keep the speakers turned toward the wall or they sit without their covers on them. It’s frustrating!!!
Bodo
does anyone know if those nail caps can be hard to put on for cats? anyone have experience?
[quote=“Bodo”]I have two cats that I love dearly. They still have their claws. I keep them clipped as needed. They think my speaker covers are scratching posts, and I can’t keep plants in the house because they like to dig in the dirt and chew the leaves.
As for the scratching on my stereo speakers: they each have a scratching post and I regularly put catnip on the posts and they do like their posts AS WELL AS MY DAMN SPEAKERS. I have tried putting plastic wrap over the speakers, tin foil, but they removed the wrap and the foil and continued to scratch. I even bought this nasty spray, and it worked but the spray nauseated me, so I guess it worked TOO well. I clap, I yell when they scratch inappropriately and it works for that time only. I’ve given up. Don’t have any plants, and either keep the speakers turned toward the wall or they sit without their covers on them. It’s frustrating!!!
Bodo[/quote]
Have you tried keeping a squirt gun or spray bottle handy? A quick burst when you catch them in the act can be a good persuader.
I regularly visit an all cats forum, and there are quite a few people who have issues with their cat after de clawing. Most of those issues seem to be litter box problems, which is the reason a lot of cats are “given away”
My little bundle o joy is a frantic clawer. my faux leather couch is not lookin too good, despite any scratching posts we’ve bought. Hubby’s back looks like a map from scratches.
But we love this cat like a child and would NEVER think about declawing.
If you wouldn’t do it to family … just my thoughts.
yangdemei, may I ask what the litterbox problems were? That’s pretty interesting. Interesting that people who declaw their cats give them up anyway. :s
[quote=“sandman”][quote=“Bodo”]I have two cats that I love dearly. They still have their claws. I keep them clipped as needed. They think my speaker covers are scratching posts, and I can’t keep plants in the house because they like to dig in the dirt and chew the leaves.
. . . .
Don’t have any plants, and either keep the speakers turned toward the wall or they sit without their covers on them. It’s frustrating!!!
Bodo[/quote]
Have you tried keeping a squirt gun or spray bottle handy? A quick burst when you catch them in the act can be a good persuader.[/quote]
Good suggestion, but alas, I’ve tried that as well. I think it’s a lost cause.
Bodo
Since I’m sharing cat stories . . . my female cat likes to knock things off of my night stand or any other shelf if I don’t do what she wants. It never fails at about 3 or 4am she awakens and feels it is her right to be fed. Although I’ve never given into this whim, she continues to knock items off my night stand or if I have a paper or magazine on it she’ll begin to shred them 
. To be fair before she resorts to this despicable behavior, she tries to get my cooperation by meowing. Of course at 4 am I ignore her. So, we go through our routine of me grabbing her and letting her go outside my door, then I shut her out and return to bed. Sometimes the little sneak leaps off the bed just in time to hide under it so I can’t kick her out of the room. Once I get back munder the covers, and am falling off to sleep again, she returns to knocking things on the floor or shredding papers. If she wasn’t so cute . . . .
Bodo
[quote=“yangdemei”]I regularly visit an all cats forum, and there are quite a few people who have issues with their cat after de clawing. Most of those issues seem to be litter box problems, which is the reason a lot of cats are “given away”
My little bundle o joy is a frantic clawer. my faux leather couch is not lookin too good, despite any scratching posts we’ve bought. Hubby’s back looks like a map from scratches.
But we love this cat like a child and would NEVER think about declawing.[/quote]
I heard it can hurt their paws if they have hard litter.
Very interesting - the diagram Bobepine posted about how cats use the tips of their toes to walk might explain that one.
Here’s another diagram that shows exactly what happens…
bobepine
if some people don’t want their cats to claw on a particular area of the furniture, there is this product that you can put on the desired area. It’s kind of like double-sided tape that you can put it on the corner where your cats claw most of the furniture and this will prevent them clawing. After a while, they will know that this area is not “clawable” or forbidden to claw…You can also use it as a way to prevent your cats going on your sofa because this tape will give them the sticky feeling which cats are not crazy about.
The tape will not stick on your furniture. It’s been proven safe and convenient to remove. I think it is called “Paws-Off” or “Sticky-Paws”…It is sold on PETA’s website and you can do some little search on google to find out~
I’ve tried it, and my cats are clawing much less now. They wouldn’t go to my parents’ favorite leather sofa (I’m totally against leather, fur and all those things).
At the same time, people can consider putting some more catnip on the scratching post to attract your cats or simply by trimming their claws regularly.
A lot of blah blah…I sorry but hope this could help~
Good luck!