This is, by the way, my hundreth article.

Why do people do this? A little disipline is a lot easier than tearing out your cat's claws.


~Zoo

Water isn't really needed if you give 'em wet food. Sometimes.

Actually, cats can use a toilet for water. If you don't have a toilet, you've got a problem.

My cat was actually a couple years old when I got her, so she had to have her claws out. She ignored scratching posts. In the way of the objects she prefered. Such as expensive speakers. She's an indoor cat, so I figured if it causes her pain... well... she asked for it.

I'd had those speakers for a loonnggg time. Before the cat was born. And I got the cat used. But fixed.

Ock, you're evil (takin' it literally).

A house-cat doesn't really need claws. It's not like it scratches itself with 'em. Also, if they do have an itch, they'll seek a person or rub something. It's not debilitating like it is to a creature that uses primarily their hands for lifting and gripping small objects. They never pick anything up, save toys.

Maybe you just didn't know that when a cats claws are removed, their "fingers" (what you'd call fingers if you saw the skeleton) are amputated at the first digit.

 

Edit:  I see SanChonino covered this more thoroughly.

I think the problem with people's view about declawing is that they assume a cat's claws perform the same function as human nails and thus maybe cant see the harm. A cat relies on its claws for balance and removing them places undue stress on other parts of the body. They are also an important part of a cat's scenting/claiming ritual as they have glands in their paws and the clawing action helps them do this.

Declawing really is quite brutal from a cat's point of view. And even if it wasnt so traumatic for the cat, it still saddens me that people think chopping bits off their pet is ok just so it fits in with their life style or doesnt damage the sofa etc.. To me it demonstrates a total lack of respect for their pet and I wonder why they got it in the first place.

Funny, SanCho. Very funny.

My cat actually shows no long-term damage. She did hide under the bed for a while. She has no balance problems. She still makes the scratching gesture, though, occasionally.

Second, I really didn't care about the de-clawing. I wasn't really pressing for it. I really didn't care, but it was strongly recommended to the point where I was almost forced.

Will you, I wouldn't normally declaw (heck, even spay or neuter) a cat, but she was being destructive and in hindsight, it helped a lot. Never mind that she was chopping off little bits of me.

My cat has a very soft life, so having her claws removed, though traumatic, was only a slight repayment.