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Posted by CatNip on September 24, 2002 at 17:01:56:

It is humble opnion that declawing a cat is one of the most horrific things I have ever seen.
Years ago, hubby & i went apartment hunting and we were told by one landlord that he wouldn't have a problem with us having a cat IF we had our cat declawed. At the time I didn't know anything about the procedure so I did some research.
What I learned shocked me and I will use every opportunity to speak out against this horrible procedure.
Below is a link to a wonderful site with lots of information on the subject.
Everyone even considering to declaw his/her cat should see this first.
I think most people are somewhat naive about the subject. Declawing is really not the right term - it should be amputating your kitty's toes with a guliutine nail cutter. That's exactly what it is. It's a horrible thing to do just for the sake of your funriture. There are many good alternatives. Monthly nail clipping for one. If you can't do it yourself have your vet /groomer do it for you. I mean if your furniture is so expensive that you would consider having your cats toes hacked off, you sure can afford a the cost of a groomer. ;-)
Soft Paws are nail covers that work wonderful too. A good scratching post, regularly sprinkled with catnip should be in every household.

Many people also don't know that declawed cats often end up having bad behavioral and health problems.
It is a horrible thing to do to any creature. Imagine having your fingers cut off at your knuckles.....

Sorry for rambling - the subject is very frustrating. I work in animal rescue now and see many kitties at the shelters that have not only been declawed but then also just been "thrown away" as they got older and developed health or behavioral problems because of the amputation. It's a vicious cycle and guess who the loser is....

Please don't amputate - Educate yourself! Thanks for reading :-)

• Detailed Declawing Info

Follow Ups:

• Re: Educate- Don't Amputate! mickey4paws 10/05/02 (0)
• Re: Educate- Don't Amputate! phwildcat 09/25/02 (0)