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Pastimes : Cat Chat -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Bill J. Landis who wrote (51)	5/4/1998 3:26:00 AM
From: Snowshoe	Respond to of 2940

>>Is there any "general consensus" about whether de-clawing is a good idea or not?<< One day at the lake cabin I went swimming and left my glasses on the dock. Smokey the Fishcat clawed up the plastic lenses pretty bad, so I had to replace them. Since then I've been in favor of declawing. Greg

To: Bill J. Landis who wrote (51)	5/4/1998 5:37:00 AM
From: Lane3	Respond to of 2940

Re: declawing Many years ago I read that the tendency to claw furniture ran in families--some cats inherit more of it than others. When I selected my new kitten, I followed the instructions to look for a kitten whose mom didn't claw the furniture. I got my kitten via an ad in the paper, where I could visit the home and eyeball the furniture for damage. I had that cat for more than a dozen years and it never did any damage to my furniture. Since then I've adopted pound cats and provided a foster home for adult cats awaiting adoption, so I've never had another kitten to further test the theory. My one experience may have been dumb luck, but it's worth a try. Karen

To: Bill J. Landis who wrote (51)	5/4/1998 7:42:00 AM
From: Carole	Respond to of 2940

Bill I personally would never take a cat in to the vet to have it declawed because I think it is cruel. However, my home furnishing are such that I could not have a cat with claws. Solution: My last cat came from the pound, she needed a home, I wanted another cat and she was already declawed and spayed. I am in a highrise, but if I were in a house where the cat could go in and out at will, a cat with claws would be okay and it could better defend itself when outdoors. You will find the perfect cat ( they are all perfect ) Carole

To: Bill J. Landis who wrote (51)	5/4/1998 10:08:00 AM
From: CatLady	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 2940

Personally, I'm very much against declawing. Just make sure the cat has a scratching post. The younger they are, the easier it is to teach it to use the scratching post only. Also, if the cat will left alone a lot of the time, I suggest a pair of cats so they can play with each other instead of getting bored and misbehaving.

To: Bill J. Landis who wrote (51)	5/4/1998 3:54:00 PM
From: Zeuspaul	Respond to of 2940

I would never declaw a cat if it is an indoor outdoor cat. This would leave the cat without defenses. Both of our cats are declawed but they are indoor cats. We have too much invested in furniture, speakers etc not to declaw. We had the cats declawed at a young age, 10 wks?. Some vets are butchers. Once had a cat declawed and it limped for two weeks. The last vet had a different approach and the cat did not limp from day one. Our declawed indoor cats are more content than any cat I have ever had. I never have to try and control behavior. It is probably also related to ZERO fleas since Advantage. We tried everything including removing all carpets and replacing with harddwood floors, nothing worked until TOTAL wipeout with one drop about every 3 to six months. Zeuspaul

To: Bill J. Landis who wrote (51)	5/4/1998 5:34:00 PM
From: Lane3	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 2940

I'm surprised at how matter-of-fact some of the responses to your question about declawing have been. Let me pass on the stated position of people who deal with unwanted, stray, and feral cats for a living or as volunteers. The adoption contract for the private feline rescue organization for which I have fostered cats specifically states that no cat adopted through that organization will be allowed outdoors nor will it be declawed. The person adopting is required to sign this agreement. The position of my local animal shelter, where I have adopted cats and volunteered as a groomer and socializer, is the same. Both prohibited practices are considered cruel by these experts. Please be aware also, if you choose to declaw your new cat, that it may develop a tendency to bite. I was warned of this when I became a volunteer at the shelter and I have seen it many times. I recall one lovely orange tabby in particular who bit me an others without provocation and was declared unadoptable and euthanized by the shelter because of it.