I say no, its cruel.  Part of the cat's toes are actually removed and there's lifelong pain. Not worth it, even to save a couple grand worth of furniture.  :\'(

as a total cat lover...i would have to say no....it is rather painful for the cat to go through....i mean, I sure wouldn't like to have my fingernails ripped from out of my fingers...that just wouldnt be cool!!!!

Erin  :)

as a total cat lover...i would have to say no....it is rather painful for the cat to go through....i mean, I sure wouldn't like to have my fingernails ripped from out of my fingers...that just wouldnt be cool!!!!

Erin  :)


Have any pet cat/kittens?  :)

Have any pet cat/kittens?  :)


Yes Devo...I have two cats....they are sooo sweet and special to me......they always know when I am in a sad mood....always there..cheering me up... here's a pick of them...the white one's name is Anna and the brown one's name is Ophelia (although we call her Kit-Kat, Kitty, or KiKi)LOL!

Erin :)

Your poll options are totally biased.  I said yes, it should be legal, but not because of the cat's well being isn't "priceless," but because I don't want yet another law on the books micromanaging our decisions.

Don't get me wrong.  I love cats.  I think declawing cats is cruel.  How would you like it if somebody cut off your fingers to keep you out of trouble?  The whole idea of declawing makes me sick.  I just think a legislative decision is dubious.

If people looked after their cats properly, occasionally trimmed their claws and gave them a scratching post to use and trained them to use it, they wouldn't need to declaw them at all.

While I agree with that assestment, some cats will find a way to damage personal property even when well-manicured. And a lot of cats don't like scratching posts. Better to humanely declaw a cat than to put him down and pay for the damage later. (P.S.: Decalwing is not as painful to a cat is it seems.)
If people looked after their cats properly, occasionally trimmed their claws and gave them a scratching post to use and trained them to use it, they wouldn't need to declaw them at all.

It's extremely difficult for me to believe so many vets would do it if it caused long term discomfort.  Can't the cat be anesthetized during the procedure? 

I can understand the argument that it's an unfair thing to do to an outdoor cat.  But a law?  No.

A long time ago, I had 4 cats and a waterbed. My ex and I decided to have the cats declawed because of the waterbed. I made a deal with my cats, if I took their claws, I would take care of them for life and they wouldn't have to worry about anything. Well, all 4 of them are now in "Kitty Heaven" and all of them lived a long and happy life. (They were all between 15-18 years when I lost them). When I was down to the last one (Brandy), we got a little kitten (Electra)  who was a farel cat and had a wild streak to her. Since the old cat was declawed, we felt it would be fair to her to get the little one declawed too. (The waterbed is no longer an issue.) Once again, I made that deal with her-I would take care of her for life. Then we got Andy-who was an older cat and had his claws. At first we were a bit worried about his claws with Brandy since the two of them didn't get along very well. We learned we had nothing to worry about. After their many fights, Andy (the big fat cat with claws) would be cowering in a corner while Brandy (the small thin cat who was declawed) would be towering over him. We know who was dominate. So today, one cat is declawed and one isn't. Andy doesn't seem to use his claws in aggression but I think if Electra had them, she would. So it is a good thing that she doesn't have them or my arm would be very scratched up.  If I got another cat would I have it declawed? I don't know. I think it would depend on the cat.




Cat

Cat, the other white meat ( ;))  Like Cat said, we love our 2 little felines, but since they are both inside cats, I see no problem.  Outside cats are another story.

Cats use their claws to defend themselves, and to take that away from them is cruel. If someone can't handle claws then they have no business owning a cat.

I also think dog and cat deballing should be illegal as well.  Is this really the way to treat "man's best friend?" Why can't people just give their pets vasectomies instead?!?

Your poll options are totally biased.  I said yes, it should be legal, but not because of the cat's well being isn't "priceless," but because I don't want yet another law on the books micromanaging our decisions.

Don't get me wrong.  I love cats.  I think declawing cats is cruel.  How would you like it if somebody cut off your fingers to keep you out of trouble?  The whole idea of declawing makes me sick.  I just think a legislative decision is dubious.


Good point, my poll is biased.  I guess I just feel strongly on this issue.

it's true that it is totally uncalled for when it comes to outdoor cats...that's their only means of defense against everything!! I can totally understand the reasoning for doing it......I currently have a couch that looks like sheesh because of one of my little darlings.....i don't condemn anyone for choosing to declaw...I was just stating my opinion...that's all. One of my cats happens to already be declawed (front paws only..from a former owner)....it was funny...we had a mouse in our house 2 weeks ago...and she tried so hard to claw at it....but of course....there were no claws there....so stuart little got away!! LOL!!

Erin :)

Which raises an important ethical question: does a cat's right to keep her claws trump a mouse's right to life?

FYI, when a cat is declaw USUALLY it is only the front paws. I have NEVER heard of the back claws being removed. I know there are many vets who will NOT do the back the claws.




Cat

quirky, your cat Anna looks EXACTLY like my cat Mr.Whiskers.  :o

quirky, your cat Anna looks EXACTLY like my cat Mr.Whiskers.  :o


awww that's awesome!!

Erin :)

I'm a cat lover myself. I love all pets. I couldn't give my cat to be declawed unless it was necessary and it was done humanely with sodium pentathol. Of course, any anesthesia can kill if too much is inserted or there's a bad reaction to it. I hope I never need to decide on declawing my own cat (if I still had one.)

No, its cruel

How could anyone do that?

I have kitties! They're pretty and I love them. They don't scratch, but some cats do. And that's not cool, those things hurt like crap, man! I saw leave it up to the owners.

Can a cat's claws be clipped?  If a cat's claws could be clipped, like one clips fingernails, you could get the claws clipped periodically.  To removed the entire claw seems damaging and traumatic.

I guess clipping would be more expense and trouble than it's worth.

yes...they can be trimmed!

:) Erin

Can a cat's claws be clipped?  If a cat's claws could be clipped, like one clips fingernails, you could get the claws clipped periodically.  To removed the entire claw seems damaging and traumatic.

I guess clipping would be more expense and trouble than it's worth.
They can be trimmed and you can do it yourself so it's not expensive, but you really have to keep up on it.  We had to do our cat's about once every 10 days.
I was checking into declawing when I found out how painful it is for them and decided against it.  The article also said Canada and the US are the only countries where it is still legal.

I vote no...
I got an idea.... let's remove the finger nails of anyone who passes this law, see how they like it!  >:(

I vote no...
I got an idea.... let's remove the finger nails of anyone who passes this law, see how they like it!  >:(


Good idea  ;)  Seriously, though, I think any doctor who endorses cat declawing should lose their license and get some major prison time  >:(  Declawing your cat is cowardly and mean.

Good idea  ;)  Seriously, though, I think any doctor who endorses cat declawing should lose their license and get some major prison time  >:(   Declawing your cat is cowardly and mean.


The fact remains that cats ruthlessly and willfully kill simply for sport.  A cat's claws are no more valuable than a mouse's life.

The fact remains that cats ruthlessly and willfully kill simply for sport.  A cat's claws are no more valuable than a mouse's life.


Good point, but it's a natural things cats do.

Good point, but it's a natural things cats do.


Hello?  Since when do human beings surrender to the 'natural' course of things?

I don't think declawing is all cats need to be worrying about:

http://www.local6.com/family/4258907/detail.html

My God, is this guy for real?

I don't agree with shooting domestic cats, but I don't think that declawing cats should be illegal.  My cat is declawed and he was only in a little bit of pain for a couple of days. He was a stray kitten that probably would have died on his own. We got him declawed so we could keep him and so that he wouldn't screw up our furniture. If you have an outside cat though you should definitely leave their claws in for protection. Also, if you all think declawing them is so cruel, what about getting your pets "fixed". I'm sure that would probably be a bit more painful.

Open season on domestic cats?  That man is insane. 

Cats are animals, and hurting animals is wrong.

I don't agree with shooting domestic cats, but I don't think that declawing cats should be illegal.  My cat is declawed and he was only in a little bit of pain for a couple of days. He was a stray kitten that probably would have died on his own. We got him declawed so we could keep him and so that he wouldn't screw up our furniture. If you have an outside cat though you should definitely leave their claws in for protection. Also, if you all think declawing them is so cruel, what about getting your pets "fixed". I'm sure that would probably be a bit more painful.


In the short run being fixed might, but I've heard the pain of declawing may never totally go away.

Cats are animals, and hurting animals is wrong.


I agree :)

The fact remains that cats ruthlessly and willfully kill simply for sport.  A cat's claws are no more valuable than a mouse's life.

Cats are animals, not people.  To say they "willfully kill simply for sport" is to anthropomorphisize them.  A cat doesn't have a human sense of intent or self-examination.

I Agree, why mutillate an animal on the grounds that they are not in the same league as humans.

Cats are animals, not people.  To say they "willfully kill simply for sport" is to anthropomorphisize them.  A cat doesn't have a human sense of intent or self-examination.


Well, it's not really anthropomorphizing to observe that they kill because they deliberately set out to do so.  By 'willfully', I just mean that it's not accidental. And by 'for sport', obviously I don't mean that they're mounting the head on the wall of the lodge and bragging to their buddies about how 'Mickey thought he could outrun me, but I showed the sonofabitch'.  I just mean they don't need to do it to survive.

::)


Wiseass.

Sometimes they do need to do it to survive.  We had cats when we lived out in the country and we fed them but not as much as you would a house cat.  We wanted them to keep down the mice population in the fields near our house.

Your poll options are totally biased. I said yes, it should be legal, but not because of the cat's well being isn't "priceless," but because I don't want yet another law on the books micromanaging our decisions.

Don't get me wrong. I love cats. I think declawing cats is cruel. How would you like it if somebody cut off your fingers to keep you out of trouble? The whole idea of declawing makes me sick. I just think a legislative decision is dubious.
Yes but if declawing is kept legal IT WILL NEVER STOP and MORE CATS WILL HAVE THE CRUEL ACT FOIST UPON THEM BY HEARTLESS PEOPLE!!!

I don't agree with shooting domestic cats, but I don't think that declawing cats should be illegal. My cat is declawed and he was only in a little bit of pain for a couple of days. He was a stray kitten that probably would have died on his own. We got him declawed so we could keep him and so that he wouldn't screw up our furniture. If you have an outside cat though you should definitely leave their claws in for protection. Also, if you all think declawing them is so cruel, what about getting your pets "fixed". I'm sure that would probably be a bit more painful.
It changes them MENTALLY....Many times declawed cats turn to BITING to protect themselves or fend off annoying people...When I was in another mental-health program,the staff made me get my first cat,Sylvester,declawed after he made ONLY A FEW SCRATCH MARKS on some furniture..and I was not told about the ALTERNATIVE of claw caps...

There are alternatives to declawing such as having caps put on the claws...

I htink it should remain legal, mainly because it's just ridiculous to criminalise it. I'd rather have a 1000 cats declawed than see one baby or small child clawed in the face for not understanding that a cat is a natural born killer.

I htink it should remain legal, mainly because it's just ridiculous to criminalise it. I'd rather have a 1000 cats declawed than see one baby or small child clawed in the face for not understanding that a cat is a natural born killer.


Using that logic, should all rattlesnakes be caught and devenomized?  Should alligators have their teeth plucked out?

cats are just little people with fur....so leave them the hell alone!!


Erin :)

cats are just little people with fur....so leave them the hell alone!!


Erin :)


I agree they are sentient beings worthy of respect, but be careful not to equate them to humans: I'm not saying they're inferior, I'm just saying we must understand and respect that they think and feel their own way.

oh no...by no means was I trying to put them on the level of a human....I happened to hear that quote somewhere before and I thought that it was really cute......beings that I am a cat lover, etc....


Erin :)

Using that logic, should all rattlesnakes be caught and devenomized?  Should alligators have their teeth plucked out?




That's just foolish and spurious. First off, who said 'all cats must be declawed'? Only if the owner deems it necessary should it be done, of course. Which brings me to my next point. None of the animals you cited are domestic creatures, they all live in the wild and should be left undisturbed. Now say a couple owns a cat as a pet and gets the cat declawed when they find out they are about to have a baby... Bad decision? Cruel? No, it's a completely sensible thing to do.

If cat declawing were outlawed, those parents would not have the choice to take preventative measures. If their kid gets scratched because he doesn't know not to mess with little kitty, there is little they could have done about it. And like I said before, I would rather see a thousand cats declawed before seeing one child getting scratched in the face by the family pet because the government demanded that the cat keep its claws. Let's face it, the scenario I created is absolutely plausible and is exactly the reason why many cats do get declawed. In fact, when my nephew was born, my parents decided to get Pookie, our cat, declawed. Good thing too, because he was a curious and rambunctious little guy -to say the least.

That's just foolish and spurious. First off, who said 'all cats must be declawed'? Only if the owner deems it necessary should it be done, of course. Which brings me to my next point. None of the animals you cited are domestic creatures, they all live in the wild and should be left undisturbed. Now say a couple owns a cat as a pet and gets the cat declawed when they find out they are about to have a baby... Bad decision? Cruel? No, it's a completely sensible thing to do.

If cat declawing were outlawed, those parents would not have the choice to take preventative measures. If their kid gets scratched because he doesn't know not to mess with little kitty, there is little they could have done about it. And like I said before, I would rather see a thousand cats declawed before seeing one child getting scratched in the face by the family pet because the government demanded that the cat keep its claws. Let's face it, the scenario I created is absolutely plausible and is exactly the reason why many cats do get declawed. In fact, when my nephew was born, my parents decided to get Pookie, our cat, declawed. Good thing too, because he was a curious and rambunctious little guy -to say the least.
Did you know that cats who are declawed tend to BITE as a means of self-defense....I am not lying,that IS what happens IN MANY CASES when the cat is ROBBED of its claws....not to mention it can't even scratch itself if it gets an itch....it's like a quadriplegic who can't scratch their nose if they get an itch...

That's just foolish and spurious. First off, who said 'all cats must be declawed'? Only if the owner deems it necessary should it be done, of course. Which brings me to my next point. None of the animals you cited are domestic creatures, they all live in the wild and should be left undisturbed. Now say a couple owns a cat as a pet and gets the cat declawed when they find out they are about to have a baby... Bad decision? Cruel? No, it's a completely sensible thing to do.

If cat declawing were outlawed, those parents would not have the choice to take preventative measures. If their kid gets scratched because he doesn't know not to mess with little kitty, there is little they could have done about it. And like I said before, I would rather see a thousand cats declawed before seeing one child getting scratched in the face by the family pet because the government demanded that the cat keep its claws. Let's face it, the scenario I created is absolutely plausible and is exactly the reason why many cats do get declawed. In fact, when my nephew was born, my parents decided to get Pookie, our cat, declawed. Good thing too, because he was a curious and rambunctious little guy -to say the least.


Oh, I see.  ;)  A bit anthropocentic, but I understand.  If so, it should only be done as a last resort.  But I don't think people with little babies should get kitties if they can't keep em away from their kid.

Did you know that cats who are declawed tend to BITE as a means of self-defense....I am not lying,that IS what happens IN MANY CASES when the cat is ROBBED of its claws....not to mention it can't even scratch itself if it gets an itch....it's like a quadriplegic who can't scratch their nose if they get an itch...



Cats scratch with their back claws. As I said in a previous post, most vets WILL NOT declaw the back claws of a cat. Every cat that I ever had that was declawed, ALWAYS had their back claws. I can't say too much about biting because the cats that I had that were declawed was never in a self-defense position. They were all indoor cats.





Cat

Did you know that cats who are declawed tend to BITE as a means of self-defense....I am not lying,that IS what happens IN MANY CASES when the cat is ROBBED of its claws....not to mention it can't even scratch itself if it gets an itch....it's like a quadriplegic who can't scratch their nose if they get an itch...


I remember when our puppy Simba, a little pomeranian, would try and mess with our declawed cat, Pookie, she would just slap the shhh out of him with her paws... and it worked. Now, if she had claws in those paws, god knnows what may have happened to Simba. All I'm saying is that from first hand experience, a declawed cat live his/her life just fine. Pookie's still alive after.... it must be sixteen years, and still going strong.

I remember when our puppy Simba, a little pomeranian, would try and mess with our declawed cat, Pookie, she would just slap the shhh out of him with her paws... and it worked. Now, if she had claws in those paws, god knnows what may have happened to Simba. All I'm saying is that from first hand experience, a declawed cat live his/her life just fine. Pookie's still alive after.... it must be sixteen years, and still going strong.
If a cat has to scratch their face....I don't mean between the ears where the hind legs can reach...they must use their front claws.

All I am trying to say is there are alternatives to declawing that are less painful for the cat while preventing damage to furniture...or people. Soft paws/claw caps DO work and are not as costly as declawing.


My Sylvester ended up with arthritis in his front paws...but I think it was from old age...and he had it in his hips too I think...he would cry out a lot....He lived to be FOURTEEN despite having chronic FUS...he was a brave,gentle,and beautiful cat,also a true friend to all people he welcomed into his life.

You actually had a nice cat? Wow. Pookie, Cody (rest her fat soul, she was FAT and so so fluffy), and Oslo are/were all bitchy... but I like that because I can't give an animal my undivided attention for more than ten minutes at a time anyway. Cats can take care of themselves, that's why they're superior to dogs, IMHO. In any case, I can't stand pets. If I ever get another pet, it will be a rabbit or something. No more cats or dogs.

All I can say is that I will never have my Cat(woman) declawed. 

All I can say is that I will never have my Cat(woman) declawed. 


As if the choice were yours...  ::)
:P

All I can say is that I will never have my Cat(woman) declawed. 



;)  :-* :-* :-*





Cat

While I agree with that assestment, some cats will find a way to damage personal property even when well-manicured. And a lot of cats don't like scratching posts. Better to humanely declaw a cat than to put him down and pay for the damage later. (P.S.: Decalwing is not as painful to a cat is it seems.)
We used to have declawed cats,but don't get them declawed anymore because they need to protect themselves from dogs(face it--sometimes dogs need to "learn a lesson")the ones we had that were declawed didn't act any different.If you have a cat that';s a "slasher",sometimes declawing will save it.Cheers!

Don't own a cat if you don't want to get clawed.  Don't buy expensive furniture if you own a cat.  Realize these facts.  Of course it should be illigeal to declaw cats. 

Don't own a cat if you don't want to get clawed.  Don't buy expensive furniture if you own a cat.  Realize these facts.

I don't think either of those sentences qualifies as a fact. If you want to criminalise a socially and medically acceptable practice among pet owners, you'll have to find better and more conclusive "facts" than those, I'm afraid.

That's just foolish and spurious. First off, who said 'all cats must be declawed'? Only if the owner deems it necessary should it be done, of course. Which brings me to my next point. None of the animals you cited are domestic creatures, they all live in the wild and should be left undisturbed. Now say a couple owns a cat as a pet and gets the cat declawed when they find out they are about to have a baby... Bad decision? Cruel? No, it's a completely sensible thing to do.

If cat declawing were outlawed, those parents would not have the choice to take preventative measures. If their kid gets scratched because he doesn't know not to mess with little kitty, there is little they could have done about it. And like I said before, I would rather see a thousand cats declawed before seeing one child getting scratched in the face by the family pet because the government demanded that the cat keep its claws. Let's face it, the scenario I created is absolutely plausible and is exactly the reason why many cats do get declawed. In fact, when my nephew was born, my parents decided to get Pookie, our cat, declawed. Good thing too, because he was a curious and rambunctious little guy -to say the least.
Wake up,pal. This is the nasty truth about declawing...http://cats.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ&sdn=cats&zu=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.declawing.com

My Tika will never,EVER be without her claws....

I say 'no'.  Cats need their claws for lots of reasons.

That's just foolish and spurious. First off, who said 'all cats must be declawed'? Only if the owner deems it necessary should it be done, of course. Which brings me to my next point. None of the animals you cited are domestic creatures, they all live in the wild and should be left undisturbed. Now say a couple owns a cat as a pet and gets the cat declawed when they find out they are about to have a baby... Bad decision? Cruel? No, it's a completely sensible thing to do.

If cat declawing were outlawed, those parents would not have the choice to take preventative measures. If their kid gets scratched because he doesn't know not to mess with little kitty, there is little they could have done about it. And like I said before, I would rather see a thousand cats declawed before seeing one child getting scratched in the face by the family pet because the government demanded that the cat keep its claws. Let's face it, the scenario I created is absolutely plausible and is exactly the reason why many cats do get declawed. In fact, when my nephew was born, my parents decided to get Pookie, our cat, declawed. Good thing too, because he was a curious and rambunctious little guy -to say the least.
:oMaybe,but children still need to leasrn that animals don't tolerate abuse--if a kid pulls kitty's tail,he'll get scratched.He has to learn not to pull kitty's tail.

I understand that, but there is a difference between a moral discussion of cat declawing and a legal one.  A society can't go banning everything that gets one group of people upset. Some cat owners need their cat's decalwed. Sure kids need to learn that they ought not toy with kitty, but cat's can make that known by slapping and hissing... not to mention that any cat I've ever seen can bolt out of dodge like lightening. In terms of the law at least, cats are not as important as people.

A cat's scratch can do more to a kid than draw blood, it can spread disease. If a small child gets attacked by a cat for whatever reason, it can scar him emotionally for life. I realise that there are "alternatives" and "precautions" for every issue surrounding this, but it's not your place nor the government's charge to make those decisions FOR people. Cat's are not people, if their owners decide on spaying/neutering or declawing, it's their unique set of circumstances that need to be considered and it's their choice. What you're proposing is that choice be taken away.... well if that happens you can add that one to the pile of other choices no one has anymore because people can't realise that leading by example is more democratic than dictating.

If you love cats and you are opposed to declawing, then lead by example.

I understand that, but there is a difference between a moral discussion of cat declawing and a legal one. A society can't go banning everything that gets one group of people upset. Some cat owners need their cat's decalwed. Sure kids need to learn that they ought not toy with kitty, but cat's can make that known by slapping and hissing... not to mention that any cat I've ever seen can bolt out of dodge like lightening. In terms of the law at least, cats are not as important as people.

A cat's scratch can do more to a kid than draw blood, it can spread disease. If a small child gets attacked by a cat for whatever reason, it can scar him emotionally for life. I realise that there are "alternatives" and "precautions" for every issue surrounding this, but it's not your place nor the government's charge to make those decisions FOR people. Cat's are not people, if their owners decide on spaying/neutering or declawing, it's their unique set of circumstances that need to be considered and it's their choice. What you're proposing is that choice be taken away.... well if that happens you can add that one to the pile of other choices no one has anymore because people can't realise that leading by example is more democratic than dictating.

If you love cats and you are opposed to declawing, then lead by example.
What if a declawed cat...that is NOT yours....attacks you or your child? Ask any KNOWLEDGEABLE authority on cats....they will tell you that many DECLAWED cats tend to be very much on the defensive...BITING is worse than just scratching...much more of a chance of the bite becoming infected....and waay more traumatizing to a child...and sometimes adults too...Like I said before,I'll never declaw my cat,Tika....1)she does not lash out with her claws and 2)furniture can usually be repaired,refinished,or replaced....a cat's trust in it's humans cannot.

Not if he doesn't play rough  :)