Friday 6 November 2009

Frightening ignorance about declawing

Just browing through a few recent questions on declawing,I came across some very uneducated,incorrect and misguided statements.

I've left the spelling and punctuation exactly as it was written.
My comments are in blue.


Some of the answers to general questions about declawing:

Is there ever a reason NOT to declaw? Cats are already just annoying. They have to scratch the sh*t out of you and anything they please too?
As I've said before, having a cat is NOT compulsory.This person should be allowed nowhere near any cat let alone own one.


I declawed my kitten years ago because it kept climbing up my back and legs for attention. Yes, also because the furniture. I never let it outside because it wouldn't be able to defend itself. I didn't get the back ones done and dont know if they do it anyways. I'm about to get my two new kittens done within a few months because I have small children and I dont want the cats sticking to their backs!
Obviously hasn't done any research on declawing before she had her kitten mutilated ! And I've never known any kittens stuck to childrens backs !

We declawed two of our cats because they jump up on our curtains and rip them,they also scratch us really bad,and dont worry,i think the cats are put to sleep while they get declawed,its not that the owner does not love them or like them,they just want to be safe,i mean the cats use the litter box and they use there paws to cover up there buisness and when they scratch you there claws are not clean,and you could get infected from the sratch.
This person THINKS the cats are put to sleep while they get declawed ! THINKS they are....for 10 amputations I should HOPE they are. They don't 'get' declawed, their selfish ignorant owner 'gets' them declawed ! Oh dear their claws are not clean ! Nor are other parts of bodies, peoples bodies especially, but they don't have to be amputated !


I would declaw the cat. Cat scratches can cause infections and destroy furniture. Our cat was declawed and she was only in pain for maybe a few days afterward and she did not change in personality.
So that's OK then that the cat was ONLY in pain for maybe a few days afterward ! This person probably wouldn't know if a cat was in pain even if it was dying before her eyes !I wonder if she would like to be in pain for a few days after a totally uneccessary operation ?


A Question:
So we just got my kitten home from getting declawed and on our way home we had to pick up our super so we ran into walmart for like ten minutes and left the kitten in her carrier in the car. well when we got to the car she had chewed on her feet so bad that they were bleeding and torn up. She kept trying to chew on them so when we got home i took some old pieces of t-shirts and some medical tape and bandaged her feet up. What should i do? Is it o.k that i bandaged them up? is this normal or do i need to call the vet? thanks tons!
Had to pick up their 'super' leaving a cat which had just had major surgery, alone,in pain and shock, in the car !Bleeding and torn up feet, is this normal ?Just wrap them up and hope for the best ....oh, or should they call the vet ?

An answer to that question:
Take her to the vet!!! i have declawed both my cats and they NEVER chewed at their paws!! your vet sucks and obviously messed your kittens paws up!!
So the vet sucks ! Right, now we know.
But didn't we already know ALL vets who declaw cats 'suck' Apparently the asker didn't, nor this person who had their cats declawed and they NEVER chewed their paws !
Are people who have their cats declawed to be THANKFUL for that ?


Another Question:
Why is my cat chewing their declawed paws?
Two of my cats just got their front paw declawed a couple of weeks ago. One is doing just fine, but the other, however, has been chewing and licking at hers to the point where there is no fur on the specific part of the paw. I'm so worried, I don't want her to get an infection and rI'm almost regretting even getting them declawed at all! What can I do to keep her from chewing on them and causing further harm to her poor paws? Is this even normal for a cat to do, and will it eventually blow over?

A couple of weeks of chewing and licking mutilated paws, is it normal, will it blow over ? What might blow over is that poor cats life.At the very least she will be lucky if her stumps EVER heal, she may even lose her 'poor' paws.ALMOST regretting getting them declawed ! ALMOST !!!! Did this person receive any information from the vet before or any advice as to how to care for them after subjecting her cats to declawing ? I doubt it !
She had a very 'helpful' answer
Pop her on the head every time she does it, that will stop her.


Some more answers to someone asking about declawing:
Here is a description of what will happen to your cat if you do this.The wild fire in your cats eyes will burn out.Your cat will have depression, and wont be able to defend him/herself from other cats, or catch mice, or climb.This is part of the cat, If you do this, then go ahead and chop your own fingernails off and lets see how you feel.Might as well shoot your cat in the head with a gun since your pretty much ruining its short life.
WELL SAID !


Some pro declaws have their say:
Declawing is a choice that any cat owner should be able to make. The radicals who tell you it's a monstrous thing are hypocritical in the fact that they'll vouch for spay/neutering, a process that is equal in mutilation and removes an organ that actually effects how the animals body works. From vet tech, and involved in hundreds of declaw surgeries that went smoothly and had no long term side effects.
Another 'vet tech' who believes neutering is as mutilating as declawing and has been involved in hundreds of declaw surgeries that went smoothly and had no long term side effects ! REALLY ? And has this person statistics ? No, because none are ever kept !! This is probably another of those 'vet techs' who are in reality the surgery cleaner who disposes of cats amputated healthy toe ends as if they are merely rubbish.


Think about it like this you chop your fingernails offit hurts for 1 hour1 hour of your life is pain big whoopshe might be nicer Thats what happened to my cats. And your furniture wont get scratched up :)
Chop your fingernails off, it hurts for ONE hour ! One thing for sure , this person has never had their finger nails chopped off. She might be nicer ! I think not ! Best of all your furniture won't get scratched up. That's VERY important, look after your precious furniture it doesn't matter if your cats suffer, they are only living feeling beings, inanimate furniture is FAR more important.


They still have their back claws when you get a cat De-clawed.Cats also have very strong back legs thus letting them be incredible jumpers. While intruders can scratch but the de-clawed cat still has teeth does it not? While they can use tooth or claw they have teeth and back claws. While also they can pounce on their opponet with claws sheathed letting them knock out the opponet
Well they can knock out their 'opponet' Fancy that, just like in a boxing ring ! Intruders can scratch, so that must be intruders with their rightful claws. So what are intruders doing in the declawed cats home OR are they in the garden ? But surely declawed cats should NEVER be let outside ?


I believe in declawing because i hate dealing with claws. I got my male cat when he was 8 weeks old and he tore up my furniture and my legs. I tried to teach him how to use the scratching post but he refused. I love love love love cats. I have a tattoo for both my cats now and they are 11 and 1. If anything does happen in surgery with your cat getting declawed, its because your vet sucks
The cat refused to use the scratching post. So he paid the price by losing his toe ends.How hard did the owner try to teach him ? It's not a cat's fault if an owner fails to teach the cat to use a scratching post, it's the fault of the owner !! I love love love love cats.REALLY? You could have fooled me ! Your vet sucks ! Yes that bit IS true, as I've already said ALL vets who declaw 'suck'


I firmly believe declawing a cat is akin to a marriage ceremony whereby you solemnly promise to shelter and take care of that animal till the day they die. If you are unwilling to make that commitment, don't declaw.
So you should take an oath when disabling your cat should you ? Lets hope all the vets who declaw cats have this added to the pre op form which people sign their cats healthy toe ends away upon !

Another question:
How old does a kitten have to be to get declawed?
My Kitten is around 8 weeks old.
Thanks. I know it's bad to do, but my kitten is WILD he destroys EVERYTHING!

Wow, an 8 week old kitten WILD and destroying EVERYHING ! He must be a BIG kitten, is he a tiger ?


Another question:
I got my cat de clawed and now she wont use the litter box! help what should i do?
ok so my cat is now de clawed! thank God she was ruining my house! my arms, o and my poor dog's face.( i got the new laser removal de clawing) but my cat isnt supposed to use real litter in her box instead it needs to be filled with paper, but the problem with that is she wont use it. she goes potty everywhere else but the box, so im just curious if giving her real litter is it gonna hurt her? or wont it matter?

A cat ruining the house, her arms , AND the poor dog's face too! Naughty puss. Wait a minute though, hadn't the cat got a scratching post ? And what was the dog doing to the cat to make her retaliate by scratching its face? Where was the owner to let this happen ? Oh well, it's OK for the dog now as it will be able to pester the life out of the crippled cat without being scratched any more.
Will it matter if real litter hurts her ? Why worry about hurting her more, the poor cat has already been hurt beyond endurance !
A short answer from someone obviously VERY 'knowledgeable' indeed about declawed cats:
Its time to upgrade your litter


This poor girl couldn't convince her mom not to declaw her kitten:
The vet told my mom that amputating the joint was the OLD method and inhumane, so he "only takes out the nail and nailbed" Um, hello, same thing! the nailbed IS the distal phalanx! She believes him. No point in even telling her he's twisting it.
This is dreadful, this girl did her research,found out the terrible truth and tried to educate her mom who wouldn't listen.Foolish mom trusting a person trained to help animals but who agrees to harm them.


Another question:
How much does it cost to declaw a Tiger?
Someone has asked me to buy a baby Tiger. It would have to be a house cat though. I put in for a permit with the city. They told me they could train me to train it.

A sensible answer:
NEVER declaw any animal.and if this is a Large tiger ... call yourself dinner.


A plea:

Another question:
Why do my cats scratch the carpet, sofa etc, even though they have no claws?
They were declawed when they were little, most people do, because its comon sense to declaw your cats, if they have two, you know so they dont tear eachother up?

So most people do, its common sense is it ? NO most people do NOT . that's common sense ! They research declawing and change their minds when they find out the truth !
Two cats tearing each other up ? That's strange,over 35 years of mulitiple cats in our home and NONE of them have EVER torn each other up !Nor have any others in multiple cat households I know of.

Some answers:
They are taking their anger out on it.
They don't love you. you tore out their claws you sick person.
I have to agree !


Oh look a pro declaw popped up to answer:
Declawing cats is not animal abuse. it is a way to keep yourself, younger kids, and you furniture safe. think about what you house would look like if you cats still had claws. i don't think it would look to good.
Keep safe above all !! Cats are very dangerous ! AND keep 'you' furniture safe whatever you do !!!! Shock, horror if your house doesn't look 'to' good !

An anti declaw who sounds as fed up as I am of the crass ignorance of people trying to justify having their cats disabled:
Its a losing battle people, you can't fix stupid no matter how hard you try.
How true !!!!

Another reply:
My kitty does that too! They do have glands in the paws and it's another way of marking their territory...they're also just stretching too. Oh! My cat does it sometimes after using the litter box because sometimes the tiny pebbles get stuck in between their toesies. =) But still, my cat never had a problem being declawed. If he still had them, I wouldn't be able to let him knead and "make bread" on my arms and legs like he does a lot, haha.
Pebbles get stuck in between their 'toesies' I think that means STUMPS don't you ? Ah, he couldn't 'make bread' if he had his rightful claws ! Why not ? Our cats have 'made bread' for 35 years with claws and all !!!!


Another very frightening question:
I need my cat declawed due to excessive scratching. How much is average cost to verify that I am getting a good deal? How long do the cat not able to go outside?
Apparently this asker doesn't even know the cat should NEVER go outside after declawing. Not much research done by this person I'd say. Still he/she is more worried about getting a good deal ! Oh well, plenty vets to snap this up and whack off the cat's toe ends eagerly, without explaining what the operation is and the physical and mental problems which can develop afterwards.


And to finish this blog, a VERY sad question:
Please answer, need to undo de-clawing?
i wish i didn't de-claw my cat. she is so sad now. it was a mistake. how can i undo the declawing? i love my cat, please answer.


As we all know, declawing can NEVER be undone,the last joints of the cat's toes are gone FOREVER !

I think everyone reading this will agree that education and knowledge about the cruel reality of declawing is VERY VERY lacking !

Therefore declawing MUST be banned:
http://www.petitionthem.com/default.asp?sect=detail&pet=4312

One more point,there seems to be a lot of pro declaws saying it's declaw or death for cats, they say that is what last resort means.Strange, I thought last resort meant for serious scratching behaviour ? Why do people get cats if they don't like that they have claws ? And another thing puzzles me, how can it count as a last resort for kittens, before people even get one, knowing full well they can take them to be declawed. That's definately not last resort, that is not declaw or death, it's pre-meditated mutilation, as they shouldn't get the kitten in the first place.

















10 comments:

  1. For crying out loud, just reading these ignorant questions and answers makes my blood boil. What is with this casual acceptance of mutilating cats? When did it become "common sense" to abuse an animal and why do people get a cat with sharp edges then whine if they get scratched? Smug, cruel fools that they are, one day soon they are going to have to make a choice.... cat with claws or no cat! I just hope that day comes soon. Thank you for exposing more crass ignorance.

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  2. I was fuming when I re-read most of these questions again and wanted to put my fist through the screen in anger at the stupidity and cruelty that some people exhibit. Don't they know that cats "come from the factory" with fully installed claws? why in the world get a cat if the cat is not going to be accepted, loved, and enjoyed JUST the way they were designed. Makes me NUTS!!!

    Cat bites are far more lethal than a scratch. Declawed cats so often resort to biting and become aggressive. Why don't they just go to Walmart and buy a look alike toy cat, and let it sit beautifully somewhere in the house. Saves money on food, litter and never scratches.. GOOD GRIEF!

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  3. The blatant ignorance is frightening. It's shocking that these comments are from people entrusted with the welfare of cats they have invited to live in their homes.

    I'd like to think that lack of behavioural knowledge about cats is to blame, but I suspect the truth is that a lot of these people are not genuine animal lovers and should never have been allowed to adopt a cat in the first place. I understand shelters want to re-home as many animals as possible, but I sometimes wonder if these cats would actually be better off dead than subjected to a lifetime of misery with these cold-hearted people as their "carers".

    The only way to stop this cruelty is to ban declawing. I really hope that other cities in the U.S. will take note of what's been happening in California recently and follow their example.

    Michele S. (UK)

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  4. It's stunning how eagerly these pro-declaw barbarians strut their ignorance.

    America lacks any sense of self deprecation and this stops it realising that every single justification they put forward for crippling cats is totally fallacious.

    Bastards.

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  5. That has opened my eyes,I had no idea that people were stiil so uneducated about animal care.I have read your other blogs too and am gob smacked.Thank you for all this information.

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  6. Man this is just the tip of the iceberg too.No wonder so many cats are suffering being declawed when so many people are so ignorant of the procedure and the consequences.
    Innocent animals in the hands of such uneducated people is indeed very frightening.
    Ed

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  7. Declaw or death has me confused.Would people really have their cats destroyed if they couldn't have their toe ends amputated ? What does that say about people like that getting cats ? To me it says they shouldn't have a cat in the first place !A ban on declawing will stop these people from having cats in their homes and I think that's an EXTREMELY GOOD THING.
    Rose

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  8. OMG I had no idea. I didn't even know declawing is still legal.What sort of people have this done ?
    Thank you for bringing this to light.
    Jeanie

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  9. Hi Ruth, I am in admiration of your passion and fight to stop declawing. Well done.

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  10. OMG! Hi folks! I'm new here. But was reading all the ignorance on declawing and now I'm insane!God lord, do these people not realize that declawing a poor cat is acually amputation and dang barbaric? Perhaps they should chop off their childrens fingers at the first knukle and then explain to me that it's minor surgery!!!!Anyone entertaining the thought of declawing a cat should have to watch an actual procedure, have their own first knukle removed,and then decided if this is how thay wish to proceed!!!! Keep up the good fight Ruth!!!!! I'm with you ALL THE WAY! Anything I can do let me know!!!!

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