Although
offered by most veterinarians, declawing your cat should not be
an option for responsible cat owners. If your furniture
is more important than the new member (or members) of your
family, then maybe you need to rethink whether or not you
would like to have a feline pet. What needs to be
understood is that it is natural instinct for cats to scratch,
and there are ways to prevent them from using your furniture
as their scratching post. Read more about scratching
posts.
Declawing
is mutilation - not only is the cat's
nail removed, but so is the first knuckle where the root
of the nail lies so that it will not grow back. Imagine
cutting your fingers off at the first knuckle - "declawing" is
not like cutting off the end of your nails, it's cutting
off the entire part of the finger your nail is attached
to.
Because
cats walk on their toes, imagine how uncomfortable declawing
would make even moving around for a cat. Many become
overweight from not wanting to run around on their painful,
deformed paws. There are also some cats that stop
using their litter box because it's too painful to dig
in the litter to bury their wastes, and others develop
behavior problems. Needless to say, these unfortunate
kitties end up in shelters and are sometimes euthanized
if they are not adopted in time.
If
you've read all this and are still considering getting
your feline declawed, please take a moment to visit the
following sites. I guarantee you will be in tears,
apologizing to your cat for even considering the procedure. Please
be aware that some of these sites are very graphic because
they show the truth - please visit at your discretion.
StopDeclaw
This site has pictures of the procedure. And honestly, if the picture on
the opening page isn't enough to break your heart, I don't know what is. Please
read through this site - it's very informative.
Declawing
Horror Stories
These are stories sent in by cat owners who had their cats
declawed and found out the horrible consequences. A
few stories are by veterinary technicians who experienced
the recovery of declawed victims.
The
Truth About Declawing
This site is not graphic - it is purely factual with more
information on the procedure and complications that might
occur. I have only touched the surface on this subject,
so I urge you to go here and learn more.
So
You're Thinking of Getting Your Cat Declawed?
This article was written by a veterinary technician explaining
how the procedure is performed...what they don't tell you
when you drop your cat off.
A
Rational Look At Declawing
An informative article exploring all aspects of declawing,
written by a veterinarian.
After
reviewing this information, it should be easy to understand
why this procedure is against the law in many countries
including England, Australia, and Japan. There are
many alternatives to declawing on the market, such as Softpaws (covers
that go over your cat's nails to reduce damage if they
do have a scratching problem) and scratching posts sold
in all pet stores. Also, check out this site to learn
how to correctly cut your cat's nails: How
to Trim Your Cat's Claws.
As a
pet owner with three cats, I can honestly say that scratching
is not that big of a problem with cats. If
they are taught young where "good" and "bad" scratching
areas are, they have no problem at all. If you do
need help teaching your cat the difference between these
areas, please contact us and
we'll be more than happy to help.
Please,
if you are still torn between your cat and your furniture,
please contact us and we will
help you find a home for your feline where their claws
can be tolerated and cared for. Please do not drop
them off at a shelter, or worse, on the streets. We'd
rather see them have a good home instead of being abandoned
or euthanized due to the surplus cat population in shelters.
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