Tiger My Happy Declawed Kitty

I say THANK YOU to all that wrote comments against declawing it truly shows a strong love towards cats,my question is if we love our cats are we going to mutilate them for the rest of their life simply because of selfish reasons, I THINK NOT !
Cats will be cats & their beautiful pets as such.
I will pose a question to all if a child is drawing on walls, are you going to amputate his fingers, there other ways to train both cats & children eg when my cat started to scratch whatever vet told me to use spray bottle filled with water, she got lesson quickly & stopped scratching furniture, cats are intelligient & trainable IF their owner has the time.
Do not declaw cats just because they’re cats!!

After reading previous comments not once but several times, I have to agree wholeheartedly that “Tiger is NOT better off after being declawed” cats are naturally born with retactable claws to hunt, protect & as well as groom themselves.

To declaw a cat is cruel & sadistic, a question to you “how would you like the thumbs on both hands amputated ?”

It would be extremely difficult to dress, groom & eat. Try holding a fork or spoon without using your thumb.

You had Tiger deformed without his consent because he’s not able to verbally express his feelings. You mentioned “he’s better off” have you asked him?

Be ready to carry him to litter box or whenever he needs to move due to the excruciating pain. You will need to euthanize him at a very young age simply because some vet is more interested in getting more $$$ from selfish catowners than the welfare of pets.

Have a great life with Tiger.

You missed out two words; ‘Research where you will get it done and ask questions like you would if you were going to have THE SAME surgery’

Yep that’s what you should be saying because if you asked about having your finger ends cut or burned off you would hear the reply ‘What? are you mad? You won’t be able to write, pick things up, cook, dress, wash, work etc etc.
Well why would that be any different from the cat?
Precisely no difference because the procedure stops cats doing essential everyday things as well! like stretching his muscles, defending himself, climbing, playing to mention but a few!!!

Your article makes me think that it was written purely to wind us up. I think that because of your carefree and happy writing style whilst at the same time making statements that are obviously provocative to the anti de-claw people who regularly comment on this website.

You have emphasised ‘I think he is better off this way’ and ‘The benefits outweigh the risks’ you are deliberately provoking us either that or you are a complete air head and so stupid that you really have no idea what you’ve done however my moneys on the first one as your grammar is perfect.

I’ll bet you don’t even comment because your mission is accomplished.

Michael has hit the nail on the head.

So you are saying that if Tiger had bled to death from his severed toes or died of the shock of the pain or if he develops litterbox aversion or begins to bite you it was worth the risk?
Do you know he is now walking on bone because his ten last toe joints which cats walk on have been removed?
Eventually his paws and legs will become deformed and also his entire body will be affected because cats walk on the tips of their toes like a ballerina.
I can’t believe you think it’s worth sacrificing your cats health and happiness because you think he now won’t tear trash bags open.
He still has teeth you know so you’d better feed him as he can still tear with those teeth!
Pooing on neighbours plants,declawing won’t stop him doing that but it will make him very liable to injury or death by cat haters and other animals.
How smug you are in your ignorance and righteousness but in reality you have condemned Tiger to a life fraught with the possibility of probems and abuse.

Happy and declawed are an oxymoron!
Try accepting and declawed because a cat has no choice if their owner thinks it’s OK to remove healthy and much needed body parts.
How you could be so ignorant as to have this dreadful surgery done on Tiger was bad enough but you now let him in his vulnerable state go out to face dangers.
Strikes me you have done no research at all on declawing so how you have the nerve to come here and tell people it’s for the best is beyond my understanding.
The usual excuse to have cats mutilated this way is for the precious furniture,I must say I’ve not heard before of your pathetic excuse that it stops them tearing rubbish bags or crapping in peoples gardens.
Sheeeesh you take the biscuit!

Whoever you are you are a fool living in a fool’s paradise, you’ve convinced yourself that you are in the right, you’ve even convinced yourself that your cat is “better off” toeless, reality is you haven’t a clue of the seriousness of what you’ve done to that poor unfortunate cat. Your ego is blinding you.

You say Tiger is better off without his finger ends, are you insane?
Why don’t you go book yourself in for the same major painful surgery and see how happy you are afterwards?
Pardon?
Did you say but I don’t need to?
Well nor did Tiger need to, you chose to put him through it for your own stupid reasons which make no sense at all.
His finger ends were cut or burned off by the vet you researched for a totally unnecessary and cruel operation and you say it was best for him.
I don’t get why you have a cat at all as you obviously don’t like them.

Your cat can never again live a normal life because to do so he would need the last toe joints you paid to have amputated.
The vet you think is so wonderful cripples cats for money.
As for cats tearing garbage bags,as Ruth/Katt points out a cat has to be hungry to do that.
Pooping in other peoples gardens,I don’t see how being declawed can stop that,in fact poor Tiger won’t be able to cover up his poop without pain. Lovely for your neighbours to find poop on top of their soil.
And as the other Ruth points out,fearful cats go up heights,they need to,to feel safe.
You have left Tiger at risk from healthy animals outside.
I’d say your cat is far from happy,he’s just doing what cats do,accepting his fate stoically and bravely and has adjusted to living the half life you and your corrupt vet have caused him to live.
Poor poor little Tiger.

I reread your post and I noticed a pattern in Tiger’s behavior when outside. He’s always jumping up on something– the roof, the top of the fence, up into a tree. You try to make the case that Tiger, since he does all this jumping, does not miss his claws. I believe he does miss them very much. He knows he is defenseless and that is why he is always seeking the high ground. It is very common for declawed cats to live their lives on top of the refrigerator, especially in a home with dogs or other cats.

Also, I find your argument that he doesn’t tear open neighbor’s garbage bags kind of silly. I’ve never heard of a pet cat doing that. A racoon or a possum, or maybe a feral cat might do that out of desperation. Pet cats cause a problem for neighbors when they poop right next to the neighbor’s house causing a stinky situation. When I was a kid our cat used to poop under our neighbor’s bushes right by their front door. It wasn’t right that we allowed that to happen. On the other hand, our neighbors let their dog roam into our yard. (Our cat defended herself against him very effectively using her claws.) Yet we all managed to get along. The thought that you would need to declaw your cat to avoid conflict with neighbors is just silly, especially since keeping him under control is your responsibility and one that cannot be abdicated by removing his claws.

If claws are such a problem, why have a cat at all?

The benefits outweigh the risks you say !
There are NO benefits to having your cats toe ends amputated, certainly not for him anyway.
Neutering is completely different, it’s for the cats own good not for YOUR convenience like declawing is.
If cats rip open garbage bags it’s because they are hungry, most cats here in the UK have their freedom and don’t do that, the reason why is because they are well fed and cared for.
A declawed cat is a disabled cat and should not be outside, he is totally defenceless.
YOU don’t regret what you had done to your cat, YOU think he’s better off. I’ve never heard such selfish rubbish !
Will you still think he’s better off when he develops the painful arthritis most declawed cats do with age ? If he lives that long of course which is doubtful !
No not all vets have the same abilities but it doesn’t matter if you think you’ve found the best vet ever, if he/she declaws cats they are breaking their oath to cause no suffering to any animal.
Yes all surgery has risk and ESSENTIAL surgery should not of course be cancelled but declawing is NOT esseantal, it is CRUEL ! Scratching is necessary behaviour to a cat’s health and contentment, ever heard of scratching posts ?
You shouldn’t have a cat in your life, you have done no research into why declawing is banned as animal abuse in 39 countries and you certainly don’t love your cat because if you did you would keep him safe.
You have ruined his life by paying a vet to cripple him, the least you can do now is care for him as he should be, by keeping him SAFE !

Every community has leash laws for both dogs and cats for a reason. People have a right to expect that others’ pets will not come onto their property. What the pets do or do not do on that property is not the point, although I must comment that a declawed cat can still poop in a neighbor’s yard. Whether through leash and harness training, a fenced yard, a catio or close supervision it is up to cat guardians to respect the rights of their neighbors and obey the leash laws. Declawing the cat does not expempt him from the leash law, which exists not only for the sake of the neighbors but also for the safety of pets. You are letting a cat roam without his natural defenses. That is not a good way to look out for his safety. There is also an article on this site which explains the physical problems declawed cats face: “Declawing: A Physical Therapist Assistant’s Perspective.” Declawing a cat alters the kinematic chain, since not just the claw, but the normal weight bearing structure for that limb is removed.

Hi, thanks for posting. You say that:

“he is better off this way”

What you mean is that you are better off this way. He can’t be better of because he has lost ten important parts of his anatomy.

….and

“the benefits outweigh the risks”

What you mean is that the benefits to you outweigh the risks to him.

I think you need to analyse more clearly your thinking.