Banning Declawing Would Mean More Cats at the Pound

Nice to hear of Mae and Chilli enjoying their claws.Our cats like different sorts of scratchers, Jozef prefers the upright ones and Walter the flat ones,it's just a matter of trying until you find out what they like isn't it ?
What makes me livid is people who get kittens and have no intention of buying them something to scratch on,it's far too easy to get them declawed instead.Questions like 'I'm getting a kitten,how soon can it get declawed ?' or 'If my kitten gets declawed will it be normal when it comes home'
I want to scream'The kitten doesn't get declawed, YOU get it declawed' They make it sound as if the kitten chooses it !! And normal, how can the poor little soul ever be normal when it's crippled !
Oh it's so hard to be nice sometimes !

Exactly, I don't know why anyone would want to be a vet if they didn't have concern for animal welfare. There's so much training that goes into being a vet, which is why I LOVE seeing the dedicated vets who are all for the animals.

I'm doing quite well, I've collected a few photos for the video and have further ideas in mind. I'll start it next week and I'll probably finish it next week too. I've just been rediculously busy lately, I've hardly even had time to think about, so the upcoming break should be a wonderful opportunity to actually get something done.

Also, on a somewhat off topic note, I took Chilli to my mother's house last weekend to spend some time with her and her cat, Mae. Mae just got a lovely new scratching post which Chilli loved, both cats looked so happy have something that was theirs, and theirs only, to sink their claws into. And I've noticed a dramatic decrease of furniture scratching with Mae too... Now that I've seen it for myself, I know that there is no excuse for declawing in regard to the protection of furniture. All you have to do is get the cat his/her own personal peice of furniture and your problem is solved.

Yes we need more people right in the thick of it to speak out.I admire that vet tech because I'd have walked out of my job rather than assist at a declawing.But thinking about it, she is doing more good being there as she obviously cares about cats and is in a good place to put clients off declawing.
I'm a bit stuck for more ideas at present, how are you doing ?
We are saving quite a few cats claws here on PoC,
which is good to know !

What a great vet tech, I would love to hear of more vets and vet techs saying things like this. Vets do hold the fate of declawing, and the more vets whom stop supporting it, the more cats get to live a proper life!

We have permission to quote this written by a vet tech who we will not of course identify as she is in the precarious position of working for a clinic in which one vet declaws. She hates the procedure but feels she can do more good by ensuring the welfare of her patients by being there on the spot and she can also help educate people as to the cruelty of declawing.
She says:
'Even with our supposedly superior methods of pain control, we still routinely have declawed cats tearing off their bandages and thrashing in pain upon awakening from the operation. It was the sheer amount of pain control medication that we give these cats that first clued me in to how truly odious this procedure is.
Typical pain control protocol for a declaw at the clinic where I work includes both pre- and post-operative injections, nerve-block injections in the paws, oral meloxicam to go home with, and the application of a transdermal fentanyl patch- this last of which is such a strong opiod-based painkiller that, when used in human medicine, I have heard it is typically only prescribed for the terminally ill’

This demonstrates just how much agony cats suffer from declawing and we already know that some vets not only declaw, but give clients the choice of pain medication by paying extra ! The thought of how many cats are suffering from this senseless abuse is heart breaking.

When I was reading you article, Sherie all that it lead me to believe was that you actually don't care about your cats at all. Your dogs, clothes lap etc all come before their welfare and happiness.

You say that you wish there was another way......there is! don't declaw! Get a scratch post, get the claws trimmed!

What made my mind up was when you stated 'damage to pet dogs' What! are you completely mad!? Cats have claws for a reason woman! to protect themselves against pesky mauling brats and dogs that are even more pesky when they cotton on that that can do exactly as they wish to the cat and not get scratched! I've said it time and again on Michaels website thats how dogs and kids learn not to mess with the cat; when they get a warning scratch!

When I mention to people in England what happens to cats in America they are shocked; they can't believe it; they say 'why do they do it?' 'how can the cat protect itself?' This is just so basic that I can't believe I'm yet again trying to educate people like you!

Imagine this; as graphic and impossible as it may seem;

A week ago you were leading a happy life with fingernails. Against your will you had these as well as you fingertips removed. You can't do anything you used to, you're in constant pain and you can't understand why this has been done to you then someone tells you its so that anyone can do as they wish with you and you cant defend yourself. You get attacked one night & your instinct is to lash out to defend yourself but your defences have gone; you just have stumps so the attacker does just as he wants to you.........

This is the same for the cat; *They do need to defend themselves! *They do feel initial pain! *They are in constant pain thereafter!

Its basic stuff! wake up! Cats have claws for lots of reasons but you just don't care do you!

Please come back on here and tell us we are all wrong!

Your mother is the caring one and I agree with her I would rather have a few shredded curtains and happy, healthy cats that can defend themselves.

Picture this Cherrie Have your finger nails pulled off then have your fingers cut off at the first knuckle so the nails dont grow back!!!! This is the declaw operation. The cat cries out in pain even though they are asleep. I guess you'd get used to having small fingers eventually.

This came up on google and I came here guns a blazing to dispel that big lie only to find there are already plenty comments saying what I wanted to say.
I can only add how happy I am that so many are against this cruel procedure and join in saying to Sherrie to learn about it.
Sherrie don't take it at face value like a lot do because that's why it goes on
and on
and on
and on
and on

It's the same here in England Finn.Everyone reacts with shock amd horror when they first find out declawing still happens in the USA and Canada.
Even before it was banned here our vets would never do it and in all my years vet nursing only one person ever asked about it.She was refused of course and told she'd not find a vet anywhere in the UK who would declaw a cat or any other animal.
A lot of our 'troops' are UK people because we feel so passionately against animal abuse,which includes the cruel senseless operation called declawing,that we want to help get it banned.

Sherrie, Though I completely disagree with declawing and have never once done it or voiced the opinion of thinking it is ok, because I do think it is inhumane, I do applaud you for having the courage to say what you believe though it is a very unpopular view. I do hope you educate yourself on this topic, and I hope your feelings change, not because everyone says it should be, but because you feel it in your heart after learning more about it. I am sure you care about cats I just think you are unaware of the true disfigurement, pain, and trauma it causes. Watch the video on declawing on this site. I was unable to.I feel anyone who makes the decision to bring a cat into their family should know at the very least there will be some aspects that are unpleasant. Cleaning litter box, lol. This is a part of pet care and like it or not we do it. My cat family will always come before the material things of this world. Maybe people who care so much about furniture and material things yet are not willing to take steps to teach other behavior and opt for easy alternative should not own cats. Dogs chew, alot of times valuable items, we do not have their teeth pulled.

Here in Denmark declawing is not allowed, but seen as disgusting animal abuse. Although we have imported so many other things from the American culture, nobody wants to import the custom of declawing.
Actually when told about it people here shake their heads in disbelief and ask 'why don't they just teach their cats to use a scratch board instead of putting them through this painful mutilation?'
All cats over here have their claws and it's no problem. Why are so many American cats not allowed to keep their?

Spend some time at kill shelters Sherrie and see the unadoptable declawed cats killed.
Spend some more time at a no kill shelter and see the unadoptable declawed cats caged there for life.
Spend even more time at a vet's surgery watching a declawing operation,in fact watch two,one by guillotine and one by laser.Watch the cats wake up in pain and confusion.See some throw themselves around the cage in their distress and see some hunch in the corner.Watch the bandages removed and the blood cleaned off before the 'caring owners' collect their adapted cats.Watch them walking around,imagine yourself with broken glass in your shoes,that is how it feels to a newly declawed cat.Some cats suffer that pain their entire lives Sherrie.
You don't know the half yet you expect us all to say wowwwwww Sherrie you are so right,we'll give up our quest to edducate people about declawing and we'll give up on getting it banned.After all, your lap, your clothing and your mangey mutts are more important to you than your cats,aren't they!

No,no one should argue for declawing after reading your links on top of all the other replies Sherrie had had to educate her.
Can we all be wrong Sherrie?
Would you prefer to be amongst a small minority of ignorant people who profess to love cats but in reality are cat abusers?
If I was your mother I'd shake you until your teeth rattled and make you promise never to have another cat declawed.
Your cats are at risk outside.The least you can do after having their defence removed is to keep them safe.
Bad enough if a natural disaster struck or your house was burgled and your cats were out in the big bad world,they would never survive.
But that wouldn't matter to you,you'd be more concerned at saving your own and your precious pet dogs skin to worry about what was happening to your crippled cats.

This page
http://cats.about.com/od/declawing/tp/reasonsnot.htm
Includes this paragraph:
Declawing is Painful Surgery
Think of it as 10 amputations (if only the front feet are declawed). Pain meds may help initially, but phantom pain may last for weeks or months, as nerve endings heal. Dr. Nicholas Dodman describes the pain following surgery: "Unlike routine recoveries, including recovery from neutering surgeries, which are fairly peaceful, declawing surgery results in cats bouncing off the walls of the recovery cage because of excruciating pain."

How can anyone argue FOR declawing after reading this?

This is one definition of phantom pain: A sensation of pain coming from a part of the body that has been amputated, or in which the nerves have been destroyed

Phantom pain or sensation is experienced by most amputees at one time or another. Some have very little exposure to phantom sensation, some experience severe pain on a daily basis. Phantom sensation can range from tingling sensations to severe sharp, stabbing pain that can only be controlled via professional pain management.

Sherrie should also read this page about the feline perception of pain.
http://www.messybeast.com/pain-perception.htm

I just stumbled across this website and would like to male a comment on this article.
I disagree with what the author says about people not wanting to put up with claws. There are very easy ways to avoid their damage.
If the mother has damage in her home it is not the cats fault, but the mothers for not taking care of the claws.
I don't understand about claws hurting clothing or dogs or laps? Claws can be trimmed so they aren't sharp.
I just adopted a pair of cats and made a couple of scratching posts myself with sisal rope for very cheap. I put a railroad tie in my basement that they love to scratch. I also have a cat tree that I bought where they climb and scratch.
Cats are not being bad when they scratch things. It's the owners obligation to provide the right things for them to do so. My cats haven't touched my furniture.
I also do not agree with the author letting her declawed cats outside without their claws for defense. That is just plain dumb, and cruel. I feel really bad for these cats & hope declawing is banned soon.

I would like to add that cat owners like Sherrie are a MINORITY in America. The vast majority, 75%, do not declaw their cats. Sadly, another 25% do according to the AVMA. And it is deplorable how many of these 25% of declawed cats end up abandoned & relinquished to shelters. Another percent, that we will never know, end up euthanized by vets, but the vets don't want us to know those numbers.

The other day I saw a shelter with 6 cats on their website for adoption, 2 of the 6 were declawed! If declawing really kept cats in homes, there wouldn't be any declawed cats in shelters, on craigslist, freecycle, or in the newspaper needing homes. Or out on the streets trying to fend for themselves.

Declawing WILL be banned someday soon in America & cat owners like Sherrie, who are too selfish to trim nails & buy scratching devises, will be phased out from having them. Only true cat guardians who love, understand, & accept that cat come with claws will have them, which is good news for the cats!

Babz, I was just wondering, what are phantom pains? I'm just curious because I've never heard of phantom pains before...

Sherrie - I too live in the Midwest and have been involved in cat rescue for the past 20 years including volunteering at local county shelters, rescues, & running my own rescue network. I have cared for 100's of cats in my life. And I can say from my experience that your guess that more cats would be relinquished if declawing wasn't an option is DEAD WRONG! The opposite would happen - less cats would be relinquished with problems that make them unadoptable - national shelter surveys reveal that 70-80% of cats relinquished with behavioral problems are DECLAWED cats!

It truly sounds as though you do not like cats - which is your right - but to spread mistruths about declawing, which is animal cruelty, is irresponsible in my opinion. When you remove the 3rd phalanx bone of a digitigrade animal (cats walk on all digits including the one thrown in the garbage after "de-clawing) you are causing a LIFETIME of consequences & unnecessary pain for the animal. I'd recommend having all of your declawed cats paws examined so you can see the deformities yourself - compare them to the claw rear paws for a real eye opener & remember that cats have to walk on these deformed paws all of their lives.

Please do more research on this issue, including spending time at our area shelters & rescues so you can better educate yourself about this important issue. I'd be more willing to listen to your philosophy about this if you had the research & experience to back up your argument. Here are some good articles to start:

Declawing and Science - Should Declawing be Banned?
http://www.littlebigcat.com/index.php?action=library&act=show&item=declawingandscienceasummaryofthefacts

Good Cats Wear Black:

The Facts About Declawing:
http://maxshouse.com/facts_about_declawing.htm

The Paw Project:

Declaw & Behavioral Issues:

Kudos to your mother,she has happy healthy cats.Albeit she's misguided about having her house scratched when she could so easily teach her cats to use scratching posts.She doesn't deserve a daughter like you who thinks disabling cats is Ok in order for the 'privelage' of living with you.
You wish it wasn't so painful for cats,you wish for better pain medication.For what?Needless pain that's what.
You wish laser declawing wasn't too expensive.
Well you know what I wish?I wish people like you would research your subject and find out that laser declawing is no different to cheaper methods.I wish you'd find out that thousands of cats aged from newly born to elderley have suffered and are still suffering in declawing experiments by scientists trying to perfect the procedure to please lazy ignorant people like you.I wish you'd find out about the thousands if not millions of cats living lives of pain and fear.Look at your own cats,problems can occur even years after the amputations,it's like an axe hanging over your head,when will it fall on you?
Pounds have many declawed cats and many more barely make it past the door,they are killed on admission because of problems from declawing.
Do some homework then come back Sherrie.

Well man youve got yourself some great answers already and I hope you are taking notice of them.
I was born into a family with cats and Ive had cats all my life since and my house isnt scratched to bits like your mothers is.If it was then Id blame myself for not having scratching posts and pads around that cats need for their health.Im not an educated man but I make sure what Im talking about rather than spout kett like you have.Eat your heart out man that youve caused your cats pain and misery and they are doomed to painful arthritis in their joints because you chose to stop them doing what they need to do.You crippled those cats by having a bad vet remove very essential parts of your cats.
My own sister has pet dogs and her cats have claws,the dogs respect the cats cos she would never put the welfare of one species above another.She has little kids too,she teaches them all human and animal RESPECT for each other.
You need a dose of RESPECT Shellie man,that is respect for your cats.Respect for your mother too.I wonder how shed feel about you blathering on about stuff you know buckleys about.
A ban wouldnt mean more cats in Pounds,it would mean cats living the lives they were meant to, with the claws they were born with and need and in kind forever homes,not with people like you.
Ed

Declawing does not guarantee a cat a home for life. That is just one of the myths perpetuated by vets and lazy people to justify an act of animal cruelty. Are you aware that at any one time approximately 3-7% of cats in North American shelters are already declawed? (I have the research data to back up these figures). These poor animals had their feet mutilated by people who clearly felt no love or long term commitment towards them. If declawing were banned everywhere it would ensure that only genuine cat lovers adopted them.

It would be much cheaper and kinder to educate the general public on natural cat behaviour and appropriate methods of teaching them claw manners. This is how it works in the 38 countries where declawing is already illegal. We have babies, kids, furniture and citizens with compromised immune systems and yet we live happily with cats and their claws. It only takes a little patience and kindness to encourage them to use a scratch item and there's a wealth of information available on the internet on how to do this.

If you honestly think that more cats will be abandoned or euthanised because owners are not allowed to have their toes amputated. That says a lot about your zero tolerance attitude towards cats. Your mum needs to put more effort into encouraging her cats to use scratchers, but at least she cares more about the welfare of her cats than her furniture. Owners are meant to protect their pets from harm - not pay vets to inflict it upon them.

Laser declawing is no less painful or mutilating than any other method of declawing. That's just another myth used by unscrupulous vets in an attempt to recoup some of the cost of purchasing expensive equipment. Consider this - on which cats do vets practise using their new laser? Their patients of course, and some of the injuries sustained are horrendous or even fatal.

Another “cat lover” who thinks the huge price of declawing is not too much to ask for her cats to have the dubious privilege of belonging to her! Well Sherrie, you couldn’t be more wrong. You talk about cats destroying furniture & causing serious harm & I have to agree with what has already been said, you are wildly exaggerating this, yes cats will scratch on furniture & other household surfaces but why is this such a surprise? It isn’t a secret that cats have claws & it isn’t compulsory for anyone to take a cat into their home, so having chosen to share your home with a cat why act surprised when the cat instinctively scratches? And why can’t you provide scratching equipment & show the cat from kittenhood how to use it? Would you produce a baby & expect it to grow up with all the social graces without any training? I think not, so why expect it of a kitten? The answer is of course that declawing is available & far too handy for the average “owner” who feels the need to possess a cat but doesn’t want to be bothered with any training, throw some money at a vet & hey presto the toe ends are removed for you. You dismiss a few days of pain as inconsequential, I’d like to see you function with your finger ends removed & having to start & use them immediately, remembering that cats walk on the parts of their paws that you think are disposable!

You also seem to think that it is acceptable to amputate cat’s toe ends for the sake of pet dogs, for goodness sake if you don’t realise that a dog can harm a cat far more than the cat can harm the dog then seriously you shouldn’t be having pets in your home at all. And you’re worried about your lap & your clothes, you poor diddums, well an easy answer is don’t have the cat on your lap. Better that than the cat having to be crippled to earn that, second, dubious privilege!

You live in Akron Ohio, I’ve just done a search of cats in rescue shelters near you & there are 196 declawed cats sat there desperately waiting for homes. If declawing is so desirable & keeps cats away from pounds can you please explain to me what those disabled cats are doing there, because it seems to me that declawing hasn’t saved them from losing their homes.

You seem to think burning the toe ends off is more humane that slicing them off, well although laser declawing is less bloody at the time of the amputation it has been proved that the pain of laser declawing is no different to that of the scalpel, the long-term effects including phantom pains in the stumps are just the same too. Cats NEED their toe ends, just like you use need finger ends, they need them for exercise, scratching, balance & climbing as well as defence (against pet dogs!)

You need to do some serious research; it is dangerous & silly to post on a subject that you obviously do not understand. You think your mom is lacking because her house is trashed? Well dear she obviously has a lot more sense & compassion than you do.

If you think cats having the last toe joints hacked or burned off is a fair price to pay for a forever home you are badly mistaken.
To protect pet dogs,clothing and laps you say.
Tell me who protects the defenceless cat from the pestering"pet"dog?Are the cats not"pet"cats?
No they are in your eyes and others like you second class to dogs.Are your dogs declawed?If not,why not?Cats feel as much pain as dogs Sherrie.Dogs can do as much if not more damage than cats with their claws.So do you believe dogs should go through a week of pain for forever homes too?If not why not?
Your crippled defenceless cats should not be outside.Did the butcher who hacked off their toes not tell you that?Maybe he was too busy counting his money made from your cats fear and suffering.
It makes me annoyed that you come on these pages which are enjoyed by REAL cat lovers and try to push your biased uneducated viewpoint on other people.
Go and have your own finger ends removed,be crippled just like your cats are,lets see if you can still type your rubbish then.
I think you will probably be like the rest of the prodeclaws who hide from and dismiss the truth and you are the very reason declawing must and will be made illegal asap.

A week of pain then a happy forever home,you ARE joking of course.You think cats should be grateful to go through the pain and distress of TEN amputations,afterwards living disabled lives, to be allowed to live with YOU who doesn't know the first thing about their welfare.
Which planet do you live on Sherrie?Certainly not the same one I and others who detest the convenience mutilation of cats live on!
WHEN declawing is banned and mark my words it WILL be,only people who really do love cats will have them in their homes.
You've also fallen for that rumour put around that laser declawing is more humane.Lasering removes toe ends too you know!
It's people like you encouraging vets who declaw to keep on breaking their oath to harm no animal.
You are filling their tills with blood money.
Declawing is banned in 38 countries for good reason,it is senseless unwarranted animal ABUSE.
Open your eyes Sherrie,look at the pages on here of suffering declawed cats.
WHEN it IS BANNED,it won't mean more cats in the Pound,there are no more cats in the Pounds in countries where it is already banned.The cats that are in Pounds in all countries are there because the people who put them there shouldn't have been allowed to have them in the first place.
What a ban will mean is that ignorant people like YOU won't be able to cripple cats for your own convenience any more.
That day can't come soon enough.
Good on your mother,she at least is not a cat abuser.

Sherrie you are totally and completely wrong !
For a start you obviously don't even know declawed cats should NEVER be allowed outside.They are at high risk from HEALTHY animals your DISABLED cats have no defence against.
If your mom's house is a mess then it's her own fault, but having said that I admire her greatly for having healthy happy cats and putting them before inanimate possessions.
Have neither of you heard of scratching posts ? They are furniture for cats and they are very necessary as cats need to scratch to exercise their muscles.That's why declawed cats develop painful arthritis, because they can't do this essential exercise.
You blithely talk of a few days of pain,Sherrie it's a lifetime of pain and disablement you have condemned your cats to.
You 'hear' lasering is more humane, you hear WRONG ! Lasering is just the same as any other methd, it amputates the cats end toe joints and leaves them crippled.There is NO WAY in the world declawing is humane ! Have you not read the other pages on here ? Seen the pictures and the videos? You'd beter start right now Sherrie and see just what declawing is.
Banning declawing would NOT mean more cats at the Pound because those ignorant cruel people who have their cats declawed simply would not get a cat ! People get a kitten knowing full well they can have it adapted to a clawless toy. Sherrie declawing is a LAST RESORT procedure,NOT an alternative for lazy people to teaching their cats to use a scratching post.
Do you know how many declawed cats end up at the Pound because of behavioural or physical problems from the amputation of their toes?
Do you know how many declawed cats are injured or killed by the 'pet dog' of the family they have no defence against ?Do you know how many declawed kittens are abused by children who think they are toys ?
Do your research Sherrie before you come on here lecturing those of us who have done OUR research and know the TRUTH that declawing is NOT ACCEPTABLE.

That is absolutely rediculous, declawed cats are put in pounds due to the fact that they are declawed, people can't handle the fact that the cats are in agony 24/7 and they can't live life like a normal cat due to their mutilated paws and unnecessary disability.

Declawing is banned in my country, and let me guarantee that the rate of homeless cats is no greater...

If only it was merely a week of pain, I'm sorry to break it to you, but it's a life time of pain, and shredded furniture is NO reason to declaw cat, and I am so sick of hearing. They're inanimate objects there are billions of them which are exactly the same, personally, I would rather a destroyed chair than a destroyed cat.

There is no good reason for declawing, it's cruel and heartless. Anyone who supports it should have their fingers and toes burnt off by a laser or chopped off leaving them disabled and in a life time of pain.

Hi Sherrie, thanks for visiting and sharing your thoughts.

I have to say, though, that I think you are wrong. And I don't mean wrong about more cats being abandoned if there was a ban on declawing. If declawing was banned there would be more abandoned cats initially but in the long term there would be many less and there would be millions of whole intact cats the way they should be, no crippled cats and no pain from this ghastly operation.

What you are saying is that the human race created the bizarre situation in the USA where one horrible wrong (declawing cats) prevents another wrong (abandoning cats). I think the people of America can do better than that, don't you?

The situation is a mess. The only answer is to go back to basics and respect the cat, treat the cat properly and decently and to ensure that only the people who keep cats have the cat's interests at heart. Declawing is for the convenience of the person lets not forget.

Secondly, you are exaggerating when you describe the kind of damage claws do. Yes, there may be some scratch damage on some furniture but with the proper mindset it is acceptable. If we keep cats we should accept the possibility of some damage. If we have children we accept some mess don't we? What is the difference?

It is about attitude. And for me and many millions of people like me your attitude is incorrect.

We need to start with doing the right thing - respect the cat and don't declaw. Then we figure out how to proceed from there. Two wrongs don't make a right.