Declawing And The Cost Of It To Cats

Declawing And The Cost Of It To Cats

by Ruth
(England)

The cost of declawing to cats, is much more than the cost in the dollars paid to vets by the people who have this cruel operation done to their cats.

Declawed cats pay for the whole of their lifetime by their suffering, disablement and many times by the loss of their home too.

Sometimes the declawed cat even pays with his life.


Photo collage by Ruth

When he is turned out because of his problems, he is not only homeless, he is defenceless against healthy animals out there too.

Declawing doesn’t save cats homes, it does just the opposite!

The overflowing Rescue Shelters have enough difficulty finding homes for healthy clawed cats, therefore many declawed cats with problems are classed as unrehomable and they are killed on admission to kill Shelters or caged for life in no kill Shelters, without even making the adoption lists.

After declawing, cats face many problems: litter box avoidance and biting are the main excuses for people relinquishing declawed cats.

The very people who caused those problems turn against the cat they paid a vet to deliberately disable for them!

Meanwhile, the vets who declaw are advertising neuter/declaw packages and discounts on declawing, knowing they will make many more dollars than merely for the operation itself.

The cats ‘lucky enough’ to stay in their homes (although I think any home with people who even consider declawing is not really a fit home for a cat) will return to those vets with complications in their mutilated paws, behavioural problems and stress illnesses.

Even the cats escaping immediate problems have an uncertain future as more problems can crop up at any time. Claw regrowth or a sliver of bone left behind mean another operation. Painful arthritis in later life means expensive medication.

No wonder those vets encourage people to have their cats declawed!

Declawing is a veritable gold mine to them.

Kattaddorra signature Ruth

Declawing and the cost of it to cats to Declawing Cats

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Declawing And The Cost Of It To Cats

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Sep 12, 2010 YES keep writing Ruth
by: Fran

For almost 2 years you and your sister Barbara have been our anchors and our rocks.
I don’t think many realise quite how much you both do.
I do think more UK troops would have given up were it not for your example of staying power.
New folk come along but will they last?
We shall see.
I think a lot more appreciation should be given to those like you who have put a lot of hours and hard work into trying to help stop the abuse of cats in another country.
Along with Michael and Susan you are my four most favourite writers.


Sep 12, 2010 Thank you
by: Ruth

Thank you Babz and Finn. It’s good to know you feel the same way as sometimes it gets very disheartening working on an article and seeking out graphics, wondering if people are fed up of me on the same subject and worrying if they will comment yet again.
You’ve given me new heart to keep on writing in the hopes that when new articles pop up on google alerts, new people will read them and more cats claws will be saved.
To tell the truth I can well understand how the declawing battle can lead to people having depression and the feeling of hopelesness that no matter what we do, it isn’t enough.
I’ve been doing this two years now but it feels like two hundred years. So I admire very much the unsung heroines like Susan and other stalwarts over there who have been battling for many years but never given up.
Any small encouragement from the kind people who always read my articles and comment keeps me going and I certainly will never give up on trying to help save cats from this abuse.

Kattaddorra signature Ruth


Sep 11, 2010 Keep on writing
by: Finn Frode, Denmark

Hi Ruth. I like the comments too, because we all seem to have our favourite angles to comment from. I often feel like repeating, but then I remind myself that somebody finding the article through a search will not read all the earlier articles, so in effect it will be new.
Every cat caretaker won over means more claws saved, so keep on writing everybody. 🙂

Finn Frode avatar


Sep 10, 2010 Sad pictures
by: Edward

Man thats another good write up.Those pictures make me cry,I hadnt seen the one in the neck collar before and that litle face looks so sad.
I dont know how people can do this cruel thing and sleep at night.One things for sure they dont love cats or they wouldnt do it
Ed


Sep 09, 2010 Keep writing Ruth
by: Barbara

Every one of your articles is worth it’s weight in gold, as are all the declawing articles on POC. If education isn’t available it cannot be read, who knows how many people Google declawing and find their way to these pages.
Keep it up everyone, we might not think so at times but we ARE helping even by commenting.


Sep 09, 2010 Thank you
by: Ruth

Thank you everyone.
I worry you will get fed up of my articles about the cruelty of declawing but you are all always so very kind and I do appreciate your back up very much.
I always think articles with no comments are very unikely to convince anyone much that they are worth reading.

Kattaddorra signature Ruth


Sep 08, 2010 You Struck Gold Again Ruth
by: Jo Singer

I just so appreciate the work that you are doing for cats from so far away. Your country is humane, but we here in the USA still battle to protect our beloved cats from this travesty.

When will the folks in the USA get it that there is never necessary to declaw a cat. In fact, it causes a host of other behavioral issues and medical conditions which would not have occured if the owner did not have this surgery performed.

And vets that don’t thoroughly educate clients about the potential risks invoved are the ones most at blame.

So thanks for all the educating you are doing. It is an awesome task and one that cat LOVERS in the United States are eternally grateful.

Jo


Sep 08, 2010 De-clawers are NEVER cat lovers
by: Leah (England)

This is a vile vile circle of cruelness that sickens me as it sickens everyone I know even people who aren’t keen on cats (but I don’t know many of them) however even they say ‘thats awful; why would anyone do that?’ They just cant believe it when I tell them its because the lazy keepers can’t be bothered to teach them to use a scratching post and its because these same people don’t actually want a cat they want a living breathing stuffed animal that they and their brats can maul to their hearts content.

I despise these declawers with all my heart and I don’t care if you didn’t know what it entailed, its no excuse; you should have done your research. I had to have a procedure done on my cat recently that would ultimately be for his benefit but because of the nature of the procedure and the pain he would have to endure in the short term for long term comfort I worried myself sick, but you see in the end I did my research and got it done.

You see thats the difference between true animal lovers and declawers. True animal lovers suffer anguish then guilt that a neccessary procedure has caused their cat pain however declawers happily hand their cat to a butcher for an uneccessary procedure that is horrifically painful and disables them for life! They don’t even think their cat is in pain! For Gods sake what planet are you on!

No you do not love your cats and for as long as you declaw you never will. The UK and other countries view your ethics as barbaric and we cannot wait until its banned.

So ruth I agree with everything you say; brilliant article. You are a truly compassionate person who along with Barbabra, Michael and many others have saved the toes of many cats. I have nothing but admiration for you.


Sep 08, 2010 There is no need for declawing
by: Finn Frode, Denmark

Ruth is so right and it can’t be said often enough: Declawing solves nothing, it just creates new problems. The crippled cat may turn to biting instead of scratching when threatened. Or it may start fouling the furniture because the cat litter hurts it’s sore paws. Not to mention that having constant phantom pains from an amputation must cause any creature to go crazy!
The good news is that those problems can be avoided at the cost of a few bucks. Get a decent scratch board (or two) and most likely your cat will prefer that to the furniture. And best of all, you won’t be a cat molester with a bad conscience.
In the article ‘More cat scratching advice’ you can learn more – and also see pictures of a big happy cat with her claws intact. 😉

Finn Frode avatar


Sep 08, 2010 Too true
by: Rose

I hope those who still think declawing is fine read this and see the truth.
I wish we had some way of knowing how many pro declaws read these pages and if they feel guilt at what they had done to their cats.
I only hope it stops them doing it ever again.


Sep 08, 2010 Too true Ruth, you hit the nail on the head again,
by: Barbara

The thing is cats have one life and it is too short anyway, but it can be ruined forever by some jumped up selfish person coming along and assuming ownership of a cat, deciding what sort of lifestyle that cat will lead, deciding if it will be neutered or not, vaccinated or not, indoor or outdoor and worst of all if it will be allowed to keep it’s toe-ends or not. Now is it just me or is the whole idea of man having dominion over all being wildly abused, especially in the US where so many people take it upon themselves to legally maltreat their cat by paying someone to surgically cripple it?
Another great article Ruth, you are a voice for cats everywhere.

Barbara avatar


Sep 08, 2010 The cost of declawing
by: Maggie

It’s amazing isn’t it. The fact that a person can’t handle an animal’s claws, and so disable and destroy the animal’s life. It’s beyond me, I don’t why people do it, when the costs that the cats have to pay are so obvious. In fact, their predictable! There’s no excuse for declawing… It’s cruel. It’s heart braking.

This is a wonderful article, Ruth! One that everyone associated with or considering declawing should read!


Sep 08, 2010 The cost of declawing
by: Maggie

It’s amazing isn’t it. The fact that a person can’t handle an animal’s claws, and so disable and destroy the animal’s life. It’s beyond me, I don’t why people do it, when the costs that the cats have to pay are so obvious. In fact, their predictable! There’s no excuse for declawing… It’s cruel. It’s heart braking.

This is a wonderful article, Ruth! One that everyone associated with or considering declawing should read!


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