Is it men or women who are making the decisions to declaw cats?

by Michael Broad · May 25, 2012

Is it men or women who are making the decisions to declaw cats?

by Michael

Is it men or women who are making the decisions to declaw cats? This conversation is sure to get your juices flowing and the arguments growing!

It may be the case that in households where there is a man and a women, either married or cohabiting that they make a joint decision to declaw. In other words the decision to declaw the family cat is not gender based.

Or it might be that on average the woman of the house makes the decision to declaw the cat. This is possible because women are usually the motivators to adopting a cat and probably the people in a family environment who do all or most of the work in looking after the cat. This is because historically women are the housekeepers and looking after the cat is part of housekeeping or at least it can be classified like that.

Also women are more inclined to prefer cats over dogs, while men tend to prefer dogs over cats. We know this.

There is also the factors of protection and caution. It is possible that the wife or female partner is more likely to decide to keep the cat in permanently as it is safer for the cat. Women in general take decisions that reflect a more cautious approach. It seems likely that full-time indoor cats are more likely to be declawed because the argument is that they don’t need their claws as a defence. Keeping cats indoors full-time and declawing go together. Also the concept of full-time indoor cat is consistent with seeing the cat as completely domesticated while, in fact, it is not. The domestic cat is a whisker away from being wild again. A more cautious approach to life would also encourage a person to declaw because the argument for declawing is made on the grounds that cats can be dangerous through scratching and biting. Women are more inclined to avoid dangerous situations.

OK, now before we have a feminist revolution on PoC because I am hinting that possibly – in general and on average – the woman of the house makes the decisions about the cat, I will say that women are probably better suited to being cat caretakers and guardians. They are naturally predisposed to a caring role and they are more gentle and less threatening than men (in general – there are many exceptions of course). Cats are like babies in some senses. Sometimes, they can even meow like a baby cries. And this is deliberate as some cats have learned to meow like a baby as they know it pushes the right female buttons! Why then do they have them declawed?

There is another argument that possibly favors the conclusion that it is women who decide to declaw their cat. Veterinary medicine was formerly a male dominated profession. There are now (at 2011) more female veterinarians than male veterinarians. By far the majority of students at veterinary college are females. It is the veterinarian who makes a significant contribution in decision making when it comes to declawing. The “cat owner” listens to and normally accepts the vet’s advice. Most veterinarians in the USA declaw cats as a routine.

Let me say though that I actually do not know who out of the male or female of the family makes the decision to declaw. I am guessing. I need some help. One thing I do know, though, is that if an analysis was made on who runs the family household you would probably find that the woman’s decision is followed more than half the time if there is a difference of opinion. This is despite the fact that it is still a man’s world. The world is generally patriarchal. Although I feel that in America there is greater equality between the sexes than in many other countries.

Finally there are many single households. Research indicates that a cat is more likely to be adopted by a single woman, perhaps middle aged and older. If the profile of cat caretakers leans towards women it would seem fair to say that it is women who more often than not make the decision to declaw.

I am not trying to start a sexist war just a discussion about where the decision to declaw comes from. Comments welcome.

Note: I hope that I have presented a balanced argument. I am not sexist.

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Is it men or women who are making the decisions to declaw cats?

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Aug 30, 2011

Possessions
by: Ruth

‘You can’t take it with you when you die’

is a very good adage our late mother taught us and is how I feel about possessions.

It’s how you live your life and making sure you learn the lessons that teach you what is important in life that counts.

I know people who boast about their posh furniture, designer clothes, holidays abroad, etc, but none impress me in the least.

What does impress me is kindness to all other living creatures whether they be human or animal.

I know from experience that feeling angry, vengeful or bitter only affects one person and that’s the person having those feelings.

Aug 29, 2011

Roles/Stereoptypes changing today
by: Ruth (Monty’s Mom)

A local radio talk show host here in Milwaukee has stated often on the air that men are becoming less manly and women are acting more like men. In trying to raise “sensitive” boy children, we end up making them wimps. Women, at the same time, are becoming more like the men used to be– this is his argument. I think in today’s world you do have so many men who act like women and vice versa that it’s hard to answer your question. The “female” traits you describe could lead to a greater likelihood to declaw, but you’re just as likely to find males with those traits. I used to work with a very effeminate man who is an Occupational Therapist. He stated that, of course, all his cats are declawed. How can someone who specializes in helping people regain the use of their hands mutilate his cat’s paws in that way?! He was very into his furniture and things…

Michael, women are NOT less competitive than men. I have a male friend who feels as you do– that he enjoys being with women because they aren’t competitive. Ha! Women are VERY competitive– with each other! It took my friend Wendy and I a little while to stop trying to compete with each other. If we hadn’t both grown up a little we wouldn’t be friends today. Now we are able to admire each other without competing. Or maybe we are still competing and Wendy won, which is fine with me. She’s a genius and very talented. We were initially competing over who was the better church organist. I guess that was kind of harmless, but what about women who compete over who has the nicest furniture?

Aug 28, 2011

Hi Daniel
by: Michael

I like women too. I prefer to play golf with women. Less ego and most times less competitive. But it does seem that women are making these decisions more often than men. Only because it is their decision to make. No criticism intended at all. This is just an attempt to try and understand this problem better.

I am not sure if it is important. But it might give us some insights into how to stop declawing.

Thanks for the comment, Daniel.

Aug 28, 2011

Leather ????????
by: Ruth

Not this female Daniel, besides the fact that I would never have a leather couch because leather is dead animal hide, I don’t give a damn about furniture, it’s replaceable !

Aug 28, 2011

LOVE women, but……!
by: Daniel, NC

Yeah, I’ll start by saying I love women. I have 3 daughters and no sons, and wouldn’t want it any other way. Out of all the pets in my home, both permanent personel (military term) and fosters, there are two males, and seven females!

Not to over simplify the whole thing, but in my opinion when it comes down to who cares the most about that $5000 leather couch in the living room it is going to be the female every time, so I would have to agree with you on this one Michael!

Nothing personal to all you girls, women, and ladies, just a fact!!!!

Aug 28, 2011

I don’t know
by: Ruth

Well I don’t know how to comment on this very interesting article really (how on earth do you think them up Michael? lol) and I hope you get some comments from the countries where declawing does actually happen.

Replying to queries about declawing I’ve come up against American men as well as women, who think their furniture is more important than their cats toe ends. It seems that possessions are more important to both sexes over there than they are here, or maybe my circle of people are like me, purely and simply cat lovers whose cats are family and come before any possessions.

All the men and women in our country who I’ve talked to or written to about declawing are equally as shocked and horrified that it happens in the USA and Canada.

Of my cat loving friends who are couples, they seem to make the decisions together about if the cat needs a trip to the vets etc.

In my opinion you couldn’t ever say which sex makes the decision more to declaw their cats, because as far as I can see from on-line education, there are as many cold hearted women as there are men.