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| Declawing | |
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| Topic Started: May 2 2008, 03:53 AM (64 Views) | |
| Naoko | May 2 2008, 03:53 AM Post #1 |
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Next year, when I get an apartment with Adam, we've been thinking about getting a cat. I've had cats and dogs my entire life, so I already know what I'm doing - I've dealt with training animals, been through loss, know how to take care of them, whatevers. I've been thinking about getting an already-grown cat instead of a kitten (for many reasons, such as the fact that grown cats aren't often adopted and end up getting killed or living their lives in a shelter, which is horrible), but if we were to get a kitten, the subject of declawing comes up. (For a grown cat, it would already be declawed, or if it wasn't... You'd be really messed up to declaw a grown cat. That's like getting circumcized when you're 20, except even worse.) All my cats have always been declawed at the choice of my parents - last time we got new cats, I wanted to do something else about it, but... A bit hard to dissuade my parents of that. OH MY GOD THE FURNITURE OH NOESZ. Anyway. The thing about declawing is that the only benefit of it is to make our lives easier - it gives no benefit to the cat. (At this, you might be like, "but spaying/neutering isn't good for animal, either!" Yes, it is. It can improve their quality and length of life, and it reduces the chances of many diseases, including many types of cancer. Very good for the cat in general.) On top of this, it hurts the cat in many ways. I used to plan on being a veterinarian, and thus went to my local vet and watched him do the spaying and declawing of two of my cats, as well as some other cats. Declawing isn't the removal of the claws, it's the removal of the entire first joint of the paw. Imagine if your fingers only went to that last joint before your finger tip - the entire inch-ish of your fingertip is cut off (so much for stupid manicures, at least you'll save yourself some money on vanity, eh?). In the end, declawing creates a lot of problems for the cat, and also for you. Since it's painful for the cat, especially when using the litter box... You's gonna have a messy carpet for a while. It also creates phantom pains for the cat - you know when a dude in the military loses a leg? You've heard of those people having phantom pains for practically the rest of their lives, right? Same thing happens to cats. Also, declawing can affect a cat's muscles and bones. Cats use their claws to help them stretch and train their muscles - kind of hard without the claws. Also, because lacking a joint of their foot affects the way they walk, it hurts their bone structure, and you end up with an arthritic cat. (Imagine walking on your toes or in some stupid high-heel shoes constantly. Bad for your bones, it really is. Not to mention that high heels are F-ing stupid, but that's another conversation right thar.) So. I'm sure you guys don't care much, but I figured I'd ask what you guys think about declawing. I'm pretty sure that next year, we're just going to get our cat some nail clippers and a scratching post. Is just something I've been thinking about lately, so... Feel free to ignore the topic if you like. XD ... Come to think of it, declawing a cat is kind of like trying to put a diaper on a dog, or feeding your animals "vegan pet food." That's messed up, people. Vegan pet food? WTF? (Also, I think I should mention... As I was reading about different things, I came across a lady who named 2 of her cats "Squall" and "Quistis." WE HAS A GEEK CAT LADY HEARZS.) |
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| LollyWolly | May 2 2008, 11:04 AM Post #2 |
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I've never had a cat but from what I've been told declawing them makes them meaner... which is understandable... if someone pulled out my nails I'd be pretty pissed... I think it's kinda mean. If you're concerned about your furniture then get a bird.. or go to Ikea. |
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| Naoko | May 2 2008, 11:13 AM Post #3 |
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QFT. Don't get a dog or cat if you love your couch and carpet more than your own living pet. |
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| Mr. Storm | May 2 2008, 04:04 PM Post #4 |
Child of Dust
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I don't like cats. I like dogs. But I agree with your analysis. Declawing always seemed a bit silly. If I did have a cat, I'd want it to have claws. That's the coolest part of a cat. Anyway, yeah. Get a scratching post and make him/her well-trained and you should be fine. |
 "I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason and intellect has intended us to forego their use." - Galileo Galilei | |
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| Naoko | May 2 2008, 08:43 PM Post #5 |
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So I wrote a post but I apparently did something to lose the entire thing, so... Whatever. What I said was that I like both cats and dogs, but cats are much easier for busy college students to take care of. Dogs require more training, they can cause more trouble, and they need more attention. While cats still need these things, it's to a lesser extent. Also, I'm not sure if you guys intend some of the things you say as advice or not, but I'm not looking for advice. I just wanted to know what you guys thought about declawing. We won't be declawing our cat, but we will be spaying. (And it will be a girl cat, if you've ever had animals the reason for this should explain itself.) I would like your thoughts/advice as to whether get one cat or two, though. With busy college students, it would prove to make the cats happier and less lonely. |
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