You may NOT Declaw that cat

Post by **Edi** » 2003-01-21 02:39am

I wouldn't declaw a cat. While I value my furniture, I value my pets even more, and it isn't too much trouble clipping a cat's nails once every couple of weeks. If you keep them clipped short, the cat won't do much damage to the furniture (if any). Cats do a lot less damage than a large dog would, because even if the dog is well trained and doesn't chew furniture, its claws will tear up the floor in a hurry, yet nobody suggests declawing dogs.

If I were to take a dog, that'd mean that the nice, beautiful wooden floor in my apartment would in a couple of years be a mess of deep gouges and looking fucking ugly, but that would be my choice and I wouldn't have any grounds to complain about it or blame the dog. A couple of scratching posts for cats don't cost all that much, and it helps if you have carpets that don't mind being scratched (carpets made out of strips of cloth, I don't know the proper word for them in English). Besides, if cats are taught from the start what is acceptable and what is not, they learn. Especially if there are many cats in the house, the kittens learn by following the example of the grown-up ones, so all you have to do is teach the first cats right and the rest will take care of itself.

My gf has two cats, and about the most damage they have caused is drop a couple of flower vases. They've learned by example as kittens. Our previous cat was from a shelter, but even he didn't scratch the furniture (unless he was angry and wanted to make a show of defiance). We unfortunately had to take that cat back, because it was used to roaming outside and we couldn't do that (second-floor apartment in an apartment block) and my gf was a little scared of some of its aggressive behavior (she'd never had pets before, but if we were to take that cat now, we wouldn't take it back).

If cats are declawed simply because the convenience of lazy people requires it, then those people have fucked up values. Taking a pet means also taking responsibility for it, they aren't just use-and-throw-away commodities like tissues, something far too many people seem to forget when taking one. I'm one of those people who happen to think that mutilating a pet just for the sake of convenience is wrong, and if given a choice, I will choose a cat with claws over a declawed one. The trick is that when taking a cat from a shelter, it usually pays to observe them for a while, you can learn a lot about their personalities in just a short time.

Edi

Tsyroc · Post by **Tsyroc** » 2003-01-21 02:47am

Edi wrote: If cats are declawed simply because the convenience of lazy people requires it, then those people have fucked up values. Taking a pet means also taking responsibility for it, they aren't just use-and-throw-away commodities like tissues, something far too many people seem to forget when taking one. I'm one of those people who happen to think that mutilating a pet just for the sake of convenience is wrong, and if given a choice, I will choose a cat with claws over a declawed one. The trick is that when taking a cat from a shelter, it usually pays to observe them for a while, you can learn a lot about their personalities in just a short time.

Edi

That's pretty much why I wouldn't declaw my cat if I got one now. If a cat can be trained to not be so destructive then the owner has a resposibility to put a decent amount of effort into being a responsible pet owner and that means training the cat instead of surgery if at all possible.

Even though it could be considered mutilation as well I'm still in favor of people having their pets spayed or neutered. Heck, if those are too much get them a tubal ligation or a vasectomy. That way they won't lose any body parts but still won't be breeding.

Post by **The Yosemite Bear** » 2003-01-21 02:49am

Still no takers on my dare to adopt one of the cute little kittens from up here in Yosemite.....

Post by **Edi** » 2003-01-21 05:01am

I'd be willing to take that bet, YB, if I got one as a kitten. Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately) it wouldn't be legal here. At least it would be an experience if nothing else...

Mind you, I'm NOT going to go and try to take the kittens from the mother, BAD idea...

Anyway, just how crazy would I be to take on that bet?

Edi

Dahak · Post by **Dahak** » 2003-01-21 06:20am

Edi wrote: If cats are declawed simply because the convenience of lazy people requires it, then those people have fucked up values. Taking a pet means also taking responsibility for it, they aren't just use-and-throw-away commodities like tissues, something far too many people seem to forget when taking one. I'm one of those people who happen to think that mutilating a pet just for the sake of convenience is wrong, and if given a choice, I will choose a cat with claws over a declawed one. The trick is that when taking a cat from a shelter, it usually pays to observe them for a while, you can learn a lot about their personalities in just a short time.
Edi

EXACTLY my opinion.

Slartibartfast · Post by **Slartibartfast** » 2003-01-21 05:20pm

Dahak wrote:
RedImperator wrote:And in Magical Fantasy Land, where everything is perfect, there'd be just enough cats for the people who want them and don't mind having their furniture destroyed. Unfortunately, as you may have noticed, we do not live in Magical Fantasy Land, nor a reasonable approximation thereof. You've YET to address the consequences your position would have in the real world--namely, thousands more cats who are no longer adoptable because people aren't willing to sacrifice thousands of dollars invested in furnishings for a cat.
I don't live in Magical Fantasy Land. I live in Germany. And declawing is illegal here.
Yet we do not drown in cats.

By saying that you do not drown in cats, you have just proved that you DO live in Magical Fantasy Land. So make up your mind.

Maybe if you lowered yourself to other people's positions, you'd notice that they are talking about an overpopulation of cats, and that they will get killed if people don't want them. And you are giving them reasons NOT to want them.

Myself, I couldn't care less if hundreds of kittens are killed. So much for not masturbating. Ha!

Dogs are better.

Slartibartfast · Post by **Slartibartfast** » 2003-01-21 05:24pm

ArmorPierce wrote:WARNING! By going there you are acknowledging that you realise that it is a gruesome sight and not for the faint of heart.

http://www.reigningcats.net/NoDeclaw.gif

You have been warned. That is why I posted a link and not a a [img]. Don't come complaining to me that I'm an asshole for posting that because you were warned that it might be highly offensive and if you complain, you're just a dumb-ass.

That said, wait for a few seconds while it loads.

Maybe I'll upload a video of my hemorroids operation, maybe you'll also think it's inhumane

ArmorPierce · Post by **ArmorPierce** » 2003-01-21 05:40pm

Slartibartfast wrote:Maybe I'll upload a video of my hemorroids operation, maybe you'll also think it's inhumane

I support declawing of cats if someone wants to. I dunno about humane, how would you like it if your finger tips were taken off but then again that's a completely different.

Slartibartfast · Post by **Slartibartfast** » 2003-01-21 07:42pm

It's especially different because we humans use our fingers for a lot of a more things than shredding stuff. It would be more likely to have our appendix removed.

When cats start having long fingers to be able to pick up stuff or dial the phone or use a keyboard, then I suppose you'll have a point.

Sonnenburg · Post by **Sonnenburg** » 2003-01-21 10:56pm

ArmorPierce wrote:
Slartibartfast wrote:Maybe I'll upload a video of my hemorroids operation, maybe you'll also think it's inhumane
I support declawing of cats if someone wants to. I dunno about humane, how would you like it if your finger tips were taken off but then again that's a completely different.

I'm not weighing in on the topic, but I've gotta say that if I could then sit on my lazy ass for the rest of my life, not doing anything unless I felt like it, not having to worry about food because someone's gonna take care of me anyway, then yeah, I'd do it. It'd make typing a pain in the ass, but like OddTodd says: it beats frickin' workin'.