So I must be the only person with no life

[Sicy]

Omg. .. no cats do not need their claws taken out. Please dont declaw your cat. It is the cruelest thing you could possibly do to it. Read the last few responses up here by myself and U2kitten on declawing.

And Please please if you care about cats, read this information..

http://www.declawing.com/

And if that doesnt change your mind, take a look at this site:

http://declaw.lisaviolet.com/declawpics.html

There are so many different alternatives. You can TEACH your cats where to scratch. I have done it with my cats. There are also these caps called softpaws www.softpaws.com that you can put over their claws if it becomes too bad. Please do some research on cats and how to care for them before you take one in

*edited to add

I also trim my cats nails at least once a week.. best time to do it is while they are sleeping. Just push the little paw pad until the nail pops out and trim the end..being careful not to cut into the pink area because they have blood vessles there.

Also, provide them with scratching posts and cat trees at least 3 feet high as they like to stretch when they scratch. You can spray them with catnip or rub catnip on them to entice scratching them.

Also, declawed cats not only have health problems because of it but they almost always become "biters" because they feel they have no self defense other than to bite.

I have a lot to say on this subject.. I am not trying to offend, just educate.

 

[Liesje]

Thanks, Sicy. However, I have already been educated on this matter by many a cat owner and I've decided since the cat will ALWAYS be indoors and until I actually have my own house, it will need the front claws out. I don't think declawing is unethical and the lab the cats are from has it's own panel of vets and scientists that don't work for the lab who decide which proceedures are practiced.

I've never met a cat that suffered lasting effects because it had no claws. I've also never met a "biter" that didn't have claws. The cats I know that bite the most are my friend's two and hers still have all their claws because they go outside (I think they bite b/c when they were kittens, she played with them by putting a sock on her hand and letting them attack it, so now they bite everyone who touches them).

I'll probably still get it a post because I know they like to scratch even when they don't have claws.

I know we don't agree and that's fine. Cat owners always seem to be split on this issue. I don't have a problem with clawed cats, I just don't think it's appropriate in my situation.

All I need to know is if there's a difference between having the front declawed, or the front and back. I don't see any reason to take out the back claws, but maybe there's something I don't know about...

 

[Sicy]

If you were educated about this you wouldnt do it. I am truly disgusted at your decision but I wont argue with you about it.. its your cat and your decision.

For gods sakes please dont declaw the back too.. there is no reason for it.

That's all I'm going to say. I actually feel sick now.

 

[Liesje]

Unfortunately, it's not my house or my furniture in question, so ultimately, it's not my decision. I get to pick the cat since when I have my own place, it will become mine. I don't have any problems with clawed cats (-or declawed ones I guess. I have more beef with domestically bred cats that are allowed to roam outside where they are in danger of being hurt by other animals or hurting other people's animals. I believe there are FAR more health risks associated with this than with declawing an indoor cat, but ANYWAY...). Who knows, by the time I can get an appoinment, I might get one that's already declawed. A while ago, I talked to a friend who works in the lab and she said the kitties are going fast and a few have already had the proceedure and the most adorable, outgoing, and playful cat has already had it done. She described her to me and she sounds like the perfect cat we are looking for. If the guys can live with a clawed cat, it won't need to be declawed, but I'm not going to pick a cat that's not as outgoing or friendly just because it still has claws. Maybe the guys would get a kick out of those colored SoftPaws though....

PS. Please don't say I'd pick one way or the other if I were educated. I am educated. I've already read that website and a bunch of others like it. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions. Lot's of medical proceedures for humans AND animals are constantly debated and it's not fair to call one side uneducated.

 

[U2Kitten]

I agree Sicy. Like I put in my other post, it is cruel and it handicaps the cat. I've heard too many people think it's no more than cutting their toenails, but it's like cutting off the last joint in a person's finger. Cats use their claws as fingers in lots of ways, so a paw with no claws is like a person's hand with no fingers at all. A cat is more likely to fall out of a window if they can't catch themselves with their claws. Tragically, I once had a neighbor whose cat hung himself to death while tethered outside on a little leash. He jumped off the deck and hung there until he choked to death. The vet told her if he'd had claws, he would have been able to pull himself back up on the deck.

 

[Liesje]

A cat is more likely to fall out of a window if they can't catch themselves with their claws. Tragically, I once had a neighbor whose cat hung himself to death while tethered outside on a little leash. He jumped off the deck and hung there until he choked to death. The vet told her if he'd had claws, he would have been able to pull himself back up on the deck.

Neither of those situations would EVER happen to my cat b/c it will not go outside for ANY reason other than to be carried to the car. Cats on leashes need to be supervised. My friend's cat is often on a leash but he always gets stuck in the tree and sometimes is hanging there (and he has all his claws still) so I don't think leashing a cat and leaving it is a good idea at all. Domestically bred cats should remain inside where they belong. They don't need to go out, and when they do, they just get mad b/c they can't anymore. Once I took Ellen's kitty outside on a harness for a few minutes, and for a week after, she meowed at the window. Big mistake. It's best to not let them know what they're missing!

And my kitty will not fall out of the window b/c I've figured out a way to keep it in. The windows upstairs aren't screened, but I forgot that they all have a special fan with a part that fits snug into the window so no animals can get in or out on the sides or top of the fan.

So delcaed or clawed, kitty will remain indoors at all times. There's not point in it going outside anyway. It will live in a residential neighborhood (and NOT a good one at that!) full of rotweilers and pit bulls and mean people who would probably steal it or torture it like on the Animal Cops show. The house it will live in doesn't even have a yard or trees so kitty will have more (SAFE) fun inside the house with us and if it wants to hunt, I'm sure there's a mouse or two already in the house.

 

[U2Kitten]

There's no such thing as 'never.' Last night I came home and found Bono under the back porch in the dark! I had no idea how he got out, and everybody swore they didn't see him get out. There are a lot of accidents and the more who live in a house or apt. the more likely there is he could accidently slip through someone's legs.

 

[Liesje]

7 hours until I pick out my kitty!....

 

[kellyahern]

7 hours until I pick out my kitty!....

awww

Do you have a name picked out for him/her yet? (I don't remember if you posted if it was male or female )

Is it gonna be a U2 related name? (I always thought it would be neat to name a pet "The Edge" )

 

[Liesje]

We picked her! She is a light gray tabby with slightly longer hair than most tabby shorthairs. She's getting spayed on Dec. 3 and can come home once she recovers. No name is picked yet.

 

[U2Kitten]

Maybe you can give her a U2 related name

 

[verte76]

Cute!!!! I remember my sister took forever to pick a name for her kitty. She finally chose "Tulip". She was adopted from the NYC Humane Society.

 

[Liesje]

Maybe you can give her a U2 related name

Usually I name my pets based on their personality or some obvious feature, rather than in reference to someone else. Anyway, Phil says Janson will have a very good name for her. I'm told he's quite "philosophical" and always has a good name for everything. We'll see...

 

[SamanthaPuff]

Sicy, I got the dark blue sun and moon print bedspread/comforter, sheet set and pillow shams at Wal-Mart in the same package for $40, if you don't mind Wal-Mart