Best Method for Declawing a Cat?

on Fri, 19 Jan 2007 21:28:36 GMT, eDog wrote:

I am leaning against declawing the cats because I think that even if I
assumed a front declaw was something they would "get over", and it
probably is, a four paw declaw is really tempting fate that something
will go wrong.

It would be far kinder to rehome your cats.

snip

And I do hope you are a vegan and that your cats are vegans too.

While I am a vegetarian, I hope you are not depriving your cats of a
meat-based diet. Cats are TRUE carnivores and that would be cruel to
them AND unhealthy.

There is probably more animal cruelty in every chicken breast than
there is in a typical declawing operation on a cat.

One has nothing to do with the other. Factory farming is a huge industry
in this country. I abhor factory farming and do not buy factory farmed
products, but that is a choice I can afford to make. It is also a luxury
and not everyone has that option.

Declawing, on the other hand, is a barbaric mutilation that, as a
thinking person, you should not even be considering having done to these
cats you proclaim to love.

--
Lynne

"eDog" wrote in message
. ..
Now that you mention it, I am reminded of a cat that my mother had which
developed issues with the litter box later in life. The problem seemed to
start when another cat was brought into the house. This cat bullied my
mothers cat and would attack her when she was in the litter box.

But now that I think about it, even when the cats were finally separated
"Cassandra" would still bolt out of the litter box in a sort of panic
without burying her business. Perhaps it was an issue of pain in the
claws. But in her case I think it was more likely an exagerated fear of
being caught making feces by a predator or bully.

I know my cats will miss their claws if they are declawed. They have a 30
inch scratching post which they love to climb upon and man handle with
all fours. It will break my heart every time I see that they are no
longer able to do this.

As I said in another post in this thread, I tried to find leather that
would hold up under minor scratching much as another piece of leather
furniture I own does. Unfortunately I failed in this. I also was unable
to steer the missus to a cheaper sofa.

Now I am faced with the delemma that if my wife feels she can never have
anything nice because of the cats, she will become UNHAPPY.

If I am to save the cats claws I am going to have to find a way to touch
up the surface scratches, make a visible effort with the soft paws and
convince my wife that she is not going to have to live with a sofa that
is under a blanket 24/7/365.

It feels like a long shot.



"MaryL" -OUT-THE-LITTER wrote in
:

Yes, I realized after I sent the message that I should have asked you
not to let your wife (not your "husband") talk you into declawing.
Please, though,




--
Looking for a clue.

Lyn (-L) has written an excellent message describing some of the detrimental
effects of declawing. Please let me address your wife's desire to have nice
furniture. I, also, like to have nice furniture. I value my cats far more
than I value my furniture, but I realize that in your case we must talk
about how your wife can have nice furniture and also permit your cats to
have a normal life *with* claws.

Please look at some of my pictures in the links under my sig. I think you
will find that I have nice furniture. I have some antiques that still look
beautiful, and I have some new pieces that have absolutely no damage.
Moreover, my cats are free to use any furniture in the house -- they lie on
it, play on it, climb on it, etc., and they *have not damaged* anything.
They are very good about using scratching posts, and they do not use my
furniture as scratchers. However, you have indicated that your cats also do
not deliberately scratch your furniture. The problem seems to be, quite
simply, that your selection of furniture was inappropriate for cats with
claws. Obviously, your cats need a surface that provides some traction when
they climb or jump onto furniture.

You can solve this problem if you do one of the following: (1) Simply place
cushions or a decorative throw over the leather sofa. This can be something
that looks very nice. If you look in some designer catalogs, you will see
that this effect is something that many people deliberately create for the
artistic effect. (2) Or...Replace the leather sofa with a sofa that is more
suitable for claws. Many people are able to use leather, but I personally
think fabric is better. Look for fabric that is tightly woven and will not
"pull" or "catch" as your cats jump or climb on the furniture. Have it
treated for soil-resistant application (similar to Scotch Guard, but good
furniture stores have a product that is longer-lasting.) Truly, it is
possible to have the beautiful furniture your wife desires and *also*
preserve your cats' claws.

Incidentally, my cats are indoor-only, just as you describe. Give them lots
of toys and attention, good food, scratching posts (which you already have),
and a very sturdy cat tree for climbing. They will be happy! One of my
cats (Duffy, the gray and white cat in the pictures) is blind, and he is
able to reach the most remarkable sites -- and yet he never damages
anything. So, it can be done.

MaryL

Photos of Duffy and Holly: 'o'
Duffy: http://tinyurl.com/cslwf
Holly: http://tinyurl.com/9t68o
Duffy and Holly together: http://tinyurl.com/8b47e

on Fri, 19 Jan 2007 19:10:51 GMT, "drdschmidt" u31086@uwe wrote:

I have heard there is a new form of declawing, although I am not for
declawing unless it is an absolute need but it is done by laser and the
recovery time is almost immediate, a day or so.

it's the same procedure, just a different tool to amputate. Sheese, please
get your facts straight before posting.

--
Lynne

on Fri, 19 Jan 2007 22:00:08 GMT, "MaryL"
-OUT-THE-LITTER wrote:

Or...Replace the leather sofa with a sofa that is more
suitable for claws. Many people are able to use leather, but I
personally think fabric is better. Look for fabric that is tightly
woven and will not "pull" or "catch" as your cats jump or climb on the
furniture. Have it treated for soil-resistant application (similar to
Scotch Guard, but good furniture stores have a product that is
longer-lasting.)

You know, this isn't a bad idea. Getting 3 cats declawed (god it makes me
sick just saying that) will cost nearly as much as a new sofa. Building on
what the other poster said about complaining to the mfg, I'd get Ethan
Allen to recover or replace the sofas--even if an upgrade fee is charged.

--
Lynne

"eDog" wrote in message
. ..
Although I am against it, a new and rather expensive leather sofa has
raised the possibility of declawing my 3 cats.

Why did you buy the sofa? Being a pet owner does involve some personal
sacrifices. If that means not buying an expensive leather sofa, then that's
the way it is.

eDog wrote:
If I were *personally* in favor of declawing my cats, I would have
already done so.

I have been doing nothing but reading websites about cats and their claws
for the last three days. I trust very few of the sites. They are all
reading off the exact same set of "quotes" like the talking points on
Sunday morning TV.

I am leaning against declawing the cats because I think that even if I
assumed a front declaw was something they would "get over", and it
probably is, a four paw declaw is really tempting fate that something
will go wrong.

The thing is, you just don't know if your cats will be one of the ones
with long-term issues or not. That's the crapshoot of declawing. I
used to be a vet tech. I wasn't against declawing - I wouldn't do it
to my own cats but had friends who had declawed cats and didn't think
much of it. My experiences working for a feline specialty hospital
changed my mind completely. I assisted in the surgeries, I did
aftercare and I saw the cats that came in with complications - some
many years later. We were a surgery specialty hospital and so we would
get referral cases of cats with problems. No way would I ever advocate
declawing now. Almost every cat we treated, boarded or groomed that
was declawed was a biter.



I didn't get these cats so I could hurt them. I got them so I could
pamper them and make them the happiest luckiest cats I know of.

Great! Then don't declaw.


By simply owning a cat in an apartment which you never let outside of the
house (like I can't) you are asking an awful lot from it. Over time the
cat will become less active and give up hunting for luxuriating around
the house. It will trade darwinian stresses for security and boredom.."a
walk on part in the war for a lead role in a cage" so to speak.

Nobody ever asked them if that's the choice they wanted to make.

That's right. Indentured servitude. I'm not really an advocate for
keeping companion animals but I do - I can't help myself. . If you
must, rescue.


At least we humans can blame Pink Floyd.

And I do hope you are a vegan and that your cats are vegans too.

Of course they aren't - cats are obligate carnivores. Meat eatintg
isn't the issue we are discussing here - comparing partial digital
amputation for the luxury of owning material goods to meat eating for
sustenance is ridiculous. Humans are omnivores and thus eat other
animals. It's how those animals are treated, how they are killed and
how they are respected that matters. And for what it's worth, I
advocate humane practices for all species - always have and always
will.



There is probably more animal cruelty in every chicken breast than there
is in a typical declawing operation on a cat.

If you are talking about factory-farmed chickens, I agree. But I don't
eat factory-farmed meat. In fact, I go to great lengths to secure meat
that I know is raised and killed humanely, for the little meat I do
consume. You are preaching to the Pope, sweetheart.

-L.

On 19 Jan 2007 14:39:43 -0800, "-L." wrote:

Almost every cat we treated, boarded or groomed that
was declawed was a biter.

A pet groomer on the cable TV program "Dirty Jobs" said much the same:
declawed cats were less well behaved. Anyhow, leather furniture
shines the seat of your trousers.

Bud
--
The night is just the shadow of the Earth.

---MIKE--- wrote:
I really think that the OP is a troll. If not, the obvious solution is
a heavy plastic cover for the couch.


As someone said somewhere else

Leather sofa 1,599 dollars

Leather chair 560 dollars

Knowing my cats are happy unmutilated and just being cats... priceless!

I live in the UK where declawing unless for good reason is illegal
(Good reason would be for example removing ONE claw because a tumour
was growing on it) I have 2 cats who persistently scratched everything
but their post for 2+ years

I tried everything I could think of and eventually found a post they
went straight to and used with no "training" whatsover

If I hadn't I'd have just dealt wiht it- the love of a living creature,
the sheer amusement value of watching them, the sense of wonder I
sometimes get with them, the 5am bouncing on my head (Okay I could live
without that) 'cos they are awake and want me to be as well, the purrs,
the mad rush to the food dish as if they didn't get fed this morning,
the sense of blessing that somehow right now they are warm and safe and
here (I have my partner in hospital now for 17 weeks and would have
come very close to stressing out but for them) is worth anything!

I hate to say dump the new wife perhaps she doesn't know felines and
with a bit of training from youl will

If not dump her!

She's proposing to maim a living creature

If you do might be next

What are things compared to the love of a cat? Which is not easily
given but has to be earned?

Lesley

Slave of the Fabulous Furballs

(singsong)
I'm tellin' 'ya Dog ...
Ditch the wife ...

- Phil, it ain't the sofa that's stressing eDog, it's the spouse.
If he ditches the cats he'll be unhappy and will have to live with the
mental demons.
If he ditches the sofa he'll be unhappy and will have to live with the
Demon.
If he ditches the wife, he'll be unhappy until he finds a girlfriend (or 2).
He's got an apartment so there can't be much community property and she can
have the freakin' sofa.
(I bet the female lurkers on this forum are loving this!!)
I'm done.

"Phil P." wrote in message
news:hn1sh.2686$R76.2493@trnddc05...

"eDog" wrote in message
.. .
Divorces are messy things.

Not if you initiate the proceedings. Sounds like your wife probably has a
whole basket full of problems. If I were you, I'd cut my losses. Do you
really want to be with some one whose so insensitive to another creature-
not to mention your feelings.


I would like to avoid getting to that "Me or the cats"! moment.


I think that's inevitable. I know the mentality and I see the early
warning
signs-- I've been through it *twice*. My cats are still here. After I was
given "the ultimatum", I could no longer trust my wife alone with my cats.
She had to go *that day*-- and she did.

If a fuuking sofa is stressing your marriage, its probably on shakey
ground
to begin with. What happens when she complains about cat hair on her
clothes? Is she going to tell you to shave the cat? What about the litter
box? What happens when the cat wants to sleep next you in bed? What
happens if the cat gets sick and needs expensive treatment which
interferes
with her vacation plans? So you see? Complaining about scratches on the
sofa
is just the beginning.

Declawing your cat is only a temporary solution for you- but its permanent
mayhem and deprivation for your cat.


And I would really like to avoid getting to it AFTER declawing the
cats.


If you declaw your cats, you'll resent her for the rest of your life. You
might be able to surpress the resentment for awhile, but sooner or later
it
will surface.

http://maxshouse.com/facts_about_declawing.htm



That would be the worst of all possible worlds.

Complaining about scratches on the sofa is just the tip of the iceberg.
If
I were you, I'd cut my losses. There are millions of women who would love
to
meet a man who loves cats cares so deeply about their welfare. Just go to
any pet store on a Saturday! You can trust me on that!

Phil

Alan wrote:
(singsong)
I'm tellin' 'ya Dog ...
Ditch the wife ...

- Phil, it ain't the sofa that's stressing eDog, it's the spouse.
If he ditches the cats he'll be unhappy and will have to live with the
mental demons.
If he ditches the sofa he'll be unhappy and will have to live with the
Demon.
If he ditches the wife, he'll be unhappy until he finds a girlfriend (or 2).
He's got an apartment so there can't be much community property and she can
have the freakin' sofa.
(I bet the female lurkers on this forum are loving this!!)
I'm done.

actually i am in complete agreement with the idea of him ditching this
old hag of a wife and moving on, she obviously loves her bloody sofa
far more than she loves him or else she woudl be more concerned about
the things he loves most in life (the cats) and would be taking their
welfare into consideration above that of her soft furnishings. If you
really love someone then you love what comes with them and in this case
it is this guys cats, so if she doesn't love the cats then to me it
just shows that really doesn't love him much either, or she would not
want to hurt him by hurting the cats, simple really.

if anybody, ANYBODY, ever said to me "it's me or your cat" then i would
happily pack their bags for them, they would be history and i would not
turn a hair about it as they obviously were not good enough for me (few
men are anyway). Have had similar issues with chaps complaining about
me putting my sport before them and they did not last long at all.

actually i really keen on this idea which has been put forward about
removing all the end bones of this wife's fingers and toes, and then
seeing if she still wants to proceed with declawing the pusses. she
would most probably be too busy screaming post-op in agony to worry
about her bloody sofa then. Can we do the amputations without
anaesthetic too? just to hammer the point home of course, in case she
forgets a few years later.

laters Bookie
ps some people really do my ****ing head in