Pony

If its the difference between finding a home for a cat or euthanizing it, its a tough choice

TruBrit

how sad, very sad although part and parcel of her job i suspect it's not something i'd promote.

Pony

Its not all glamour and fun. Some of the decisions her clients face are based solely on finances. Animals put to sleep as its cheaper than the medical bill required to put them back to good health.
You would be amazed how cruel some people will be. The emergency ward has periods of quiet during big sporting occasions, then a rush after they have finished. The 'emergency' case only becoming important once the match was over, sad, very sad indeed . . .

Although still cruel, if done early enough a declawing has no lasting effect on the kitten and they recover very quickly. They have the same traits and both ours 'scratch' furniture with non existant claws. Back claws are left for defense, and to aid tree climbing.

Pony

http://www.fatcatflats.com/
http://www.findpetcare.com/se/cat-daycare-houston.htm

TruBrit

i wouldn't think any part of your wife's job is glamourous or fun tbh. i can't stand animal cruelty in any shape or form and yes i am aware of the cruelty out there and yes declawing imo is cruel.....
http://www.theanimalspirit.com/declaw.html

Pony

As pet owners we domesticated cats and removed them from their natural environment, this is just another form of domestication.
Here is the AVMA's* stance on this subject
http://www.avma.org/issues/policy/an.../declawing.asp
I would not choose to have a cat declawed (as my own cat still isnt), unless it became a problem.
The article you linked to was emotive rather than informed.
The AVMA state "Scientific data do indicate that cats that have destructive clawing behavior are more likely to be euthanatized, or more readily relinquished, released, or abandoned, thereby contributing to the homeless cat population". It is sad, but sadly true.

*
The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), established in 1863, is a not-for-profit association representing more than 75,000 veterinarians working in private and corporate practice, government, industry, academia, and uniformed services. Structured to work for its members, the AVMA acts as a collective voice for its membership and for the profession.

snowbunny

Define "destructive clawing behaviour." ALL cats will cause damage to objects in the home due to scratching. Does that mean they should all be declawed? Okay, if a cat is reducing a piece of furniture to tatters in 24 hours then I guess I could see a point, but my SIL simply doesn't want even ONE scratch on ANYTHING. That's a highly unrealistic expectation that can only be achieved by declawing. Their dogs are more destructive than the cats as the dogs can reduce an object to rubble in a few minutes with their teeth. And they've done this to various articles of clothing and toys -- just not the furniture. Should dogs like this have all their teeth removed?

TruBrit

simple ...your sil can be achieve it by not owning a cat

Pony

Destructive clawing behaviour should be defined by the cats owner and not you and I. If the owner believes the cat is destructive, then to the owner that is just what the cat is. For some people that could be the odd scratch, to others it is constant scratching. If your SIL's cat was not declawed, would she still own one. If not then you have only re-inforced the AVMA's statement.



In all fairness it is easier to teach a dog not to chew, I have yet to find a cat that answers to "no kittie, bad kittie".

A declawed cat does not know it is declawed. It does not 'miss' something.
What is your stance on spaying and neutering?

snowbunny

Right.

So the fundamental statement is whether or not it's best to put a cat to sleep because a picky owner won't own a declawed cat, or declaw the cat and thus the picky owners will make more homes available for cats.

It is rather amazing that we expect a cat (an animal) to learn how to cope without its claws, but we cannot educate picky humans on just how detrimental this practice is and can they please tolerate a few scratches?

I can't wait until my niece is old enough to do serious damage to the house. I swear I have urges to give her permanent markers.... because you simply cannot have pets and children and expect that your prized possessions will stay pristine.

snowbunny

They accept that the dog chewing is "inevitable" and while the dogs get scolded, they still do it (destroy things). It's just that they don't start in on the furniture, which is my SIL's biggest issue.

Go figure. I've had them literally eat two TiVo remotes and my daughter's bathing suit along with the usual socks, shoes, and stuffed animals.

Does that sound like well-trained dogs? "Oh but they are bored...."

Neathborn

It seems to be acceptable to declaw cats in the U.S., but if I'm not mistaken, I believe it is illegal in the U.K. I know that some landlords over here insist that owners get their cats declawed before they will accept a cat living in the house/apartment, etc., and that people tend to be encouraged to keep their cats indoors (to protect the birds and protect the cats from disease, poison, and other animals such as raccoons). By contrast, when we lived in the UK and Belgium, cats were indoor/outdoor pets and were not confined to the house.

Jerseygirl

I don't let my dogs run on the grass because of deer ticks.

elaineKB

I volunteer for a local no kill/non profit cat rescue center in Manhattan...we do not adopt kittens out on their own mainly for the reasons everyone else have mentioned...they get bored which leads to distructive behaviour, litter box avoidance, etc etc ...get another one...if you are 'committing' to one what's the difference...also re the de-clawing comments you may want to look at our website which lists the REAL reasons why you shouldn't declaw other than it being totally f**g disgusting...http://www.anjelliclecats.com/ ...this is a non profit website so hopefully the big guys wont pull this link. ..any donations.....

snowbunny

Not to mention the threats that having more cars around poses.... or the higher incidence of rabies and other communicable diseases.

The numbers speak: the life expectancy of an indoor-outdoor cat is significantly lower than that of an indoor-only cat, something like 7 years vs 15 years.