tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5123631695572626256.post3671713157986819083..comments2024-03-29T06:26:28.942+00:00Comments on Shadows & Light: The Declawing DebateSteve Reedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11684120060438252945noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5123631695572626256.post-36010724927835236962017-10-28T15:15:51.407+01:002017-10-28T15:15:51.407+01:00Now that's a new one for me when a bar sets up...Now that's a new one for me when a bar sets up a book display.Redhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17996243850279671523noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5123631695572626256.post-66200784892251216842017-10-28T06:42:12.722+01:002017-10-28T06:42:12.722+01:00Vivian: I always feel so bad for those poor lobste...Vivian: I always feel so bad for those poor lobsters.<br /><br />Marty: Exactly. I'm not saying it's a preferable option, but I think it should remain an option.<br /><br />Ms M: That's a very good point! A foreskin never hurt anybody -- or anybody's sofa, for that matter!<br /><br />Ellen: I'm with you on the docking of dogs' tails and ears, but to me that's different, because it's purely ornamental. Declawing at least has a functional purpose. If my cats went outside I'd agree that they'd need their claws. But we urban dwellers just don't have that option. (At least not in my mind, though some of my London neighbors apparently disagree, and the mean streets of London kill a lot of cats.)<br /><br />Linda: I agree -- certainly in cities, cats are better off indoors.<br /><br />Robin: That's also an important consideration. Outdoor cats are devastating to wildlife! In fact Dave and I have noticed a huge decline in the number of birds on our feeders lately -- even non-migratory birds -- and I wonder if it's because the neighbors' cats (which occasionally stroll through our yard when Olga is indoors) are scaring them off (or worse).<br /><br />Catalyst: It's definitely a drastic step. I think I appreciate that much more now than I did when I had it done to my own cats.<br /><br />Sharon: Well, at least the cat hid its damage from you! :)<br /><br />37P: If you're not a cat-owner, or a former cat-owner, I can see how this issue would be pretty alien to you! It's an interesting debate.<br /><br />Jenny-O: Yes, absolutely -- our views on many issues change over time. As I said above, I don't think I'd have been as casual about declawing my cats as I was when I had it done, now that there's so much more awareness about the procedure. But I still think it should remain a legal option, for cases when people are at their wits' end and are on the verge of getting rid of their pets.<br /><br />E: My cats walked (and jumped, and climbed) with no problem after they'd healed. How do you keep your cats from scratching?<br /><br />John: Well, that IS usually a pretty good policy in life!Steve Reedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11684120060438252945noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5123631695572626256.post-19284147107072087242017-10-27T22:21:30.293+01:002017-10-27T22:21:30.293+01:00Leave well alone...that's what I sayLeave well alone...that's what I sayJohn Going Gentlyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14958171262765033946noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5123631695572626256.post-73655684557037900842017-10-27T20:24:50.614+01:002017-10-27T20:24:50.614+01:00De-clawing also causes problems with walking, pain...De-clawing also causes problems with walking, pain and discomfort and there are several ways to deal with the clawing of furniture only one of which involves trimming nails consistently.ehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11376645220662546020noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5123631695572626256.post-84046463484621434122017-10-27T18:46:48.895+01:002017-10-27T18:46:48.895+01:00Cats are extremely stoic so they do not exhibit pa...Cats are extremely stoic so they do not exhibit pain unless it is intolerable. I would not want my fingernails/fingertips removed, even though I might be able to compensate in most activities! As you can tell, I don't agree with declawing now but there was a time that I didn't think twice about it, mostly because I didn't know enough about cats or declawing. There are lots of things that people accepted in the past that are no longer acceptable in the present. And it's not a crime to have a change of mind :)<br />jenny_ohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15475480579733466963noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5123631695572626256.post-68309944187337881312017-10-27T18:21:23.431+01:002017-10-27T18:21:23.431+01:00wow, you opened my eyes to something i had never c...wow, you opened my eyes to something i had never considered!<br />37paddingtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12400464105403622384noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5123631695572626256.post-11035724377458728362017-10-27T16:47:37.804+01:002017-10-27T16:47:37.804+01:00Many years ago I had a cat that was declawed for t...Many years ago I had a cat that was declawed for the same reason you described and the cat stayed indoors and had little interest in going outside. Some years after that, I had another cat and it was after declawing had become less popular. I bought a scratching post but, as you say, they have a mind of their own. I was lucky though, I found the scratching on my sofa when I was moving. My cat had found a place that wasn't generally visible to do it's damage. That was one smart cat.Sharonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07645915869786296771noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5123631695572626256.post-532785348783773542017-10-27T16:41:48.086+01:002017-10-27T16:41:48.086+01:00My wife says declawing a cat is like a human havin...My wife says declawing a cat is like a human having his fingernails pulled off. That was enough for me to rule it out. Our two cats are both inside cats though they were adopted from the outside. Blackwell still tries to sneak out from time to time but Muggles has no interest whatsoever.Catalysthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03804837416104556928noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5123631695572626256.post-21919168117633299102017-10-27T16:03:45.006+01:002017-10-27T16:03:45.006+01:00I don't have a thoughtful opinion (yet!) about...I don't have a thoughtful opinion (yet!) about de-clawing, although my instinct is to say "don't do it." I do have an opinion about cats being let outside. I just saw a headline and photo in the San Francisco Chronicle. It was a picture of the "last quail in San Francisco" because cats had gotten the rest of them. Seriously. http://www.sfgate.com/science/article/quail-san-francisco-cats-last-state-bird-12309957.php<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5123631695572626256.post-43155189563417063592017-10-27T15:32:35.219+01:002017-10-27T15:32:35.219+01:00I could not ever do it but I get why it has been d...I could not ever do it but I get why it has been done in the past. There are things you can do to stop the scratching of certain areas. It's a lot of work but doable.<br /><br />On the inside/outside issue. Far better off inside than dead. Out of doors is a dangerous place for a cat. Having no control of where they go and what they eat is a real issue. I think making an effort to keep indoors a interesting and happy place for a cat is way better than hit by a car, killed by rat poisoning or coyotes. <br /><br />Linda dhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01167854309289774316noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5123631695572626256.post-57689072821358502292017-10-27T14:26:10.314+01:002017-10-27T14:26:10.314+01:00I would never do it, think it's cruel (also cr...I would never do it, think it's cruel (also cropping dogs ears and tails), and I've had cats all my life just about. don't remember ever having any furniture ruined either. but my cats have all been indoor/outdoor cats, basically coming and going as they please except for at night when I bring them in. I'm one of those people who think it's inhumane to keep a cat or dog too inside at all times. the outdoors is so wonderful. I'd hate to be locked up inside all my life only being able to look out windows.ellen abbotthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00535475792150335186noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5123631695572626256.post-89012733536508678972017-10-27T13:57:27.412+01:002017-10-27T13:57:27.412+01:00Rather odd that we're so concerned about decla...Rather odd that we're so concerned about declawing cats and yet, still allowing circumcisions to be done routinely. <br />I know- those two things may seem to have nothing in common and they probably don't but there is probably more reason for declawing (which I don't think I would ever do because my furniture isn't worth saving) than there is for removing part of a baby's penis. Ms. Moonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09776404747858099919noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5123631695572626256.post-34893226433271819742017-10-27T13:42:21.312+01:002017-10-27T13:42:21.312+01:00Tough call. I've had couches and chairs ruined...Tough call. I've had couches and chairs ruined by my cats, but then never considered de-clawing since ours were in/out cats. We lived at the end of a dead-end street with no traffic and our cats had a ball outside. (Where I wished they'd use tree trunks instead of my furniture.)<br /><br />I agree - with actual laws against de-clawing, people might be less inclined to own cats and we'd have even more in the rescue shelters. Martyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02366449267039641100noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5123631695572626256.post-6265312092674248942017-10-27T12:56:47.101+01:002017-10-27T12:56:47.101+01:00No. Never. You should see my couches, all ripped t...No. Never. You should see my couches, all ripped to shreds, but still: NO. <br /><br />While we're at it, lobsters should not be boiled alive after being displayed in tanks of water at the grocery store where they are starved and forced to live in each other's poo.Vivianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11990041745880166605noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5123631695572626256.post-19815530740511585042017-10-27T09:45:27.187+01:002017-10-27T09:45:27.187+01:00But indoor cats don't need to climb trees or h...But indoor cats don't need to climb trees or hunt or defend themselves!Steve Reedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11684120060438252945noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5123631695572626256.post-16258464637133247822017-10-27T09:33:07.031+01:002017-10-27T09:33:07.031+01:00The very idea of declawing shocks me. How could a ...The very idea of declawing shocks me. How could a cat possibly climb a tree without claws? Or catch a mouse? Or defend itself in a fight with another cat? Rather than opting for the declawing option, I would suggest that declawing supporters should forget the ownership of living, breathing felines and instead purchase cuddly toy animals. It is certain that they won't spoil the furniture.Yorkshire Puddinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06019673884543913089noreply@blogger.com