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The declawing issue has raised it's ugly head in my home, I have so much love for our girls that I'm refusing to consider declawing them because I think it's unethical and harmful. They need their claws to climb, jump and stay, and it cushions their front paws when they jump down, they're meant to have them, and I ask my family, how would you like to have your finger nails ripped out never to grow back? Our furniture is "getting raggedy" they say from their claws which is an exaggeration, but I wouldn't care if it was getting raggedy. "People think our house is a dump". I could care less what visitors say, put a throw over the chair if you're embarassed, and we have a beautiful home thank you very much. Our entire house is hardwood and tile and throw rugs because we've always had dogs, now we have cats as all the dogs have passed over the years so it's easy to keep the place clean. The battle of outside priveleges rages on too, I've refused them outside priveleges despite all the blogs about "being kept captive" inside, they're not going outside and that's that, they don't want to go outside, they're never tried to run outside, and indoor/outdoor cats aren't for me, they get hurt, pick up disease, get lost or hit by a car, climb/get stranded in trees, they require toxic flea treatments year round and on and on, I've been there, done that, I'm not letting these girls go out and that was the stipulation when we decided to get these cats, so not only am I a meany, I'm letting the cats destroy the house [which they're not], next I guess I'll become a hoarder. Ya'll can move out, everybody is all "yes yes yes" let's get kitties, then all is forgotten and it's all about "me,me,me" sorry, felines are precious animals that deserve the best treatment and they get it, and I'm happy to fight the fight to keep it that way. I get so mad at even my own family for disrespecting and devaluing animals for their own perceived needs. That's why I like animals better than people anyday, they're not selfish, they give you unconditional love, they're innocent and I just plain love these cats. Anybody else have these kinds of disagreements at home? Yikes.
No, I don't have these arguments in my house really. However I've had some discussions with other family members as to why my cats are not declawed and they are still putting their own cats through this surgery. I just don't get it.
But as for your fight in your own home - good for you for sticking up for your babies! Here is some advice for you - some ammo if you will - If the furniture scratching is an issue I would get some more and different types of scratchers. Cardboard, carpet, sissal are all needed as well as vertical and horizontal. That may help any future tearing of the "human things" but it won't fix the old problems.
And as far as "justifying" your position. Just inform your Pro-Declaw crew that declawing is actually ILLEGAL in many countries and now several states as a form of cruelty!
You could also mention that declawed cats sometimes develope other undesirable behaviors, because of the stress of being declawed. These behaviors might be more undesirable to your family members than the clawing. That wouldn't be the most important argument to me, of course, but it might make them think twice. Maybe you could try those covers for the nails, I believe they call them Soft Paws.
Good luck! Stick to your guns!
Good for you and stick to your guns on this one. Absolutely inhumane, painful, cruel and needless to declaw a cat for ANY reason IMHO. They do need their claws and yes, sometimes things get a little ragged around the edges but unless you have priceless antiques or museum quality goods, it is nothing to worry about. Personally, it gives me an excuse to buy new stuff every few years!!! It is their home as well as the family's but the cats are family as well. Would parents not have children if they thought about all the stuff kids will destroy and "mess up" over the course of their lifetime? Of course not - it does not even come into play. We do have some cats that are declawed - two we adopted from my nephew and wife which were already done, and a couple of my husband's cats - his ex decided the cats needed to have it done while she was in the process of leaving him. I do believe it was for spite - she had no intention of being there whether they had claws or now - so they suffered because she was punishing HIM.....grrrrr.....It is pitiful to watch them strop their paws on a cat scratcher and realize they instinctively do this, not remembering they do not have toenails. Anyway - good luck to you on this. If the whole family has ganged up on you I don't know what to say. Hopefully your partner will stand up with you. Good luck.....
I just bought several scratching posts to put around the 2 sofas in my relatively formal living room. The sofas also have end tables on each side, a coffee table in front, and a console in back (with the new scratching posts on either side), so they are "protected." THAT is my solution to cats scratching. If there is a scratching post in front of a piece of furniture, my cats use the scratching post. (I have different kinds -- sisal, cardboard, carpet -- just for variety.)
To the OP, good for you for sticking up for your kitties. Declawing is barbaric, and what a misnomer since it's not just removing the claws (doesn't it SOUND like that's all it is?). I think it's actually illegal in England? I don't know any vet around here that does it.
Back to the New Cat/Old cat thing here. Old Cat was found with claws...doesnt scratch anything, which I was worried about but just likes to pull itself along the rug and does use a scratching post. New Cat came clawless...which is good because I think it must have been a scratcher at times.
I can see the point of not wanting to declaw a cat but, it will be a cold day in hell, when I would allow any animal to ruin my home.
I never declawed any of my cats. We had a fair amount of furniture ruined before we got smart enough to figure out they don't like everything to dig on.They liked the nubby fabrics where they could claw/dig, but the smoother fabrics they didn't go near. So, as stuff got replaced we replaced with the fabrics we guessed they wouldn't bother and covered some stuff, too, with fancy towels (in a spare room or den). I cut their nails regularly, too. They do get used to it--I did it matter of factly and never had problems. Maybe w/ some cats they'd have to go to vets for nail trimming.
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