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People with missing finger links are considered disabled. Cats are good pets?
Well, I need my fingers to function in my world. A house cat doesn't need its claws in the house. All of the declawed cats that I know seem to do perfectly fine.
[disclaimer, again: I don't advocate declawing (my three cats have their claws and will never be declawed)]
"Most modify or restrict their cat to make them good pets. This includes removing the uterus or removing the testicles or confining them to the indoors in the city."\
I do not agree with your thoughts on this, many of us have had our cats/dogs/spayed/neutered to help prevent cancers and other problems in the future. Confining them indoors (City OR Country) is for their safety. I live in the desert, coyotes abound here and cats/small dogs are snacks! Why would I put my pet in danger by letting them go outdoors......THAT would be cruel.
As far as declawing a cat, I don't agree with that AT ALL. You can easily train a cat not to claw if your not lazy....a simple squirt gun with water will stop that behavior in a short period of time. You just need to be consistant... JMHO.
Spaying/Neutering is for THEIR benefit, declawing is for YOUR benefit....there is a difference.
[quote=Ozark Nana;1709061 You can easily train a cat not to claw if your not lazy....a simple squirt gun with water will stop that behavior in a short period of time. You just need to be consistant... JMHO.
Spaying/Neutering is for THEIR benefit, declawing is for YOUR benefit....there is a difference.
O.Nana[/QUOTE]
Training is maybe possible if somebody is at home all the time. I am not lazy with my three cats but the only thing I could train them for was to run to the fridge when I open it...
You can also prevent prostate cancer, testicular cancer, breast cancer, uterus cancer in humans by removing those organs preventatively. Doesn't mean that this is to those humans' benefit.
From my experience, people get their male cats neutered because it makes them less aggressive and less likely to mark their territory with urine, a rather undesireable trait for a house cat.
Similarly, a female cat in heat is extremely annoying so it is definitely to the benefit of the owner to get her fixed.
Also, declawing can be to the benefit of the cat because it won't get ingrown nails.
Some years back when we had a cat, we had her de-clawed.( strictly indoor cat) I felt it was very painful for her and I regretted doing it. She did fine without the claws, but I still felt bad about it.
From my experience, people get their male cats neutered because it makes them less aggressive and less likely to mark their territory with urine, a rather undesireable trait for a house cat.
Similarly, a female cat in heat is extremely annoying so it is definitely to the benefit of the owner to get her fixed.
Hopefully most of us get our pets neutered to prevent MORE animals - right? Even for those who keep their pets indoors, there's always the risk of them getting out (which they're desperate to do when it's mating season)... not to mention the yowling male cats circling the house, when you have a female in heat. So no, many of us spay/neuter to control the pet population, which benefits animals in shelters waiting to be adopted. Definitely not a selfish reason! I also agree with the health benefits, in addition to the improved mental state of the animals. Being un-neutered is very frustrating to them, unless you allow them to mate, which I will not do.
Our cat still has all of his claws and my wife spent weeks training him to play gently and not to scratch certain things (except his scratching post and a rug we have just for that purpose). He needs a reminder now and then on scratching but we've had no issues. He plays gently and when he starts to get out of hand, he obeys the command of "gentle" or "no claws" quite well. Again, thanks to my dear wife spending so much time training him.
Many people don't understand or care what happens to a cat when its de clawed, for the cat I actually think its kinder to allow them to be intact and die young from it. Countery to popular belief it is possible to keep a tom in the house without spraying, you just buy them stud pants.
At least the former wont have his/her defenses removed and live in fear, at least he/she wont develop spine/ walking problems/ muscular degeneration/ have paws surgically removed. If they get outside they can still shinny up a tree or claw at a savage dog.
Note both are bad.. very bad.
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