Petside.com

jmuhj November 18, 2009 1:42 PM

BRAVO to the compassionate and humane municipalities who've joined the over 37 nations in realizing that mutilation and lifelong trauma DO NOT belong anywhere near cats. And again, for those whose inanimate objects mean more to them than living beings, DON'T EVER ADOPT A CAT, have any other kind of companion animal, have a kid, or socialize. Then your precious consumer goods will stay fresh and pristine, just like you want them to.

Di November 18, 2009 1:48 PM

I have NEVER seen a declawed cat that exhibited any unwanted behaviors after declawing that they did not exhibit before declawing, nor have I ever had a cat have any difficulty recuperating from being declawed.

I have always had my cats front paws declawed, but not their back paws, since I did not want them to be unable to climb a tree (or whatever) as I means of self protection.

Passing declawing bans simply gives the government more power of pet owners, and one more reason to interfere in the lives of citizens. You can't (and shouldn't) legislate everything in life.

Iniki November 18, 2009 2:05 PM

Oh Please!! I am so tired of these people who feel that de-clawing is the only way to stop a cat from clawing furniture. Our cats leave our furniture alone. It took a concerted effort on the whole family to get them to this point. We made sure they understood what was OK to claw and what wasn't and gave them happy alternatives. I am sure there are cats out there that are stubborn about learning but they can be taught, with lots of love and work. So many people are lazy and take the easy way out and de-claw. Oh and de-clawed cats should be strictly indoor cats. What little protection they had with claws is gone. I have seen the direct result of a de-clawed cat that was attacked. It was horrible. I am VERY anti-de-claw. A a rescue home I see the results of peoples laziness. Please do not de-claw. If you think you have to then please do me the favor of going to your family doctor and have him remove your fingers at the first knuckle. It seems only fair.

Damlis Family November 18, 2009 2:09 PM

I throughly agree with Di about declawling I also agree with what Nancy Bonus said. I think it is up to the pet owner on what they want to do. It's going to come to the point that you are going to ban nutering and spaying. When you pay my vet bills than you have a say on what my vet does to my cats and dogs

Diane November 18, 2009 2:12 PM

I am getting a bit tired of hearing banning declawing. Find something better to do

Andy November 18, 2009 2:17 PM

Ok...here's what I've experienced. I've had cats my whole life and most of them were indoor/outdoor cats. Now that I'm older and living in a condo, I am allowed to have 2 cats, but it's still apartment living and there's no way to let them out, thus they have become indoor cats only. I was at wits end of the scratching, loosing chairs and rugs and they wouldn't use the scratching post provided. I decided to declaw both cats. A few years later, I lost my Taylor to asthma, and he never once displayed any behavior that was due to being declawed. Butthead on the other hand is still with me and the only thing I've noticed is that he play bites when you play with him. It's now his defense, but never once has he bitten in anger or even hurt during play. Now I'm all for baning declawing but leaving certain cases open for those in special needs. I don't like how it's done and cringe at the thought of it, but on the other hand, I have troubles with my toe nails and have had to have a few removed. Like I said, certain cases, to each his own.

Andy ;)

Vicki November 18, 2009 2:56 PM

Sorry Di, I disagree with you completely. So if government did not legislate certain things, do we just let murderers get away with such crimes? Should we let bank robbers, child molesters,drug dealers? Sorry girl, you are way off here.

Janis November 18, 2009 3:21 PM

I have two cats and they aren't declawed but that's just my preference and I made that choice. I am proud that our state lets me have that right. It's called freedom to choose. Slowly we are losing our freedoms. Some people are bleeders and getting scratched by their loving pets could put their life in danger. Everyone's reasons are different and it should be the choice of the pet owner. California needs to deal with all their animals that don't have loving homes first before messing with the ones that do. Many cats could become homeless if they can't be declawed. I guess we would rather see them euthanized?

BTW, mine have their claws but they still like to nibble and playfully bite. They bite a bit harder on my husband and son but no one complains. =) They have a cat tree in the house they constantly climb and sharpen their claws on. Be careful what you want or one day you may lose a privilege you like but others don't.

Min November 18, 2009 3:40 PM

I feel that responsibility to protect, to speak for, those who can't for themselves. And, also, to support carefully considered exceptions to rules. Did you not once post a picture of paw up (minus digits)for banning? Thank you, Jo, for helping us know better to do better.

Mushu's Mom November 18, 2009 11:19 PM

I agree Min, it's our responsibility to speak & protect those that can't speak for themselves. I'm glad to see these cities are saying NO to having their pets dis-membered in this cruel manner. It's about time.

To Di, and to everyone else that de-claws, just out of curiosity, what goes through your head when you are dropping your cat off at the vet to be declawed?
Do you even think about the excruciating, throbbing pain she will feel, the confusion & betrayal she will experience waking up without her last digits that she walks on everyday? Or do you not think that animals feel pain or have emotions? What if she has nerve damage and drags her leg for the rest of her life, will you still care for her? What if she get infections, or re-grown claws, or asthma, or urinary tract infections (both linked to the stress of declawing)? Will you abandon her if she pees all over your house, or bites your hand since 1 out of every 3 de-clawed cats does, afterall, you couldn't deal with scratching?

How can you take these risks? How can you deprive your cat, that depends on you to care for her & make good decisions for her, her first line of defense and her complete toes to grasp, climb, scratch, exercise, rake litter, groom, & communicate with? Do you really not have 5 minutes a week to devote to her to trim her nails & buy scratch pads? Do you really not know that claws are what makes a cat a cat? Just wondering, cause I really don't get how anyone could do this to an animal. Esp with all of the easy solutions to manage claws.

Needlessly mutilating a cat is prima facie animal cruelty. Period. There is NEVER a reason to commit this act of cruelty to animals. Even if you have a blood disorder, you trim nails or buy Soft Paws, not cripple the animal.

Another thing folks, if you read through the comments of the original article, Nancy Bonus is BOGUS! She is NOT a licensed pyschologist in Cali, just someone trying to get face time to sell her diet books, and Dr. Mackie has 2 DVD's he's trying to sell as well - both quacks giving BAD information for money!

Ruth from England November 19, 2009 6:08 AM

I am with you Jo, happy that declawing is being banned city by city in California, I only wish it was being banned in the whole of the USA as it is in our country and other civilsed countries too.It is animal abuse and there is no justification for it at all.Cats are born with claws because they need claws, not only for self defence but for walking, grooming and exercising their muscles too.To those who think their cats are fine, don't you know cats hide their pain and emotions ? They are likely to develop arhritis even if they get away with all he other problems from having their toe ends amputated.The one with asthma, that is a stress illness, brought on by the cat's suffering, as is eczema and cystitis.When will it get through to some peoples brains that vets trained to help animals harm them instead by declawing them. That is why it HAS to be banned,too many cats are suffering from this money making for vets, lazy, selfish method for cat owners. It HAS to stop and those of us working towards that, will not rest until declawing is banned worldwide !
http://www.petitionthem.com/default.asp?sect=detail&pet=4312
I'm past caring if anyone is upset by my and other cat loving, compassionate people's views,I only care about cats, EACH and EVERY cat on this planet !

Barbara November 19, 2009 11:00 AM

To Di, Damlis and Andy, Neutering cats is beneficial to cats health, what good does declawing do them? NONE!There is no possible justification for declawing cats, not for your furniture, your landlord, your kids or your dog, cats are not second class citizens to be customised to YOUR specifications, cats are born with claws because they need them every day of their lives,and they have an equal right to you to have whole healthy limbs. And if you don't get that then yes, in fact you do need laws to stop you abusing your cats.

I too rejoice every time I hear another city has banned it.

Di November 19, 2009 7:25 PM

Oh, please. My last cat, Deborah, lived to the ripe old age of 22, and during her last months when she was inconinent and unable to stand I carried her around on a towel and hand fed her. She died laying in bed next to me, being petted. Deborah never exhibited any adverse effect from declawing other than tenderness the week after surgery. She never was ill, she never had behavioral problems, and she had a nice, long lived as a beloved pet.
Mushu's Mom, and all the other "repsonsible" cat owners who disagree with me need to reconsider their position on the government mandating every aspect of our lives. You can only be blase about it until they come after you - and they will in the not too distant future.
Do you always call people nasty names when you disagree with them? Are you the type of person who thinks freedom of speech applies only to those who agree with you? I guess so.
I have taken in rescue animals none of you would have touched, and put myself at physical risk to do so. I have literally spent years trying to find acceptable and legal homes for animals no one wanted, and I have worked with unlovely and dangerous species you would have turned your noses up over because they aren't cute and cuddley. And I didn't do it because I liked them; I disliked a great many of them. But SOMEBODY had to step in and take these creatures out of intolerable situations or shelter them when they were confiscated by the police and the oh-so-special no-kill shelters or the ASPCA wouldn't take them. I DID and I WILL in the future.