West Hollywood May Ban Declawing of Cats

Touchy, touchy subject.

Our Paddy was declawed for the simple reason that Mom's loss of blood was worth his loss of claws. We only got his front paws declawed, and Mom still has to bandage herself from his rear-claw 'love taps'. (Paddy is an indoor cat.)

My boss, on the other hand, has an eight year old cat who has been completely declawed ~ and she is strictly and outdoor cat. And is quite happy that way.

Similarly, I've had my two big toenails removed.....Aside from nail polish (which I detest anyway), I've not suffered much.

I'd like to make my own choice for the poll...

I wouldn't do it to any cat of mine, but I think in some situations it may be the thing to do.

I do not get cats declawed, but I do not object to those that do.

Some cats are very aggressive with their claws, and can do quite a bit of damage if so inclined.

And for those that think training is the answer, I think you'll see more cats in a Humane Society if declawing is illegal. I would rather not see the abandonment trend increase.

littlek- I added the option!

Sublime I think that you made a good point. In addition to abandonment, I think that many people who are considering cats for a pet might change their mind if this law is passed!

If it makes any difference at all, Mom and I were torn between the choices. In comparison, I only get scratches from Paddy, where Mom gets gashes.

For those who ask 'what if he escapes'.....I can't answer that question. We do everything within our power to keep Paddy inside ~ we adopted a cat who would have been put to death.....

Wow! Now that's service!!!

If you are to take on the responsibility of a cat, or any pet ownership, you should also take on the responsibility of the actions you take with that animal.
For instance, if you think that it is unnatural or unneeded to fix your animal, then you must take on the responsibility of taking care of the babies, healthy pregnancy, good homes, etc etc.
Both of my cats are declawed, only the front, and only by the best vet I could find to do that. I also take the responsiblity that these animals are NEVER allowed outside, for that very reason. Also, I had it done when they were very very young...in fact, the same time I had them fixed so as to give them the best ability to live as natural a life without these claws right from the start, and the least amount of surgical procedures.
Both cats dont notice they dont have claws, they still do all that clawed cats do, except when playing/fighting...they have over compensated use of their back legs and biting.
No, I dont think someone should say how/if you can take care of your animals unless you are mistreating them. I do believe the practice has gotten too much bad press and that people arent as informed as they should be.
Rae...my grandmother has the same thing...and her life is just fine, always has been.
Ive met people who have lost fingernails permanently...and although it was painful...most times they werent prepared for it, it wasnt a surgical procedure. They however lead very normal healthy lives.
My cats still have their knuckles by the way...only their nails were removed.
Very touchy subject but, I do feel the need to put my two cents in when it comes to this topic.

It's a better option than turning a cat over to the pound, but is not a subject for legislation.

I do think it's cruel, even tho' we had Paddy declawed ... my heart went out to him and I don't know if I could do it again.

However, some people tell horror tales about their furniture being destroyed and I can understand how that would be 'distressing' ... to say the least!

But, if it were a toss up between having a cat declawed vs having it destroyed, I'll take the declawing.

Declawing Cats
I don't agree with declawing cats.

I've seven felines living in my house, none declawed, for good reason. Claws are used for protection, climbing, hunting, picking up food, grooming, and traction.

Thankfully, my cats have never torn up furniture, curtains, or carpeting, sharpening their nails out of doors, and when kittens, using a sharpening apparatus made from Berber carpeting remnents.

What people can do in place of declawing, is making sure companion cats have his/her nails trimmed regularly.

Thanks, quinn! (You are such a sweetheart!)

Paddy will be a year old in March......if we hadn't adopted him, he simply wouldn't be here. And that is a very sad thought. He has brought so much joy to Mom's life.....she is a completely different person because of this little kitten.....who is not so little anymore!

Mine wouldnt be here either....its certainly a joy to my life, and theres I think

It would never be performed by a vet here. I am unsure if it is actually banned - it would not be considered as an option though.

I don't know if it's done in Germany. It does sound terrible to me. I cannot imagine doing this to Nisse and Mysan. They are indoor cats also. But they have so much fun climbing. BigDice put a pice of carpeting on one wall - floor to ceiling. They love to climb up there and look down on us.

The hardly every scratch on walls and don't destroy furniture. They use their scratching post and enjoy it so much.

I can't vote until i know if there is such a thing as clipping cat nails, she says, smiling....

I spoke to Possum-cat about the possibility of his being de-clawed, because of his habit of scratching me when I'm not paying attention.

I think you can take his response as a NO - but I'll check when I return from hospital after the blood transfusion!

Poor margo!

I wrote a lost post last night. Ahh, what I would have said.

While I understand wanting to declaw a cat, I am not comfortable with it. I speak as someone with a fetching slash scar on my right forearm, about ten inches long (from Margaret). I have a dog with evergrowing toenails, which wreak their own havoc.

I can envision a persian being clawless in a penthouse with white silk everything....and no danger of going outside ever. And understand it would be troublesome to have a slasher cat. But, it bothers me. As to whether it should be legislated against, probably not, but I see why they are doing it. West Hollywood was a neighboring area in my old home town and probably has a lot of fancy cats, and it is hard to envision a large population of clawless cats....close to mountains there. I am new to this subject, have no idea how many cats in the US are clawless, or half clawless, and whether those are primarily indoor cats (another whole subject).

But... if cat scratching posts do work and claws can be clipped, I think it is excessive to declaw them.

My sister-in-law clips her cat's claws regularly. He even enjoys it. Whenever she is doing her nails, he'll come running waiting for his treatment. I don't know about Nisse and Mysan. Nisse might put up with it. Mysan never. She doesn't even like when I look at her paws to closely :-)