From: barlow@prodigal.psych.rochester.edu (Rebel)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: declawing?
Date: 18 Dec 92 04:34:32 GMT
Organization: University of Rochester - Rochester, New York

In <1992Dec17.200230.27342@jmb2.jmb.com> lewism@jmb2.jmb.com (Mike Lewis) writes:
>I just moved from a high-rise apartment.  The owner would not have allowed me
>to move in with un-declawed cats.  The furniture's not the only problem; what
>do you do about the carpet?  They have never been outside (still haven't
>figured out how to use the elevator ;-), so being declawed does not deprive
>them of any needed defenses.

Unfortunately if your landlord will not allow a cat without it being declawed
you don't have much of a choice...other than not having a cat which I guess
the people at the extremes of this argument would suggest you doing. I am
very much against declawing however I don't know that I think you shouldn't
have a cat if the landlord requires declawing....I would however ask if
I could put down more money on the apartment as a security deposit instead
of declawing the cat (my landlord required this)...or try explaining my
ethical problems with it, especially if I were furnishing the apartment. 

>I guess I don't understand why everyone gets all emotional about declawing.  I
>will never own an un-declawed cat.  We had the procedure done on our newest
>and, while I will agree that he didn't enjoy it, he came out of it none the
>worse for wear.  I know that my cats will not be able to damage my furniture
>or carpet, and they don't seem to miss their first joints.

I get emotional because I think it is wrong to cause another creature (human
or otherwise) pain solely in order to make me comfortable. I think that putting
material goods over the welfare of a living thing is very petty and ethically
questionable. I also think that your comment of "he didn't enjoy it" to be
a bit of an understatement....I am sure that this surgery causes the cat
feet to be very sore and tender and likely even painful following surgery...
and cats can't tell you it hurts and they sure as hell can't go pop some
Tylenol to kill off the pain as we could if we had surgery. And I don't
think you have much evidence that "they don't miss their joints" ... If
you couldn't speak my language and I cut off your first joints...I probably
would think that you didn't miss them either...as I have no way (and neither
do you) of knowing what you think as we can't communicate. My question is
always ...Is furniture really THAT important to everyone? Persoanlly I
think furniture is an inanimate object that can easily be replaced...my cat
however is a different story.

>BTW, how do you feel about neutering?  Doesn't that also involve a painful
>surgical procedure also?  Couldn't you just train a male cat not to spray?  (I
>know it would be difficult, but wouldn't it be worth it to spare the cat the
>pain and suffering?)

AHh.. the old neutering problem....as this net knows I had a lot of trouble
deciding on whether to spay my Zeb or not....my indecision and not
wanting to do it came from feelings similar to the ones I stated above. Yes
spaying is a painful procedure ...any surgery is. ANd if damage to furniture
were the only criteria to be considered in this decision I wouldn't have had
her spayed....however neutering is a more complex subject than declawing as
the consequences of not declawing is ruined furniture...and the consequences
of neutering are ruined furniture AND unwanted kittens and health risks for
animals who are not spayed and are not bred. Female cats have a higher
incidence of uterine and ovarian disorders as wellas temperment disorders
if they are not mated and not spayed. The welfare and health of my cat was
my reason for spaying her...NOT my furniture.

>I believe that if you've got a moral problem with inflicting this procedure on
>your cat, fine.  Don't have it done.  It's your prerogative.  What I don't
>necessarily appreciate is hearing that I am a cruel, uncaring person unworthy
>of cat-ownership because I have them declawed.  No offense intended, BTW.

I do have an ethical problem with declawing and I will never have one of  my
cats declawed. However I think it is necessary to inform people of all the
pain this procedure causes cats....Jack Webb is a veternary student and he
is DEFINITELY against declawing. I think that cats can't speak up for
themsleves so we do. I think my only hope is that regardless of people's
decision to declaw or not or to spay or not that they think about it seriously
and not just do the "in" thing to do.
>Flame all you want, we'll "n" more!

I hope that's not the case...I do hope you are willing to listen to
the other side of the discussion. No flames intended.

Jen (mommy to Zebulon, delegate of the nine planets and envoy to 2 universes)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats