TravelingChris Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 I have a very happy front only declawed cat. I have had three other cats who were front declawed cats and were very happy. I have to have front declawed cats because of my medical condition (really they should be completely declawed but I am willing to risk the small risk of back claws). So I may very well be buying a cat instead of rescuing one. I will no longer support any animal shelter that doesn't want me to own a cat. My local animal service shelter doesn't care- they just want to save cats; lives. That is what I want to do too. I am going to wait and see if a cat I like appears on the Animal services site. I hope one does. Well at least it makes it easier to know who to support. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momofkhm Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 I hear you! We also are unable to adopt from them or a rescue. The thing is, they won't listen to any reasoning. I surrendered a cat to the SPCA. The cat was pooping on the floor. I was pregnant at the time. AND I had a toddler running around at the time. So it's not like I could leave it until dh got home from work. But we are wonderful pet owners. The rest have lived long lives. Try going to the animal shelter, not the SPCA. They also have animals that need homes and are very happy to have someone adopt them! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bettyandbob Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 I would watch for a cat that has already been declawed. I've seen this noted on websites like petfinder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinder Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 I would watch for a cat that has already been declawed. I've seen this noted on websites like petfinder. :iagree: This sounds like it might work for you. Dd and I recently saw a beautiful declawed cat at our local PetSmart. I so wanted to bring him home but our other cat is not declawed and is very territorial so it would not have been a good fit for us. The rescues that work with PetSmart usually note unusual characteristics like this. We also saw one that was listed as polydactyl, but I never did see where the extra toes were. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tree House Academy Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 You could also try "soft paws" as an alternative to declawing. They save your skin and the cat gets to keep his toes. :) P.S. FWIW, I have owned two cats who were declawed front AND back...both were very sweet kitties and lived happy lives. Sissy died at age 13. Blue is still going at age 15. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TravelingChris Posted February 28, 2012 Author Share Posted February 28, 2012 Yes, I am looking for already declawed cats and also will be going to the local animal shelter. I can't use softpaws or something like that since I have to be able to put those things on the cat and in the process, the cat could scratch me. Not only am I not supposed to be scratched for the reasons of possible bleeding problems- most days I am okay with bleeding but sometimes I get too unclotted and then I have to be extra careful like I had to last week. On those days, I don't wash knives, sharp blades, cut with scissors, etc, etc. But cat claws have another danger- disease. I am also on a few different medications that make it easier for me to get very sick from bacteria or viruses. I need them to be able to do such things like keep walking, keep being able to use my hands, etc. I am actually a great person for a cat. I am home most of the time. I have the money for vet care and I do spend to keep my pets healthy. I have a house with nice views of the outside so they get to watch birds, squirrels and chipmunks. What close minded people. The only reason I was trying was because my depressed daughter really wanted a Russian Blue and one was available at the Humane Society. I like Russian Blues but actually would prefer to get another Siamese or maybe an Abyssinian but a Russian Blue would be great. Both dd and dh love them. But okay= I like lots of cats- sleek black ones, gorgeous silvers, tabbies, so I am sure I will find one I want. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 Hugs. I'm against declawing MOST of the time. But a declawed cat is better than a dead cat, and would rather you adopt and declaw than have a cat put down because no one would adopt it! I lived in S. Florida, with a high population of elderly people. We had many clients that were on blood thinners and couldn't risk getting scratched by a kitten/cat. We did do front declaw for them, and a few we did all four paws. We would ONLY do that for medical reasons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
staceyobu Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 Ok, I really don't know anything about cats. And I'm severly allergic to them so I will never own them. But, what is so bad about declawing a cat? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bettyandbob Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 Ok, I really don't know anything about cats. And I'm severly allergic to them so I will never own them. But, what is so bad about declawing a cat? It's cutting off a part of his body. The cat can never go outside again or it will be in serious danger since it can't defend itself. I understand the OP's situation and since she's owned cats she probably knows how to ensure the safety of her declawed cats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LittleIzumi Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 Ok, I really don't know anything about cats. And I'm severly allergic to them so I will never own them. But, what is so bad about declawing a cat? To declaw they essentially remove the first finger joint entirely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
liber Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 It's cutting off a part of his body. The cat can never go outside again or it will be in serious danger since it can't defend itself. I understand the OP's situation and since she's owned cats she probably knows how to ensure the safety of her declawed cats. My declawed kitty goes outside and has no problem defending herself. She also kills chipmunks, baby rabbits, birds, small squirrels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TravelingChris Posted February 29, 2012 Author Share Posted February 29, 2012 My cat is declawed, doesn't go outside-which is actually best for them healthwise- and has zero problems defending himself. He whacks dogs on the nose if he doesn't like something about them and they all back down- now granted I haven't had any pitbulls or anything like that- but normal dogs do back down. He whacks hard. He also has killed a vole (in the house) and plenty of insects. As to side effects, there were none. None of my cats ever had any problems with the declawing. They couldn't use normal litter for a few weeks, that was it. They didn't seem bothered by the surgery at all. I had heard that some groups make exceptions for those of us on blood thinners but for those who don't, I will never donate to them again or help them in any way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
staceyobu Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 To declaw they essentially remove the first finger joint entirely. Okay. That makes sense. However, why no objection to cutting off animals... uhh... goodies? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halcyon Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 To declaw they essentially remove the first finger joint entirely. My father and his wife adopted a cat a few months ago, and when I visited recently I found out they had declawed him. So he wouldn't rip their furniture. Which he never had, even with claws. So upsetting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dansamy Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 Because they don't need them for self-defense? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GailV Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 I have a very happy front only declawed cat. I have had three other cats who were front declawed cats and were very happy. I have to have front declawed cats because of my medical condition (really they should be completely declawed but I am willing to risk the small risk of back claws). So I may very well be buying a cat instead of rescuing one. I will no longer support any animal shelter that doesn't want me to own a cat. My local animal service shelter doesn't care- they just want to save cats; lives. That is what I want to do too. I am going to wait and see if a cat I like appears on the Animal services site. I hope one does. Well at least it makes it easier to know who to support. :confused: Our Humane Society has declawed cats for adoption. That's where our neighbor got hers. You have to pay more for the declawed ones, I think. As to side effects, there were none. None of my cats ever had any problems with the declawing. They couldn't use normal litter for a few weeks, that was it. They didn't seem bothered by the surgery at all. This isn't true. It's wonderful that your cats don't appear to have side effects that you're aware of. Some cats become more aggressive, which is ironic for those who are trying to guard against injury (cats will bite, by the way). Their legs will start to deform since they are unable to walk properly, much akin to the way yours would deform if someone cut off all of your toes. The cat can no longer engage in some normal forms of exercise. It is illegal in various countries due to its status as inhumane. See list here. Please note that I'm not trying to start a fight with you. I'm simply pointing out that you're assessment of the effects ofdeclawing is incorrect, perhaps due to the small sample size. However, plenty of already declawed cats in the U.S. need new homes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
celticmom Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 I remember when I went to get our last cat they had several at Petsmart that were already declawed. I noticed it because I did not want a declawed cat. We live in a rural area with predators and if the cat managed to get out I wanted it to have half a chance to survive until it decided to come back in or I managed to catch it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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