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Is it true that in America some cats are de-clawed?
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I remember when I was little and declawing here was popular... i was very small about 6 yrs old.. iwas visiting my grandma in MA and asked her if her cats were declawed or somehow the subject came up.. my grandma went into telling me that declawing was cruel and a good example that she used was if the cat was to ever get outside how in the world would it protect itself or climb a tree to get away from a dog or another animal.
its amazing how this country will fight tooth and nail to get rid of some dog breeds... but not to do away with declawing.
i'm sitting here fretting because our two kittens are NOT declawed...and we do not intend to do it...but like most places in michigan it is a requirement in our lease that they be...mutilated.
thus far, we have simply ignored this...but we were already signed on the lease when we got the kittens. sooner or later we will be moving, and i'm actually sick at my stomach as i imagine being unable to find a place that will not accept a cat who has not been declawed. signing a new lease they WILL ask, and more than likely will ask to see the animal...maybe not. maybe we'll get lucky.
no, we weren't being irresponsible...we did not KNOW this was such a widespread rental requirement. it will likely be a year or so before we move. maybe the law will change. maybe we'll find somewhere with a "don't ask-don't tell" policy. maybe the horse will talk...
In response to Tambolina's owner question about indoor/outdoor cats:
My personal experience with cats leads me to believe that when they live indoors they tend to develop a much more outgoing personality than outdoor or indoor/outdoor cats. I think that when cats travel outdoors their "feral" tendencies become more honed resulting in a less attached personality. Outdoor cats can be much more skittish, defensive and aggressive. Clearly, they can also be cuddly, fun and entertaining, but when their sense are tuned towards the outdoor
environment, you will have a cat with a much different personality than an indoor cat.
So I'm not saying it's wrong to have an outdoor cat, I just believe that in the majority of cases an indoor cat will develop a heightened personality that is more in tune with people. I also believe they are safer and healthier. As I'm sure you know, outdoor cats are notorious for getting into things you might not want them getting into, and likely transferring some sort of material into the house. Usually a dead mouse. Then there is a good chance the cat was walking through or exploring some pretty unhealthy stuff and possibly walking on your tabletops.
As for me - I couldn't have an outdoor cat. I couldn't take the thought of my cat getting hit by a car, mauled by an animal or hurt by someone. I also don't like some of the souvenirs they bring home such as fleas, trash and dead animals.
Obviously, every situation is different, but I've seen my cats develop such unique and amazing personalities staying indoors.
By giving them a good environment which includes multiple open litterboxes, good food, interactive play and marking devices, you usually end up with a great cat. People who get nerved out because or furniture, carpets, counter-tops or litter boxes should probably seek to re-adjust their position. A great cat is much cooler than a leather sofa...
1. Take it upon yourself to educate prospective landlords about the existence of alternatives. You could mention that there are things called softpaws, that they are claw covers that ensure that a cat's scratches do not do damage and that you will put them on the cats religiously. In fact, if you start now that they are still young, they will probably get used to it quickly and won't mind it a bit. Also teaching them to use their scratch posts and a cat tree will help too.
2. Offer to pay a pet deposit in addition to a regular security deposit, or find some place that might already do that in lieu of requiring a declaw. Mom and dad paid a security pet deposit at our permanent home in Texas in addition to their regular deposit. Half of it we don't get back as a rule because having me means the walls and carpets will have to be steamed to eliminate dander deposits so that people who are allergic to cats can rent our place after we leave. The other half is supposed to cover damage, if any. Mom and dad also have to pay extra rent every month for me to be their pet (something like $20 a month, that's my "rent"). They figure that between the pet deposit and the extra cost on the rent, our landlords are actually making a pretty penny having us here, especially since I am not at all destructive (mom's bedroom door is all scratched up, zero of those scratches coming from me: all of them were courtesy of the chihuhua the previous renter had ). It sucks, but c'est la vie.
Kitty mom posting: In Canada the whole declawing thing is the same as the US. Those in the know (cat lovers) prefer not to because it is wrong, cruel and inhumane. But those that don't know do it. Vets offer the spay/neuter and declaw deal here too. Ick. All the cats I've ever had were rescued or came from homes that couldn't keep them and all came declawed except for one - my parents declawed her. I'll never forget seeing her white paws that were pink with blood and her difficulty walking at first. I vowed to my husband that I will never declaw a cat. Ever. If we rescue one that is declawed that's different. But I would not mutilate a cat like that.
Scratch's mum here : Both Scratch and Tiger had been declawed by previous owners. I'm not sure the reasoning of either, but it is something I as a cat lover could never do.
A friend of mine who worked at a local animal shelter immediatly noticed both of my cats had been declawed and made a comment about declawed cats and litter problems. Which explains a lot as both Scratch and Tiger have litter issues. I believe that is one of the reasons Tiger bounced from home to home so much. I had to go through many types of litter to find one he would use but I would not give up on him. Scratch on the other hand will not poop in the litter box, but instead on the nearest piece of carpeting which is why there is a bath mat in front of the litter box.
As a young teenager one of my first jobs was cleaning out the kennels at a vets office/boarding house. I will never forget the sight of 2 kittens that had come on to be declawed. Their paws all bandaged up and little spots of blood. And mewing. It broke my heart at the age of 14. A friend of mine's boyfriend got his kitten declawed and i will also never forget the sight of it alternatly holding one paw up as if to protect it from touching anything.
In response to an earlier post, it IS very common here in the States as up to 25% of all cats have been declawed (either front, or all four), see http://www.pawproject.com/html/faqs.asp, to me that's very common. And in order to get all those poor kitties declawed there must be many, many vets doing the procedure (of course not ALL vets do it, nobody ever said that).
Also, the Humane Society website sys that 75% of all the kitties surrendered to their shelters for behavior problems are declawed...
I'm very happy that my mommy and daddy loved my just the way I am, claws and all!
I have a four month old bengal kitten and she scratches us when she is playing and that is the only time. Before she came i told my Fiance that i wanted to have her declawed, and he looked shocked. He asked me "Do you realize what they do to the cats?" I thought the claws were simply taken out or cut or something, i didn't know they amputated their toes!!!!
It is safe to say that i changed my stance on declawing cats! Oksana is one little kitten who will NOT be getting declawed! I couldn't image the pain and torment these cats have to go through to save a couple pieces of furniture. I see my scratches from Oksana as love and i wear them proudly! Thanks for posting this!
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). It sucks, but c'est la vie.
