why is it ''mean'' to declaw a cat?

Well it is equivalent to you losing your first knuckle closest to your fingernail. So have someone do that to you & see if you think it was "mean" for them to do that. Cats have claws by nature.

Do you realize what goes into declawing? It's not a simple removal of the claws but a full blown amputation of healthy toes. Declawing a cat means removing the entire first joint/bone of each toe. It'd be like cutting our fingers off at the first knuckle. Declawing causes extreme pain to the cat and often problems down the line (litter box issues from associating the litter box with pain after surgery, personality changes/biting/and skittishness from having their first line of defense removed, arthritis from having to learn a new way of carrying their weight etc.). I hear people say all the time "better declawed than in a shelter", but in actuality many declawed cats end up in shelters anyway because of the behavioral problems many experience after being declawed.Did you know it's illegal and considered inhumane mutilation in most countries outside the U.S.? I've personally observed a declaw surgery at a vet and it's not a pretty sight to watch a vet take guillotine nail clippers and lop off parts of toes... very barbaric looking (laser removal has less healing time and pain, but really isn't that much better in the long run). Declawing has no benefits to the cat, only the owner. There are numerous alternatives including scratching posts and surfaces, Sticky Paws tape, deterrent sprays, Soft Paws nail caps, and nail trimming. Please read more on this awful procedure:http://www.declawing.com/ (DECLAWING: What You Need to Know)http://www.littlebigcat.com/index.php?action=library&act=show&item=001 (Cats and Claws -- Living Happily Ever After)http://declaw.lisaviolet.com/ (the Declawing Menu - Educate!! Don't Amputate!!)http://felineinstincts.ca/?p=100 (Countering arguments for de-clawing)http://www.softpaws.com/ (Soft Paws, declawing alternative)Darksong~

You have many good replies already, yes it is illegal in 25 countries and we in England can't believe it's still done in the USA and Canada so much and that people take their perfectly healthy cats and have them disabled by the most painful procedure a cat can endure.This is what happens :http://clawsforever.ning.com/group/thehorribletruth/forum/topics/written-by-a-usa-vet-techa-catand things can and often do go terribly wrong:http://clawsforever.ning.com/group/thehorribletruth/forumand this is pictures of the procedure:http://clawsforever.ning.com/group/advicebureau/forum/topics/models-of-the-steps-ofand the equivalant operation on a human hand:http://clawsforever.ning.com/group/advicebureau/forum/topics/this-is-what-a-declawed-humanSo if you know of anyone planning to have their cat mutilated, please show them all that.

Good morning Blue Eyes, the answer to your question is quite simple really, the reason people say it is "mean" is because it is! In fact, to be quite honest with you, it is a practice that is banned in 25 civilised countries because it is deemed an act of cruelty.Sometimes I feel as if I am on a repeat loop here, this question has been answered so fully, so many times, by so many responsible and caring pet owners, yet there always seems to be a question popping up asking why it is cruel. Let me put it to you like this, if you were to have a child who kept ripping wallpaper off, or scratching you, or biting you what would you do? Well (hopefully) you would look into ways of diverting the childs attention from the walls etc and find something to amuse and stimulate them. That is just the same with cats, scratch posts, toys etc are all for this purpose. However, what should really make you think is this. Compare the proceedure with having your fingers amputated at the first knuckle or your toes likewise. Imagine the pain you would feel at trying to walk. Imagine not being able to type with your fingers and having to learn to use your knuckles for all the things we take for granted. Does that help you understand why it is cruel? I certainly hope so. If this has made you think more clearly about this practice, then I have achieved my aim, if not , I am sure, that by the time your question has closed, one or other of the community may hopefully have enlightened you.

It isn't just mean it is cruel and this is why: declawing is the amputation of the end joint of the cat's toes, the amputation be it by scalpel or laser cuts through fur, skin, tendon and bone and the resulting stumps are then often glued over in an attempt to stop the bleeding. But the glue doesn't always keep the wounds closed and cats can haemmorrhage badly from the wounds, some cats have bled to death because of this and this is only in the immediate post op time and not including the cats that have died or lost limbs as a result of infection in the wounds. This might give you a clue as to why people say it "hurts the cat", and it doesn't take a great leap of the imagination to consider how much it would hurt you to have the equivalent operation (repeating Kattaddorra's excellent link here http://clawsforever.ning.com/group/advicebureau/forum/topics/this-is-what-a-declawed-human) Imagine having all your fingers and or toes amputated and then having to use your hands and feet to walk on, keep yourself clean with, go to the toilet with and even just scratch an itch with, not to mention being unable to exercise your back muscles in the way nature intended it brings it home to you what "declawing" does to you doesn't it?I don't know, and can't imagine, why it is still legal in the USA .For a modern country that likes to think it is as good as European countries it seems strange that this mutilating operation is still so readily available when the rest of the civilised world has already consigned it to the history books where it belongs along with other forms of animal abuse that have been proved to be inhumane. My theory is that it is all too easy for people to have their cat declawed and because of this no one feels the need to face problems with inappropriate scratching they just have the cat's toes removed and think they are saving themselves a lot of time in training and cash in buying soft furnishings. But many find out when it's too late and the claws have gone forever that in fact they have bought themselves a whole new set of problems when their cat begins to turn to biting as a means of defence and to peeing and pooing anywhere but the litterbox because the litter makes the stumps sore.As long as there is this demand from idle cat owners who'd rather have their cat disabled than spend time training them to use scratching posts there there is always going to be unscrupulous veterinary surgeons who are willing to detoe cats because there is a lot of money to be made though it, thankfully a lot of ethical vets refuse to perform this elective surgery but there are still too many vets that prefer a big bank balance and the ease of dealing with a cat without claws to scratch them with, where is the love for animals in either of those two reasons?But soon it WILL be banned in the USA and Canada and then everyone will have to do as we in the UK have done for many years and that is accept the fact that cats come with claws - if you don't want the claws don't have a cat.

definition of mean: hateful: characterised by malice; "a hateful thing to do": "in a mean mood"definition of inhumane: lacking and reflecting lack of pity or compassion; "humans are innately inhumane; this explains much of the misery and suffering in the world ...i'd go for inhumane rather than "mean" missus!and given that the toes are chopped off i think we're all in agreement that it must hurt cats!why is it still legal in the usa? too many big fat vets wanting to retire at fifty-summat with big fat bankrolls using their influence over the avma to persuade them its a "service" and is needed. but tell me this - what vet who really cares about cats (or any animal) would deliberately amputate a cats toes knowing that cat will wake up screaming with pain despite analgesia, might bleed to death, succumb to infection, be crippled for life or develop personality changes that may lead to abandonmentand if the pain relief that a cat is given is the same as is given to a person terminally ill with last stage cancer what does that tell you about how much pain that cat is expected to endure?

It's true that declawing is illegal in many countries on the grounds that it is considered a form of animal cruelty, and in the UK, the law goes so far as to refer to it as an "unnecessary mutilation". The US, Canada and the Middle East are the few remaining places where it hasn't yet been banned. Figures from the US Humane Society estimate that vets have earned more than $3 Billion from declawing, which explains why it hasn't yet been banned there.Declawing isn't just the removal of their claws, its the amputation of the last joint of their toes. Cats are digitgrade, which means that they walk on their toes, so when you declaw them you cripple them. Imagine if your toes were amputated and you returned home from hospital without the aid of a wheelchair or crutches to get around. Sure, you'd learn to walk again, but your balance will never be the same and you'll have to modify your stance. All of this puts unnecessary pressure on your spine and joints, so arthritis is common in later life.The Paw Project have videos on their web site showing how difficult walking is for cats which have been declawed and their FAQS explains why it should never be done.http://www.pawproject.com/Scratching is natural behaviour for cats, but this isn't the only use of their claws, they need them for lots of other reasons. Claws provide traction when they are running around, help them steady themselves whilst grooming, manipulate toys and if they ever slip off anywhere high, their claws help them to hold on so that they don't fall. The only way that they can exercise the muscles in their shoulders, back and upper body is by digging their claws into something and pulling against their own clawhold.It makes no difference whether a cat lives indoor only or goes outside, they all need claws and that's why they are born with them.Cats are well known for their ability to hide pain and just because some declawed cats don't complain, doesn't mean that they are not suffering in silence.

Mean doesn't even begin to describe it man, it's downright criminal, thats what it is.To put a cat through needless surgery and intense painis very very wrong. Cats are born with claws, they need them indoors and outdoors. It beats me why anyone gets a cat then has them crippled, they must know cats come with claws, they can't tell me they love cats man as if they did, they wouldn't get them butchered.What gets my goat is people who get kittens declawed,man it s supposed to be for really bad scratching behaviour,they don't know the kitten will even scratch, yet they cripple it just incase !! Man it really is awful.

It doesn't hurt the cat, it puts the cat through agony and leaves it crippled for life. Yes its true its illegal in 25 countries, its classed as animal abuse and thats exactly what it is.The reason its still done in the USA and Canada is because the vets who still do it love money more than they love animals.It will be banned worldwide soon !!

Hi Blue Eyes!Thanks for asking this question....and you are very observant to ask why it is legal in some countries if it is so cruel... and painful.. which the surgery is. I ask myself the same question repeatedly, since it is illegal already in 25 countries because it is considered to actually be cruelty to animals.This surgery is one of the most brutal and unnecessary procedures. Cats suffer inordinate amount of pain post surgery, which can last, in some cases for the rest of the cat's life. Since most people think of it as removing the nail ... they don't understand that it is actually amputation of the last digit on each toe. Imagine someone cutting off the last joint on all of your fingers so your nails don't grow anymore.Cats often stop using their litter boxes because the litter is painful to their paws. They often resort to biting as their only defense, as cats soon learn that they no longer have their claws. Cats need their claws for balance, to be able to stretch out fully, andto be able to walk correctly. With the last digit removed, they are not able to walk normally. Arthritis often develops as cats age, as well. But most of all, it is depriving them of a part of their anatomy which is crucial for them.Now to the second part of your question!Vets in the USA make a bundle on declaw surgery. It is often packaged as a plan along with neutering/spaying at a "bargain price". Since many people are too lazy to learn to trim their cat's claws, or love their furniture more than their cats, vets offer it to keep their clients happy. But there are vets, (mine is one of them) that refuse to do the surgery and hope that one day soon the procedure will be illegal in the USA also, along with docking ears and tails in dogs. ( you can blame some breeders for this misery for puppies- since these surgeries are only cosmetic).Watch this video and decide for yourself!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ok_soDjH2UM&feature=relatedHope this helps!TroublesnifferOwned by cats for over 40 yearsMember: Cat Writer's Association

you should search for this question in answers, it has been answered many times.cats use their claws for everything.they cut off the cats toes. if you have a problem with claws, dont get a cat.

if you mean declawing a cat by removing their claws entirely, yes it is damn illegal in many countries! It would be the same as ripping someones fingernails out! Ouch, imagine how painful that would be. I dont see how anyone would want to that, cats are born with claws it is wrong to take them from themNow if you just meant "clipping" which it didnt sound like, this should be legal everywhere. i dont clip my cat's nails but if i ever did get it done or was suggesting it to someone i would book an appointment with my local vet to make sure its done safely and properly, even tho u can do it yourself i choose not to.Clipping can be beneficial in some ways, depending on the reasons behind it. for example if there were health risks associated with a cat keeping one or more of its nails long.The only time i could see declawing be legalized - if ever - is again for a severe health issue