Egg on Bok's face

When that bell rang in the council chambers putting an end to Mr Egg Box’s frenzied, spluttering flawed argument against a ban on declawing he was literally sweating buckets, he was pale, eyes shifting and making hand gestures, the classic signs of a liar. But the best was yet to come as several of the council members questioned him further about his reasoning, he must have felt as though he was roasting on a spit as they one by one pierced him with a querying gaze and put him right on the spot.
For a man who put up the brilliant poster from the Paws Project on his website he had certainly turned his snout against the wind. When asked to give facts and figures, he couldn’t, when asked to give the percentages of clawed and declawed cats that are surrendered, and re-homed, he couldn’t! He said it was too difficult! I don’t think he spent a lot of time in preparation for his moment of glory, what a disappointment for his paymaster.

But he had plenty to say about how cats will be killed if they cannot be declawed. What manner of thinking is this? How do we make the leap from cats being as nature intended, fully clawed, in homes in all the countries where declawing is banned to cats in Santa Monica, (and all the other cities and states of the USA barring West Hollywood), being killed because they have claws and their “cat guardians” (to use Mr Box’s terminology) don’t want to have to give houseroom to a clawed cat? In fact he stated that these cat guardians will be FORCED to relinquish their cats if they cannot have them declawed. Does that mean that the same people are FORCED to have a cat then? Is it a requirement of the city that everyone whether they like it or no must own a cat? No, I didn’t think so either. Can this man not see that because declawing is so readily available it actually stops people trying to educate themselves on the subject of living alongside those offensive claws?

He said, and it must have been tongue in cheek because as a past manager of animal shelters he will know better, that declawing is a last resort. You can’t tell me that someone with 30 years experience in the care and “control” of animals hasn’t heard every last excuse in the book, he will know that declawing is no last resort but he chose to lie through his teeth and say that more cats would be surrendered if the option of declawing was banned. He chose to keep quiet about how many declawed cats are surrendered because of problems associated with declawing, and he failed to mention that declawed cats with behavioural or physical problems following declawing sit there in the shelters being passed by once the would be adopter finds out that Fluffy pees on the bed or poops on the couch, or bites the bairn when he pulls her tail. Or that Fluffy is no fun anymore she just sits and mopes and washes or bites at her sore stumps instead of entertaining the family in return for her keep.

He falls back on the age old argument, comparing neutering with declawing, he calls them both mutilation, with a little wiggle of his fingers to imply speech marks, shouldn’t a man of his experience appreciate the difference between surgery performed for the benefit of the cat’s health, and to save millions of unwanted kittens being born only to be destroyed, and surgery performed purely for the owners convenience and to the detriment of the cat? He also compares cutting off the ear tips of feral cats, admittedly a sad thing, with declawing, but again he fails to realise that removing an ear tip, and unless I’m wrong here the ears do not have a lot of pain receptors so the cat is more than likely unaware that the ear tip is gone, potentially saves a female feral cat from the trauma of being trapped twice, anaesthetised twice and operated on twice. Now that is potentially life threatening so the ear tipping is fully justified.
He also tried to make out that a vet performing a declawing procedure is saving a life. No Mr Bok, emergency surgery saves lives, neutering saves lives, feral trapping, neutering, ear tipping and releasing saves lives but declawing most certainly doesn’t save lives. Declawed cats still end up abandoned, straying, sitting in shelters, lying in gas boxes or being injected with poison, and disposed of in sacks and incinerators. Had he bothered to keep a count of the cats relinquished to the three shelters he managed he would have known that.

Mr Bok is certainly obsessed with killing cats; he seems to regard any cat that is not declawed as dead meat. That was just about the only thing he was clear on, most other things he flannelled his way through, saying it was too difficult to track such information to give statistics or that such statistics didn’t exist. He conjured up a figure of 55% and claimed this percentage of owners would dump their cats if they could not have them declawed. But how many of those people, if they knew that there was no option of having a cat declawed, would adopt a cat in the first place? And surely this is a good thing, that someone who has no regard for the health and well-being of a cat but thinks of it merely as another possession to pretty up the house with and to be altered and adapted for this purpose, should opt not to own a cat after all.

Bok also told us that Mayor Stern, of Malibu has said that he would have taken his cat to the pound if he couldn’t have declawed it due to his wife’s health issues. Well firstly it begs the question why did Mayor Stern acquire a cat when his wife has a health issue? And furthermore how does Mayor Stern think those people with health issues in countries where declawing is rightly banned manage to keep a cat and stay alive?

No one seems prepared to take responsibility for his or her own safety – why?

Thankfully despite Egg Box’s best efforts the council members were wiser than he and they voted to ban declawing in Santa Monica.

He's now trying to justify what he said to save face, but it's too late - he already has egg on it.

A little more light relief

Here is another batch of funnies, just for a bit of light relief from the usual way we spend our time online, all spellings & grammar are as they appeared on various sites.

The birds and the bees
1) your cat will have a baby. are you sure she havent married???i think you should take she to vet and chek up of her.
Well not many cats bother to get married in this day and age, they usually just shack up together so good for her if she has!

2) By the way he was kinda playin mature with a toy (dont know what it means but look like it not that good)

3) When my male cat was in heat he never sprayed

4)I have a female cat that is spaded .. she meows everynight about 1am ,, why ?
Gord knows but she seems to be a good timekeeper!

When can male cats start making babies?
when can they... you know.. stick it out and are inclined to do it when they see the female
Answers on a postcard as to when they can stick it out.

How to tell the gender of a kitten.
Look at the urinal area of your kitten

Telling it like it is!
Spotting a female is easy; if she doesn't have balls, boom, bobs your uncle, it's a female ;)
Succint!

Strange doings!
My cat has been acting crazy for about 2 weeks now (sorry to bother you with my cats Qs but I need help) she seems fine (eat, drinks and plays) but out of nowhere she will scream BLOODY MURDER it makes me shake and have goosebums all over my body

Q Does your cat smile while they are sleeping? My cat smiles in his sleep ALL the time! It's so cute! What about your cats? :)
A Mine twitches and its lips cringe

Q I think I love my cat, we go out for meals and sleep together, is this normal?
A yes your a cat person and if the cat did not like it you would get a scratch on your nose and it would leave you ... unless you butted its feet then it might come back haha

Strange people!

I was talking to my little cat last night and I said "You're not my cat, and you're not my feline companion"
I said: "You're my little adopted daughter". Don't you think that's nice of me? :-) :-)

I do actually

I want him to sleep on my bed ,be next to me but he has a smell after he does a peepee.he is a male 1 year is birthday is 21/11/07
Don’t forget to send him a card folks!

Was Jesus a Fireman? Come again? (Pardon the pun)

Famous Cat Quotes?

does anyone know who said this?
Vol-au-vent WTF?

Cats’ names
Q Does you cat have a nickname, if so what is it?
A1 I call my kitty, "Bo Bo Head."
A2 NUMMY NUTZ
A3 WINSEY POO-POO
A4 Buddha (because she is fat)
A5 who said u have the rights to know wat our cats names r
A6 I call my cat "Kitty." Original, right? (:Her name's actually Cricket Luna. I sort of... accidentally came up with it.
A7 shitty itty stinker dinker doo boog boog bee boog

I wonder if that one is an outdoor cat? Imagine shouting that name to get him in at night.

Cats and their bowels!
Q How can i make my cat poop prooply in the cat litter tray? The other day he pooped in my lil girls wardrobe
A Show him ... poop yourself on the tray in front of him
Brilliant answer!

Our male has learned to use the toilet, without any training...and flushes it as well.

I understand they have to bury it but she flings it everywhere and sometime there are even turds that get out.
Aghhh!! The turds are coming for you.

Q Why does my cat keep shitting on my bed?!?
A1 he wants something especially if your cat is about 1-3 years old. Usually they want to go outside meet and nice girl have sex. The male cats like to have sex.
That was a very full answer, lots of detail there.

A2 Perhaps your bed smells like a toilet to him, change your sheets and wash them.
Yuck!

A3 a lot of males will do that if he wanting something u will not give him.
Quite true! Oh are we still talking about cats?

Q When replacing a cats litter box, is it true that you must buy a similar color as the old one...?
A1 Your cat honestly could care less about the color of it's crapper and is more concerned that there is one.

A2 Cats don't care. My wife died years ago and my new GF brought her cat and enclosed litter box. My 9 yo cat had no problem adapting to a new box in a new location
Sounds as though the cat isn’t the only one that had no problem adapting to change.

My cat also, crapping on the sofa too because it sharing it's claws.
With whom?

Cat’s piddling
Have never seen a male cat raise their leg and urinate like a dog does. Are you sure the cat did raise its leg? Ve haf vays of finding out if your cat raised his leg!

Male cats do not normally lift their leg to urine. I just did a Google search on:male cats raising leg to urinate I didn't find anything that said that cats will raise their legs to urinate, but then I didn't look real closely at the search results
After all that raising legs and urinating he didn’t look at the search results anyway

And dogs who work for the Royal Mail
Especially if it is a mail dog as their urine is far more pungent.

Cats wearing strange things
I know my cat has ear mits, I realize my other cats can and probably have gotten the mits by now,
A cat wearing ear mits?

My cat is leaving behind dark specs and cant stop scratching/chewing?
And a cat that keeps forgetting his sunglasses!

A medical diagnosis
Bouble eye lids is usually a sign of fever
Bouble eyelids? Again....WTF?

Back to the bowels
Q Why doesn't our cat fart a lot?
we smelled our cat's fart just one time since the 2 months she lived with us. Shouldn't she be farting more ?

A1 Its probly farting lol but you just cant smell it

A2 If I were you I wouldn't be complaining. Cat farts are rotten. It is like humans -some fart a lot and some not quite as often! Keep your fingers crossed kitty keeps the farts to a minimum. She is obviously a lady!!
Cat farts are NASTY!!!
As are most farts, of course. I’ve never met a nice one.

Strange remarks
please rehome the cat, you don’t have the patience, let alone the smarts to understand this innocent little life

I have a cat that i got from a friend!! he is cute but i wound like to know wat he is if there is any way than plzs tell me!!!
Hmmm, a cat?

I have had two cats since they were tinny :)

They have like skin or something inside their nails

When you clean the litter box just put it in a plastic wal- mart bag and tie it shut
I wonder if a Morrisons bag work just as well.

I saved the best till last
Would you get changed in front of your cat?
I would get changed in front of anything, cat, dog, spider. (Probably not a hungry peregrine falcon though, I value my dangly bits too much!)

Back to the serious stuff next time. Thanks for your indulgence.

Why declawing must be banned

To whom it may concern:
To all of those people who do not think that cat declawing should be banned by legislation, arguing that the decision should be made after consultation between veterinarian and cat owner I would like to offer the following evidence in prove that cat owners and veterinarians are abusing your trust in them because they are not always acting in the animal’s best interest.

Firstly I’d like to quote the AVMA policy on declawing cats:
Declawing of domestic cats should be considered only after attempts have been made to prevent the cat from using its claws destructively or when it’s clawing presents a zoonotic risk for its owner(s).

The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), established in 1863, is a not-for-profit association representing more than 78,000 veterinarians working in private and corporate practice, government, industry, academia, and uniformed services. Structured to work for its members, the AVMA acts as a collective voice for its membership and for the profession.

(The veterinarian’s oath
Being admitted to the profession of veterinary medicine, I solemnly swear to use my scientific knowledge and skills for the benefit of society through the protection of animal health, the relief of animal suffering, the conservation of animal resources, the promotion of public health, and the advancement of medical knowledge. I will practice my profession conscientiously, with dignity, and in keeping with the principles of veterinary medical ethics. I accept as a lifelong obligation the continual improvement of my professional knowledge and competence.)

The Humane Societies recently updated statement
People choose to declaw their cats for a number of reasons: some are frustrated with shredded drapes or furniture, some are worried about being scratched, and others simply feel that a declawed cat is easier to live with.
In many cases, cats are declawed pre-emptively, as a part of a spay/neuter package offered by veterinarians, even before claw-related problems occur………
While there have been changes in the way that cats are declawed, it's still true that for the majority of cats, these surgical procedures are unnecessary. Educated owners can easily train their cats to use their claws in a manner that allows animal and owner to happily coexist. Declawing and tendonectomies should be reserved only for those rare cases in which a cat has a medical problem that would warrant such surgery, such as the need to remove cancerous nail bed tumors. Declawing a cat does not guarantee that the animal will not be relinquished to a shelter or euthanized. Declawed cats may develop other problem behaviors, such as biting or litter box avoidance, and end up being surrendered to a shelter anyway.

Having read that I’d like to invite you to read the following excerpts from a website for which I can gladly supply the link. The quotes are not taken out of context they are exactly as they were written, spellings included, though coarse language is disguised. The person who asked the question lives in New York. I have made the really shocking comments bold print.

This is the initial post and one further post from the asker

1. We're moving to a new place and we decided to get B a kitty. Our Kitty is at the vet right now getting neutered, declawed, all his shots, flea dip.. lets just say he's getting fully serviced. lol Anyways, I have to go pick him up tomorrow morning and I was wondering if his paws were going to be really sore? I have his litter box and food and water dish in the laundry room and he has to jump a baby gate to get in there and I'm worried it will hurt him to jump it. He is my first cat, I always had dogs before so any information about cats and declawing would be helpful. Oh and I already know that it is mean to declaw a cat, I don't care, I don't want him to scratch my kid. He is going to be a indoor cat and doesn't really need them, so the vet says.

2. Have you ever had a cat that got declawed? I know he's going to be sore. But I was wondering how sore and how long it lasts?

They don't actually cut anything off. They slice the tip and remove the claw, I guess.

This is the first reply, again I have made the shocking content bold print
They are NOT allowed to jump at all! and they are supposed to have special litter for a week or two. They have it at the vet. They usually wont give pain meds because if the pain med takes away the pain then the cat will jump and not know better and bust the tips open and they will get infected- I have experienced this firsthand with a cat before. It is best not to give them the pain med even if the vet does offer it.

the vet should give you litter made from newspaper. when cats are first declawed they cant use the regular cuz their paws can get infected. The cat I had went crazy for the first couple days after because of the pain. You also have to make sure that he doesnt lick his paws. Good Luck. Hope all goes well.

Thank you. I already purchased the special litter. I'll keep that in mind about the pain meds because when I called to check on him earlier the vet mentioned something about it. They didn't mention the no jumping thing, I'm happy I asked now. Lol

So what is being discussed here is witholding pain relief from a cat who has had ten separate amputations of his toe ends, make no mistake about this, the claw is an extension of the bone, to remove the claw the bone has to be amputated at the first knuckle. Can you imagine having your finger ends amputated and being given no pain relief, just in case you forgot about your wounds and used your stumps normally? I think not. And yet cats and kittens that are declawed have to use their paws almost immediately on coming round from a general anaesthetic. They have to stand on their paws, putting pressure on the wounds and they have to use those paws to dig in whatever litter they are provided with because cats are instinctively clean and will always seek out a clean litter box, if however following declawing the cat experiences severe pain while using the litter box then after that the cat will always associate using the litter box with pain. This is what causes the litter box avoidance and the use of floors, carpets and soft furnishing for toiletting.

lol yeah realy - all my cats have always had their front paws declawed- otherwise I would not have any furniture left! They dont go outside EVER so they dont NEED them anyway. (again!)
Of course they need them, they need them for walking, grooming, playing, climbing, catching and raking litter, as well as a very important means of self defence. It is no use arguing that indoor cats don’t need to defend themselves, what about if the home was broken into and a window broken or door kicked in and the cat bolted out and was lost, how would he not only defend himself from other cats but also from predators, and how would he catch food to eat? What about if the cat didn’t bolt and the intruder was someone who would ill treat the cat, no claws means that the cat can’t lash out and run. And what about floods, fires and other disasters when cats sometimes get lost or abandoned during evacuation of homes.?

The way I look at it: 1) I don't want him scratching my son. 2)I also don't want him scratching my new living room set. Lol
I agree it is a little mean, but it would be meaner if I killed the cat for attacking my son and scratching him all up. Not saying the cat would do that, but if he did....

This cat is new to the home and is being declawed at the same time as neutered just in case he scratches this person’s son. Why on earth should he attack the child and “scratch him all up”? She’s not even saying the cat would…….
Just to remind you of the AVMA policy:

Declawing of domestic cats should be considered only after attempts have been made to prevent the cat from using its claws destructively or when its clawing presents a zoonotic risk for its owner(s).

The vet told me they slit the top and remove the nail. Totally inaccurate and if this is true that vet’s licence to practice needs reviewing.

Declawing traditionally involves the amputation of the last bone of each toe and, if performed on a human being, it would be comparable to cutting off each finger at the last knuckle.
Declawing can leave cats with a painful healing process, long-term health issues, and numerous behavior problems. This is especially unfortunate because declawing is an owner-elected procedure and unnecessary for the vast majority of cats.

Well, either way, the nails had to go. It's a safety thing, my Son is only 17 months. Lol
Still laughing out loud (Lol) and presenting no evidence that there is any actual sign of the child being at risk.

most cats wont keep the nail things on - they can chew them off and just trimming the nails doesnt stop them form scratching furniture- sprays dont work either nor does providing a scratching post. It is a necessary evil.
You will note that this respondant mentions only scratching of furniture as a reason to declaw a cat and condsiders it a necessary evil.

My Son runs around and the Kitty chases him, he loves it, at least he'll love it untill the kitty grabs ahold of his foot. lol I love the kitty, hate the claws.
That cat makes my kid smile a thousand times a day. That's reason enough for me to want to have it.
Without wishing to sound biased, doesn’t this seem to you that the cat is pretty much the child’s plaything and only welcome because it makes the child smile? And that he plays with the cat in a way that to an animal that stalks by instinct invites “grabbing ahold”, this is obviously no fault of the child’s he is too young to realise this but the mother should be supervising the playing and should ensure that the child and kitten don’t get over excited as either one could hurt the other

i have all leather furniture lol there was no way i wasnt going to get my cats declawed. my moms a vet so she did it for free for me lol and both my cats are 4 paw declaws.

it took about a week before my kitties were back to their normal self.

My cat lost his nut and his knuckle today

so we are just supposed to let them ruin all our furniture

No, because you can't teach a cat not to scratch. I have a good looking son and nice things and I would like to keep it that way. I love the kitten, enough to bring him into our home and make him part of our family, but in order for that to happen his claws had to go.

(Reminder: Declawing of domestic cats should be considered only after attempts have been made to prevent the cat from using its claws destructively)

Notice two things, that declawing cats, though a massive trauma for the cat, is being discussed with flippancy and that the biggest reason, stated over and over again, for declawing is to protect the furniture. And may I point out that quite obviously no other attempts have been made to prevent the cat from clawing the furniture, and in fact there doesn’t seem to be any evidence that the cat has clawed the furniture or is even inclined to.

In between these posts there are also posts that are arguing against declawing

To continue
So lets say you have a cat, no kids. you love the cat to death and whenever you're gone at work... it DESTROYS your house,.... scratches every up, tears everything to shreads. you would just deal with it and not declaw your cat? or would you keep buying new furniture? or would you give the cat away?
In our home we’ve had 9 much loved cats over 35 years, they have all been unique with their own personalities and habits, some have been mischievous, some laid back to the point of being horizontal, some jumpy, some naughty but never, ever have any of them scratched everything up, torn everything to shreds or destroyed our house! Nor have any relations’ or friends’ cats to my knowledge. Yes sometimes they do scratch the furniture but to the point of tearing it to shreds or destroying the house? No way.

Q Just curious. What will you do if the cat starts biting? Declawed cats are known to bite more often since they no longer have claws for self-defense.
A I'm willing to work with both my child and my cat on that. I heard spraying them with a squirt bottle works well. It's harmless but they hate it I guess. lol *EDT* I'm going to spray the cat, not my kid. Hehe
And I'll squirt him with water and he'll learn not to bite.

Bitch all day, I already got it done and will do it to any other cat we decide to get later on.
(Reminder: Declawing of domestic cats should be considered only after attempts have been made to prevent the cat from using its claws destructively)

This is aimed at the people who have spoken against declawing, by now the replies are becoming abusive.
None of my 5 cats that I have had have ever bit anyone unless playing. How do you stop your cat from scratching your furniture-? let me guess? you dont- you have old ****** furniture and dont care- probably has cat **** all over it too.
Unfortunately it seems that furniture is the biggest worry.

More from above poster
When I worked at the Humane Society cat bites were very common among the declawed cats in the cat room. These are cats that saw the same 3 faces every day for the many months I was there, trusted us but still bit us.

There are alternatives to declawing one is tendonectomy... which is the snipping of the tendon that allows the cat to extend their claws. the cat keeps their knuckle and claws.”
I've never heard of that, but I assure you, I'm all for it! I hope something like that becomes the norm instead of chopping off a knuckle.
Making the claws useless carries it’s own problems. Because the cat can no longer keep the claws trimmed, the claws will naturally grow in a circular manner into the foot pads causing pain and infection unless the owner is able to trim the nails on a regular basis. (The tendonectomy patient will require life-long management in the form of regular nail clipping).

In order for me to allow a cat into my home I want to make sure it isn't going to put my child in danger or ruin my nice things that I proudly pay for with my own money. I want my child to experience having a pet, we always had pets growing up, it was great. My kid will be able to know what it's like too, and we'll all be happy because no one will be getting scratched and my furniture will stay nice and the cat will get to live in a warm and loving household.

Furniture again and the remote posibility of the child being “in danger” and how is the child going to experience, truly, having a pet and learning about caring for pets if he's going to be brought up thinking that cats should be made clawless. Is that equiping him for the big bad world? No.

All vets around here still declaw. and I think it is soo damn ridiculous to say we dont care about our pets if we declaw them- they dont need claws inside the house!!! (is this truly a misconception or is it an excuse? Can people really believe that cats don't need claws?)

This poster lives in OHIO, all the vets declaw (In many cases, cats are declawed pre-emptively, as a part of a spay/neuter package offered by veterinarians, even before claw-related problems occur………) HSUS statement see page 1,
(Declawing of domestic cats should be considered only after attempts have been made to prevent the cat from using its claws destructively or when its clawing presents a zoonotic risk for its owner(s))
AVMA policy see page 1
So can it be that all cats in Ohio use their claws destructively and have resisted all attempts to prevent this happening or is it that all vets in Ohio offer neuter/declaw packages, probably in competition with each other in a sort of price war, and actually encourage the declawing of young cats that have had no opportunity to demonstrate how they will use their claws? I know which I think is the real answer. And I think money is at the root of it.

All 5 of my cats did fine with declawing and were not in serious pain- the one that we gave pain meds to just ended up injuring herself and ripping them open by jumping because she no longer felt any pain and then they got infected-

I know about those, (Soft Paws) they come off. Our next cat will be declawed also.
So a kitten not even conceived let alone born weaned or adopted is already doomed to have it’s claws removed.

This sort of dialogue is sadly all to common, every day you can read posts from people chatting about declawing cats to save their furniture, how can this be allowed to happen?

Until declawing is banned right across the USA this type of ill informed, unfeeling, uncaring attitude will prevail. But the fact is that 38 countries in the world have banned declawing as inhumane so if millions of people in those countries manage to own cats with claws what makes the USA so different? Availability, supply and demand that is what. Take away the easy (on the owner) option and you sort the wheat from the chaff, the people who want a plaything or moving ornament from the genuine cat lovers who want a healthy happy whole cat to share their home and family.

Ideally yes no one but the owner after consultation with a vet should have any say over what is allowed to be done to an animal, but the people in positions of power, owners AND vets are abusing those positions and opting for painful disabling (and money making) procedures for convenience above the well-being of the cat.

This why declawing should be banned by legislation and this is the petition calling for that ban.

Hurting babies

Here’s another proudly declawing practice, in Wisconsin this time run by a husband and wife who we’ll call the Woodentops and another butcher a.k.a Bonehead, on their website they make wonderful proclaimations, which I'm going to highlight in red, and discuss so here we go - “The decision to remove the claws is a personal decision.”
For whom? Not the cat! And really it shouldn’t be a personal decision, because wrong decisions are being made on a daily basis to deprive cats and kittens of a necessary part of their anatomy, this is why declawing needs to be banned by law, personal decision that is used unwisely should be taken away. And how much is personal decision and how much is auto-suggestion by vets/techs programmed to sell declawing as an add on to other surgical services? We've heard this week from someone who phoned to make an appointment for neutering only to be asked if they wanted to add declawing while they were at it. This is obviously a routine part of appointment making, and someone who isn't clued up about declawing, who in fact thinks it's a pussycat manicure, and who has to accept or refuse on the spot may well say "Oh yes please, I hadn't thought of that, thank you so much!"

It may be needed to protect your home or even family members from a scratching cat.
Protect your home? Protect your family members? Were they made to adopt a fearsome creature with huge, sharp, dagger-like pointy bits when what they really desired was something round and smooth? (a.k.a a goldfish). Is there any need for such drama? Particularly when you read on a bit and discover what age they recommend declawing…..

But first there’s this “In a particularly destructive cat, it can be life saving as many cats are turned over to a shelter because of that behavior.”
Completely disregarding the fact that many more cats are turned over to a shelter, and killed, having been declawed and having developed peeing, pooping and biting habits far worse than the scratching ever was. If ever the home and family members needed protecting maybe it’s AFTER declawing rather than before! But there again cats are disposable, take one cat, ruin it, don’t like the result, get rid of it and get another one. Also there is a more than equal chance that far from being life saving it can be life changing or even life ending

The following are possible complications of this surgery:

• Adverse reaction to anaesthetic

• Gangrene, which can lead to limb amputation

• Haemorrhaging

• Permanent nerve damage

• Persistent pain

• Reluctance to walk

• Scar tissue formation

• Sequestrum (bone chips), requiring additional surgery

• Skin disorders

After surgery, the nails may grow back inside the paw, causing pain but remaining invisible to observers. Declawing results in a gradual weakening of leg, shoulder, and back muscles, and because of impaired balance caused by the procedure, declawed cats have to relearn to walk, much as a person would after losing his or her toes.
PETA

Now here’s the killer…remember that home and family that needed protecting??
Removing a cat’s claws can be done as early as 12 weeks if the kitten weighs at least 2 pounds. Or, you can trim back the nails carefully until your kitten is spayed or neutered as a temporary measure you understand? Or forever if you opt not to have the claws removed. Opt not to? NOT TO should be the norm not something you opt for. And here's a wild idea...why not leave the damn claws alone?

The picture at the top of this page is of a 12 week old kitten, look at those tiny paws and imagine this kitten hardly yet used to having left it’s mother being subject to general anaesthetic and multiple amputations, strong pain relief (hopefully), tight bandaging and post op confinement. Kittens are never still, they just want to play all day. This poor little 12 week old kitten is going to have its toes amputated, so no learning, play fighting, stalking practice or fun and games for him for a long while.

Moreover what about this statement from the AVMA “Animals must be provided water, food, proper handling, health care, and an environment appropriate to their care and use, with thoughtful consideration for their species-typical biology and behavior. (Bold type added by me)

Where pray is the "thoughtful consideration for their species typical behaviour?" Cats need to scratch. Cats claw to have fun and exercise, to maintain the condition of their nails, and to mark their territory—visually and with scent. They stretch by digging their claws in and pulling against their own claw-hold. Cats’ natural instinct to scratch serves both their physical and psychological needs (Peta again) Ergo deny them scratching = deny them thoughtful consideration, yes? Yes!

And what about their famous “Declawing of domestic cats should be considered only after attempts have been made to prevent the cat from using its claws destructively or when its clawing presents a zoonotic risk for its owner(s).”

Realistically how much attempt can have been made to prevent a 12 week old kitten using it’s claws destructively? A 12 week or 2lb kitten hasn’t got the strength in it’s paws and leg muscles to do destroy anything! (Yes they can and do make a mess of your feet and ankles with their tiny needles but hey they’re kittens, that is what those amongst us who comprehend that kittens are baby cats and that cats have claws realise and expect.) How could you decide to make an appointment, starve the kitten, put him in a carrier and deliver him to the surgery knowing that he is going to come out of there the next day hobbling on part-feet, on strong pain relief (hopefully) and lying around sore and confused? I know I couldn’t ever subject a cat to any unnecessary surgery, bad enough the surgery they have because of need and because of neutering, but elective cosmetic surgery for the owner’s convenience? Evil!

Zoonotic risk, which must account for a miniscule percent of cats declawed, is still totally unnecessary. It’s been said many times, and it’s true, that people with immunosuppressed conditions in countries where declawing is rightly banned as inhumane manage nicely by following hygienic and safe procedures, or they just don’t have, or hang around, cats. It’s this assumption that everyone has a right to own and adapt a cat that annoys me. Cats are not suitable pets for everyone, they’re not suitable pets for house-proud people who value couches and drapes so much that they’re willing, eager even, to pay to have the cat’s toes amputated. And in some cases cats are not suitable pets for people with certain illnesses, surely the best thing to do is accept that rather than take a perfect cat and make a Frankenstein’s monster out of it’s paws?

So back to the words of wisdom from the Woodentops and their sidekick Bonehead: Generally, it is easier on a cat if done when young as there is less weight on the paws during the recovery period. What is even easier is to take that 12 week old kitten and provide him with scratching equipment, a tall scratching post and a flat scratching pad and show him what to do, interaction with a kitten is nothing but pleasure and is part of the joy of cat owning, or cat parenting if you’d rather, helping your kitten to learn by play is such a lovely experience, I can’t bear to think that anyone would prefer to surgically mutilate a baby animal than spend time shaping the kitten for the years ahead together.

Declawing still can be done even in cats that are older, although they will rebound more slowly.

Here’s one definition of rebound: a reaction to a crisis or setback or frustration
And here’s another A return to health or well-being; a recovery
The first one sums it up for me, crisis? YES Setback? Oh yes! Frustration? A 12 week old kitten deprived of it’s claws, bandaged, confined, medicated? What do you think! Frustration with a capital F!
And of course an older cat will take longer to heal, if at all, mentally and physically. Methinks the word “ rebound” has been chosen in a very sly and crafty manner, “recover” or “convalesce” or “recuperate” all sound very medical. Think of the word rebound and I bet you have a mental image of something bouncing back…hence the implication that they bounce back to full health and vitality (albeit slower they say). The second definition of rebound can’t possibly apply in this case, a declawed cat is NEVER going to return to health or well-being or recover, how can he when at least ten important parts of him are missing?

If you choose to have your cat declawed, it is important that he or she remain indoors. While declawing will not change your cat’s personality, he or she will not have a natural defense

So, as we used to say… “What’s this then, Scotch mist? ”Furthermore, cats without claws have lost their first line of defense, and because of this, they live in a constant state of stress. Less able to protect themselves, they cannot fight off other animals, or escape quickly from a dangerous situation. They may also become biters because they no longer can use their claws as a warning. Groomers, veterinarians, and people who care for declawed cats in shelters find many of them to be nervous, irritable, and difficult to handle.Finally, declawed cats often stop using their litter boxes. Some apparently associate the pain they feel in their paws when trying to cover their waste with the litter box itself. They seek a less painful place for elimination, such as the carpet or bathtub. Even though there are effective ways to modify a cat's litter box behavior, it is a particularly difficult challenge because a declawed cat's aversion results from pain. SOURCE

This is only one of a zillion sites listing the personality changes that can, and do, happen to declawed cats, I mean if these people haven’t researched into this very real and documented complication of declawing how can they possibly judge themselves capable of not only declawing cats but of their aftercare? And the only thing they can possibly think of to warn their clients of is that cats will have a natural defence (and they can’t even spell the word properly)

Here are their self congratulatory credentials Our pets warm our hearts, comfort us in illness and are always good listeners. They are our friends, companions, and family.

My pets are like that, I think a lot of us would be worse of mentally and physically without the loving accepting presence of a purring cat, so having warmed our hearts, listened to us, befriended us, kept us company and been like kin to us, should our reward to these friends be OFF WITH THOSE TOES?

Knowing how important these animals are in your life, it is an honor to care for these important members of your family.

You would never have the honour of getting within a hundred yards of my important members I can tell you! Their importance is soon forgotten when $$$$$’s are in the offing for chopping off those toes.

We treat your pets like family and are committed to celebrating and protecting the human-animal bond.
So, the Woodentops offspring are declawed? Maybe all the family is declawed? Oh no, that’s right only the cats have been declawed, the lesser important “family”, the human animal bond? WHAT human animal bond?

Compassion

We will care for your pet as if he or she was our own. We will treat all pets with dignity and respect.
I can’t even be bothered to comment on this, they don’t know the meaning of compassion, of dignity or of respect, no one who respects animal life could or would take money to remove healthy, vital parts of a cat. Respect Mammon maybe! (Oh, I did comment after all!)
Integrity

We will act with truthfulness, honesty, responsibility and accountability.
Well we’ve already seen the lack of truth and honesty where they stated “While declawing will not change your cat’s personality…..”
We’ve seen a lack of responsibility in their offer to declaw kittens as young as 12 weeks before those kittens have control over their claws and before they have had any training or displayed any destructive tendencies.

Accountability? I think they are thinking of the accounts they send out that are due for payment, lots of lovely dosh

Finally they claim this
Always putting our best paw forward for you and your pets.

They are lucky to have a best paw, the kittens and cats that they have declawed have ruined paws!

A unique experience? Declaw meatheads warning.

Recently I’ve been Googling, browsing and searching out vet clinic that advertise declawing, and there are plenty. But one particularly nasty one I’ve come across is in Arizona. I’m not naming it for fear someone takes their cat there but suffice to say it’s website is sickening (contact me for the link) the head honchos seem to be two women with loads of credentials but not much compassion if this is anything to go by and they are ably(? ) assisted by three CVT’s……. This is their opinion:

The Feline Laser Declaw procedure is much more humane than the traditional declaw surgery.
Oh yeah? Really? Sez who? Oh the two muttonheads who’s clinic it is.

Here’s their headline on their declawing page
The Benefits Of The CO2 Laser Feline Declaw
Which then goes on to offer
SAVE $100.00 during September 2009 and FREE Pre-surgical Examinations Call us today on xxxxxx (haha, I'm not daft enough to include the contact number, no way Hosé)

And here’s another gem:We are pleased to be among the first veterinary practices to offer laser surgery for your precious pet. (they wouldn’t get within a hundred yards of my precious pet I can tell you)

They start off by saying that cat scratching is normal behaviour
“Cat's scratching is a normal behavior that not only helps shed dead nails; it also provides feline communication by depositing scent from glands between their toes on to the scratched object.” Yup, I agree with that, they’ll get no argument from me. Except I’d have called them claws which is what they are, not nails (maybe they think we laymen wouldn’t understand such a difficult word as claw) or am I being pedantic?
Ah, but then they have spoil it by adding
“While natural to the cat, we at xxxxxxx understand when behavior modification (ex: scratching posts, nail trimming, catnip, etc.) has not been effective in deterring your feline friend from using its claws inappropriately and offer Laser Declawing.”

Your feline friend? Don’t make me larf. If it’s natural behaviour then that should be the end of it, never mind jumping in there and offering laser declawing… “Oh please let us help you by crippling your cat. We’ll even knock $100.00 off the price”

Look at this next bit with incredulity, it's priceless -
“Onychectomy (or more commonly called "declawing") is the term given to the surgery involving the permanent removal of the distal portion of the claw. Declawing is completed under general anesthesia. After the distal extremity of each front nail is removed, the paws are usually bandaged”.The distal portion of the claw?? The distal extremity of each FRONT NAIL??? What the hell are they on about? Extremeties of each bloody front TOE is more like, (who has written this anyway? The cleaner? Was she inebriated at the time?)

“Bandaging is not necessary when using the Laser!A brief post surgical stay in the veterinary hospital is often necessary in order to avoid complications. (bleeding out maybe?) The front paws may remain sore for several weeks. In order to promote normal healing, special non-irritating kitty litter should be used for 2-3 weeks.”

Well I’m confused here, at the top they’re singing about the miracles of this CO2 instrument of torture, then they say paws are usually bandaged and then they seem to remember that oh no, they needn’t use a bandage after all. The charred stumps are sealed aren’t they? And look, the front paws are going to remain sore for several weeks! Don’t forget this is "your precious pet” who’s paws are going to be sore by voluntary cosmetic surgery. In order to promote normal healing? What is abnormal healing? I reckon it’s healing around bits of bone etc that leaves the poor cat with mishapen painful paws for the rest of it’s life. The non irritating kitty litter that should be used for 2-3 weeks implies to me that those little stumps are open to infection for that length of time too, so much for laser surgery.

Time for another ad: Laser Declawing offers the safest and most humane method for declawing your feline friend

Using the CO2 laser instead of a scalpel provides surgery with a significant decrease in post-operative pain and swelling. Significant DECREASE of pain and swelling, they're both still there then? The laser cauterizes blood vessels as it cuts and sears the nerve endings, so these are the nerve endings in the extremities of the front nail which , if you remember, is what the inebriate cleaner wrote earlier, this allows our doctors to perform surgery without the use of a tourniquet and no postoperative bandaging is required. Back to the bandages, God they’re obsessed with *bloody bandages (*Freudian slip) Combining laser technology with local nerve blocks (localized pain medication), pre and post-operative pain medication your precious feline is back to normal activities much sooner than traditional surgery with a scalpel would allow. (What? Like, never, do you mean?) Call our office for more details. Like hell I will!
Now, this next bit is quite exceptional, so proud are they of themselves that they invite an audience

Because of our standards we are proud to offer you peace of mind when your pet has surgery by allowing you the following options:

You may stay with your pet when he/she is premedicated and wait while the sedation takes effect

You may watch the laser surgery procedure

You may sit with your loved one after the procedure during recovery

If you would like to have this unique experience with your pet, please tell our Doctors during your presurgical visit. Call today to schedule an appointment.

They are certainly offering a unique experience, at least ten chances to watch this butchery and maybe it’s a good thing because sitting with your "precious pet" and sharing it’s unique (for unique read inhumane, unnecessary, cruel, mutilating, crippling, etc, etc ) experience during declawing and post op pain and confusion could be the very thing that sickens the moron who has subjected his/her cat to declawing. But even so it’s too late for their precious pet isn’t it?
On their authorisation for anaesthesia/surgery form they make a huge point of asking for 50% deposit up front. Do you think this is possibly because when the owners see what is being done to their “precious friends” during the “unique experience” they are sharing they’ll pick the cat up and run a mile! Maybe.

Anyway, if not, when the precious pet has had the “extremities of each front nail” hacked off and the owner has shared the unique experience, they can take their dear friend home the next day and their children can safely do, without fear of reprisal, what the brat in the picture at the top is doing. Manhandle the cat!

My case, as they say, is rested.

I wish a plague of pustulating poxes on declawers.

Old and dangerous declaw propaganda

On this site which has been up since 1999, the owner speaks about her departed cats thus: “They were spayed and neutered, and declawed. They were indoor only cats, and quite content” Further down the home page there is a link to another page written by the site owner and she calls it her politically incorrect opinion. And How! It is so ridiculously biased that although it’s obviously been abandoned the fact that it’s still lurking there, like a World War II hand grenade in the back of the potting shed waiting to impart it’s contents to the innocent, it makes me shudder. Here are her words of wisdom.
I Believe Cats should be declawed - Front Claws That is
There is no earthly reason that a cat must have its front claws. They will fight - if it's ever necessary - with the claws on their hind feet and teeth. If you do the right thing, and keep your cat indoors, it will be unlikely to ever need those claws.
What is this obsession with fighting? Why don’t people like this realise that claws aren’t just a fistful of weapons but are essential tools for plugging in and anchoring themselves for a good stretch of the muscles in the legs, chest and back, for grooming and scratching that maddening itch, for hooking toys and practicing and honing, as cats do for life, their grabbing of prey skills, for balance when doing that most basic and necessary thing, walking from A to B, and for jumping and anchoring with. The sight of a declawed cat slipping off the furniture having jumped and found no grip amuses some people but to me it is simply sad. Another reason to destroy the myth that indoor cats don’t need their claws is of course the real risk of the home being broken into, door or window smashed or left open and cat either fleeing in terror or being abused by the intruder. Either scenario is horrible, a declawed frightened cat outdoors is so very vulnerable, and an indoor cat cornered by some drug or drink crazed trespasser with no claws to lash out with is likely to lose it’s life after God knows what first. So that opening sentence “There is no earthly reason that a cat must have its front claws” not only ignores the needs of the cat but the ultimate safety of the cat in admittedly rare but quite possible future situations.

While most enlightened people today would agree that spaying and neutering are required for their pets, and would also agree that it's safer and healthier for a cat to live indoors than to roam around outside, we haven't got people evolved enough yet to give up the notion that a cat must have its claws in order to be happy.

This starts off OK, (though we “enlightened people” know that spaying and neutering are in fact the same thing, neutering being an umbrella term for spaying and castration) she says that spaying and neutering are required for pets (required sounds a bit big brother like) and that these enlightened people also agree that it’s safer and healthier for a cat to live indoors than to roam around outside.
Well the jury is out on that one and it largely depends which side of the pond you live on. For example in England most people, my family included, think that cats have the right to roam and to live a full life indoors and out. Sometimes it is necessary to confine a cat to the home for one of many reasons but then it is the duty of the owner (for want of a better word) to provide similar stimulation to that which the cat would find outdoors. It’s easy to knock up a cat run, cats aren’t house-proud but they do appreciate fresh air, sunshine and green grass. Don’t we all. In the USA it’s more normal to keep cats indoors all of their lives. I suppose what they never have they never miss and I know that there are natural predators in the USA that wipe out cats, so, as I said the jury is out, I know which way I’d vote but that’s not the subject here, it’s her assumption that she knows best that is so annoying.

And then the killer phrase: “we haven't got people evolved enough yet to give up the notion that a cat must have its claws in order to be happy.”

This honestly makes my eyes bulge and for once words fail me. Evolved? Give up the notion that a cat must have its claws in order to be happy? Here is one definition of evolved “In biology, evolution is change in the genetic material of a population of organisms from one generation to the next. Though the changes produced in any one generation are small, differences accumulate with each generation and can, over time, cause substantial changes in the organisms. ...” so by my understanding the writer seems to think that accepting the amputation of cats toe ends has to be bred into the human race, it’s a bit like one of Hitler’s plans for a master race then? Plainly she is evolved, in fact she speaks in the plural so she must have some evolved friends too, the rest of us are still swinging in trees in the jungle holding our fully clawed but happy cats in our teeth.

This throwback to the anti-spaying, anti-neutering, 'let the cat run free and wild, don't keep it locked indoors' mentality needs to be discarded. Then we will see more happy cat owners, more happy cats, and more cat owners.

This bit is just plain silly, what has this to do with her argument for declawing? Ranting on about “spaying and neutering” is a favourite smoke screen of the “chop them off brigade”, they try to muddy the water by lumping the very necessary neutering of cats with the very unnecessary declawing of cats. I don’t quite get the happy cat owners and happy cats remark I must admit, but she's quite obsessed with the word happy isn't she?

Cats don't need their claws for any other reason. I think the prissy world of the politically correct goes too far, in completely banning and rejecting declawing.

Speechless again! Look at this lot, “cats don’t need their claws for any other reason” Whaaat? What about all those reasons I noted above? And not only do cats need their claws but they WANT their claws, just like I want my finger ends. Imagine someone deciding to chop your or my fingers off, there’d be no end of an investigation, and compensation claims would be flying hither and thither but cats are picked up, stuffed in a basket, whipped off to the vet, anaesthetised and toes removed, then they come home happy. Huh!!! I bloody think not. And the world of the politically correct is prissy is it? Well maybe it is and maybe it’s not but declawing isn’t politically incorrect it is MORALLY incorrect. Completely banning and rejecting declawing is exactly what is needed all the world over but blinkered, self deluding, opinionated bigots like this person will fight to the last to defend her right to cripple her cats, and to tell the world her cats are quite content (and happy).

Next thing, they'll be against spaying and neutering, since that involves mutilation of the animals, and they should have a right to reproduce....

Back to the old, old story, so yawningly predictable so worthless a remark.

But wait…..though her tale is told and she is satisfied that she has enlightened us there is more in the form of comments she received, but before them she posts this: Many people have emailed me, to state their concerns about declawing. **If you're thinking of sending hate mail - and I've received some on this subject - forget it. It goes to 'trash' where it belongs. Polite email is always welcome**but please, do read through the following pages first, because most of the anti-declawing arguments have already been posted!
So the comments made are not going to come as any surprise to you readers, needless to say they are all loaded in favour of declawing, here are some of the comments and her replies too:

1. Our current kitty has his claws, and regularly goes to the groomer for nail trimming, as well as clipping - the fur between his toes and on the pads of his feet grows thick and long, and makes him quite uncomfortable. If he had come to us at a young age, and had to go to the vet's for neutering, then we would definitely have him declawed at that time. Because he has already been neutered, is a most well-behaved cat -he uses his scratching posts faithfully, and because he is not a young cat we would not consider having him declawed now. We see no reason to have him undergo an operation only for that.

Right, so where is the logic here? When they got the cat he was obviously a bit older and had already been neutered, had it been different and he had gone to her as a kitten then he would have lost his claws for life at a very early age and yet this person has written in black and white (well green and white if we’re nitpicking, which of course I love to do) that he is a well behaved cat and he uses his scratching post faithfully, so by the pure accident of not going to live with this person until a later date he kept the claws that he has done no damage with anyway! No one would have known that he had no intention of scratching anything he shouldn’t! And yet she STILL doesn’t make the connection, she goes on to say because he is not young they wouldn’t consider having him declawed now? But why would they? He doesn’t scratch, so why?? Because it’s considered de rigueur that’s why! “We see no reason to have him declawed only for that” must mean the fur growing between his toes; well thank the Good Lord for that!!

The enlightened one has put on a comment here
2. For those of you concerned about what happens when a cat's claws are removed, it's really NOT that big a deal no matter what the politically correct, overly sensitive may say. *While further email and research has convinced me that cat's apparently *DO* lose the tip of the toe when declawed.....because the 2 cats we had throughout their lives were both declawed and had their toes after declawing, I find that the so-called mutilation is pretty insignificant, not a major disaster, as most anti-declawing people claim. As for the pain caused, for Pete's sake, a child goes through a certain amount of pain when getting an inoculation, and may even become ill with a fever, etc. for a few days, but surely you would still get the shots!!? A bit of pain, that has a useful result is sometimes necessary. We can't live in a pain free, happy fantasy Pollyanna world forever. It is *not* possible to avoid pain all the time, either -- it's a fact of life.

Where do I start with this lot of bile? She’s still banging on about the PC and overly sensitive types here, and she still thinks that declawing is not that big a deal despite admitting that email and research has convinced her that cats “apparently DO lose the tips of the toe when declawed”, that shows how much research and knowledge she actually had when she posted her original words of wisdom! She doesn’t seem to know much about cats, not even her own. Can any of you cat lovers tell me that you haven’t looked at any part of your cat? That you wouldn’t have noticed shortened toes, half paws in effect? That you don’t know every inch of your furry companion’s body and caress it and check it for irregularities? I know we do, and yet this all knowing person who has taken it upon herself to advise other people to declaw their cats didn’t even notice that her cats’ had shortened toes, in fact by some miracle she claims her cats still had their toes! And so she proclaims the so-called mutilation pretty insignificant, comparing it to a child having inoculations (which as far as I know doesn’t involve having body parts removed) and becoming ill with fever. Regrettable yes, some kids do, but inoculations are to protect the child for life. A fever following declawing however is the same as a fever following any major amputation on any animal, be it human, feline or any other, a fever following a surgical amputation indicates infection in the stump and that can cause gangrene and can kill! I don’t call that insignificant! Oh! A bit of pain that has a useful result is sometimes necessary is it? Useful result for the owner perhaps, but there again it isn’t the owner who is having the bit of pain is it? No it’s the cat, who is probably having a tremendous amount of pain in fact and who can’t stay in bed with access to painkillers, a bedpan and elbow crutches for walking with, no the cat has to have the toes off, lie in a cage, probably in an Elizabethan collar round it’s neck, overnight then go home and get on with things. This person might in fact be the original Pollyanna, she is so blinkered and indoctrinated to the merits of declawing that she dismisses all pain and distress as a fact of life, which it may well be when it is unavoidable but declawing is elective and totally unnecessary so by choosing to declaw their cat an owner is actually opting to voluntarily cause their cat great pain.
In real life, some cats are very destructive with their claws, and won't use a scratching post. Does an owner have to suffer, because of that, by not declawing? Doesn't seem right to me.
Well it seems more right to me than the cat suffering because the owner is too damn lazy to spend time teaching their cat about the scratching post.

Here’s another comment that had me reaching for the Diazepam before I could even contemplate commenting on it
"What a relief to find a site that doesn't condemn a cat owner for getting his kitty declawed.”

Give me strength what sort of bloke talks about “getting his kitty declawed”, my mental picture of him is a right big girls blouse, polishing his specs and his furniture constantly. Lets see what else macho man has to say…

Along with the fact that my little buddy absolutely hates getting his claws trimmed, he screams and wails at the site of anything metal while he's held (doesn't need any contact to start the panic). Well I bet his poor little buddy bloody screamed and wailed at the surgery then as he was prepped for his declawing, but let’s hear the story:
My kitty, Simba, was terrorizing the dog (a female Papillion named Gizmo).Even while Simba was sleeping, the dog refused to walk past,fearing a ruthless attack - wimpering and crying to be helped past the cat, sometimes even wetting herself in desperation. Simba's attacks were getting more severe than the normal 'slash and dash', we would see the dog yelping and running by with Simba attached - all claws embedded in the dog and biting into Gizmo's throat. The dog's fear of the cat extended to waiting while the cat ate (being to afraid to eat near him),and having 'accidents' just to avoid going past the cat. The dog even started having skin problems from all the scratch wounds she was receiving from Simba - just like my girlfriend and her daughter (who are allergic to cats - though love Simba). Typically when Simba scratched someone (human or otherwise), it wasn’t just a quick slash - most of the time it was like a digging, continued slashing until the claws got stuck in the victim.
My God, it’s not a cat he’s got it’s a wild beast that slashes ickle doggies in their sleep and makes them pee their pants. OK which animal was there first? Was Simba overthrown by the new doggy? Was his furry nose pushed out of joint by an excited pup who thought everyone was his friend and bothered Simba to the point that he lashed out? Did he or his girlfriend try seperating them? Did they just stand and watch this killer cat picking on ickle doggy? Who knows, the bloke doesn’t bother to give any background, he’s just sooooo relieved that he isn’t going to get condemned for declawing his kitty!
Simba just got declawed yesterday, and is still bandaged up and sore. We feel very sad for him, and wished he would have calmed down (we kept giving him 2nd chances to stop being so aggressive),but the injuries he was delivering to the dog and us were getting to be too much. It was either declawing or animal shelter, and though we hate seeing him feel so bad - we couldnt let him go to a shelter.
As I said before, I bet his poor little buddy bloody screamed and wailed at the surgery then as he was prepped for his declawing, he would certainly catch sight of plenty of metal there. But wait, he said Simba GOT declawed, that implies Simba had a choice….in fact Simba had no choice because Simba has no voice, and that voice might just have come in handy for Simba to explain just what the problem was with the dog, the girlfriend and the child, problems that might not have been down to Simba at all but for which the poor cat had to carry the can! I wonder how they gave him second chances and how they expected him to know about these chances?

FYI - Simba was found in a box that was in a garbage pile at an apartment building (waiting to be picked up), when he was less than 2 weeks old. We all took turns feeding him with a bulb syringe for the first month that we had him.
What’s this got to do with the price of fish? Is this some sort of attempt to prove he loves his kitty? Funny sort of love!

Escaping from the house...There are at least 2 doors to get through to go in or out, with small areas enclosed by the doors....couple times that we've taken Simba outside, he hates it - if your holding him, he clings to you; if you leave out there, he wails and pounds at the door (wanting to get back in).We actually tested him, to see what his reaction would be if he got out." I can tell you, he’ll be flaming dead seeing as he has no claws to defend himself, another mutilated life prisoner is added to the list!

Anyway that’s macho kitty-man on his way with a clear conscience and we only have one more comment left.

Here the enlightened one introduces it –
Excerpt from an email received, used with permission
Thank you for your reasonable stance on declawing. So much more sensible than most of the anti-declawing web sites I've seen. Is it really better to have a constant battle with yelling at the cat, or spraying them with water and still not being able to keep them from destroying that $1500 couch or $350 drapes?
So if it doesn’t keep them from destroying the furniture why yell at them or spray them with water? Why not take a chill pill and buy one or two goods sized scratching posts and spend time showing the cat what to do with them?
Or for the cat to have a few days of discomfort followed by a much more rewarding relationship with its owner? Is it better to get so frustrated that an owner has their pet euthanized or begins putting them outside where they can get killed by dogs or cars and die a painful death, or a simple (usually safe and complication free) procedure?
Again we have this much more rewarding relationship cr*p, the owner gets the reward here, the cat just doesn’t get yelled at or sprayed with water for scratching the couch and that is because his poor bloody paws are too sore and sensitive. I wonder what this few days of discomfort would be described as if it was the owner having nails removed, I wrote a blog a while back based on the experience of a friend who had to have some toenails removed. She didn’t describe it as a few days of discomfort, she described it as three months of pain, and remember that was toenails only, removed from beds of flesh, not toe ends with claws attached sawed, cut or lasered through with resulting injury to adjacent bone, tendons, skin and fur.

What is a person doing owning a cat in the first place if they are going to work themselves up into such a state of frustration about the cat that they kill it themselves or put it outside to be killed by dogs or cars? This person sounds unhinged!
A simple (usually safe and complication free) procedure. Don’t make me larf!! We all know, we’ve read, we’ve seen, evidence to the contrary. Declawing isn’t safe, it can kill or cripple a cat, complications are the rule rather than the exception, you only have to read some of the sites that we all post on Y/A where complications are well documented to know this. This is what worries me, people like this can give opinions that could result in a cat losing it’s toes (or life) if read by someone gullible or someone looking for justification for chopping off those offending toes.
I've owned several cats who were declawed by vets who did a good job, none of whom have acted as if they miss their claws at all. Most of them were declawed at a young age, when they were spayed or neutered. They still ran, jumped, climbed, and played with the same energy as before. They still 'knead'ed their paws as they were being petted. They still loved to play under the bedskirt jumping out to get my toes, except now I'm not yelling 'ouch' as they scratch me.

It’s all about “me” isn’t it? And isn’t playing under “bedskirts” and jumping out what cats do? Is it so wrong for them to play like this? Wrong enough to amputate toes? So she has to yell “ouch” – so what? It’s hardy life threatening to get your toes attacked. People just don’t seem to make any allowances for cats playing and accidentally involving the owner and the claws. And they don’t give them any leeway, they don’t allow them to be cats. WHY do some people have a cat and then deny the cat the right to play? What do they actually expect of the cat?

They don't accidentally get hung up in carpet (as you mentioned). People don't realize that cats can pull their own nails out like this, when they get hung up in the artificial weave of carpet or material. They also don't accidentally hurt one another while playing. Come on, how often does this happen?

You can use my comments on your web site if you like.

Oh yes the enlightened one liked very much the chance to put forward more evidence, sadly the evidence is flawed as is all the information on this cursed site.

I wonder what this person is up to these days. I wonder if her mind is still closed and locked against reason? I wonder if she is still spreading declawing propaganda? I don’t know the answers but I do know however that this site of hers is like a barrel of nuclear waste buried underground or thrown into the deep briny sea, it’s shelf life is long since over but it’s still there, on the Internet, and seeping poison that can have tremendous impact on the lives and paws of kittens and cats in the USA and Canada.

My cats have claws, have yours?

A little light relief

Recently I've been collecting what I think of as "funnies" from various places. Some of the topics are serious ones, and I don't wish to laugh at that but I hope these bring a bit of light relief to those who campaign tirelessly for animals.
Starting off with:
Q Was I right to get my cat declawed? (Needless to say we all answered NO, but here's a good bit of information) You could have filed or cut them too but it's dangerous considering they have meat in their nails, so you have to know exactly where to stop.
Q How can I stop my cat scratching me?
A Trim the pawnails

Here's a comment about we who post arguments against declawing
Ah, the usual flurry of thumbs downs typed in by middle-aged women in cardigans who's homes smell of cat wee and no prospect of marriage.
Well, I qualify on two out of the three points I suppose

Moving on to the strange things cats do:
Q Does anybody know what this means? My baby, the one in my avatar, every time I wear shorts, she gets her 2 front paws on my leg and takes a little bite off my leg. Not to hurt me, just a little snip! I find this so cute. Is she trying to tell me something or is it just her way of giving me a kiss?:-)
Here's my favourite answer......I think it's a cat kiss especially when you consider that cats don't have lips. (Mine do!)

Strange noises:
1 My cat makes a noise like a telephone she sounds like she's sayong "Riiiiing Riiiinnngg" makes me laugh every time.
2 Some like to get in the bathtub and chase their tails. You hear Womp Womp Womp and that is what they are doing.
So if you hear womping in the night...don't look for your cat, he's in the bathtub.

Cats having kittens:
When my cat had kittens, she just curled up behind my closet door and let them go.

Cats in bed
I have a black and white cat and a grey and white cat what colour sheets would be best?

Hungry cats
My cat would definitely eat me. My dog would too probably.

Cats in the kitchen:
When a cat rubs you or any object they are marking their territory, he or she is claiming the microwave as his microwave also he is just letting you know he is letting you use it
Probably just to warm up his own food though!

Cat health
Q Why would my kitten not be pooping
A Same reason as you, he's constipated.
Succinct and to the point!
Q Are cats colour blind?
A Who can actually tell? You can't go up to a cat and ask "Can you see colour or not?" So maybe, maybe not!
This is very true

Words of wisdom:
1 A lot of cats have no eyelashes
2 Outdoor cats are the best. they stay in shape and poop and piss outside.
3 Cats don't know who you are unless you smell.
4 Body temp is best measured internally, rectumal temperatures may be altered by poop and gasses. Oh yuck!
5 Cats purr by vibrating a bone in their throat

Cats breeding:
1 A pregnant female cat is called a queen. If she is fixed then there is no name for her.
2 Can dogs and cats have a period? Or can they just breed right out of the womb??
3 Even female cats should be spayed by six months or they will go in to heat & drive you crazy with howling at the top of their lungs 24 hours a day, dripping all over the house & you won't sleep.
4 Harry's going to be newted today (better change his name to fish-face)

Q How much do you love your cat
A more than my cars and electric guitars

Q What colour is your cat?
A 1 He's black but you can tell he's a tabby in the sunlight.
A2 My cat is a fat orange tabby with no tail, she's so cute and we love her.

Songs about cats:
"It's really good to hear your purr, meowing my name it sounds so sweet
Coming from the paws of a kitty, hearing those meows, it makes me weak"
and this is my favourite
"Precious kitty from above whom I love, love, love!"

Odds and ends
"My friend showed me where she had been bitten. How do I no if I've got flees?"

Who's leg is like a tree trunk? The owner's or the dogs? If it's the owner I'd just clean the shoes and keep quiet (an issue about stepping in doggy-doo)

"I guess if I forced the cat to have something done for his snoring I would have had to insist on it for the humans too."

"I'm sorry but cats REALLY don't know what a birthday is.......sorry to break it to you."

"My cat poops only when classical music is playing"

"My cat's got a loud purr and if he lies of your feet you get a message" (He must be a psychic medium)

Q Sometimes when I go next to a cat (Except Polo) they run away, why?
A Maybe you could have a ghost on you. They don't like that

Q What should I call my black and white cat?
A Cabbage John

Confrontational (needless to say on the declawing subject)
Do you also have a problem with a baby's ambilical cord being cut at birth?
No! Nor it's umbilical cord but that's no argument against declawing mate.

Q Where does your cat sleep?
A1 The little male cat sleeps with his body wrapped around the dog's nose and the female cat sleeps up against the dog's belly and uses his penis sheath for a pillow. All three of them are just a trifle left off centre.

A2 Mine loves inside the toilet, she's really strange. Unfortunately that's sucky for me because I have to clean her.

A3 My cat loves my kid's stroller, I put the seat into the lying down position, sunshade down, and I even put a towel hanging from the sunshade so it makes a nice little "house" for him.
This isn't actually funny, it's lovely that someone with a small child still makes such a fuss of her cat but I've included it because thinking of the cat, happy in the stroller with the sunshade down and a towel as well to make sure he's cool just makes me smile.

And finally my absolute favourite
I have a Persian cat and you may know that they have faces that are smashed in.
Poor little blighters!

Thanks for your indulgence, back to a serious topic next time.