Is it mean to seek adoption of a declawed cat?
I am thinking of owning a cat... I would NEVER declaw a cat but I do worry a lot about the furniture in the house.
I wondered if I adopted one if I could look specifically for one that already was declawed?
I feel like a bad person even though I wasn't the one to declaw the poor thing!
Really, am I just as bad?
Public Comments
1. No.Adopting a cat is never "bad" if you're planning to take care of it properly.
2. www.declawing.com
3. Adopting an already-declawed cat seems like the perfect solution for you. Sure, you can ask specifically for that. Might have to wait a while for the right kitty to come along, but declawed cats deserve a good home too, right?
4. No you are not! There are many declawed cats just waiting to be adopted. As long as you are willing to accept any behavioral problems they might have, go for it. I have two fully clawed cats and I rescued one declawed cat and she is the sweetest girl......
5. I feel for you, it took me forever to convince my mum to let me get a cat. Adopting an already declawed cat is a good idea if you can find one that needs adopting.
As long as you treat it well, youll be fine :D
6. In a way because you clearly don't realize what a horrible thing it is to do to a cat. Are you really that worried about your precious furniture? Is it more valuable to you than a living, breathing, being? If so, then probably even a declawed cat wouldn't be a good match for you. What if the cat wants to sit on the furniture? What if its hair gets on it?
I've had both cats and nice furniture for years and not one of them has ever damaged anything. The key is just giving them alternate surfaces they CAN scratch and trimming the nails once a week. There's never a good reason to declaw a cat.
http://www.declawing.com so you can learn the FACTS about declawing. It's so barbaric that it's illegal in many countries.
7. No you are not bad. YOU didn't do it but if circumstances are better to have a cat w/o claws, then do adopt one. Don't mutilate another. But be aware the cat may have behavior and litter box issues because of the declawing.
8. Not at all! it's much kinder to adopt a declawed cat than to get a cat with claws and then have the ends of its toes amputated. There are declawed cats who need homes too.
& by adopting a cat who has already been declawed for a while, they would be able to let you know about the behaviour and health ( some do have problems, not the majority. but it's not a bet I would want to make by having it done to a cat myself) Especially if you could adopt via somewhere where the cat is living in a foster home so they have been able to get a better picture of how the cat is in a home.
But we adopted a declawed cat from a shelter. he was 11 yrs old and his people dumped him there when their kid went to college and they said it was the son's cat and they didn't want it. He was the sweetest cat you could imagine, and lived to age 18 , no behaviour problems at all, and was very healthy up to the last few days.
Try looking on Petfinder.com. you can search specifically for declawed cats. ( but some shelters may forget to check that when they are adding cats to Petfinder. so if you don't see some, it's a good idea to contact them or better yet go visit)
9. no its not... it good that you are adopting but its not bad to get a declawed one
10. adopting a declawed cat has pros and cons. Most declawed cat die earlier, have problems, and are way crankier then a regular cat. Did you know, when a cat is declawed the litter in the litter box hurts its feet! :( So, sooner or later the cat may be start to not even use the litter box. And since declawed cats are more crankier they bite more then regular cats. The first defense system the cat has is its claws. Since the cat is declawed is doesnt have any other system to use except to bite. Its not a bad thing to adopt a cat that is declawed. But just think of the pros and cons. And google SoftPaws. These are awesome! If you end up getting a cat with its claws, use SoftPaws! Good luck!
11. There are many declawed cats waiting in pet shelters for new forever homes if it's mandatory for you to have a declawed cat.
http://www.petfinder.com/pet-search?animal_type=Cat&pet_breed=&location=New+york&distance=0
If you worry about furniture ... there are other options.
- Scratch posts (the feline version of play ground and nail file/clipper)
- Softpaws
- Plush blankets as cover for the furniture while your cat is on training.
To attract a scratcher/scratch post to a cat is has to have specific features:
- convenient
Imagine you have to use a blunt nail clipper and/or a nail file which is blunt and floppy for your manicure. Most likely you try to find something else you could use.
Same goes for the cat, If the scratcher/scratch post is not convenient for her she uses something else.
- attractive location
As you are not performing manicure in your closet, the cat does not like her scratcher in a dark and remote corner. Best location is in a room which is often used by her humans and in a bright area.
- sturdy
a tipping/sliding scratch post is as convenient for your cat as a floppy nail file for you. Simply useless.
Here are plenty of scratcher/scratch post examples:
http://www.allpetfurniture.com/Cat-Trees-and-Condos-C142691.html
Please note that de-clawing a cat is equal to disabling the cat. The effect is equal as if you get half of your feet amputated.
However, surgeries are a big business for vets, and so is "declawing".
Declawing is very attractive for vets since they make even more money on treating the side effects with i.e. psycho pharmaka (litter box issues and biting - to mention the 2 most common) and later on to treat spine and joint issues which are a result of the shifted and unhealthy posture the cat is forced in due to the amputations and often the resulting chronic pain (called phantom pain in humans).
Imagine you have blisters on your feet. How would you walk? And then imagine you have the blister sensation for the rest of your life. Most likely the shifted posture (to avoid or at least lower the pain) would most likely have an impact on your joints and spine ans well.
If the cat would be the very first cat of your life, I would also recommend to get a book about cat behavior. This way you have help handy if your cat shows "odd" or "unwanted" behavior. Most likely it's a natural behavior and the cat just has no proper tool to address her need.
And knowing why a cat is "misbehaving" is the best tool to find a solution which is convenient for you and the cat.
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=cat+behavior+problems&x=0&y=0
12. No, that is not mean. Declawed cats are so much nicer to have jump on you for a pet and using you for a launching pad when something interesting catches their attention...
