Conference misery::feline_v1

I have talked to my vet on the subject.  He is a cat specialist.  He says
that if you MUST declaw, it needn't be too bad -- if you have a competent
vet do it AND YOU LEAVE THE BACK CLAWS IN.  Cats generally fight with
eack other using back claws.  Climbing might be hampered, but I don't
believe in letting cats wander, anyway.

"owner" of Merlin, Vivianne, Karameneh, and Morlock
(nobody really owns a cat)

I too would not care to put my kitty through that experience. I
find that trimming her claws regularly to be adequate in limiting
the damage she can do when she gets into mischief.

			Bob A.

well..."owner" of Merlin, Vivianne Karameneh, and Morlock...
I would say anybody who forces you to have the tips of your fingers severed
off, at the very least "ownes" you...

    I believe that if vets really thought that the precedure was brutal
    to your kitten or cat it would not be allowed.  Vetenarians at least
    the ones that I have known really care about your little one and
    what it goes through.  The vet does keep the cat calm and quite
    for the 2 day stay.  I am sure that once it does waken up it does
    go through a lot of pain.  Just like us going through a surgery
    and when you wake up you don't know what hit ya because of the pain.
    
    Just my thoughts.
    
    Tammy

    Dr Clough's young assistant vet is all for the procedure, even
    to the point of trying to argue us into it although we had never
    expressed any interest.  Her attitude was very sterile - she talked
    about the operation as a service that she could provide to her
    customers, the cat owners, with almost no attention to the cat.
    It makes me think that it must be a profitable operation for the
    vets to perform.
    
    There are many things that, while not "brutal", are painful and not
    usually necessary.  And many of these things are perfectly legal.

    Not all vets are "after your money".  I'm sure like your saying
    there are some out there that do that.  But I don't believe all
    are.  Back to our doctors,  I'm sure some of them get us into surgery
    knowing there will be a buck or two made but then there are others
    that care and help you make the right decision.  Luckily I haven't
    met a vet yet that has coned me or that was just trying to make
    a profit.   I hope that I never have the opportunity to meet one
    either.
    
    Tammy

    I used to have a white angora, which I had declawed.  I regretted the
    decision from the moment I took her home & saw here hobbling around,
    and would never do that again.  From a purely selfish point of view,
    consider that you'll NEVER be able to let the animal out of the house
    without worrying about their safety.  At the time, I was living in NYC,
    and figured that I'd never be letting her out anyway.  However, I moved
    to San Diego shortly thereafter, and would have liked to have been able
    to let her out in the back yard once in a while.  Even if you don't
    PLAN to let them out, it can happen, and wouldn't it be a shame to have
    your loyal friend mangled by sombody's mutt, or another cat, simply
    because you didn't want to be inconvenienced.  I'm about to get another
    cat, and will definitely invest the time and effort to train and
    manicure, rather than mangle, her.

    I really don't believe in getting cats declawed either although  my
    family has owned cats and had them declawed (owned being a figure of
    speech). If they are going to be outdoors for any length of
    time it is especially dangerous for them because they have little to
    defend themselves with if need be.  My two cats are strictly indoors,
    but instead of declawing them to save my furniture and curtains, I trim
    their claws every week or so.  This is very easy to learn to do as my
    vet taught me.  I just use toenail clippers, or the vet has special
    clippers you can buy.
    
    Joelle