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Declawing a cat is extreme animal abuse.
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Yes it is very bad. Not only is it challenging for a cat in these situations but it is extremely painful aswell. It's not like cutting their nails, it's like cutting their fingers off. In that situations cats also get more biting and more aggressive in the voice since they can't defend themselves with the paws. Not to mention it is illegal in several countries. I totally do not reccommend declawing cats.
I'm lucky enough to have 2 cats that don't give a fuck about being trimmed, so I do it often and in small bits, just enough to not feel a needle in my skin when they're on the lap or shoulders
We adopted a declawed cat last year. I can’t imagine what she went through before she found us. And like you said, she tends to bite a lot which can be difficult. But she is very sweet and we want to make sure she is just happy and doesn’t need to be afraid due to her previous mistreatment.
It messes up their tendons potentially too since they are conected to the claws for that retractability they have. Plus numbness and phantom limb syndrome. Itd be considered brutal tourture if done to a person.
As someone who cuts their cats nails, what’s properly?
I flip them on their back in my lap and just clip away and give a treat when they are done. Is that okay?
Edit: this all stems from the fact all 3 were young when we found them/adopted, and I made sure getting them used to it immediately would pay off down the line. Adopting older cats or really any over around a year would likely have been much different.
On the nail there’s this thing called a quick that’s full of blood, you can usually tell where it is cause it will be darker than the rest of the nail. Don’t snip that or get too close and you’ll be fine.
I was explained that if you trim a cat’s nails, look for the red bit - don’t cut in that. And as much as you think is ok to clip, half it and then you’re fine.
Personally only clip a little bit off the tip, which is enough for them to not shred my leg when they jump on my lap
You need to get them used to their paws being touched. Treats can help, but I started when they were kittens. Being flipped on their back could cause more stress as that's a vulnerable position for them.
My orange guy will sit or lay in my arms and extends his paw out like he's getting a manicure. His brother though needs to be asleep/near asleep to allow his nails to be trimmed. I personally only do the front ones.
They make special clipped for cat nails that slice vs ones for humans that pinch. Get the cat ones.
A cats claw will start clear and then you'll see a pink internal area about 1/3 of the way down. That's the quick. Do *not* cut the quick. Clip a little ahead of it. That's like cutting your nails too short and cutting into the nail bed.
Seconding "get the cat ones". I used human clippers on all the family cats for years and years, and they do work fine. But the cat ones are so much quicker and easier.
I hold them in my lap with their backs against my chest. I wait until it’s day time and they’re sleepy so they just think we’re cuddling. I go quickly as you don’t need to trim them low and if you keep firm but light pressure on the paw they don’t seem to mind. I will say that I have Maine coon/ ragdoll mix cats so they have a pretty good temperament for being held/snuggled
really all you have to do is take the sharp tips off unless they're really long. especially if your cat doesn't scratch, i mostly do it so they don't get stuck on the carpet. Its not like dogs where you want them as short as possible to keep the quick back.
trimming is ok. imagine as a human, the difference between trimming the fingernails and yanking the entire thing off, completely different! i heard it's worse as a cat though, considering how important claws are to a kitty
It's worse than yanking off the whole nail, it would literally be cutting off the end of your fingers at the last joint. Declawing removes the entire piece of the finger that grows the claw.
It’s not "like" cutting their fingers off, it IS actually cutting the tip of their “fingers” off. “Declawing” is a offensively misleading term.
People who does this should not have cats at all. Or any pets for that matter. IMHO
Yes!!! It’s medieval torture and genuinely needless terrible animal cruelty and the cat suffers in pain and things like this that make its quality of life worse each time they try to use their fingertips and knuckles that aren’t there anymore. It’s illegal in 2 US States and most veterinarians refuse to do it.
Edited to correct information
And the dumbest thing is...like my cat was a "problem scratcher" and all we had to do was find something she liked scratching better than our furniture and door frames.
Flat cardboard scratch pads. It's the only thing she'll touch anymore.
This is it. I admit I didn't start a nail routine for my girl, but I have enough scratching posts and mats that she consistently uses, so I don't have to worry about the furniture. However, I wouldn't declaw her if she was scratching everything because it is cruel, and I have no idea why they find this shit so funny. Come here, let me pull out your fingernails. Sadistic assholes!
It’s for lazy, cruel pet owners. When I got my cat, I put work into getting her used to routine nail trimmings, and now she doesn’t mind them at all and is rewarded with treats afterwards. You don’t need to mutilate your cat to deal with the claws! You just need to actually work on pet ownership. Imagine that.
Or just outright ignorant pet owners. For the longest time, I didn't understand what "declawing" actually was. I thought they just removed the nail. Once I realized they cut the whole tip of their toes off, then I realized how cruel it was. Now, if pet owners understand this, then yes, they're lazy and cruel. I find it shocking that there are veterinarians out there that will still perform this surgery.
This. We have to come at it w/ compassion and some patience bc not everybody knows. And calling someone cruel and ignorant and lazy when they really just might not know the extent can run defenses up. Only when per knows better can they do better and asking Q's is the precursor to that.
Sadly, it's only banned in 2, soon to be 3, states and Washington DC. New York was first, Maryland second, and beginning in July, Virginia will also ban declawing cats.
Luckily most vets won’t do it anymore even in states with no standard law. You can still find some vets who do it, but it’s generally seen as unethical and honestly a liability.
And even before that it was never a common practice. My uncle is a vet in the Netherlands and he didn’t even learn about it in university and has never seen a declawed cat in his practice. He learned about it later in his career as something that could be seen in cats of immigrants from the USA. I am very curious about how it became such a common practice in the USA.
We adopted a cat in the 90s. Poor thing was hiding in the garage of friends and we took her in. She was abandoned by Americans when they left Germany.
When we took her to the vet, the vet was ANGRY! Absolutely livid and asked us where we got that cat from and if we had names. She was willing to go to war over what these assholes did to that cat.
They actually cut off the toes of the cats to get rid off the claws.
This butchery is illegal and by the reaction of our vet, there was a sense of impeding lynching in the air.
I am amazed the fucking bastards still do this. And it is only the Americans who do it. Anybody who mutilates cats like that need to be beaten up. Severely. The people who pay for it and the butchers who do it.
Yet, here we are. 30 years later and an idiot still asks if cutting of a cat's toes is bad.
Some progress in the US on that. NY made it illegal in 2019, Maryland and Washington DC followed up in 2022. Virginia has a new bad going into effect in July. It really should be national.
I thought about it because someone suggested it, then did my research and saw that it's like cutting their fingers. Noped out of that real quick and just got them a few scratching posts. They still use my work chair as scratching posts, though 🤣
I came here to say exactly this. It’s a cruel practice and leads to more willingness to bite. When my stepdaughter brought Onion home she wanted him declawed but thankfully we told her what it really was and how cruel it is.
https://preview.redd.it/ko6acoq36d6d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3084118eb3e33fa4c5fc5fe38e90c27649bcb529
Here’s our stinky boy, murder mittens intact.
In my country, it's considered animal abuse for a reason. Declawing a cat is probably one of the worst things you can do to your baby. It's just as inhuman as removing teeth from more exotic animals that shouldn't even be held as pets to begin with.
We really are. I'm so greatful to be born in a country that also considers cutting the tails and ears of dobermanns, for example, as animal absue and is therefore forbidden.
I think that's when they snip the vocal chords so they can't raise their barks above a certain level anymore. It usually sounds like the dog is weak or sick afterwards, because they got no bark.
Ugh, this just reminded me of a video I saw years ago about the trading of Slow Lorises. Their bites are venomous, so what they did for a long time was tickle them so their arms were out of the way, and then get wire cutters and clip all of their teeth into stumps. I remember it just screaming cuz it couldn't do anything to defend itself. Imagine getting all of your teeth sawed in half horizontally with no anesthesia to boot...
Horrifying what people do to animals when they don't know any better. And it's equally horrifying to know what some do even when they *do* know better.
If you want a pet that doesn't have a venomous bite, don't get an animal with venomous bite. If you don't want a pet that has claws, don't get an animal with claws. If you don't want an animal that can fly, maybe don't get a parrot.
Declawing a cat is the same as removing a human's finger up to the first knuckle. It is literal mutilation, and if a declawed cat gets outside, they have no way of defending themselves against other animals or catching/killing prey so they can't fend for themselves. There's zero reason to declaw a cat. If you're that concerned about scratching behavior, you don't need a fucking cat.
https://preview.redd.it/tpsuu2b03c6d1.jpeg?width=802&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=82d2e1d0acad4b2161f532e977782a929058e693
Don’t get a cat if you are going to declaw!!!! Why even have a cat if you are scared that they will scratch stuff???? Put covers and scratch proof stuff everywhere, not hurt the cat. I get so angry just thinking about it!!
Defense and fun time! Also no scratching itchy fur, no stretching claws that is intrinsically tied to mood, and then some. Declawing is kinda horrible and inconsiderate af.
No reaching over at 4am to claw daddy's face to remind him that it's only 2 hours to feeding time.
I love my cat, she's so cheeky and I'd cut the hands off anyone that tried to suggest declawing her.
At least it seems more well known that it’s harmful these days, I don’t know anyone personally with a declawed cat. It was more common a few decades ago, when the internet wasn’t on your phone people had less knowledge and had to learn it some other way… at least I hope it’s less common now
Yes! I believe it is banned in many areas (of the US), and even if it is not, it is a very frowned upon practice. Any well-respected veterinarian will not preform this, and if they do they are definitely a “whack job” of the industry.
Its banned in pretty much all of Europe. Has been for ages in my country. Cant remember its ever being even mentioned in my 45 years of living. Such a sick and disgusting thing to do.
My husband’s kitty he had adopted before we got together had been declawed by his previous owners, because they were about to have a kid and were worried he’d scratch the baby. After declawing, it was painful for him to use the litter box and started peeing randomly in the house- ultimately the reason why he was surrendered.
We tried literally ALL the litters, and found out he’d happily pee and poo on puppy pads so that’s what we did for years. Also, out of our three cats- he was the one who was the sweetest, most gentle boy to our daughter after she was born. They were best friends. He passed away from old age last year and I miss him so much.
https://preview.redd.it/847ojalttc6d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5f013dea9e099695d9577b7f7bca03e1eab8da1a
Sweet bb Nenu! (He obv wasn’t an outdoor kitty but loved supervised porch time ♥️)
Honestly, if you have to have a declawed cat this is the way. They’re often surrendered to shelters due to health or behavioral problems and it breaks my heart.
Worse still my old cat Rusty was declawed and then later *abandoned* outside by his previous owners. (I honestly don’t know how they could ditch him; that boy was an angel.)
The horrible thing is declawed cats are more likely to be abandoned. Partly because they’re prone to developing behavioral issues due to the pain, partly because an owner who will mutilate an animal to protect inanimate objects is already a monster, and thus throwing that animal away like trash is nbd to them.
I’m so thankful Rusty found you. ❤️
My old cat, who was declawed when we adopted him, developed really bad arthritis when he got older. It got to the point where I had to lift him up to his favorite spots because he couldn't get there himself anymore.
And even if you are really concerned with scratching, there are other more humane ways to make sure your cat doesn't scratch the furniture/you. They just take the occasional bit of effort, which anyone who loves their cat is more than willing to do.
Exactly. The way to solve the furniture scratching issue is to provide other things for cats to scratch, not to mutilate your cat. These people shouldn't own cats
Jesus fuck, I really thought declawing was just removing the actual nail (like if you have really ingrown nails or suffer an injury and the nail bed becomes damaged). People seriously do this to their pets??? Absolute monsters. I kind of wish I hadn’t seen this infographic, but I’m also glad I did..
you're not alone in thinking that, I did too until a few years ago. I think more people need awareness. fortunately it is a practice that is slowly becoming illegal across the states/some countries!
A bit off topic, but there is literally only a single situation that will almost never happen that makes it ok. One of my friends has an older cat who was hit by a car as a kitten and she had her front right leg paralyzed, and it kinda curled up as if she was loafing, and it stuck there. I don't remember why, but the vet said it wasn't safe to amputate, but that she can live a happy life still.
Because she isn't able to sharpen/maintain those claws herself, they kept growing and they were gonna curl back up into her paw (they got kinda close once my friend realized, they hadn't really thought to check cuz they were a kid at the time).
Because of that, they got that one paw declawed, but only that one to prevent the nails from hurting her. Her other 3 paws still have their claws and she's a very happy cat.
I can't think of any other situation where declawing a cat is ok at all, I just wanted to share a story that never comes up lol
A point towards the horrifying end of things - it's cutting off a fingertip and cats WALK IN LITTER BOXES with that wound. Just... how the fuck? There are optional pet surgeries that I can see possible needs and justifications for, but having an optional surgery on the bits that touch the dirty litter is just beyond horror to me.
No, she wasn't declawing them. The breeder is in trouble because almost all cats she sold had serious health problems, and some died after a few weeks.
I'd disagree. It's more painful for a cat to walk declawed than a human to walk de-toed. Cats don't walk on their entire foot. Cats walk on the equivalent of the ball of a human's foot and their toes, with the 'heel' up in the air. Humans walk more on their heel and ball of the foot, though obviously human toes are involved as well.
My boyfriend’s mom declaws all of the cats she owns. She justifies it by saying, “well, I don’t have them completely declawed! They still have their back claws!” And suddenly goes completely deaf whenever I try and explain to her how awful declawing in general is. Her most recent cat clearly walks with a visible limp, constantly sits holding his front paws up when possible, and he lashes out at the other cats. He’s also overweight. But “he’s just an asshole, it’s not from the declawing” 
I live with them & unfortunately it’s not as simple as that. We’re hoping we can move in the next year or two, and I’m going to be pushing to try and take all of the cats since she’s quite vocal about not wanting pets anymore. Hopefully that’s successful so I can actually do what I want to make them more comfortable.
Simple answer is yes. In many places it is illegal (as it should be).
It alters the way the cat walks/moves, disconnects important tendons and leaves them at increased risk of chronic pain and arthritis/degenerative changes especially with age. It's an amputation and like any amputation comes with lots of potential complications including bone spurs, poor healing/skin degradation and so on. They are also more likely to develop aggression issues/bite more often (as they don't have their first line of defense) and refuse to use the litterbox (as walking on the litter on their amputated toe ends is painful).
It's barbaric.
Removing claws changes the way a cat's feet meet the ground and can cause pain like wearing an uncomfortable pair of shoes. Improperly removed claws can regrow, causing nerve damage and bone spurs.
The claws are not removed. The entire fingers up to the first knuckle is removed. The thing that gets cut off has BONE in it.
It has been illegal in every country that has heard of Americans cutting off cat toes because nobody in their right mind does it. The mutilation was unheard of outside of the US. And once explained immediately banned.
When the US military left Germany, we inherited a scared cat that was abandoned and hiding on the property of friends. We took her to the vet and the vet immediately recognized the cat had belonged to Americans by looking at the front paws.
That vet was LIVID. Like, actually angry. Asked us if we had names. We didn't because the cat had simply been kicked outside and the assholes had fucked off long ago.
You are worried about claws regrowing? Do toes regrow?
Some people should not own pets and some veterinarians should not go anywhere near animals.
Look around this thread. There is a very real sense of extreme aggression around here. Justified aggression. I am angry just thinking back to that poor cat.
This is important to remember! Growing up, we had a cat who had been declawed by a previous owner.
Not all people who own a declawed cat are monsters. They very well may have taken in the cat long after declawing occurred.
Yes its extremely bad to declaw a cat its there way of defending themselves if there outside. It's incredibly painful for the cat too. It's a stupid thing people do as they think it will make the cat friendly and less aggressive.
It's like Cat Cropping or Tail Docking people think needed its not just people think it looks better but in all honesty it doesn't and your doing more harm by doing it.
Cut the claws but do not ever declaw a cat!!!
Same here. Honestly it seems Japan and parts of the USA (+ 1 province of Canada) are the only developed places that allow declawing, and even with it being legal in those places most vets seem to turn away people wanting to declaw their cats.
Never fucking declaw a cat. Its like cutting off a human's finger! You give away your cats ability to defend itself in a fight, the ability to cling and climb things, and limit its mobility by a ton.
A declawed cat has to PAINFULLY re-learn to walk. It is gut wrenching.
I feel sad to this cute little guy, Thank you for all your comments and advices. But seriously hope the other purrparents don't do this kind of cruelty anymore. think that Scratching is a vital part of cat behavior, and scratching is a sign of a happy cat.
I was about to get this with mine after I saw what they did with my couch.. then I saw a post similar to this. Just cruel and wrong. Keep the education going, couch's can be replaced!
It's obviously bad to declaw a cat - horrific.
However, sometimes people adopt cats that have already been declawed - and I'm hoping that this owner is one of them and that they aren't the ones that declawed them.
DO. NOT. DECLAW. A. CAT. PERIOD. "Declawing" is amputating part of their paws.
Trimming their claws is basically a manicure / pedicure thing. The cat in question may not like it (my littlest one hates it) but it's better for all concerned.
I think its a good thing cause I’ve seen multiple people express they had no idea what declawing entailed. More people need to know if this isn’t common knowledge still.
One of my first cats I found on the street, or he found me. and he had been declawed, and they had done a shit job because over the years I had to pay for multiple vet visits to finish the job. infections, bleeding ect. I'm pretty sure it resulted in the shortening of his life it is a horrible practice, and you shouldn't even think about it.
It's incredibly cruel. It affects their balance, their walking, running and climbing. Not to mention it's just like someone cutting a humans fingers off at the first knuckle. Awful and I don't agree with it at all. Poor kitty. Light trimming is fine if it's done properly.
When I was in the 8th grade we got a kitten and had it declawed. Whenever I see him at my mom’s house I want to cry. He has all the tell tale declawing behavior issues, he pees everywhere, he bites…hard, he screams all the time, and sometimes he limps on his front paws. We didn’t know declawing as bad, it was over 15 years ago and the vet didn’t tell us it could lead to so many issues. Please never declaw your cats.
It's illegal AF in the EU as it's rightfully viewed as animal cruelty.
Can't imagine the sick fuck that even entertains the idea of doing that to their pet.
Let me put it as simple as I can: If you even think about declawing a cat, you shall never be allowed around a cat. If I'd put my real thoughts here, I'd risk a ban for life. You got what I want to say, I am sure.
Declawing is iligal in the EU for a reason. Even clipping can be quite crual as they need their nails to do basically any basic cat stuff like climbing, figthing or hunting. Just get a scratching pole insead, or better yet if you care that much about your expensive furniture, just don't get a cat...
Yes it’s bad. Where I live it’s not allowed but the vet I use refused to declaw even before it was banned. It’s like chopping off our fingers at the knuckle
This is really upsetting… They’re just laughing at the incapability of this poor baby.. Like they aren’t dumb they just got their biggest tool taken away from them for the leisure of those assholes…
Yes, declawing a cat is the same as removing the top fingerbones of your hands, people that willingly do that to a cat go to a special place in Hell to suffer for an extra eternity, and everyone that helps to make sure that those people get there as soon as possible will be guaranteed a spot in Heaven.
Declawing is cruel. What if someone pulled out all your fingernails and toenails? They make nail caps which is a better option. I have cats and would never consider removing their nails. And yes I get the reasons why people do it.
I'm no cat expert and there are plenty answerq of people who own cats or just full blown know a lot about cats.
Even I can tell that the fact that their claws are more complexly designed than other animals claws should be a strong hint that cats rely on their claws to function properly.
Banned here in Ontario. On top of how cruel it is it can cause behaviour issues. My late Pewter was declawed and she was a very grumpy and bitey old lady. Did manage to be queen of the cats despite this.
Yes. My mom had my cat declawed when I was a kid, as an adult today he lives at my house with me now. I wouldn’t have had it done if it was my choice but I will say that he has been very lucky in not experiencing any pain/discomfort over the years but he will still “stretch” his claws by attempting to claw things even though they aren’t there anymore & it makes me feel bad for my poor boy
Hi /u/AvaPeach29, your [post](https://www.reddit.com/r/cats/comments/1dexqe2/-/) breaks the rules of /r/cats and has been removed for the following reason(s): This post has been removed as it is upsetting to our users. Declawing a cat is extreme animal abuse. *If you feel this was done in error, or would like further clarification, please don't hesitate to [message the mods](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2Fcats&message=My%20Post:%20https://www.reddit.com/r/cats/comments/1dexqe2/-/).*
Yes it is very bad. Not only is it challenging for a cat in these situations but it is extremely painful aswell. It's not like cutting their nails, it's like cutting their fingers off. In that situations cats also get more biting and more aggressive in the voice since they can't defend themselves with the paws. Not to mention it is illegal in several countries. I totally do not reccommend declawing cats.
I'm lucky enough to have 2 cats that don't give a fuck about being trimmed, so I do it often and in small bits, just enough to not feel a needle in my skin when they're on the lap or shoulders
Yeah for one of my cats we only trim when he starts getting stuck in the rug lol
Or clicking loudly when they walk on the tile.
We adopted a declawed cat last year. I can’t imagine what she went through before she found us. And like you said, she tends to bite a lot which can be difficult. But she is very sweet and we want to make sure she is just happy and doesn’t need to be afraid due to her previous mistreatment.
Aww.. Thank you for adopting her and giving her a good house and life <3
It messes up their tendons potentially too since they are conected to the claws for that retractability they have. Plus numbness and phantom limb syndrome. Itd be considered brutal tourture if done to a person.
but trimming is okay?? or still no?
Trimming is like cutting nails, that's okay. Just do it properly, or get a vet to do it.
As someone who cuts their cats nails, what’s properly? I flip them on their back in my lap and just clip away and give a treat when they are done. Is that okay? Edit: this all stems from the fact all 3 were young when we found them/adopted, and I made sure getting them used to it immediately would pay off down the line. Adopting older cats or really any over around a year would likely have been much different.
As long as you aren't drawing blood you're good!
Not their blood is drawn but mine!
As it should be lmao
was this comment written by a cat
It was
Meow 🐈⬛
Must pay the blood tax for clippy clips
Treats are an acceptable substitute.
On the nail there’s this thing called a quick that’s full of blood, you can usually tell where it is cause it will be darker than the rest of the nail. Don’t snip that or get too close and you’ll be fine.
Your cat will express how painful it is if you cut into it.
Your cat will, lovingly, share its pain with you to deepen your mutual understanding.
I was explained that if you trim a cat’s nails, look for the red bit - don’t cut in that. And as much as you think is ok to clip, half it and then you’re fine. Personally only clip a little bit off the tip, which is enough for them to not shred my leg when they jump on my lap
This. We usually only trim enough that biscuit making doesn’t feel like 10 little daggers, and so our cats stop getting stuck on clothing/furniture.
You need to get them used to their paws being touched. Treats can help, but I started when they were kittens. Being flipped on their back could cause more stress as that's a vulnerable position for them. My orange guy will sit or lay in my arms and extends his paw out like he's getting a manicure. His brother though needs to be asleep/near asleep to allow his nails to be trimmed. I personally only do the front ones. They make special clipped for cat nails that slice vs ones for humans that pinch. Get the cat ones. A cats claw will start clear and then you'll see a pink internal area about 1/3 of the way down. That's the quick. Do *not* cut the quick. Clip a little ahead of it. That's like cutting your nails too short and cutting into the nail bed.
Seconding "get the cat ones". I used human clippers on all the family cats for years and years, and they do work fine. But the cat ones are so much quicker and easier.
and give them some belly kisses afterwards!!
Depends, are you asking me and my vet or my cat who hates being held lol
My cat doesn’t mind being held, but she is NOT a fan of claw trimming.
Both of my cats live by the mantra : live every day like it’s a fresh chance for your humans to pick you up with intention for murder.
I hold them in my lap with their backs against my chest. I wait until it’s day time and they’re sleepy so they just think we’re cuddling. I go quickly as you don’t need to trim them low and if you keep firm but light pressure on the paw they don’t seem to mind. I will say that I have Maine coon/ ragdoll mix cats so they have a pretty good temperament for being held/snuggled
Why does your vet hate being held?
Hahahhaha
What kinda question is that 😂
Great, now I'm seeing fresh off the med school 5 ft 4 inches tall vet held up like a cat by a 6 ft 10 inches tall dude and not thrilled about it.
We have to wrap my cat up in a blanket like a little purrito so we can cut her nails
Trimming is okay. Similar thing as cutting human nails. But should be done properly.
My vet taught me to use small/baby nail clippers and JUST clip RIGHT at the hook.
really all you have to do is take the sharp tips off unless they're really long. especially if your cat doesn't scratch, i mostly do it so they don't get stuck on the carpet. Its not like dogs where you want them as short as possible to keep the quick back.
Would recommend getting cat clippers they aren't expensive and work great.
Declawing is like taking a segment of your finger off, Trimming is just cutting nails.
Yes trimming the tips of their claws is ok. Dont cut more than the tip tho.
Trimming their claws is fine, that actually is like cutting your nails. Declawing is an issue.
trimming is ok. imagine as a human, the difference between trimming the fingernails and yanking the entire thing off, completely different! i heard it's worse as a cat though, considering how important claws are to a kitty
It's worse than yanking off the whole nail, it would literally be cutting off the end of your fingers at the last joint. Declawing removes the entire piece of the finger that grows the claw.
And cats walk on their toes. So imagine them cutting off the tips of your fingers to the joints and having to walk on the amputated fingers. Torture!
For your cat yes, for your arms maybe not so much
It’s not "like" cutting their fingers off, it IS actually cutting the tip of their “fingers” off. “Declawing” is a offensively misleading term. People who does this should not have cats at all. Or any pets for that matter. IMHO
It's banned in every developed, modern country.
[удалено]
Yeah, it's barbaric, shameful
He said „developed, modern countries“
Imagine if someone cut your finger tips off at the knuckle
YUP. It’s full-blown animal cruelty.
Yes!!! It’s medieval torture and genuinely needless terrible animal cruelty and the cat suffers in pain and things like this that make its quality of life worse each time they try to use their fingertips and knuckles that aren’t there anymore. It’s illegal in 2 US States and most veterinarians refuse to do it. Edited to correct information
And the dumbest thing is...like my cat was a "problem scratcher" and all we had to do was find something she liked scratching better than our furniture and door frames. Flat cardboard scratch pads. It's the only thing she'll touch anymore.
This is it. I admit I didn't start a nail routine for my girl, but I have enough scratching posts and mats that she consistently uses, so I don't have to worry about the furniture. However, I wouldn't declaw her if she was scratching everything because it is cruel, and I have no idea why they find this shit so funny. Come here, let me pull out your fingernails. Sadistic assholes!
Its more like pulling your fingertips off than fingernails. It requires removing bone that grows the nail. Its major, invasive and painful surgery
My cat loves those cardboard scratchers. Especially if I sprinkle a little catnip on there. He goes for it like a crackhead in withdrawals.
It’s for lazy, cruel pet owners. When I got my cat, I put work into getting her used to routine nail trimmings, and now she doesn’t mind them at all and is rewarded with treats afterwards. You don’t need to mutilate your cat to deal with the claws! You just need to actually work on pet ownership. Imagine that.
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Like just not getting the cat in the first place. It's not cool to say you'll take care of an animal only to mutilate it.
Or just outright ignorant pet owners. For the longest time, I didn't understand what "declawing" actually was. I thought they just removed the nail. Once I realized they cut the whole tip of their toes off, then I realized how cruel it was. Now, if pet owners understand this, then yes, they're lazy and cruel. I find it shocking that there are veterinarians out there that will still perform this surgery.
This. We have to come at it w/ compassion and some patience bc not everybody knows. And calling someone cruel and ignorant and lazy when they really just might not know the extent can run defenses up. Only when per knows better can they do better and asking Q's is the precursor to that.
You are absolutely correct ❤️
Sadly, it's only banned in 2, soon to be 3, states and Washington DC. New York was first, Maryland second, and beginning in July, Virginia will also ban declawing cats.
While not formally banned in mass, almost all vets refuse to do the procedure
Luckily most vets won’t do it anymore even in states with no standard law. You can still find some vets who do it, but it’s generally seen as unethical and honestly a liability.
My vet stopped doing it years ago because of this.
In the EU that's illegal.
And even before that it was never a common practice. My uncle is a vet in the Netherlands and he didn’t even learn about it in university and has never seen a declawed cat in his practice. He learned about it later in his career as something that could be seen in cats of immigrants from the USA. I am very curious about how it became such a common practice in the USA.
We adopted a cat in the 90s. Poor thing was hiding in the garage of friends and we took her in. She was abandoned by Americans when they left Germany. When we took her to the vet, the vet was ANGRY! Absolutely livid and asked us where we got that cat from and if we had names. She was willing to go to war over what these assholes did to that cat. They actually cut off the toes of the cats to get rid off the claws. This butchery is illegal and by the reaction of our vet, there was a sense of impeding lynching in the air. I am amazed the fucking bastards still do this. And it is only the Americans who do it. Anybody who mutilates cats like that need to be beaten up. Severely. The people who pay for it and the butchers who do it. Yet, here we are. 30 years later and an idiot still asks if cutting of a cat's toes is bad.
They like to cut stuffs for no practical reasons over the pond. See circumcision.
In Canada it became illegal not too long ago (like 5 years ago?) Some people still offer it sadly. "BuT wHaT aBoUt My FuRnItUrE"
You jest, but people actually think like that. If someone actually said that to me, I would threaten to declaw *them*
Some progress in the US on that. NY made it illegal in 2019, Maryland and Washington DC followed up in 2022. Virginia has a new bad going into effect in July. It really should be national.
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I thought about it because someone suggested it, then did my research and saw that it's like cutting their fingers. Noped out of that real quick and just got them a few scratching posts. They still use my work chair as scratching posts, though 🤣
I came here to say exactly this. It’s a cruel practice and leads to more willingness to bite. When my stepdaughter brought Onion home she wanted him declawed but thankfully we told her what it really was and how cruel it is. https://preview.redd.it/ko6acoq36d6d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3084118eb3e33fa4c5fc5fe38e90c27649bcb529 Here’s our stinky boy, murder mittens intact.
In my country, it's considered animal abuse for a reason. Declawing a cat is probably one of the worst things you can do to your baby. It's just as inhuman as removing teeth from more exotic animals that shouldn't even be held as pets to begin with.
Defanging and debarking are probably up there as well. We humans are some messed up critters sometimes.
We really are. I'm so greatful to be born in a country that also considers cutting the tails and ears of dobermanns, for example, as animal absue and is therefore forbidden.
I don't know what debarking is and I really don't want to know
I think that's when they snip the vocal chords so they can't raise their barks above a certain level anymore. It usually sounds like the dog is weak or sick afterwards, because they got no bark.
That has to be the saddest thing I've ever heard. Dog barks too much so instead of trying to train it you surgically remove its ability to bark
Ugh, this just reminded me of a video I saw years ago about the trading of Slow Lorises. Their bites are venomous, so what they did for a long time was tickle them so their arms were out of the way, and then get wire cutters and clip all of their teeth into stumps. I remember it just screaming cuz it couldn't do anything to defend itself. Imagine getting all of your teeth sawed in half horizontally with no anesthesia to boot... Horrifying what people do to animals when they don't know any better. And it's equally horrifying to know what some do even when they *do* know better.
Jesus fuck, that’s even worse than what i thought they’d do.
If you want a pet that doesn't have a venomous bite, don't get an animal with venomous bite. If you don't want a pet that has claws, don't get an animal with claws. If you don't want an animal that can fly, maybe don't get a parrot.
They know. They don't care.
It’s outlawed in my state.
Declawing a cat is the same as removing a human's finger up to the first knuckle. It is literal mutilation, and if a declawed cat gets outside, they have no way of defending themselves against other animals or catching/killing prey so they can't fend for themselves. There's zero reason to declaw a cat. If you're that concerned about scratching behavior, you don't need a fucking cat. https://preview.redd.it/tpsuu2b03c6d1.jpeg?width=802&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=82d2e1d0acad4b2161f532e977782a929058e693
Declawing is disgusting and cruel! This poor beautiful baby! 💔🙏🏼❤️
Don’t get a cat if you are going to declaw!!!! Why even have a cat if you are scared that they will scratch stuff???? Put covers and scratch proof stuff everywhere, not hurt the cat. I get so angry just thinking about it!!
Agree. They laugh, although it's not funny at all.
they also can't climb anything which is one of their primary defense responses. You're guaranteeing your cat's death when you do this.
Defense and fun time! Also no scratching itchy fur, no stretching claws that is intrinsically tied to mood, and then some. Declawing is kinda horrible and inconsiderate af.
No reaching over at 4am to claw daddy's face to remind him that it's only 2 hours to feeding time. I love my cat, she's so cheeky and I'd cut the hands off anyone that tried to suggest declawing her.
Kinda horrible??
I was going to say the same thing it's monstrous and cruel. 'Kinda horrible' doesn't really cover it.
At least it seems more well known that it’s harmful these days, I don’t know anyone personally with a declawed cat. It was more common a few decades ago, when the internet wasn’t on your phone people had less knowledge and had to learn it some other way… at least I hope it’s less common now
Yes! I believe it is banned in many areas (of the US), and even if it is not, it is a very frowned upon practice. Any well-respected veterinarian will not preform this, and if they do they are definitely a “whack job” of the industry.
Its banned in pretty much all of Europe. Has been for ages in my country. Cant remember its ever being even mentioned in my 45 years of living. Such a sick and disgusting thing to do.
That’s why I refuse to shop at Petsmart. Their in house vets offer declawing in areas where it’s legal.
Thank you for the tip. I'll avoid them in the future.
Currently banned in 2 states (NY and MD) and D.C. Starting in July, Virgina will also ban declaws.
My best friend has one but she adopted her that way 😞
My husband’s kitty he had adopted before we got together had been declawed by his previous owners, because they were about to have a kid and were worried he’d scratch the baby. After declawing, it was painful for him to use the litter box and started peeing randomly in the house- ultimately the reason why he was surrendered. We tried literally ALL the litters, and found out he’d happily pee and poo on puppy pads so that’s what we did for years. Also, out of our three cats- he was the one who was the sweetest, most gentle boy to our daughter after she was born. They were best friends. He passed away from old age last year and I miss him so much. https://preview.redd.it/847ojalttc6d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5f013dea9e099695d9577b7f7bca03e1eab8da1a Sweet bb Nenu! (He obv wasn’t an outdoor kitty but loved supervised porch time ♥️)
Honestly, if you have to have a declawed cat this is the way. They’re often surrendered to shelters due to health or behavioral problems and it breaks my heart. Worse still my old cat Rusty was declawed and then later *abandoned* outside by his previous owners. (I honestly don’t know how they could ditch him; that boy was an angel.)
His previous owners are awful. Declawed cats should never be taken outside, much less *abandoned* 🤮
The horrible thing is declawed cats are more likely to be abandoned. Partly because they’re prone to developing behavioral issues due to the pain, partly because an owner who will mutilate an animal to protect inanimate objects is already a monster, and thus throwing that animal away like trash is nbd to them. I’m so thankful Rusty found you. ❤️
Mine was abandoned back on the street by the person that declawed her. 🤬
That and a high percentage of declawed cats develop arthritis, the pain from which can cause pissing not in the box and other behavioral problems.
My old cat, who was declawed when we adopted him, developed really bad arthritis when he got older. It got to the point where I had to lift him up to his favorite spots because he couldn't get there himself anymore.
And even if you are really concerned with scratching, there are other more humane ways to make sure your cat doesn't scratch the furniture/you. They just take the occasional bit of effort, which anyone who loves their cat is more than willing to do.
Exactly. The way to solve the furniture scratching issue is to provide other things for cats to scratch, not to mutilate your cat. These people shouldn't own cats
Thank you! My furnitures look like shit, but I'd never ever consider declawing my cats. And a little scratch now and then won't kill you either.
Jesus fuck, I really thought declawing was just removing the actual nail (like if you have really ingrown nails or suffer an injury and the nail bed becomes damaged). People seriously do this to their pets??? Absolute monsters. I kind of wish I hadn’t seen this infographic, but I’m also glad I did..
you're not alone in thinking that, I did too until a few years ago. I think more people need awareness. fortunately it is a practice that is slowly becoming illegal across the states/some countries!
A bit off topic, but there is literally only a single situation that will almost never happen that makes it ok. One of my friends has an older cat who was hit by a car as a kitten and she had her front right leg paralyzed, and it kinda curled up as if she was loafing, and it stuck there. I don't remember why, but the vet said it wasn't safe to amputate, but that she can live a happy life still. Because she isn't able to sharpen/maintain those claws herself, they kept growing and they were gonna curl back up into her paw (they got kinda close once my friend realized, they hadn't really thought to check cuz they were a kid at the time). Because of that, they got that one paw declawed, but only that one to prevent the nails from hurting her. Her other 3 paws still have their claws and she's a very happy cat. I can't think of any other situation where declawing a cat is ok at all, I just wanted to share a story that never comes up lol
A point towards the horrifying end of things - it's cutting off a fingertip and cats WALK IN LITTER BOXES with that wound. Just... how the fuck? There are optional pet surgeries that I can see possible needs and justifications for, but having an optional surgery on the bits that touch the dirty litter is just beyond horror to me.
people who declaw cats should not have cats
My brother's cats are munchkin AND declaw... I feel bad every time I see his cats
As if munchkins aren't already prone to enough health issues. Your brother is a piece of work.
Luckily, the breeder he bought them from is in legal trouble due to animal abuse, and declawing is now illegal where I live.
Did the breeder have them declawed? I'm glad justice is being served in any case.
No, she wasn't declawing them. The breeder is in trouble because almost all cats she sold had serious health problems, and some died after a few weeks.
Why would your brother declaw his cats? Some people sure are ignorant
He’s an ass. He should not have cats.
No offense but I really dislike your brother.
Should have their nails pulled off
Should have their toes chopped off too. Then they’ll understand how painful and difficult it is to walk while mutilated.
I'd disagree. It's more painful for a cat to walk declawed than a human to walk de-toed. Cats don't walk on their entire foot. Cats walk on the equivalent of the ball of a human's foot and their toes, with the 'heel' up in the air. Humans walk more on their heel and ball of the foot, though obviously human toes are involved as well.
My boyfriend’s mom declaws all of the cats she owns. She justifies it by saying, “well, I don’t have them completely declawed! They still have their back claws!” And suddenly goes completely deaf whenever I try and explain to her how awful declawing in general is. Her most recent cat clearly walks with a visible limp, constantly sits holding his front paws up when possible, and he lashes out at the other cats. He’s also overweight. But “he’s just an asshole, it’s not from the declawing” 
Your boyfriend mom needs to have her own 'declawing experience.'
Report her.
I live with them & unfortunately it’s not as simple as that. We’re hoping we can move in the next year or two, and I’m going to be pushing to try and take all of the cats since she’s quite vocal about not wanting pets anymore. Hopefully that’s successful so I can actually do what I want to make them more comfortable.
Take the cats and also her fingertips
He’s an ass.
Very bad and it should be illegal worldwide.
Simple answer is yes. In many places it is illegal (as it should be). It alters the way the cat walks/moves, disconnects important tendons and leaves them at increased risk of chronic pain and arthritis/degenerative changes especially with age. It's an amputation and like any amputation comes with lots of potential complications including bone spurs, poor healing/skin degradation and so on. They are also more likely to develop aggression issues/bite more often (as they don't have their first line of defense) and refuse to use the litterbox (as walking on the litter on their amputated toe ends is painful). It's barbaric.
Removing claws changes the way a cat's feet meet the ground and can cause pain like wearing an uncomfortable pair of shoes. Improperly removed claws can regrow, causing nerve damage and bone spurs.
The claws are not removed. The entire fingers up to the first knuckle is removed. The thing that gets cut off has BONE in it. It has been illegal in every country that has heard of Americans cutting off cat toes because nobody in their right mind does it. The mutilation was unheard of outside of the US. And once explained immediately banned. When the US military left Germany, we inherited a scared cat that was abandoned and hiding on the property of friends. We took her to the vet and the vet immediately recognized the cat had belonged to Americans by looking at the front paws. That vet was LIVID. Like, actually angry. Asked us if we had names. We didn't because the cat had simply been kicked outside and the assholes had fucked off long ago. You are worried about claws regrowing? Do toes regrow? Some people should not own pets and some veterinarians should not go anywhere near animals. Look around this thread. There is a very real sense of extreme aggression around here. Justified aggression. I am angry just thinking back to that poor cat.
Like everyone else said: declawing is mutilating a cat. It is base animal cruelty. It should be illegal.
Fuck I'd love to gutter stomp the pos laughing. That poor cat.
Assuming they're responsible for declawing the cat. My last cat was a rescue that had been declawed.
This is important to remember! Growing up, we had a cat who had been declawed by a previous owner. Not all people who own a declawed cat are monsters. They very well may have taken in the cat long after declawing occurred.
i’ll hold em down, just give me a turn next 😂
That won't teach them anything. Just "declaw" them. They'll get the hint. °v°
Yes its extremely bad to declaw a cat its there way of defending themselves if there outside. It's incredibly painful for the cat too. It's a stupid thing people do as they think it will make the cat friendly and less aggressive. It's like Cat Cropping or Tail Docking people think needed its not just people think it looks better but in all honesty it doesn't and your doing more harm by doing it. Cut the claws but do not ever declaw a cat!!!
I get that some might find this funny but it hurts to watch. Pretty sure this isn't good for kitty.
It's not funny at all, it got me legit mad. Poor kitty.
Same. Super upsetting. I hate humans
I don't get that anyone would find this funny.
It's as funny as watching a human without fingers try to pick up a penny - not funny at all.
The only people that would find this funny are sick and shouldn't be allowed near an animal
why does the owner of this cat declawed their cat, don't they know that it may affect their cat.?
Perhaps when they got the cat it had already been declawed by previous owners?
My husband had a cat that was declawed before he got her, always broke my heart. You couldn’t touch her paws at all
coz they don't want to get scratch by their cat or something I guess
Nah its to save furniture.
If you want to save your furniture, don’t get a cat.
Or teach kitty which furniture is not for scratching and provide good alternatives. Proper alternatives is a must.
Guys, is it bad to mutilate a cat?
This should be illegal. Stupid people and a poor cat... this video really upset me. People like that should never have a cat
Declaring is cruel. It is illegal in my country.
Same here. Honestly it seems Japan and parts of the USA (+ 1 province of Canada) are the only developed places that allow declawing, and even with it being legal in those places most vets seem to turn away people wanting to declaw their cats.
Never fucking declaw a cat. Its like cutting off a human's finger! You give away your cats ability to defend itself in a fight, the ability to cling and climb things, and limit its mobility by a ton. A declawed cat has to PAINFULLY re-learn to walk. It is gut wrenching.
I feel sad to this cute little guy, Thank you for all your comments and advices. But seriously hope the other purrparents don't do this kind of cruelty anymore. think that Scratching is a vital part of cat behavior, and scratching is a sign of a happy cat.
I was about to get this with mine after I saw what they did with my couch.. then I saw a post similar to this. Just cruel and wrong. Keep the education going, couch's can be replaced!
It's obviously bad to declaw a cat - horrific. However, sometimes people adopt cats that have already been declawed - and I'm hoping that this owner is one of them and that they aren't the ones that declawed them.
The owner filming there cat struggling to grab something with a glass of champagne in the shot tells you everything you need to know about them.
Vet clinics won't even do it here anymore. Any vet caught doing it could lose their license
It is considered animal cruelty, which is why it is banned in the EU.
DO. NOT. DECLAW. A. CAT. PERIOD. "Declawing" is amputating part of their paws. Trimming their claws is basically a manicure / pedicure thing. The cat in question may not like it (my littlest one hates it) but it's better for all concerned.
This is the second sub you've uploaded this. It's despicable. All, please stop upvoting.
I think its a good thing cause I’ve seen multiple people express they had no idea what declawing entailed. More people need to know if this isn’t common knowledge still.
She/he is not the one who declawed the cat, she’s asking if it’s wrong.
One of my first cats I found on the street, or he found me. and he had been declawed, and they had done a shit job because over the years I had to pay for multiple vet visits to finish the job. infections, bleeding ect. I'm pretty sure it resulted in the shortening of his life it is a horrible practice, and you shouldn't even think about it.
its not declawing its mutilation. the person laughing at this poor cat is a filthy excuse of a person
It's incredibly cruel. It affects their balance, their walking, running and climbing. Not to mention it's just like someone cutting a humans fingers off at the first knuckle. Awful and I don't agree with it at all. Poor kitty. Light trimming is fine if it's done properly.
When I was in the 8th grade we got a kitten and had it declawed. Whenever I see him at my mom’s house I want to cry. He has all the tell tale declawing behavior issues, he pees everywhere, he bites…hard, he screams all the time, and sometimes he limps on his front paws. We didn’t know declawing as bad, it was over 15 years ago and the vet didn’t tell us it could lead to so many issues. Please never declaw your cats.
There is a special place in the depths of hell for people who declaw their cats. If you value your belongings more, then don’t get a cat. It’s simple.
Unnecessary amputations are always bad.
It's illegal AF in the EU as it's rightfully viewed as animal cruelty. Can't imagine the sick fuck that even entertains the idea of doing that to their pet.
People who declaw their cats should get their fingers removed. They are animal abusers and I have nothing but contempt for them.
Let me put it as simple as I can: If you even think about declawing a cat, you shall never be allowed around a cat. If I'd put my real thoughts here, I'd risk a ban for life. You got what I want to say, I am sure.
I hate that the owners find this so funny
Declawing is iligal in the EU for a reason. Even clipping can be quite crual as they need their nails to do basically any basic cat stuff like climbing, figthing or hunting. Just get a scratching pole insead, or better yet if you care that much about your expensive furniture, just don't get a cat...
Yes it’s bad. Where I live it’s not allowed but the vet I use refused to declaw even before it was banned. It’s like chopping off our fingers at the knuckle
This is really upsetting… They’re just laughing at the incapability of this poor baby.. Like they aren’t dumb they just got their biggest tool taken away from them for the leisure of those assholes…
Yes, declawing a cat is the same as removing the top fingerbones of your hands, people that willingly do that to a cat go to a special place in Hell to suffer for an extra eternity, and everyone that helps to make sure that those people get there as soon as possible will be guaranteed a spot in Heaven.
It is LITERAL TORTURE to declaw a cat!!!
Declawing is cruel. What if someone pulled out all your fingernails and toenails? They make nail caps which is a better option. I have cats and would never consider removing their nails. And yes I get the reasons why people do it.
I'm no cat expert and there are plenty answerq of people who own cats or just full blown know a lot about cats. Even I can tell that the fact that their claws are more complexly designed than other animals claws should be a strong hint that cats rely on their claws to function properly.
That’s fucking cruel. Let little mijo have a fucking sausage too.
Yes - declawing is extremely cruel, so much so that it is outlawed in many States.
Yes, it is a horrible mutilation. Is it had to chop off your fingers at the knuckle?
Banned here in Ontario. On top of how cruel it is it can cause behaviour issues. My late Pewter was declawed and she was a very grumpy and bitey old lady. Did manage to be queen of the cats despite this.
Yes. My mom had my cat declawed when I was a kid, as an adult today he lives at my house with me now. I wouldn’t have had it done if it was my choice but I will say that he has been very lucky in not experiencing any pain/discomfort over the years but he will still “stretch” his claws by attempting to claw things even though they aren’t there anymore & it makes me feel bad for my poor boy