Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 (Denver Mods 7/26/84) 6/24/83; site drutx.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!mhuxt!houxm!mtuxo!drutx!slb From: slb@drutx.UUCP (Sue Brezden) Newsgroups: net.pets Subject: Re: claws Message-ID: <3324@drutx.UUCP> Date: Mon, 22-Jul-85 14:44:58 EDT Article-I.D.: drutx.3324 Posted: Mon Jul 22 14:44:58 1985 Date-Received: Thu, 25-Jul-85 00:15:08 EDT Organization: AT&T Information Systems Laboratories, Denver Lines: 73 >Some veterinarians actually feel that declwaed cats undergo changes in >their personality, often becoming defensive and vicious because the >cats have lost their main defense. I saw no changes with the current crop of cats we have. I did see a personality change with one we had several years ago. He was a mean, antisocial cat, who was absolutely terrified of the outdoors. We had him declawed at the ripe old age of 6 for two reasons. First, the place to which we were moving required declawing. Second, it was almost impossible to hold him, as he would claw while kneading your lap. He also did a lot of scratching. I was never able to interest him in a post. We moved 500 miles and had him declawed within the same 2 weeks. I felt bad about it, assuming that he would be REALLY weird now. Instead, he straighted up--became a loving, quiet, outdoor-loving cat. That was the first cat I ever had declawed, and I was very pleased. I had not wanted to do it in the first place, having listened to the anti-declawing side for years. Afterwards, I realized how little pain was involved, and how much nicer it is to have a declawed cat around. Two of our cats since came to us declawed. They are very normal, and not at all vicious. The three kittens came next, and we had them declawed because we could not get them interested in a post, nor watch them all the time. They also are normal, loving cats. I had many cats before that, none declawed, and saw more vicious behaviour in them than in our current set. If declawing causes such behaviour, then I sure haven't seen it! >>I have had all my >>cats neutered and although they come home from the vet a little, shall >>we say, under the weather, they have not been in pain. I think you are trying to kid yourself. Cats that are acting "under the weather" are probably in pain. You are saying, "I could not cause my pet pain, therefore neutering is not painful." It is. Our cat that was spayed was in pain for a week, (she could not jump into a high chair, for instance, a good indication) and the ones that were neutered were in pain for a few days. Cats don't have to yowl to show pain. (Although our spayed cat did--especially at night.) (Note, this is not a remark against spaying and neutering. Pain is a part of life, and spaying and neutering are necessary to prevent more pain--i.e. the death and pain of kittens that cannot be supported.) >>On the other >>hand, cats I have seen that have been recently declawed literally >>scream with agony. What vet did the declawing? My advice is to change vets. None of our cats were in any visible pain after declawing, except for the first day. By "visible pain" I mean what you meant by "under the weather". By the second day they were leaping around, and going outside again. In other words, there was less pain for them than with neutering, and a LOT less than with spaying. By the way, the 6-year old cat showed even less discomfort, something which surprised me. We all cause some pain in others, I'm afraid. Sometimes it is worth it. I think, after having cats both with claws and not, that declawing can indeed be worth it. You may certainly disagree--I would not have believed it 5 years ago. -- Sue Brezden Real World: Room 1B17 Net World: ihnp4!drutx!slb AT&T Information Systems 11900 North Pecos Westminster, Co. 80234 (303)538-3829 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Your god may be dead, but mine aren't. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~