There so small they wouldnt do any harm to them

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http://cakiesbsh.webs.com/

If a boyfriend of mine said such a thing to me, I would have to think very carefully about whether he really is the right person to share my life with ... if he hates my cats or cares so little about them that he would cheerfully mutilate them then I would cheerfully say goodbye to him because he doesn't really want the entire "me" and I come complete with cats. Depends whether you feel as strongly as I do about it - try putting that to your boyfriend if you wish.

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kind regards

Ra

http://www.bobergsiamese.co.uk/

Couldnt agree more, my cats mean the world, if he really loves you he should accept your cats for what they are........cats claws and all

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http://cakiesbsh.webs.com/

yes, my man isn't into dogs but he knows its me and the dogs or not me at all.

That is a very good point and I fully intend on putting it that way to him.

Thank you.

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I have to agree with everyone here, i have been married three times and im afraid they had to take me and the whole package, which was cats and dogs and a cockatiel, + 7 grandkids , thats the way i have always been if they didnt accept that then it would have been a no go and on your way mate , i would never do anything to my animals for any man,

Declawing is barbaric, like tail docking. They are there because cats need to grip objects to climb, to catch objects as well as gain pleasure from a good scratch on a post. Would your bf remove his appendix "just for fun"? It's not like we need the appendix. Cats need their claws.

Cats can't tell you that they have great aches and pains in their feet... and declawing can lead to forms of arthritis. No real animal lover would do this to their pet.

Any time a cat is put under anesthesia there is a risk of disability or death. Statistics on the rate of complications vary from as high as 29% (post-surgery discomfort/pain as reported by owners, Landsberg, 1991) to as low as 1.4% (as recorded computerized abstracts & medical records from a teaching hospital, Pollari et al., 1996). Potential physical complications include: hemorrhaging immediately following surgery or upon removal of bandages; regrowth of nail (would require additional surgery to correct); sequestrum or shattered nail or bone which causes infection/abscess; lameness or non-weight bearing; infection of incision site, joint stiffness or arthritis; and pain. Pain management is necessary following any major surgery. In addition, there is evidence that some declawed cats develop behavioral issues, such as jumping on tables more often than intact cats, litterbox avoidance, and biting.
TheCatSite.com - Declawing and Alternatives



"ARTHRITIS: Research has shown that, in the immediate post-operative period, newly declawed cats shift their body weight backward onto the large central pads of the feet, and off the sore toes. This effect was significant even when strong pain medication was given, and remained apparent for the duration of the study (up to 40 hours after the surgery). If this altered gait persists over time, it would cause stress on the leg joints and spine, and would lead to damage and arthritic changes in multiple joints."Declawing: A Rational Look, Dr. Jean Hofre, DVM http://www.littlebigcat.com/index.ph...=show&item=002

*POSTURE DIFFERENCES, i.e., declawed cats sit back on their wrists instead of their whole paw, or older declawed cats develop painful arthritis from walking on incomplete paws for years (x-rays can confirm this) & develop "chronic back and joint pain as shoulder, leg and back muscles weaken." The Facts About Declawing

*ATROPIED PAW PADS: Paw pads should be oval and supple but can harden, & become round or misshaped/shriveled after declaw surgery. Atrophied paw pads make it painful for cats to use crystal type cat litter. The P2 bones (the middle bone of the three in a finger) may also perforate the skin above the paw pad after the last bone is removed in surgery.

Thinking of declawing? Declaw consequences, laser declaw better?, Cat scratch fever, Declaw pictures, Ethics of declawing cats.


The standard declawing procedure calls for the removal of the claw including the germinal (epithelium) cells responsible for its growth, and part or all of the third phalanx (terminal bone) of the toe. The operation is usually performed on the front feet, and is actually an amputation comparable to the removal of human fingertips at the first knuckle. The cat experiences pain in the recovery and healing process.

Declawing can be done at any age, but younger cats tend to bounce back more quickly than older ones. It is never recommended to take out a cat's back claws. Cats rarely damage anything with their rear claws and their rear claws are their only defence after the front ones are removed.

The procedure is not without risk. The tourniquet, used to reduce blood loss during the surgical procedure, can damage the radial nerve and result in paralysis of the leg. This paralysis is usually temporary but can be permanent. If the incisions come open and expose the remaining bones of the digits, infection can occur and the wounds must be left open to heal, which can take longer than if sutures were holding the wound closed.

If the declawing procedure is not done correctly, misshapen claws can grow back. An incorrectly positioned cut during declawing surgery can remove too much of the toe, taking with it part or all of the toe's pad. In addition, if a bone fragment is left at the surgery site, it may become a source of infection. Both claw regrowth and infection necessitate additional surgery.

Declawing your cat is a decision that should never be taken lightly and certainly never be done for the owner's convenience.

Scratching is a natural behaviour for cats and a way of fulfilling a cat's strong instinctive need to mark its territory. Not only do cats mark objects visibly by scratching them, but the scratching deposits secretions from glands in the feet that can be smelled by other cats. Scratching can also provide valuable stretching and foot exercise for your cat.
Facts behind declawing your cat

Declawing is awful, probably worse than chopping off the tips of a human's fingers because of the after-effects, many of which have already been mentioned. It has been known in some cases where a tiny piece of nail bed has been left behind after the surgery, for the claw to grow back THROUGH the cat's flesh. It would lead to horrible infection and a huge risk of gangrene/amputation.

There was a "more humane" procedure they used to do a couple of years back, don't know if they still do it. In my opinion it's almost as bad as the standard declawing. That procedure was to sever the ligaments the cat uses to extend the claw joint. The cat still has claws but can never use them again. Is it just me, or is the difference marginal???

I wouldn't allow myself to be bullied if I were in your situation. They are your cats and he has no say in what happens to them. If he continues to make an issue of it I would get rid of the boyfriend before I'd declaw my cats!

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For heavens sakes under no circumstances should you consider declawing your cats for the sake of a man.
If he doesn't accept that then you should start to consider what real future you may have together and then tell him to move on. Just think that this unreasonable demand from him to have your cats declawed might just be the start of things to come, for you as well as your cats.

You owe it to you cats to be their protector for life and to speak up for them regardless of who you choose to form a relationship with.

Lets face it, men will come and go as they see fit but your cats will always be there for you through thick and thin.

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