Re: Is De-clawing a US thing?

In article <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, 
[EMAIL PROTECTED] enlightened us with...
>  I don't see what the connection is between declawing and whether your
> cat goes in or out . It's sounds more like an excuse to me.

I think it's more that cats who go out tend to scratch outside, so the 
issue of the cat being destructive doesn't really come up. I could be 
completely off base there, though, as I've never had an outdoor cat, 
living near urban areas and all.

IMO, any "reason" for declawing can be considered an excuse if all the 
proper information is given to the owners.

>  Surely
> declawing  has been around for many years before the big drive to keep
> cats inside .

I'm sure, and I know that when I was growing up (before the whole 'keep 
your cats in' thing), the vets recommended declawing indoor cats as a 
matter of course. It was just what we did. No one ever told us what the 
procedure actually was. Everyone just did it. The vets did, however, 
recommend against declawed cats going out. It was like, if the cat goes 
out, claws stay, if it stays in, claws go.
I realize this is quite possibly a regional experience, so for the 
record and for the non-US folks, I live near Chicago, a large 
metropolitan city in Illinois, U.S. where most people who love their 
pets keep them close by, since cars, dogs, poisons, and other dangers 
kill many, many pets (and strays) every year. The vast majority of 
people keep their cats inside.
Sadly enough, the vets around here still ask if you want your cat 
declawed when you sign up for desexing.

>  Some people do keep their cats inside in the UK , although they are
> in the minority and some outdoor cats will scratch inside.  The more
> cats you have the more likely they will  scratch inside.

IME, I have an easier time training new cats to scratch appropriately 
because they follow the examples of the resident cats.
I have only 3 though, so maybe this is true for rescuers and such with 
10+ cats...

-- 
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~kaeli~
A chicken crossing the road is poultry in motion.
http://www.ipwebdesign.net/wildAtHeart
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