Hey Jill,
I volunteer with the Grateful Paw Cat Shelter. I have noticed, and it is the belief of
our shelter, that declaws are more likely to bite and miss the (litter) box much more often
then a non-declaw. Also they are more difficult to adopt out. Did you check out the
effects of declawing before recommending it or am I and the shelter operating under
a false premise?
I didn’t recommend de-clawing cats. I suggested that this person - whose pet is apparently scratching the hell out of the person who feeds it - “consider” it. I will add this disclaimer, though, that this practice is frowned on by some. Thanks.
Link to staff report: Do cats have poison claws? – Dex
[Edited by C K Dexter Haven on 01-11-2001 at 05:55 AM]
A cat is declawed by removing the first joint of the toe. Many cat lovers think this is a form of mutilation (how would you like to the first joint on your fingers and toes removed?) and some veterinarians refused to perform the operation. Some cats experience behavioral problems after being declawed which included the symptoms you described as well as increased aggression and occasional depression. Cats are instinctive hunters and the loss or their claws can create what could be called (in human terms) psychological trauma or insanity. While not all cats will experience such negative effects, there are better solutions (such as behavioral training) than declawing. I would never suggest that some one even consider it. Some cat rescue organizations, like the one I volunteer with, have clauses in the adoption contracts that stipulate that the cat may not be declawed.
There is a product called (I think) Soft Paws that are applied to cat claws in much the same way as acrylic nails are applied on humans. They need to be replaced something like every two weeks and the cats shouldn’t be allowed outdoors with them on (since like a declawed cat, they are at a disadvantage in case of a fight).
[[They need to be replaced something like every two weeks and the cats shouldn’t be allowed outdoors with them on (since like a declawed cat, they are at a disadvantage in case of a fight).]]
Domestic cats are non-native and predate on wildlife (as well as on each other) and should not be let outside, period.
I’ve updated the column, adding a line to say that many people consider de-clawing a cruel practice.
Jill, I completely enjoyed your response. I made my wife get her two little shit-machines declawed after one of them decided the stereo speakers were fun to scratch and tear.
It still amazes me that people keep these thing around. My wife is constantly cleaning up hairballs (anti-hairball food and treats be damned, and the litter gets tracked everywhere.
Here are my solutions for the (1) hairball issue;
SHAVE THE CATS!
and (2) the constant crapping.
QUIT FEEDING THEM!
My wife doesn’t think it’s funny either.
My other question for Jill; Is there anything about cats doesn’t make you want to punt them through the picture window.
How about we make C K Dexter Haven very happy, and include a link to the relevant column when discussing a staff report? 
Rocket, they have these cute, fuzzy little bellies great for nuzzling and petting. And then you reach down to pet them, and they grab ahold and perform the cat defense technique of holding with the front legs so you can’t escape, and kicking the sh!t out of you with their back legs, raking your arms to pieces. Resisting only makes them try harder. The best solution I’ve found (and still being able to live with the animal and/or loved ones who care more about it than you) is to relax your arm and let them win. They’ll stop fighting when they detect you’ve stopped attacking. Of course a bright person would figure this out, and not try to rub their bellies. But they’re so soft!
Or, better yet, how could we get there to just be one thread discussing each of the columns/staff reports on the board?
Unfortunately, I don’t think Moderators can combine topics.
My own solution to the cat claw problem would involve a burlap bag and a deep well.
Gee, Dex, you shouldn’t have to do anything as drastic as killing yourself. They’re just cats. 
I can’t figure out how you intend to dip water with a burlap bag.
Dex;
Won’t you need nine bags? Haven’t you ever seen “The Cat Came Back”?
Because cats are God’s most perfect achievement in the realm of satire, of course!
Amen!
Why is it that anyone would share their home with a pet they don’t love, or even apparently like?
I fully admit to being overly sensitive on feline issues, I’ve had cats around me my entire life and have a difficult time conceiving of a day without them. That doesn’t mean I’m inclined to open up a pit thread over some of the jokes in Jill’s response or in the posts in this thread. It just means I don’t understand why you’d have a pet in your home if you don’t like it.
And in so far as cat scratching… I just trim the claws of my kids regularly. No fuss no pain. (well, ok, they whine and struggle a bit while I trim them, but I give them a nice all over body massage when I’m done and they’re happy again.)
And additional information on the declawing front. All major cat associations I know of (chiefly TICA and CFA) will not allow a cat to be shown in competition if they are declawed. Declawing is an instant disqualification. Most, if not all breeders of purebred cats specifiy in the adoption contract that the cat is not to be declawed.
And also, as well as the reason JillGat mentioned in this thread, your cat will live a longer, and healthier life if kept as an indoor only pet. (and yes, that’s another requirment in most adoption contracts from cat breeders)
-Doug
May I refer you to the excellent reference book, How to Kill Your Girlfriend’s Cat, by Robert Daphne and Susan Davis? Sometimes it’s not a choice, since it’s someone else’s pet.
I seem to recall a quote to the effect of: “A cat’s main purpose is to remind us that there are some things in life that don’t have a purpose.” Can anyone remind me of the source and exact quote?
I have made a considerable study of the mechanisms and meaning of animal communication. I once house-sat for a couple who had three cats, one of which I swear was attempting to communicate an intense desire to be drop-kicked.
Hey, a lot of people live with spouses they don’t like.