# Cat goes in for a Spay and comes home declawed. Legal ramifications if any? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 20, 2004, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-goes-in-for-a-spay-and-comes-home-declawed-legal-ramifications-if-any/260753 "2004-08-20T18:12:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![LorieSmurf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a587f6/32.png) [@LorieSmurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LorieSmurf)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2004, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-goes-in-for-a-spay-and-comes-home-declawed-legal-ramifications-if-any/260753/21 "2004-08-21T14:23:37Z")
Holy crap! I didn’t realize declawing was such a common surgery that a very would _assume_ an owner would want his cat declawed as well as spayed. That’s horrible. I, for one, do not think declawing is the worst thing in the world, but people generally do not want their cats declawed for a reason. If a cat is an indoor/outdoor cat, you shouldn’t get your cat declawed, if your cat is having no destructive behavior indoors, then don’t get your cat declawed. I would be totally pissed if my cat was declawed on a whim and would try everything in my power to make sure someone answered for it. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2004, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-goes-in-for-a-spay-and-comes-home-declawed-legal-ramifications-if-any/260753/22 "2004-08-21T20:10:08Z")
> [@Phlosphr](#): > > The veterinary office of which we belong made this mistake. My _friend_ is one of the vets who is on call. He has his own practice, and is not the vet who made this mistake. For those of us who think declawing cats is barbaric and inhumane, this situation is a travesty. We will most likely not switch, but completely discontinue going to said office. Even though this was not our animal, it was an obscene mistake. I just got off the phone with out vet friend and he is appauled, yet not completely - he has seen this many times, to my surprise - he said I am getting all into a huff about something that is certainly not life threatening for the cat, but as of yet, very concerning for the family. > I asked his professional opinion and he said to continue bringing our animals to that clinic, it is a good reputable clinic and this was an incident that happens so infrequently, I should not worry about it. So- you’re not going to go to that offcie because they allow declawing?? 😕 Most Vet offices do, you know. You know it was a mistake, they are sorry, and they are going to make extra efforts so that it doesn’t happen again? So unless your problem is that you won’t go to any office that allows declawing, I don’t understand… 😕 ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2004, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-goes-in-for-a-spay-and-comes-home-declawed-legal-ramifications-if-any/260753/23 "2004-08-21T22:26:44Z")
My cats go to [Cat’s Exclusive](http://www.catsexclusive.com/htmlver/index1.htm) They do not advocate de-clawing, but I believe if an owner insists they will do the surgery. Maybe because they treat _only_ cats, they have more of the kitties’ best interests at heart. ---
**Author:** ![Dan\_Norder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4af34b/32.png) [@Dan\_Norder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dan_Norder)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2004, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-goes-in-for-a-spay-and-comes-home-declawed-legal-ramifications-if-any/260753/24 "2004-08-22T00:23:22Z")
Whoohoo, free declawing. Probably got the spay free too. Sounds like they should be thanking the spot of luck. I stupidly didn’t get my first cat declawed when he was young, but I sure as heck got my second one done. Legal ramifications? Come on, get serious. ---
**Author:** ![Cooper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/50afbb/32.png) [@Cooper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cooper)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2004, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-goes-in-for-a-spay-and-comes-home-declawed-legal-ramifications-if-any/260753/25 "2004-08-22T01:31:17Z")
> [@Dan Norder](#): > > Whoohoo, free declawing. Probably got the spay free too. Sounds like they should be thanking the spot of luck. I stupidly didn’t get my first cat declawed when he was young, but I sure as heck got my second one done. > > Legal ramifications? Come on, get serious. In six or seven days the cat will have completely forgotten about it. My cat has been declawed since she was eight weeks and she still thinks she has claws. And I still have my furniture. ---
**Author:** ![Rucksinator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/898d66/32.png) [@Rucksinator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rucksinator)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2004, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-goes-in-for-a-spay-and-comes-home-declawed-legal-ramifications-if-any/260753/26 "2004-08-22T01:47:46Z")
> [@vetbridge](#): > > … I would suggest the owner sue… This sounds like something that happened to me once. I went to a Mexican restaurant and ordered a Burrito. What I got was a burrito and an enchilada. I told the server that I didn’t order the enchilada, and I didn’t have to pay for it. Of course, I didn’t consider suing. Seriously, I don’t understand this thread. Suggesting suing over something like this? No wonder everybody thinks that our society is ridiculously litigious. What’s so inhumane about your cat being declawed? He can no longer defend himself from the couch? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Asbestos\_Mango](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/edb3f5/32.png) [@The\_Asbestos\_Mango](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Asbestos_Mango)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2004, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-goes-in-for-a-spay-and-comes-home-declawed-legal-ramifications-if-any/260753/27 "2004-08-22T06:42:43Z")
Both my cats are declawed, front only. I would have rather not have gotten it done, but after we tried everything from spraying with water to “shake cans” full of coins to Boundary, which is spray that is supposed to repel cats from furniture, my mom basically said either the claws go or the cats go. Declawing isn’t the barbarous practice it used to be. Once upon a time, the operation involved cutting the cat’s toes off at the first knuckle. Now they just cut the claw out of the nail bed in such a way that it never grows back. If you must needs have it done, call around to a few vets, though. Some older vets are behind the times and still take the end of the toe off. Both my fellas still have full paw dexterity, and loss of paw dexterity is a big factor in the objections to declawing. Still, if I had known about Soft Paws, which are little plastic covers that you put over the kitty’s claws, before the surgery, the boys would still have their little claws, and my mother would still have undamaged furniture. ---
**Author:** ![sweepkick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/87869e/32.png) [@sweepkick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sweepkick)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2004, 8:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-goes-in-for-a-spay-and-comes-home-declawed-legal-ramifications-if-any/260753/28 "2004-08-22T08:24:29Z")
I don’t understand what the issue is with declawing cats. I could understand if they are strictly outdoor cats (which is not recommended in any situation… indoor cats live longer and are generally healthier). I have 2 cats… both adopted… both very happy… one with his front claws removed, and the other with all four claws removed (from a household with alot of children). The one with all four claws removed _loves_ to sit outside on a leash, and i’ve seen this guy, with my own eyes, literally jump up and pull an unscrupulous low-flying sparrow straight out of the air with its clawless paws and kill it with a bite to the back of it’s neck. Blew my mind… one damn cool cat. I just don’t see how it could be considered inhumane, especially if it’s done at a young enough age, and they don’t rely on them for survival. ---
**Author:** ![Zabali\_Clawbane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecd19e/32.png) [@Zabali\_Clawbane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zabali_Clawbane)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2004, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-goes-in-for-a-spay-and-comes-home-declawed-legal-ramifications-if-any/260753/29 "2004-08-23T05:09:52Z")
First let me state, I am staying in the middle of this debate and not bringing my own opinion into this. I’m not going to debate how I feel, I won’t state how I feel because I know exactly how explosive this topic is on this board. I’m only posting here so a person who seems truly to want to learn can investigate and form their own opinion from the information they find. **sweepkick** Look up the procedures used to declaw a cat, and look at cat anatomy then you can decide for yourself what you think. ---
**Author:** ![picker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/picker/32/13969_2.png) [@picker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picker)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2004, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-goes-in-for-a-spay-and-comes-home-declawed-legal-ramifications-if-any/260753/30 "2004-08-23T05:52:06Z")
> [@sweepkick](#): > > literally jump up and pull an **unscrupulous** low-flying sparrow straight out of the air 😃 ---
**Author:** ![John\_Kentzel-Griffin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ccd318/32.png) [@John\_Kentzel-Griffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Kentzel-Griffin)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2004, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-goes-in-for-a-spay-and-comes-home-declawed-legal-ramifications-if-any/260753/31 "2004-08-23T06:14:18Z")
**Moderator’s Notes:** De-clawing is a hot button issue here. Anyone who can remain civil and wishes to debate the pros and cons of de-clawing is invited to open a thread in Great Debates. If you can’t remain civil, open a thread in the Pit. We are not going to discuss the pros and cons of de-clawing in this forurm. We are not going to permit rants about de-clawing in this forum. Thank you. **DrMatrix** - GQ Moderator ---
**Author:** ![Zabali\_Clawbane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecd19e/32.png) [@Zabali\_Clawbane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zabali_Clawbane)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2004, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-goes-in-for-a-spay-and-comes-home-declawed-legal-ramifications-if-any/260753/32 "2004-08-23T06:28:39Z")
My apologies. I can see now that even though I worded my post strongly nuetral that it was still cracking the can of worms. I will be more careful and abstain from posting at all next time. :o Glad that the mess has been snipped in the bud though. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-goes-in-for-a-spay-and-comes-home-declawed-legal-ramifications-if-any/260753.md?page=1)