# Origin of declawing cats **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [January 5, 2013, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-declawing-cats/646168 "2013-01-05T16:20:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Simple\_Linctus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Simple\_Linctus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simple_Linctus)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2013, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-declawing-cats/646168/1 "2013-01-05T16:20:16Z")
I see many references in threads from the present day to what seems like it could be ten years ago to declawing cats. Could someone link to where this originates? Presumably there was an emotive debate about the “merits” of this action at some point? ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2013, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-declawing-cats/646168/2 "2013-01-05T16:22:24Z")
I think you will find many, many threads about this. It wasn’t just one. ---
**Author:** ![74westy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/74westy/32/3950_2.png) [@74westy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/74westy)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2013, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-declawing-cats/646168/3 "2013-01-05T18:23:41Z")
I think [this](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=34616) is the earliest thread on the topic and, wow, don’t bring it up again or we’ll have to hire more moderators. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2013, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-declawing-cats/646168/4 "2013-01-05T19:06:34Z")
Virtually any time the subject of declawing cats has come up on the board, it has led to acrimonious debate. There is no single origin. While there obviously had to have been a “first thread” on the subject, subsequent threads have reinforced the reputation of the subject as toxic. It’s right up there with gun control, dieting, tipping, SUVs, and which way to hang the toilet paper.😉 ---
**Author:** ![InternetLegend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/internetlegend/32/13154_2.png) [@InternetLegend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InternetLegend)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2013, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-declawing-cats/646168/5 "2013-01-05T19:29:06Z")
Not to mention circumcision! Whoops - I didn’t mean to mention…you know. ---
**Author:** ![Achren](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/898d66/32.png) [@Achren](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achren)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2013, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-declawing-cats/646168/6 "2013-01-05T19:41:20Z")
_whispers ‘shoes on or off in homes’_ ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2013, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-declawing-cats/646168/7 "2013-01-06T20:29:05Z")
The problem is most of those threads go over the top (when everyone knows the _proper_ way to hang a thread is under the bottom, so it rolls…) ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2013, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-declawing-cats/646168/8 "2013-01-06T23:21:37Z")
“Fat” ---
**Author:** ![MandaJo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@MandaJo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MandaJo)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2013, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-declawing-cats/646168/9 "2013-01-07T00:15:04Z")
Milk in a bar. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2013, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-declawing-cats/646168/10 "2013-01-07T00:25:46Z")
On a conveyor belt. ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2013, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-declawing-cats/646168/11 "2013-01-07T16:08:26Z")
It’s still a 50/50 chance no matter what you do! ---
**Author:** ![Cheshire\_Human](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Cheshire\_Human](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheshire_Human)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2013, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-declawing-cats/646168/12 "2013-01-08T04:42:21Z")
> [@InternetLegend](#): > > Not to mention circumcision! Whoops - I didn’t mean to mention…you know. Does Willy wear a turtleneck sweater? ---
**Author:** ![Absolute](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b2d939/32.png) [@Absolute](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Absolute)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2013, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-declawing-cats/646168/13 "2013-01-08T05:23:10Z")
> [@Rhythmdvl](#): > > The problem is most of those threads go over the top (when everyone knows the _proper_ way to hang a thread is under the bottom, so it rolls…) - twitch \* ---
**Author:** ![Gedd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gedd/32/4938_2.png) [@Gedd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gedd)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2013, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-declawing-cats/646168/14 "2013-01-08T13:54:05Z")
Less filling ---
**Author:** ![Cheshire\_Human](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Cheshire\_Human](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheshire_Human)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2013, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-declawing-cats/646168/15 "2013-01-09T19:31:15Z")
> [@Gedd](#): > > Less filling Tastes Great! [sub]Ok, _someone_ had to do it![/sub] ---
**Author:** ![moriah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b2d939/32.png) [@moriah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moriah)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2013, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-declawing-cats/646168/16 "2013-01-10T06:23:14Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > Virtually any time the subject of declawing cats has come up on the board, it has led to acrimonious debate. There is no single origin. While there obviously had to have been a “first thread” on the subject, subsequent threads have reinforced the reputation of the subject as toxic. > > It’s right up there with gun control, dieting, tipping, SUVs, and which way to hang the toilet paper.😉 My tip is that if you declaw the cat, you can then hang the TP down the front like it should go thus needing less trips to the store with your gas guzzling SUV and more time for exercising, tubby. Oh, yeah, one more thing… Hitler!