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Declawing Your Cat
This is a very controversial topic which has a lot of emotion behind but it needs to be looked at. As a cat owner who has experienced difficulty dealing with a cat scratching issue in my home, it is difficult not to be biased but let's give the issue of declawing its due and see what exactly the pros and cons are. There are 2 types of surgical procedures which are commonly done to eradicate this problem. One involves cutting the tendon that attaches the claw to the bone in a cats foot. The claw stays intact but the cat can't use it at all because it is no longer attached to the tendon that works it. The second procedure employs the use of a laser for cutting. This procedure removes the lateral attachment. The claw is then removed. Proponents of both these procedures claim there is minimal blood loss and discomfort. They also state that most cats are up running around in no time after the surgery. Great! However, what they fail to mention is that both procedures are invasive (any surgical procedure is), both require general anethestic, and both can result in complications especially for older cats. The second procedure is quite plainly amputation. They also fail to mention what many people have stated - that post-surgery their cat developed a biting problem that was not prevelant prior to the surgery. What I have read also doesn't account for the many reports of people's cats undergoing drastic behavior changes afterwards. One such advocate I read about stated that "there will be medical reasons and other circumstances where this procedure will be necessary." But it fails to cite any of those reasons. For me at least, it all comes back to the question - "How would you like to have part of the anatomy God gave you amputated?" For me, there is only one "pro" After declawing, no matter what procedure you opt to have done, your cat will no longer be able to claw your furniture and carpets. The "cons" however, are still stacked against this and they are many! We had a terrible experience with our cat Milo, when he recently developed a lower urinary tract infection and had to be admitted to stay 2 nights in a local vet clinic while he underwent surgery and monitoring for this common cat health problem. After seeing how terrified he was at the clinic and then worrying whether he would live or not because he refused to eat anything for a week after we got him home and had to be forcibly fed water to keep him hydrated, we simply could not bring ourselves to consider the idea of declawing no matter how stressful his clawing behavior was. Milo is part of our family. God gave him all the parts he has for a reason and declawing to us is tantamount to saying he is less important than any other member of our family; something that we couldn't bring ourselves to think. Pets count on us to look after their best interests. When we take on the responsibility of owning a pet we make what should be a statement of promise to protect them, nuture them and ensure that they are looked after. If you are considering declawing as a way to deal with your cats clawing behavior, I would urge you to please try some less invasive methods first before you resort to such a drastic measure. Why risk potential side-effects and the trauma that can accompany any surgical procedure if there are clearly other, less invasive ways of dealing with this problem? by Brad Knell (c) 2005 All Rights Reserved Brad Knell is the webmaster of http://www.stopcatscratching.com one of several sites designed to help people with pet problems.
Latest News:Site: Yahoo! News Search Results for news News Ltd buys Getprice NEWS Ltd is preparing itself for the online retailing explosion with the acquisition of comparison shopping site, Getprice.com.au. Alabama news links: Judge gives man 187 years in prison on child porn convictions News from around Alabama. News Near You for Sept. 6 This daily column features short news items from some of the 20 localities that make up the greater Richmond area. If you have a news item, call 649-6990 or e-mail us at news@times dispatch.com NEWS NEAR YOU PowhatanB-24 bomber pilot Neely Young will speak at the World War II Round ... News Briefs Good news for working mothers. Minister of Education, Gideon Saar, announced Monday his decision to extend tuition subsidies for children aged 3-4 in public nurseries. BREAKING NEWS - Child struck by car, car doesn't stop TUCSON - News 4 has confirmed that a child was hit by a vehicle in the area of Drexel and Mission. Officers on scene say the vehicle did not stop. They are actively searching for the driver. Northwest News: John Canzano blames lousy city leadership for baseball's demise in Portland; Say so long to the ... Northwest News is a daily roundup of what's making headlines in the Pacific Northwest. News by location Get local and national news updates via E-mail. LUMBERTON - The Robeson County Board of Commissioners is expected to approve a resolution Tuesday formally adopting a quarter-cent sales tax increase. News buys up shopping website NEWS Limited has signalled a push into the online retail space. News Snapshot: Exit 12B in South Burlington is back in the spotlight ? THE NEWS: The city of South Burlington and the Chittenden County Metropolitan Planning Organization will hold a public meeting to discuss the latest developments on a proposed exit ? 12B ? from Interstate 89 onto Vermont 116 near Kennedy Drive. News by location Get local and national news updates via E-mail. Ten drivers have now clinched spots in the Chase for the Sprint Cup. HAMPTON, Ga. - Tony Stewart raced to his first victory of the year, pulling away from Carl Edwards off the final restart Sunday night at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Site: news - Google News AP Top News at 6:20 pm EDT - The Associated Press
MORE RESOURCES: Site: Yahoo! News Search Results for pets Celebrity pets A-list guests at hotel THE pets of Britney Spears, Paris Hilton, Jennifer Aniston and Nicole Richie have been invited to the opening of a new luxury hotel in Los Angeles. Pets? mirth is Pets Passion?s fervent KUCHING: Placing four key aphorisms as its main focus ? passion, service, quality and convenience ? Pets Passion Sdn Bhd (Pets Passion) director Winnie Kueh was inspired to run her own pet store with high passion and diligence. Pets of the Week KVUE's Pets of the Week from the Humane Society of Williamson County are Cheesy and Cilia. Pets and the quake A sidebar to the human drama of the weekend earthquake is what it has meant for pets. Many animals were reported missing, a sad event in itself and another layer of loss for people who have already had their lives turned upside-down. Yet some pets seemed to play a positive role. Pets Alive dedicates new dog facility HOWELLS ? Pets Alive, one of the largest and most successful strictly no-kill animal sanctuaries in the U.S., keeps growing. Two of Pets Alive?s major benefactors are Grammy winning artist Rob Thomas and his wife, Marisol, who adopted a beloved dog, Tyler, from Pets Alive, some years ago. Stop throwing your pets away, people - the Shanghai Zoo is overcrowded! I wasn't aware that A. There were a lot of people here with a taste for exotic pets, and B. There were a lot of dicks here who abandon their exotic pets when they get too expensive, but apparently the Shanghai Zoo is running out of space to deal with them. Specifically, it's being overrun by red-eared turtles and estaurine crocodiles (which you'll remember caused quite a scare last year). From ... Purses for Pets hosts second annual fundraiser From 3 - 5 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 24, the Pet Network Humane Society will host their second annual Purses for Pets fundraising event. This year the event will be held in the main ballroom of the Hyatt Regency, Spa, Resort & Casino in Incline Village. Highspire man and three pets escape fire A Highspire man fell asleep while cooking early today, but he and his three pets escaped injury. The fire broke out about 5:30 a.m. in the 300 block of Market Street. Pets on the Promenade event set for Sept. 11 Hilton Head Monthly's fourth annual Pets on the Promenade will take place from 4 to 7 p.m. Sept A-list pets get their own luxury hotel THE already pampered four-legged friends of Britney Spears, Paris Hilton and Jennifer Aniston have been invited to the opening of a new 9754sq/m luxury hotel for pets in LA. Site: pets - Google News There's a price to pay for odd pet 'snacks' - Minneapolis Star Tribune
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