[net.pets] Declawing a cat led to his death

marysue@hpfcla.UUCP (08/20/85)

    One more anecdote to add to the "to declaw or not to declaw" controversy:

    Some cat owners have expressed the opinion that their declawed cats
    are perfectly able to defend themselves.  I do not doubt that some
    cats are, after declawing, but many are not.  I grew up in a rural
    area, where pets often roamed free, without causing (too many...)
    problems.  One neighbor let his declawed cat out.  THis cat came
    over to my house and sat on the roof, and proceeded to tease my big
    dog.  This dog, being a dog, began to fuss, and when the cat jumped
    onto the ground to run away, the dog gave chase.  The cat could not
    get away from the dog.  There were no trees, being in the desert
    wastes of southern New Mexico, and the cat, without claws, could 
    not climb the telephone pole to escape.  My beloved dog utterly
    destroyed that cat, suffering only minor wounds inflicted by 
    the claws on the hind paws.  I was very sorry about the incident,
    but feel like the cat owner brought it upon himself by removing
    the cat's defenses.

    Mary Sue Rowan
    Hewlett Packard
    Fort Collins, CO

kitten@hao.UUCP (08/29/85)

>     One more anecdote to add to the "to declaw or not to declaw" controversy:
 
>     Some cat owners have expressed the opinion that their declawed cats
>     are perfectly able to defend themselves.  I do not doubt that some
>     cats are, after declawing, but many are not.  I grew up in a rural
>     area, where pets often roamed free, without causing (too many...)
>     problems.  One neighbor let his declawed cat out.  THis cat came
>     over to my house and sat on the roof, and proceeded to tease my big
>     dog.  This dog, being a dog, began to fuss, and when the cat jumped
>     onto the ground to run away, the dog gave chase.  The cat could not
>     get away from the dog.  There were no trees, being in the desert
>     wastes of southern New Mexico, and the cat, without claws, could 
>     not climb the telephone pole to escape.  My beloved dog utterly
>     destroyed that cat, suffering only minor wounds inflicted by 
>     the claws on the hind paws.  I was very sorry about the incident,
>     but feel like the cat owner brought it upon himself by removing
>     the cat's defenses.
 
>     Mary Sue Rowan
**
Stop and think for a moment...when did the trouble begin?
Hint:  "One neighbor let his declawed cat out"

Obviously, it was an indoor cat, declawed for that reason.  The owner
was irresponsible and uncaring to allow his cat to get out, especially
when he lived in a rural location.  The moral of this story is:
1) If you live in a rural area, think twice about declawing.  Are you
sure you are going to keep it as a strictly indoor cat?  If not, work
it out some other way.
2) If you do decide to declaw, be responsible.  Don't allow the cat
to get out.  Warn visitors of the situation.

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