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If only I had understood! Declawing is an unnecessary cruelty and this is my shameful story.I declawed my wonderful cat Kneader. Never again! I didn't ask about the procedure. I assumed that because it could be done, there was no reason not to have it done. I hope when I meet Kneader at the Rainbow Bridge he will have been given back his claws and he will forgive me for putting him through such pain.
Patches' story begins as a sad one but her life will be as happy and safe as we can make it. We were able to rescue this wonderful cat, Patches. She was a stray.............found wandering.....defenseless on the streets of Sault Ste Marie. She had been declawed. She had been at the Shelter for several weeks. No one had called to claim her!
We will never know the story of how Patches ended up at the Shelter. Perhaps, like me in the past, her family didn't understand. Perhaps the family didn't realize the serious situation they had placed their pet in. Perhaps they didn't understand that aside from the pain and suffering of having deformed limbs, the danger of having a declawed cat "escape" from the house is always present. Believe it or not, some people think it's just fine to let declawed cats run free!
If the declaw issue is one that means the difference between sharing or not sharing your life with the wonders of a cat, then in all conscience, there is only one recourse! Call a Shelter!
Rescue the ones that have been "dropped off". Rescue the ones who have been found as Patches was... lost, terrified, unable to fend for herself, unclaimed.BUT
Be prepared to guard and protect your pet.
Be prepared to groom your pet faithfully (as they can't do it properly themselves).
Be prepared to "scratch" your pet while grooming as well.
Be creative and provide bumpy, loosely woven, hard materials for your pet to "claw". Something that they can get their pads into so they can get some sensation of stretching and pulling they need to keep their forelegs strong and limber.
Be prepared! Post a note on your back door warning callers about not opening the door, checking for the cat....ringing the bell first.Lastly, if you have small children.....................don't even think of having a declawed cat as a pet.
Please visit my site, a tribute to Kneader and Patches. There are important links on my site for you to learn more about delcawing, spay/neutering etc.
Gracie (aka Linda)
"Better inside and fat than outside and flat!"
KatKneader's Korner
