When a cat is declawed, the cat is essentially getting amputated at the knuckle. It the vet doesn't do it properly, the claws grow back however they grow back incorrectly. This leads to the cat being in constant pain, behavior issues, and an aversion to using the litter box (the litter is painful to them). Because of all the issues a lot of declawed cats end up in shelters.

There are things that owners can use to protect the furniture. Plastic/rubber claw caps are one of them.

I would probably ask this asshole how he would feel if his fingers and toes were amputated at the knuckle. It's pretty much the same thing.

If claws from cats bother them, tell them to get a snake.
Declawing cats is illegal in some states. For a good reason.
I worked in animal rescue for eight years.
Or get fish?

Sure. So long as the owner has his/her fingernails pulled out.

So this is an amputation - as others have explained below. Like having the fingers removed on your hands above the first knuckle.

This can lead to arthritis in their feet - and pain when using the litter box. You want a cat that will use a litter box? Don't declaw.

I had a relative do this to their cat - I got to watch the process from young cat that was perfectly happy - to a cat that started defending itself with it's TEETH instead of a swipe of claws. (Not fun). (And yes I advocated strongly against it with every bit of information I had).

Poor kitty developed painful feet in later years and couldn't use the litter box to poop. It hurt too much.

I suspect they regretted their decision. (And yes I had explained they were amputating the first knuckle of the hand of their cat).

Animal advocates are trying to get this barbaric practice stopped.

In some countries it's already banned.

Unless it's medically necessary for a claw that just won't grow properly and is causing constant pain - this is not a procedure that should be done. It's inhumane.

And I say that having had a Polydactyl cat and a cat with a Syndactyl. Yes it's work to try to trim claws on a critter that doesn't want it's toe beans touched - but you can learn to work it out.
Towel wraps are helpful. So is starting them young.

[pets.webmd.com]
If they are determined to have it done regardless have them ask about "cosmetic declawing".
Some Vets are still doing declawing because they feel it's better than another cat being put outside or returned to a shelter. I understand that view too.

Just wrong

Declawing pets is illegal in New York since 2019.

It's unethical to declaw cats. I won't go into it all. Some comments already mention the issues with it.

I have a cat and I have a small pair of curved nail clippers I use on her. I just clip the tips which is fine so long as you don't clip down farther where the kind of white part ends.

If they don't want the full cat then they shouldn't get any of it.

Cats enjoy having claws. It’s part of what makes them cats. If you can’t deal with that, don’t get cats.

Though I AM not a person who likes cats there is a way, a very simple and easy way, to stop cats from using their claws on furniture, etc.
Buy a pair of clippers used for trimming the nails of dogs, use them to trim the claws of cats in the same manner as they are used for dogs regularly then there IS no need for de-clawing.

Just another example of human decadence. "Keeping" / propagating / these man-made creatures is beyond selfish.

The environmental damage done as the result of supporting these pet-creatures by way of over-fishing, industrial farming damage, feces transport,... is comparable to the insanity of maintaining grass/lawns.

We have 4 of the assholes. We just clip the ends of their nails, like we do with the dog. No need to declaw them.

Yeah, just...no.

I don't have pets.. but I wouldn't declaw a cat if I got one...

Its barbaric. They cannot defend themselves if they ever get put. Your friend should have their fingernails pulled out to get the idea of how horrific it is

only an inhumane asshole would even consider having a cat declawed.

I consider declawing a cat to be tantamount to abuse. If you give cats plenty of scratching surfaces and clip their nails every couple weeks, there is not a problem. Your friend needs to talk to a reputable vet about the damage this procedure causes. There are vinyl tips that vets can put on cats front claws if necessary...much better than maiming them and causing pain that sometimes lasts their entire life.

It's cruel, painful, traumatizing, and sometimes crippling. Cats can get terrible infections while trying to heal from it by scratching in the litterbox. A consequence can be that they become mean and do a lot of biting. Declawing is a bad idea for many reasons, but the only reason that matters at all is because it's just cruel.

I had it done to one (Very destructive) cat, as an alternative to taking him to the shelter. It is a huge, nasty deal and I was sorry...I think euthanasia would have been kinder. Those claws have deep roots.

I used to work adults who were developmentally delayed and had previously lived in state institutions most of their lives. They all had their teeth removed because they didnt need them as long as they stayed institutionalized, the procedure was only painful for a short time, and healed up just fine. It kept the people who worked in the institutions safe from violence- human bites are very very serious.. Win win

The pole is generating an error.

When I first saw the results, I thought to myself, why is every body freaking out ? It is not like they are removing the claws, they are only trimming the nails. Not so bad. Then I realized it is the former rather than the latter.

So yeah , I am against it. Scratches from cats can hurt but yeah, simply trim the nails.