My cats can whine all they want… My avatars are not going to be coyote food.
Has anyone used one of those outdoor cat playgrounds? I’m not sure whether that might solve the problem (frolicking in the sunshine and grass while remaining safe) or just further frustrate kitty.
My cat is 14. She shows no urges to go outside beyond a few feet into the back patio, then she runs back inside. Once I didn’t notice she was out there, and she was locked out all night. When I got up the next morning, she was standing on all fours, sobbing at the glass door to come inside. She seems perfectly happy to live inside. No telling what would happen to her if I’d let her be an outside cat. She likely wouldn’t have lived to be 14, so healthy and sleek, with shiny black hair and glowing lime green eyes. I have no regrets keeping her inside.
We do have a big house with lots of windows with interesting things to look at, so maybe that explains her contentment. She sure doesn’t have a life equivalent to locking a child in the house.
I understand the* never declaw * stance. I have had cats my entire life. The only one we have left came to us in a rescue type situation. Although I provide scratching posts which she does utilize, she happens to be a cat who uses her claws to show affection and also when she gets startled. She has gouged us and I have to separate her from our dogs out of fear of serious injury . She is a Maine Coon and a huge one at that. I have owned several MC but most of them have been males. She is bigger than most the males we had over the years and believe me…her claws and her lack of understanding of how to use them are a challenge in our home.
NJ is in the process of banning declawing , but I have to admit that I am contemplating the surgery before the ban takes effect.
@Nrdsb4 - My guess is that the longer they remain inside the more content they become staying inside. At least I hope that is the case. Our kitty was likely in the wilderness for the first two months of his life so perhaps he misses the outdoors. Our house has lots of windows too and overlooks a marsh/tidal creek so he has plenty of wildlife to watch. The problem is that he wants to chase it!
@lje62 - I can imagine that a MC could do some serious damage with its claws.
A feral adopted me five years ago. He originally only came in the house at night or when it was real cold or wet. He has his claws which have come in handy between the wild turkeys, other barn cats, and coyotes. Recently he goes out much less, maybe its his age? Unfortunately, I’ve tried everything to provide him with a scratching alternative to my furniture but he doesn’t like anything else. Then again, he doesn’t like to be sprayed either so I keep a water bottle handy. He does bite occasionally, especially if I’m in the kitchen, he wants a treat, and I’m not paying any attention. Most days I find it humorous, others well, not so much.
I was inspired by this thread to do a watercolor called “Cats in Purrgatory”.
You can google it 
Totally dig it! B-)
I have no issues declawing cats. Have had several of my cats declawed, and a couple that I haven’t. I do think it’s much more humane to have it done as young kittens. Kittens recover very rapidly and don’t seem to suffer much distress or deficit. They simply adapt. Older cats, however, seem much more uncomfortable, particularly overweight older cats. It takes them longer to remember they don’t have claws, affects balance, etc. Older cats suffer some stress adapting. Kittens don’t miss a beat.
I think the law is stupid and will likely not pass. Very few vets support the idea that declaws are cruel or negatively impact a cat’s life. Veterinarians DO hate declawing cats…but not because it’s horrible and traumatic. They hate it because it’s a pain in the butt, it’s time consuming… and they probably lose money. I’m remembering my mother in law swearing…having glued herself to a declawed cat for the hundredth time trying to apply the surgical glue to the toes. With declaws, you typically put on pressure bandages for a while after surgery and have to remove them before sending the cats home…yet another reason vets hate it. Cats with sore feet are not in a great mood about having bandages pulled off their furry arms.
All of the nursing home cats we’ve known over the years have been four foot declawed to protect the fragile skin of the elder patients. There are hemophiliac patients who can’t risk a clawed cat launching off a lap. Nursing home cats provide a lot of companionship and comfort for residents who enjoy pets…it would be sad to see them removed because their claws pose a hazard.
There are a lot of people with medical conditions who would probably not be able to keep a cat if they couldn’t have it declawed…for safety reasons.
Do the benefits outweigh the drawbacks? In many cases…yes, they do.
I understand the enthusiasm to protect a cat from unnecessary stress and pain…but the choice to declaw isn’t overly inhumane and in many cased means adopting a cat rather than letting an unadopted cats go up the chimney. That whole benefits-vs-drawbacks thing.
My personal preference is that human beings don’t pierce their baby’s ears. It horrifies me, I’m bothered by the baby’s pain and spit-up that will invariable run down the face of a reclining baby to that piercing site and cause an infection. But I can’t make a law to stop it, can I? I also can’t control the religious removal of foreskins on babies who are not consenting. Do cats really have more rights than children?
And what about the rights of an older person or an immune suppressed person to have their pets feet be safer for their health?
I had one cat declawed. He was a lovely boy, who did not know how to use his claws responsibly and would climb my blue jeaned leg like a tree. Declawing made me appreciate him far more and made our relationship more peaceful. But that was several cat generations ago. He adapted just fine to the declawing.
One of my current pair has little needles for claws, though I trim them regularly. My thighs have little scabs where she sits and grabs hold if she slides off in her wriggling around. When I sit, she is usually on my lap. Despite the scratching post and guiding her to certain carpets, she attacks one couch and an oriental rug regularly, despite efforts to retrain her. I’m not going to declaw, but in someone more picky, declawing would keep the peace. My old lady cat is more responsible with her claws, and only uses the scratching post.
MaryGJ, I appreciate many of your points, and had never thought about the elderly needing declawed cats. I work with so many elderly folks who are bruised due to anti coagulants from normal activities, much less a cat with claws.