Wow, someone on the TP has finally shocked me.

[gemfyre]

And defriended me from LJ, ah well their loss.

I've known Princess Silverswirl since she was JediMasterLisa on alt.toys.my-little-pony. Which is pretty much 5 years now. There have been many other situations where we haven't seen eye-to-eye but still seemed to retain respect for each other.

But this declawing thing... Shame on ME? I'm not the one crippling my cats because I am misinformed and/or plain ignorant. It saddens me to think that her awesome kitty is declawed, and any other cats she gets will be so as well, because she can't be bothered taking the time to look into other options. "Many of these cats would be dumped and subsequently put down if the owners didn't get them declawed." As Poohgirl said among other things - "Since when is love for your pets conditional?" Cats will be dumped by stupid owners anyway, these people don't deserve cats in the first place.

In other news

Why do I always choose the hot days to clean the bathroom? I had rivulets of sweat running down my face. Perhaps because I can do it while wearing my bathers and figure I would sweat whatever the heat. As soon as I finish I jump straight into the (cold) shower with my bathers on.

But now the basin and bathtub are a shade of peachy/beige instead of greyish. I don't know what that black crap all over the bathtub is but I think I may have to find the source (look out Matt and Warwick). ;) It's probably just something not being rinsed away properly and being left to sit and stick. GUYS!! Rinse the tub or sink out afterwards. Okay, I admit to not rinsing the sink properly either but I will start and hope you follow! It'll make the job of cleaning a LOT easier. Now all that needs doing is mopping the floor...

And a silly quiz to annoy you all...

You are asexual.


What is your sexual orientation?
brought to you by Quizilla

Comments

[synique.livejournal.com]

Accept that some people are going to have their cats declawed, although most of us have the sensibility to go to a good veterinarian that doesn't botch up the operation and amputate.

I'm rather offended that you think I don't love my cat because I had her front declawed rather than send her back to where she was - where she would have been feral. I don't think it's anywhere close to your place to lecture people on what they do.

Re:

[scribblette.livejournal.com]

so long as everyone disagrees respectfully it's KINDA okay. The only thing that's left to bother me is on how it feels for the cat.. if it can be done as a mostly painless procedure that doesn't have nasty side effects and isn't too traumatizing, that's one thing.

I'm missing half a toenail, for example, from a botched up ingrown toenail operation back in Pakistan. The fact they botched it up caused no end of grief for ages, but now the only real problem with it is I'm a little embarrassed by how it looks on occasion.

Since nails are actually dead cells (though they're attached to some REAL sensitive areas) I guess theoretically I'd say "no worries" to declawing a cat. I'd also like it because the cat wouldn't be able to climb trees - in Australia feral cats AND domesticated cats are a massive problem for the native wildlife and have driven some birds to the brink of extinction.

But.. even then, in practice, I wouldn't go for it, personally. The main reason being that declawing would've wound up being my choice, and I'd much rather any creature made its own choices (which is kind of stupid in some ways, but eh, I even do that with my birds - I don't keep them in a cage because I don't feel I have any ownership rights.. I'm more a caretaker or a parent figure). I'd stick with regular trimming/clipping of the claws instead, if it seemed absolutely necessary.

Declawing a cat doesn't indicate you don't love the animal - just as people chopping off a dogs tail didn't indicate they didn't love the animal. It's still common practice in much of Pakistan, for example. They just don't understand what effect it has.

But chopping off a part of an animal like a tail is WAY different and way worse than removing the claws.

Re:

[gemfyre.livejournal.com]

The reason I'm so passionate about this issue is because another species is suffering for it - that really gets my goat.

Declawing isn't akin to losing ones toenails. The procedure involves removing the entire first tarsal of the cat and severing various tendons, which makes way for various problems later in life (read about it at the links I posted in my next entry).

It's a good point about the Australian wildlife. Ideally cats would not be allowed in Australia but that would mean I'd have to move out of this country I love. I agree that it's the best way to protect our wonderful wildlife however. I think the government should subsidise neutering of both cats and dogs and the building of cat runs, this would reduce a lot of problems. But of course it's an environmental issue and the government doesn't give a shit about that stuff, they're too busy giving money to the military. *grumble*

Re:

[nachtlicht.livejournal.com]

It boils down to people being irresponsible. PEOPLE being irresponsible about their pets. Cats were domesticated thousands of years ago. It's humans that abandon them and allow them to become feral, that causes an impact on the wildlife, not the cat's normal instinct to hunt, which, when combined with domestication, leads to that sort of environmental impact. Cats that are feral don't know when to stop killing, having been domesticated so long ago for such things as pest control, their instincts don't keep them from only killing what they need.

People are idiots. What more can I say :)

Re:

[gemfyre.livejournal.com]

They are the perfect hunting machine.

It's part of the reason I love them so much.

[faeriewoman.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry for alla that.

I have to say that when I get a cat when I move out- I will be declawing it. I have looked into other options- that is my decision. But I definatly respect your point of view... so... I'm sorry others can't also be respectful even when differing in opinion.

[gemfyre.livejournal.com]

Now don't think I hate you, I don't.

I strongly disagree with your decision, and to be honest, I'm thinking about the cat's opinion on the whole thing.

Re:

[faeriewoman.livejournal.com]

I understand and I don't hate you either - we just disagree... see look and we're still on eachothers friends list.... flippen amazing isn't it?

[sio.livejournal.com]

Silverswirl is an idiot, imnsho. there's no excuse for declawing a cat. i'm still pissed at my mother for having hers declawed b/c she wouldn't take the time to train Lola not to scratch her damn couch and had problems with Softpaws.

maybe she'll wise up when she reads my post....most idiots who are pro-declawing aren't aware of the fact that it takes off the cat's first knuckle--basically akin to cutting off a person's entire toes.

anyway thx for letting me vent =P

Re:

[mlpsailorsaturn.livejournal.com]

I was just going to ask about Softpaws, what problems did she have?

Re:

[sio.livejournal.com]

mom said they kept coming off--which meant the couch scratching resumed :/

[orca5094.livejournal.com]

Well, I just put in my two-cents in your TP post. ;) I still don't think she (Silverswirl) should've gotten so worked up over a little debate, though. *shrugs* All well!

[nachtlicht.livejournal.com]

Well, something Feather and I have noticed over the years-- it's not just love for her cats that's conditional as far as Silverswirl goes. *wry smirk*

[sycha.livejournal.com]

I personally don't think an issue like pets being declawed is something you should lose a friendship over. Yes I'm a pet lover, yes I love cats, yes I'm an advocate for educating yourself but it's an opinion and people are allowed to have different one's then yourself. In my opinion the relationships between other people are more important then whether or not you both agree about declawing a cat.