Speaking of pets.....

[deadheadskier]

....what are your feelings on cropping, de-clawing etc. The reason I bring this up is that my neighbor just walked by with his two Rottys both with tails cropped. I really don't understand the point of this.

I have two cats, both still with claws. Yes, it can cause damage to 'stuff', but it's minimal. One is 99% trained to the scratching post, the other is a bit slow and after three years watching his sister has never once used the damn thing. Hasn't really shredded furniture, but does try, more in trying to piss me off and get my attention he's a mischevious bastard :lol:

what say you?

 

[ctenidae]

I have no problem with cropping/docking of dogs that are being used for their intended purpose, since the procedures serve a purpose. Otherwise, I'm not real comfortable with it, but I'm not against it.

 

[deadheadskier]

What is the purpose of cropping a Doberman's ears other than aesthetic?

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

I'm against cropping a male dogs..balls..

 

[Warp Daddy]

My big ole male cat has his weapons in tact

He came to us bout 5 yrs ago as a kitten and we stilllet him out during the day , he says close now and LUCKILY has never scratched or shredded anything in teh house but the sucker SHARPENS the weapons on a large Poplar daily like part of his personal grooming habits

Never was a cat guy had Labs for yrs BUT this GUY is awesome he's just like my shadow and a real people centric beast in temperment

 

[severine]

For some dogs, it's supposed to prevent infections. Or so I've been told (like rampant ear infections or some dogs with docked tails would have a very messy hind area).

I have a cocker spaniel. She has a docked tail but I would not have done that to her. I never really thought much about it...

Upon googling, I found the following:
http://www.netpets.org/dogs/healthspa/case4dock.html

Which argues that tail docking is beneficial to prevent messy hind areas and tail damage in hunting dogs from brush and brambles. Not sure about the 2nd as many so-called hunting dogs have long tails and I would argue that many people who own dogs that have docked tails are not taking them hunting anyway.

I guess this could go under an argument of "is circumcision cruel"? We decided it was and did not have our son circumcised. I likely would not electively have any parts of my dog cut off either.

 

[Moe Ghoul]

We adopted a lab/dobie mix last year, when we got her, she had small sores where the ears folded over. I don't know if that is a reason to crop them or for other reasons. Her ears are healed and fine, there was no need to crop them. I don't know enough about it to comment. If it isn't medically necessary, I'm against it.

 

[ctenidae]

Which argues that tail docking is beneficial to prevent messy hind areas and tail damage in hunting dogs from brush and brambles. Not sure about the 2nd as many so-called hunting dogs have long tails and I would argue that many people who own dogs that have docked tails are not taking them hunting anyway.

My point, exactly.

Different breeds of dogs are used for different hunting, so the tail differs- English Pointers tend to hunt in grass, so a wagging tail doesn't make much noise to flush birds, but a German Shorthair Pointer will be in more brush, which makes noise. Also, if my old GSP is any indication, a full size tail would be a deadly weapon, making a Lab's seem like a Nerf bat.

 

[wa-loaf]

I have two cats, both still with claws. Yes, it can cause damage to 'stuff', but it's minimal. One is 99% trained to the scratching post, the other is a bit slow and after three years watching his sister has never once used the damn thing. Hasn't really shredded furniture, but does try, more in trying to piss me off and get my attention he's a mischevious bastard :lol:

what say you?

I don't dig cats getting declawed, for working dogs if it serves a purpose that's ok. Just for making your dog look cool or tough that's really lame.

DHS, when we had cats we would get these cardboard scratching boxes that had catnip in them. The cats loved those and would go to town on them.

 

[Warp Daddy]

DHS, when we had cats we would get these cardboard scratching boxes that had catnip in them. The cats loved those and would go to town on them.

+1

Yep the cardboard scratch boxes from" Wally World" really are Great

--PLUS the added entertainment attraction of watching The TEEFSTER get all BOZOED up by the catnip ----

 

[tjf67]

I have a springer( tail Bobbed0 and had a cat that was declawed. I really dont like the idea of what the animals go through but they dont remember it.

People often gave me a hard time about the cat being declawed and how much it hurt the cat. My response was that would be nothing compared to what i would do to it if I came home and my couch was a shredded.

Hey most men have have been circumcised and we dont remember it.


If you are taking care of your pet then do as you will.

 

[Greg]

We had our cat's front paws declawed and I would do it again if/when we get another. He is stictly an indoor cat and that's the commitment you need to make if you go the declaw route. I've seen some major damage to furniture and moulding, etc. from cat scrathing. I look at it this way - put the cat through a few days of discomfort, or have your blood pressure rise each time you have to chase him away from the furniture? No brainer for me. Millions of parents have no problem circumcising their baby boys (that's another topic :-o) yet many people fret about declawing? Double standard there for sure...

 

[deadheadskier]

DHS, when we had cats we would get these cardboard scratching boxes that had catnip in them. The cats loved those and would go to town on them.

oh, got one of those and a post....tried it all. this is just one dumb cat

 

[tjf67]

funny cat story

My cat was a little bastard.

He wanted to eat at 4 in the morning.

He first started running across my head until I sent him flying into the wall.

The he used to bite my feet till i got him with a kick.


Then he would sit on the floor and just bellow till I got him pretty good with the pillow.

finally he would sit outside my room out of reach and just screech.

he lost the battles but won the war.

This all went on over about a year and a half.

 

[BeanoNYC]

I look at it this way - put the cat through a few days of discomfort, or have your blood pressure rise each time you have to chase him away from the furniture? No brainer for me. Millions of parents have no problem circumcising their baby boys (that's another topic :-o) yet many people fret about declawing? Double standard there for sure...

No sure if you understand exactly what they do to cats when they declaw them. Imagine having your fingers chopped off at the metacarpal joint....that's declawing.

 

[Greg]

No sure if you understand exactly what they do to cats when they declaw them. Imagine having your fingers chopped off at the metacarpal joint....that's declawing.

Do you guys know what you're having? If a boy, have you discussed the circumcision thing?

 

[bvibert]

Do you guys know what you're having? If a boy, have you discussed the circumcision thing?

I get what you're saying Greg, but cutting off a bit of skin is way different than basically chopping off 10 finger tips. IMHO.

 

[Marc]

My point, exactly.

Different breeds of dogs are used for different hunting, so the tail differs- English Pointers tend to hunt in grass, so a wagging tail doesn't make much noise to flush birds, but a German Shorthair Pointer will be in more brush, which makes noise. Also, if my old GSP is any indication, a full size tail would be a deadly weapon, making a Lab's seem like a Nerf bat.

Def. don't want to dock a Lab's tail. Mofo would end up swimming in circles.

 

[ctenidae]

Def. don't want to dock a Lab's tail. Mofo would end up swimming in circles.

Which is good for comedic purposes, but not so good for retrieving. Unless you're a really good shot and can get the ducks to splash down inside the dog's turning radius.

A rudderless Lab would probably keep swimming in circles, never quite realizing he isn't going anyware.

"Ooo! Stick!"

"Aw, no stick."

"Oooh! Stick!"

"Aw, no stick."

Ad infinitum

 

[Greg]

I get what you're saying Greg, but cutting off a bit of skin is way different than basically chopping off 10 finger tips. IMHO.

A bit of skin maybe. But think of the sensitivity of that area. Plus we're talking about doing something to a person versus an animal. Some of the posters in the "Man Kills Cat" might call that equivalent. I don't.

Still, this thread got me thinking and I will agree that declawing is a bit inhumane.