Anyone NOT spay, nueter, declaw, or vax thier pets????? - Page 2

[littleaugustbaby]

I'd rather adopt an animal from a shelter and save a life than not do it because I don't like spaying and neutering.

I would never declaw a cat, but I would adopt one who has already been declawed.

We do spay/neuter our pets. Sometimes I wonder if my kitty has any mama instincts or if she maybe feels sad that she can't have babies, but overall, she is loved, she has a good home, and I think that in the long run, her health and safety is more important. We adopted my kitty from a shelter, and they didn't require that we spay her. We did it later on. Both of our cats were adopted from shelters, and our doggie was rescued off the street.

Purebred golden retrievers are my favorite dogs, but I'd rather adopt a mutt than pay a breeder. I just feel strongly about rescuing animals from shelters. FWIW, some of my family runs in the big dog show circles. My was the president of the AKC, but he retired a couple of years ago. I've been to a lot of the big dog shows, and those people love their dogs, but it's still just my preference to adopt.

As far as shots, no we generally don't vax pets unless we have to. We got our kitty when we lived in Alaska, and had to get her vax'd before we moved back to CA, because DP had to drive her through Canada, and we were told that we'd need current vax records for her to get her through customs.

[Kleine Hexe]

Originally Posted by Ann-Marita

(I'm not talking about show-quality papered animals here - I'm talking about the ordinary dogs and cats that comprise 95-99% of the pet population.)

Exactly. My breeder breeds these types of dogs. Show and work quality with all the papers. Her dogs are very healthy and bred well. Our dog is a wonderful example of the breed and her work. We decided to have our dog neutered because I'm not a dog breeder and I don't show him. He's just our big play friend.

[BlueDogGirl]

Originally Posted by JesiLynne

Furthemore, just b/c your pet is fixed DOES NOT mean they cant go in heat and all the other 'yowling,growchiness, and bolting for the door " does happen.

And if you fix a cat WHILE THEY ARE IN HEAT they will stay that way permently.

,

This is quite possibly the oddest thing I have ever read. How would this be possible?

I would never, never declaw a cat or dock a dog's tail. I do not vax my dogs or cats, but I do vax my horses because they live in a large boarding barn. I do, however, feel VERY strongly about spaying and neutering your pet. There is absolutely no reason to breed your animal unless you have an animal with EXCEPTIONAL bloodlines. If your dog is cute, or well behaved, or good with kids or "has papers" that is great-but it still should never be bred. THIS is why animal shelters are filled with unwanted pets.

[Ellien C]

I would NEVER de-claw a cat - even the housecats who lived in apartments and had no real access to the outdoors. Very much inhumane. There are vets who won't do it, too.

My father didn't believe in altering the male animals (only the females) and we had a lab who was constantly roaming and wouldn't stay home. Semi-rural, but in those days no one really had fences around their property. The dogs life was cut short and mom and I think it was because Dad wouldn't get him fixed. I think he kept looking for those bitches in heat.

So yes, we firmly believe in neutering the animals.

[EFmom]

We vax and spay/neuter our pets. If I couldn't afford to neuter a pet, I wouldn't get one. Cats can be spayed while they are in heat, although it can be a more complicated procedure. They do not "stay in heat" afterward.

I agree that declawing is cruel. However, I have cheerfully taken declawed cats from a shelter, as at this point, I'm not having another cat with claws in my home.

[Ann-Marita]

Originally Posted by JesiLynne

Furthemore, just b/c your pet is fixed DOES NOT mean they cant go in heat and all the other 'yowling,growchiness, and bolting for the door " does happen.

And if you fix a cat WHILE THEY ARE IN HEAT they will stay that way permently.

Both these statements are medically impossible.

Once your pet is spayed, it can NOT go into heat - it no longer has the ovaries or uterus, doesn't have the hormones to go into heat.

It might bolt for the door, yes. It might be grouchy or yowl. But go into heat? Impossible. Being in heat is not the only reason cats bolt for the door or yowl or are grouchy.

If a cat is spayed while in heat, they are no longer in heat. They don't have the hormones that make them be in heat. I've had to spay many cats while they are in heat. As soon as they have recovered from the surgery for 2-3 days, their estrus cycle is completely over, never to recurr.

[Ann-Marita]

Originally Posted by Kleine Hexe

I think the only people who should not spay or neuter are licensed, responsible, and reputable breeders.

:

[alicia622]

My cats are all spayed/neutered. I think it is 100% irresponsible not to do so. They are indoor cats and haven't had any vaxs for years. When I first got them I took them to the vet religiously. One of the poeple at the practice always encouraged to vaccinate. One day, we saw someone else and she explained we didn't really need to- so I stopped and saved the expense.

As for declawing= absolutely not!!!!! It is very easy to keep cats claws trimmed or you can get soft paws if you are that concerned about the claw damage. Declawing is EVIL. (IMO)

[bizarrogirl]

Yes, but ... do you feed them a biologically appropriate raw diet?

[tracymom]

We "get behind" on our vaxes for our indoor cats. The outdoor dog tends to get them more even though he is confined in a fenced in area b/c we have bad mosquitoes (heartworm) and rabies in this area. All of our animals have been spayed or neutered; I believe 100% that it's a "necessary evil" as opposed to cosmetic surgery such as docking. Even one unplanned pregnancy is too many with the pet overpopulation problem being what it is.

My first cat was declawed; it was the only way my mother would let me keep him after he started shredding her custom curtains and I failed to be able to train him. He dutifully "scratched" the furniture anyway till the day he fell into a diabetic coma. I gave a much longer trial to my second cat (by this time I was living away from home) but wasn't able to train her either and was forced to have her declawed. Our third cat responded well to training and has not been declawed. Now that there are Soft Paws tips, I would hope I am not faced with declawing ever again.

I will note that both times I had to have that done, I stayed home from work two days and carried the cats to the litter box and to their food and water and held them as much as they wanted, much as I would have done a child. It broke my heart to have to have it done, but I don't believe there were any lasting emotional effects on the cats, fortunately.

[Naughty Dingo]

Aside from the problem of pet overpopulation, spaying female cats and dogs before their second heat cycle dramatically reduces their chances of breast cancer (Up to 70%). Because of the nature of their luteal phases, cats and dogs are also very susceptible to pyometra. The condition of a massive bacterial infection of the uterus. Cats and dogs with pyometra require emergency surgery to prevent death from shock. Behaviorally, spaying and neutering can decrease the symptoms of many problems.

I also wanted to address this statement:

And if you fix a cat WHILE THEY ARE IN HEAT they will stay that way permently

This statement is not true. Spaying a cat while in heat increases risk of hemmorhage due to engorgment of the vessels supplying the uterus and ovaries, but she will not remain in an estrus state after ovariohysterectomy.

I do not support declaw. In rare cases, there would be instances where I can accept it, but in general do not think it is a good idea. Unfortunately for those that are renters, there are many apartments where the landlords are uneducated and require declaw. People feel forced to do it. Education and training is the key, of both the cat and the people involved, starting at a young age.

[boongirl]

I agree that it is absolutely irresponsible to not spay/neuter your animals unless you are doing controlled breeding. I also think it is cruel to declaw a cat. But, I do vax my pets. Jesilynne, you might want to do more research on animals.

[charmander]

Declawing - NO, NO, Not Ever!

Spaying/Neutering - Of course. Not to do so would be irresponsible.

Vaxing - yes, because my cats are indoor/outdoor.

[Linda on the move]

Originally Posted by Jokerama

Then where are all the millions of unwanted animals coming from?

Many pets are aquired in other ways -- people find them and keep them, or their cat or dog has babies and they given them away, or they find dumped babies and then find them homes, or they answer an add in the paper

None of our pets came from a pet store or an animal shelter.

I believe that responsible pet ownership=having your pet spayed or neutered.

[stafl]

Originally Posted by Vermillion

I am sorry you feel that way I've found that the best pets come from the shelter.

I only get my pets from the shelter, I find it irresponsible to do otherwise as there are just too many unwanted animals waiting for homes and I can not justify going out and buying a pet when I can adopt a wonderful one… That means any pet I own will be fixed, be current on shots and many time declawed. While I wouldn’t do these things (other than neutering/spaying) on my own, I am willing to deal with it because I think it is worth it.

JMO!

: exactly

[polka123]

Some of the best animals I've even known in my life have come from Pounds & Rescues... some purebred types have gone on to attain Obedience titles
I have 5 kitties that were all strays & fixed now

ok... I do believe 90% of pets should be altered (fixed).. when you've been in Rescue as long as I have & seen the absolute horrors that go on in MANY state's pounds... :
I'm talking archaic, barbaric Euth menthods that are sadly legal in many states/counties... do not believe that most pets are serenely given a lethal injection & drift off to death...
I will give details another time but you will want to puke when you hear of them...

I'm down to 3 German Shepherds... all from incredible working dog lines from Europe. My 2 boys are fixed... why? they are slightly below BREED Standard... they are magnificent looking to most but they are slightly off standard. Also, both have a little too much as far as temperment - sweet as heck but a little too skittish for me to breed them... Now I have a magnificent 3 yr ol female that is unfixed & has even better bloodlines & is very sound.... One I get her hips/elbows X-rayed & certified - about a $400-500 bill, she will be bred to a suitable stud.. another hefty bill

Here's the rub... now that I see all the unwanted animals... I do not know if I want to breed her even tho her pups would be wanted by Service folks... If we do not breed her, she will be spayed.

DEclawing is INHUMANE - that's all : :

As far as vaxing pets.... I'm pretty much against it & many of Vets have told me quietly that we over vax our pets.. :

BUT... as I've taken in strays & am an approved Foster home for German Sheps with a reputable Rescue.... we must give the new dogs their initial shots (Rabies, distemper, etc.) I have no idea these animals history & may not know what they may have when they get to me. They are isolated for a time until they are safe. after that, I vax light as I give them myself.

Since I no longer foster for a while.. I do not vax my own dogs to schedule - except rabies b/c I've had crappy people call Dog Law Ofc on us : & I do have to have their rabies in order : otherwise I would not do that.
I had dogs I could not vax for yrs b/c of no $$ & they never got sick.

I lost one of my dogs due to an auto-immune disorder that I'm pretty sure was due to over-vaxing in the past - I thought I was doing the right thing .

I also lost another one with a brain disorder that was the same age as the above dog & I was in my over-vaxing phase :

ok,all 5 of my INDOOR cats are not vaxed for 3 yrs now.

spaying a cat in heat is just more expensive b/c of the extra bleeding & risk.

whew, did I cover everything?

[JoAida]

I denied adoption to a potenial owner when I was fostering some kittens because they stated they had plans to declaw the sweet baby. As far as I know, no other humane society foster mom in our area will adopt out to someone who plans to declaw.

DECLAWING IS WRONG!!!

We neuter and spay. There's just not a good reason not to, IMO, and too many reasons to prevent more puppies and kittens from coming into the world.

We do rabies shots every 2-3 years, but that's it after the first round. We adopted our Bear from the shelter and do fostering for the humane society, so I like to have that extra protection. Our area is RAMPANT with feline leukemia, so we do that one for cats, also. We do heartworm protection on our dogs also, because it is also RAMPANT here.

[Breathless Wonder]

Declawing is a better option than euthanization.
Or being evicted from your rental because the cat is being destructive (either due to training mistakes- such as getting a scratching post the same color as your carpet :, misinformation on the part of the owner, or sheer obstinance on the part of the cat).

In the best of all worlds, no cat would be declawed.
But I'd rather see a live declawed cat, than one being

Warning :: Spoiler Ahead! Highlight to read message!

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embalmed alive for use in medical experimentation

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or left outside all of the time, never being allowed in, or again, being euthanized.

[polka123]

Originally Posted by Breathless Wonder

Declawing is a better option than euthanization.
Or being evicted from your rental because the cat is being destructive (either due to training mistakes- such as getting a scratching post the same color as your carpet :, misinformation on the part of the owner, or sheer obstinance on the part of the cat).

In the best of all worlds, no cat would be declawed.
But I'd rather see a live declawed cat, than one being

Warning :: Spoiler Ahead! Highlight to read message!

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embalmed alive for use in medical experimentation

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or left outside all of the time, never being allowed in, or again, being euthanized.

well, I do agree with this...as a last resort but I do agree

[tracymom]

Originally Posted by Breathless Wonder

Declawing is a better option than euthanization.
Or being evicted from your rental because the cat is being destructive (either due to training mistakes- such as getting a scratching post the same color as your carpet :, misinformation on the part of the owner, or sheer obstinance on the part of the cat).

In the best of all worlds, no cat would be declawed.

:

And I would add that people do need more education about it. It's not something to be undertaken lightly, and they really need more postsurgical care than with spay or neuter as there is so much more pain.