I’ve been telling everyone I know for YEARS not to buy Blue Buffalo.
This is the short story:
A few years ago I took my sick cat, Ankh, to the vet. The vet and vet tech asked what I fed her. I told them Blue Buffalo. They looked like I had just told them I fed her razor blades and cyanide. They diagnosed her with pancreatitis and said that nearly all of the cats they’d been seeing lately with pancreatitis were being fed Blue Buffalo. They gave her medicine and sent her home. Two days later she had a seizure and died right in my arms.
The day after she died Hannibal started displaying the same symptoms she had so I panicked hard and took him to the vet. Got the same meds and the same diagnosis. Luckily Hannibal survived.
I wish Ankh had survived. She was only ten and the best cat I’ve ever had. Literally the best and five years later I still cry when I think about her.
FUCK BLUE BUFFALO.
I don’t know the full story behind the tweets above, but a Google search shows there HAVE been several recalls regarding this brand, especially in 2016. I would absolutely avoid as it is not worth the risk.
Good god thank you so much for sharing this because I’ve lately been considering switching to this brand cus it’s supposed to be so much better than all the others but good god what the hell.
I worked in a vet for a little while and I shit you not, when a dog came in with constant diarrhea they were always eating Blue Buffalo. We changed the food and the dog got better every time. Blue Buffalo is garbage food and never feed it to your pets.
I’ve never heard of this brand but I love my dog with all of my heart and I’d be broken if I ever accidently fed her this and got her sick (people give me different dog food to try all the time). I’d hate for anyone else to lose their pet also.
um?? what the fuck? holy FUCK my boyfriend and I were just about to start feeding our cat blue buffalo omg
Wft really?? Im never going to buy that killer food!! Praying for your pets!
I’m so glad I know this, I’d be heartbroken if my dog died
Not like women have been telling y’all this since the beginning of time or anything.
I mean, yeah, at one point three years ago I was curled up in a fetal position literally screaming/crying/gasping for breath on my bed in my dorm room, so my response to this headline is basically, “No shit.”
No wonder women are so likely to ignore heart disease/attack symptoms. If something isn’t as bad as my cramps, I figure it can’t be that bad.
THAT LAST COMMENT
!!!!!
No seriously. There aren’t enough people who understand how important that last comment is. I lost my right kidney four years ago because of “if something isn’t as bad as my cramps, I figure it can’t be that bad.”
My. Fucking. Kidney.
Don’t force people with periods to internalize and silence themselves when they have cramps!
Can confirm “can’t be that bad because period”. I had a kidney stone and it took me like 2-3 days to realize it wasn’t my period because it basically felt like that. Pain is normal for women (and other people with a uterus), it’s part of being a woman, and so we’re much less likely to know when the pain we’re having is bad because we deal with so much of it some much more often than men do. Pain is not always a “something is wrong” indicator for us.
jesus. I never thought of it that way.
Every woman rebloging this
LISTEN
YOUR PERIOD IS NOT SUPPOSED TO BE THAT PAINFUL.
IF YOU ARE 18 OR OLDER AND IN THAT MUCH PAIN DURING YOUR PERIOD, SOMETHING IS MEDICALLY WRONG.
Period cramps are uncomfortable, but that’s it. They should not be more than mild pain. If you are in severe pain, you need to see a doctor, because something is wrong. Me, I have endometriosis- which can be diagnosed without a pelvic exam, by the way, just an ultrasound. There’s a ton of other things that it can be, as well. You can get treatment for problems, you can get painkillers, and you can get medications to stop your period.
That’s right, YOU CAN STOP YOUR PERIOD. There are different birth controls you can take to entirely stop your period. If you don’t want to have a baby right now, you can take one of those. No more cramps! I’m on a progesterone-only medication, estrogen didn’t agree with me, and it works perfectly. No side effects, and, if I take it on time every day, I get no periods. Maybe some mild tenderness now and then or a couple days of light bleeding, but that’s it, and usually not even for that. And, if I take the meds late and I do get my period, it’s way milder than usual and I have prescription painkillers to handle the cramps.
hello there, howdy, my name is diz, and i’ve been wanting to make this post for a while. before i jump into it, let me start by giving you my credentials: i am a “women’s advocate” at a domestic violence shelter (i don’t particularly like that title, because i feel it minimalizes the experiences of men/non-binary survivors, but i aslo cannot argue the fact that our clientele is overwhelmingly female, and domestic violence is, in a lot of way, a result of a society based in patriarchal values, but that’s its own post)
that said, i don’t claim to be an expert. my bachelor’s degree is in english with a focus in creative writing, for fuck’s sake. therefore, what i’m going to say in this post is based off of information i’ve gathered from trainings, conferences, and what i’ve seen firsthand working daily at a DV shelter.
let’s dig in, shall we?
terminology: what the frick-frack do these words mean?
domestic violence, aka intimate partner violence: abbreviated as DV and IPV, these terms often carry the connotation of physical violence, but DV/IPV encompasses all types of aggressive behavior, be it mental, physical, verbal, sexual, financial, etc etc. now, the argument can be made that domestic violence transcends partners/spouses, and can include familial violence as well. familial violence is not to be minimized, but for purposes of discussion, what i will be referring to in this post will be solely IPV
domestic violence advocate: i’m sure this varies, but the particulars of my position are that i take crisis calls from people who are currently experiencing domestic violence, and i help manage our communal shelter by getting things for the residents, listening to them talk, and just in general spending time with them. every advocate’s experience is going to be different, tho, and i can only speak to my own
domestic violence shelter: every shelter provides services differently, but it generally amounts to providing a safe place for survivors while they are trying to escape their DV situations. when i talk about shelters, i can only speak to shelters in the usa, although there are domestic violence programs internationally. visit nnedv.org for more information about shelters near you
abuse/abusers: we’re going to be diving into the specifics of abuse real hard in this post, so i’ll keep this brief, but what i will say is that “abuse” is a hard word to swallow for some. when taking crisis calls, we usually refrain from calling it abuse unless the person on the other line calls it that. “abuse” carries baggage that not everyone is ready to take on. if this pertains to you, i ask you to look past the word, and focus on the bullet points. semantics are not what’s important here
trauma: there are so many types of trauma that it could be a post of its own, but in it’s most bare-bones definition, trauma is an experience that is distressing/disturbing, and often times has lasting effects
victim vs survivor: i have a tendency to use the term “survivor” over “victim,” because to me it’s more empowering, and gives agency to the affected person. you may hear victim, as it’s still common practice to use it, but here i will almost always use survivor
the power and control wheel
i could go on a nerd rant about the history of this wheel, but this post is already a novel and is only going to get worse, so i’ll spare you. what this wheel is, however, is a visual representation of different tactics abusers will use to maintain control over their partner
okay, are you ever going to get to the part about whether or not i’m in an abusive situation?
yes. right now.
what follows will be subsections of abuse, and the qualities of each. read through each bullet, and see if they pertain to your current situation
abuse
physical abuse:
my partner shoves, pushes, punches, slaps me, or in general puts their hands on me with the intention of causing harm
my partner has thrown objects at me
my partner has threatened me with weapons/has appropriated tools or objects around the house and used them as weapons
my partner has prevented me from getting medical care
my partner has initiated fights with me when they were/i was driving that were serious enough to put us at risk of an accident
my partner punches walls, breaks property, uses violence in my surroundings without actually putting his hands on me
my partner has made me fear for my life
verbal abuse:
my partner calls me names, often derogatory in nature
my partner yells or screams at me when we argue
my partner verbally puts me down by targeting my physical appearance, my intelligence, my self-worth, or anything that will make me feel lesser as a person
my partner makes accusations about my actions, such as saying that i am cheating on them, or that i am lying when i’m not
my partner sends me harassing or threatening messages via text or social media
my partner verbally threatens violence
emotional abuse:
my partner makes me feel worthless or ugly
my partner “gaslights” me, or makes me doubt myself or makes me feel like i’m crazy
my partner encourages or forces me to stop seeing friends or family so that i feel isolated and without a support system
my partner has told lies about me to other people to make me look bad and make them not want to associate with me; this includes family and friends
my partner makes me feel guilty for my emotions, especially if it involves me being unhappy with their actions
my partner blames me for everything, including their negative behavior
my partner uses my children/family/loved ones as leverage in order to keep me from leaving
my partner denies having done negative actions, or refuses to take responsibility for them
my partner makes me feel that if i leave them i will not be able to make it on my own
my partner threatens to take their own life if i leave them
my partner stalks me, checks up on me as though making sure i am where i say i am, or will show up at my work/events/activities without notice
my partner gets angry if i stay out too long, or if i do anything that doesn’t involve them
my partner says that they should be enough for me, and that i don’t need anyone or anything else
my partner makes me feel subservient to them
sexual abuse:
my partner forces me to have sex when i have said no
my partner puts me in sexual situations where i feel like i don’t have the right or ability to say no, even though i don’t want to participate
my partner makes me participate in sexual acts that i am uncomfortable with
my partner touches, gropes, or fondles me when i tell them not to
my partner makes me feel guilty for not participating in sexual acts with them
my partner dismisses my sexual discomforts, such as excessive porn watching, or fetishes i find demeaning
my partner has coerced me into having unprotected sex when i wasn’t okay with it
my partner has made me feel guilty for wanting to have protected sex
my partner has engaged in sexual acts with me while keeping STDs/STIs a secret from me
my partner has intentionally given me an STD/STI or has intentionally gotten me pregnant
financial abuse
my partner won’t let me work; makes me financially rely on them
my partner makes me rely on them financially, but will not provide me with enough money to meet my needs
my partner refuses to get a job and relies on me financially
my partner controls the money i make/expects me to pay for all of their wants and needs
my partner doesn’t allow me to have my own bank account, debit card, or credit card
my partner takes money out of our joint account/savings without consulting me
my partner puts loans/credit cards/debts in my name without my consent/through coercion
my partner has negatively affected my credit score against my will
risk assessment
while everything on these lists are valid and serious forms of abuse, we as advocates also look for a few specific traits or behaviors that may increase the lethality of a relationship. if any of the following pertains to you, your life may be in immediate danger:
my partner has choked me, strangled me, or suffocated me
my partner is violent and owns a gun/multiple guns
my partner has threatened me with said gun
my partner has a previous history of domestic abuse/has been arrested for domestic assault
my partner has hurt or killed an animal or pet i care about
my partner has made ominous sounding comments such as, “if i can’t have you, no one can,” or “until death do us part [in an uncomfortable context]”
my partner has verbally threatened my life
my partner has threatened the lives of my children/family/or people i love
my partner has made me believe they will truly end my life
okay, well i only relate to a few of these. that doesn’t make my relationship abusive, does it?
let’s put it this way: every bullet on this list, on its own, is a toxic behavior that should not be present in a relationship, and is enough reason to leave someone. and something to consider is that abuse rarely starts out with everything at once. abuse escalates. nobody goes to the first date saying, “btw, i intend to abuse you down the line, you chill with that?” abuse is a lot like the frog in the pot. you start off with low heat, and the frog doesn’t realize until it’s too late that it’s boiling to death. consider everything on this list as a red flag. a healthy relationship should not have red flags
but i can’t leave because…
i don’t have anywhere to go
have you exhausted all your family/friend resources? go through them all, and if that’s still a no-go, check out your local domestic violence shelters. they can help you figure out housing, can provide you with food, clothing, and hygiene while you try to get back on your feet, and will provide you with the resources you need to become independent. go to nnedv.org to look for shelters near you
i’m afraid the abuse will escalate if i leave
safety planning is something domestic violence advocates are trained in. if you work with a professional, they should help you figure out how to get you safe, even if your partner has a history of stalking, tracking, or violent behavior. and if you stay, the abuse may, and probably will, escalate anyway
they will take my kids/i will lose my kids/i don’t want my kids to go through that
kids are one of the most difficult factors in IPV situations, and your concerns are valid, but there are options. protection orders often can let you add your children on them, so that if it is granted, you can get temporary custody while you figure out the long-term solution. schools and daycares will usually work with you if you’re worried your partner may attempt to take them without your consent. many cities have legal aide resources for low-income individuals, and custody is a common thing they deal with. as for not wanting to put them through all those changes, something you should consider is “what kind of trauma are my children experiencing in the situation they are already in?”
they said they will change and i want to give them the chance
that is 100% your right, and i can’t make the decision for you. all i can do is speak from my experience, and from my experience, i have never seen an abuser change their behavior. exactly zero times. that information is there for you to make of it what you will, and i won’t judge you, however it is you take it, but know that that is what i’ve seen firsthand
i want to try couple’s therapy first
again, you do what you feel you need to do, but it is a statistical fact that abusers will often use couple’s therapy as a means of gaining more control over their partner, and therefore, it usually causes more harm than good
i feel stupid for being in this situation to begin with
one of my favorite quotes is, “when you look at someone through rose colored glasses, all the red flags just look like flags.” we all end up in situations we wish we hadn’t, and we all make choices we’re not fond of, but that doesn’t make us stupid. and someone treating you badly is not a reflection on you, it’s a reflection on them. abuse is never the survivor’s fault
i have left before, and then went back, and i’m too embarrassed to leave again
there are currently, right this minute, at least four repeat clients at my shelter that only houses 8 women at a time. the average amount of times it takes for someone to leave an abusive partner is 7. let me repeat that. it takes upwards of about 7 times before a person leaves their abuser for good. never feel bad for going back, and never feel like you’re not able to make changes. “past performance is not a predictor of future events.” maybe this time will be the time
i love them
hey, that’s entirely okay. women come to me all the time and say that they feel guilty because even though they know what was done to them wasn’t right, they still love their abusers, and what i always tell them is this: you don’t fall out of love overnight. an abuser never introduces themselves as an abuser, and you did not fall in love with the person who is violent towards you. it’s okay to have mixed feelings.
but what you should do is stop and consider, what are the parts of them you love? is it the person they pretended to be at the beginning, or the person who they showed themselves to be? are all the sweet nothings, promises to change, or nice gestures enough to make up for the abuse? is what you’re feeling love, or a fear of being alone? and, most importantly do you realize that you deserve to be treated well?
now? i guess now it’s up to you decide what you want to do. my inbox is always open if you have questions, and there are always people who want to help. the first steps are yours, and you get to decide what direction you’re going to go.
good luck, and be safe. you have me in your corner
I knew the basics before I got it, but I had no clue…
* The blood wouldn’t necessarily be red. When I first got my period, I spent a few min looking at my underwear wondering how I shit myself. I didn’t know the blood could look brown, or be thick.
* That tampons weren’t a good idea yet. I was 10 or 11 when I got my first period and physically smaller than an adult woman. My first attempt at inserting a tampon was very painful and unsuccessful. I wouldn’t use them until I was around 14 or so.
* That when you use pads the blood can get on your bottom and I’d have to occasionally clean off the toilet seat after using it.
* That getting your first period DOES NOT mean you’re fully developed and fully able to bear children. I could have technically gotten pregnant at that age, but I was still a child and pregnancy would have put my life in danger because I was still physically immature.
* That it wouldn’t be regular for another few years.
* That very painful cramping is NOT NORMAL once you reach your 20s and is cause for concern.
* That the blood and tissue you pass can look chunky or stringy and not like blood from a cut.
* That stress can halt your period for months BUT
* That doesn’t mean you can’t get pregnant
Feel free to add your own
Relatable
-passing blood clots is completely normal
-that your period may straight up skip a month when you first get it
-and then it’ll happen twice in the same month
-getting your period does NOT automatically make you a woman
Painful cramping isn’t normal in your 20’s? That’s a little concerning, mine have been getting exponentially worse
It is NOT normal.
I can 100% guarantee you have endometriosis, PCOS, or another hormone problem. If your doctor says it’s normal, DEMAND a second opinion.
Thinking that it’s normal is how people end up infertile or dead. It’s why so many women under 40 these days are having an almost impossible time either conceiving or preventing conception. Because no one teaches anyone that it’s the sign of trouble that can very seriously hurt you.
Anyone who has severe cramps, heavy bleeding, or irregular periods after about 19 years old should seek medical advice. None of those are normal.
If you have skin tags, a hard time losing weight, migraines related to your period, depression that is amplified when menstruating, severe mood swings, sleep disturbances that get worse with menstruation, or any other significant health problem that started with puberty and is worse when hormones are fluctuating you need to be checked.
None of the things that people relate to women on their periods is actually an example of a healthy woman. It’s an example of people who need one form of treatment or another.
Do NOT go to a general doctor. Find a women’s health center. Obgyn doctors. ASK SPECIFICALLY FOR A FEMALE DOCTOR. (Also helps with creating a demand for female doctors, win-win)
And if the doctor you do see tried to write you off as “nothing” or “its normal”? Politely insist for another doctor. People forget: you are paying them for a service. If you believe the doctor is not taking you or your problems seriously, ASK FOR ANOTHER DOCTOR. Specifically, “Do you have another doctor on staff who is more experienced with female health”. It is WELL within your right to change doctors as you see fit – you owe no loyalty to one specific doctor if they aren’t meeting your needs.
most of my followers are male but this is good info for you to learn and share with your lady friends/girlfriends who may not have been taught this stuff.
Additional tips for folks who may be experiencing some of these symptoms:
If a doctor’s only suggestion is just to “lose weight”, find another doctor. If that’s not an option, at least ask “what other treatment would you recommend if I were thin?” and push for that. Even if you can lose weight safely, it won’t happen overnight. (And if you have certain disorders, it may be difficult to lose weight at all.)
If a doctor’s suggestion is just “birth control”, you try that for a few months and it doesn’t help, let them know and ask if there’s another type you can try. There are multiple formulations of birth control, and not all mixes are for everyone. ALSO:
Ask if there is other bloodwork you should consider (and other endocrine issues to rule out)
Above all else: if a doctor won’t work with you to manage symptoms that are disrupting your life, FIND ANOTHER DOCTOR
One thing I have personally experienced is that because so much research has historically been done on cis male bodies, doctors do not always know how diseases interact with a woman’s period. Also, because we stuff “women’s health” into a separate OBGYN box, doctors may also treat your menstrual cycle in a vacuum. The monthly hormone cycle does not exist in a vacuum. It interacts with (and is interacted upon) by other parts of the body.
Similarly, there are mental health symptoms which are exacerbated by (or even caused by) endocrine/reproductive dysfunction. Before I had treatment for my particular issue, I alternately experienced violent mood swings and “fogs” that caused me to have difficulty learning and communicating. Turned out it was endocrine dysfunction. Within two weeks of receiving proper treatment, those mental illness symptoms vanished. It also cleared up the problems I’d been having with menstruation, which had not responded well to any form of birth control. My OBGYN had been trying to solve the wrong problem.
Focus on your symptoms and the quality of life you want.
You deserve care.
GREAT stuff^^^
There’s (stupid) historical reasons why most M.D.s and Family Doctors are poorly educated on women’s health. It’s a fact though. SO!
It’s important to take your health and wellbeing into your own hands. YOU are the expert on your own body- it’s yours- you’ve lived with it your whole life!
“The monthly hormone cycle does not exist in a vacuum. It interacts with (and is interacted upon) by other parts of the body.”
Hell yes you’re doing the right thing. Declawing is mutilation (because it’s literally amputating a joint on each toe) and cats are often in pain their entire lives. Soft paw nail caps are expensive and a pain and the cats might think they’re annoying, but they’re by far the better choice. Props to you for standing up to him about it.
^THIS^
oh God, just do a little research on declawing and see the horror stories! Most vets these days won’t even do that anymore! My jerk co-workers son took his doberman in and said he wanted his tail docked and ears clipped and the vet was like, we don’t do that anymore. It’s unnecessary and mutilation.
I am pro-declawing as long as the vet is good. I have three healthy, lovable fur babies and they are all fixed and they don’t have front claws (Their back claws are still in tact) they are all indoor cats with no danger of getting out doors (If they were out door cats hell yeah they’d have all their claws)
My eldest cat is almost 15, she has had NO health problems for a cat her age, her paws are perfect she has had no pain in them. Same with my other two babies.
My vet did stitches and we used the special litter. Contrary to what you’d be led to believe declawing is a common surgical procedure done under anesthesia and if
done
correctly, there will not be any lasting effects. It is just like any
other
surgery: there are some risks from the anesthesia and blood loss, but
most of
the times and if done by a competent veterinarian, there are no lasting
effects
from the surgery. Contrary
to some opinions, declawing is not likely to drastically change their behavior or
personality, nor does it necessarily predispose him to future behavioral
problems. On the other hand, it creates a more rewarding experience
between cat and owner because you don’t have to scold kitty all the time
for clawing inappropriately.
Another pro-declawing is when rough-housing between kitty and another pet results in a scratched
cornea and the risk of the other pet (my dog) losing an eye. The choice
for the owner then becomes either to
declaw or give up a cherished and loved pet, so it is pretty obvious
here what
the most humane choice would be. A person that decides to declaw his/her
cat
should not be vilified, instead encouraged to give the cat a home and
love as
long as the cat lives.
If you check the internet, you can find one of those sites about the
“horrors” of declawing a cat. They have
pictures of an actual surgery of declawing a black cat. I have two
things
to say… Despite many warnings of how graphic the pictures are, there
is not
much blood to see. This proves that the declawing surgery is not as
bloody as
described, and even when the pictures where taken by an anti-declaw vet
tech
which most likely attempted to make the surgery look a gory as possible.
Second, I can see where all the horror stories come from. This surgery
was done
very poorly. Using a nail clipper to remove the claws is a procedure
that is not done very often anymore. It can leave bone splinters behind
and the possibility of nail regrowth. The procedure done most often
involves an incision behind the claw and continuing against the bony
structure until the last digit falls away from the paw
using a scalpel (called disarticulation method). This method does not
break any bone and insures that no bone
splinters are left behind and that there is no possibility of nail
regrowth. You can see that the claw is removed carefully and would
only remove the claw along with the distal phalanx (the bone where the claw is
attached to) as shown on the picture below. In the pictures presented in the
anti-declaw website part of the middle phalanx is being crushed.
The above is an image of what actually declawing looks like.
Declawing is also recommended to be done to cats before they turn 2 years of age and to be done the same time as spay/neuter. Some vets also put an anesthetic block in their paws so they won’t feel pain when they wake up. And they heal very quickly! It is recommended also by vets that you only remove their front claws because the back ones are important in their grooming and god forbid if they did get outside.
So yes, declaw your kitty @lepetitselkie just make sure you research your vet first to find out what kind of procedure they do. Just like with any surgical choice the doctor is key.
It is NOT hard to do some damn googling people!!!!
It takes a hell of a lot to piss me off to where I respond to it in public, but this, this actually makes it hard to engage a civil fashion. Especially because you also had the gall to send a pretty condescending note about how I should do research before I consider myself an expert. Here’s the thing about academic and practical knowledge – it’s often far more complex than what people find on a google search. So, let’s break this down for you because I know a hell of a lot more about this than what comes from ‘just google’. In fact, if you actually took the time to do a couple google searches, the first thing you’d find is that declawing is considered animal cruelty and banned in at least 22 countries.
Okay, so there’s two different topics to dig into here: the science and the ethics. Let’s start with the science, because that’s easier to break down while I try to stop raging internally.
Here’s a much more detailed image of what the inside of a cat’s paw actually looks like, because the one embedded above leaves out some rather important details.
Okay, so what you’re looking at here is the cross-section of a toe with the claw retracted. Cats walk digitigrade, meaning that their weight is borne entirely on the toes rather than on the internal bones of the foot. The last bone that the claw is attached to is called the distal phalanx (plural: phalanges). You’ll notice that there are two tendons and an elastic ligament attached to it. For a cat to be declawed, that bone must be removed, which means all three of those connective tissues must be severed. That’s going to impair mobility even after it heals (tendons work because of their attachments) and that’s incredibly painful.
Here’s an image of a cat’s paw actually bearing weight. Notice how, because cats walk digitigrade, literally all of it’s weight is on the distal phalanx? Cats walk with all of their weight on the bone that declawing removes. Look at the position of the middle phalanx – it’s perpendicular to the ground and not in an orientation to bear weight comfortably in the slightest. When you declaw a cat, that’s the bone they’re left to put all their weight on and it’s understandably uncomfortable. It’s possible to help cats adjust by leaving part of the distal phalanx in the paw, but that a) means cutting the bone in half and having it heal and b) risks claw regrowth out of the bone and through the extant soft tissues.
At one teaching hospital, between 50%-80% of cats had post-surgery complications. Numbers from other studies vary – the ones cited on the declawing wikipedia article provide a decent sample range, and the complication rates were: 24%, 53%, 1.4%, 82.5%, 51.5%, 80%. All over the place. Reported medical complications include: pain, hemorrhage, laceration of paw pads, swelling, reluctance to bear weight on affected limb, neuropraxia (transient motor paralysis), radial nerve damage, lameness, infection, abscess, tissue necrosis, wound dehiscence, incomplete healing, protrusion of 2nd (middle) phalanx, claw regrowth, scurs (growth of deformed claw segments), retention of flexor process of third phalanx, chronic draining tracts, self-mutilation, dermatitis, lethargy, palmigrade stance (walking on wrists), chronic intermittent lameness, chronic pain syndrome, flexor tendon contracture, and cystitis (stress-associated bladder inflammation).
Long-term lameness is common, but also understudied. One review of related studies reported long-term lameness in 1% of cats, but another with a different sample size and source found that 13.6% of cats showed at least mild lameness long after healing (source).
Chronic pain in declawed cats is incredibly hard to assess. It hasn’t been well studied, cats are cryptic (quiet) when in pain, and most owners are notoriously bad at accurately identifying or reporting behavior in cats that indicates pain. That doesn’t meant that we have evidence that most declawed cats aren’t in pain – there’s just literally no data. We do know that there are frequently observed avoidance/pain behaviors such as walking oddly, not stepping on litter or similar surfaces, paw shaking, and paw biting that correlate highly with cats who have been declawed. Claw growth and arthritis from being declawed are obviously painful chronically.
Okay, so there’s your science. Now let’s talk ethics. In fact, here’s an anecdote for you.
My father’s toenails destroy bedding like little demons. No matter what he does, how much he clips them, how short they are, his toenails will inevitably shred the bottoms of sheets pretty quickly. It’s annoying as hell and my mother keeps mending the sheets or buying new ones when it gets too bad. Now, tell me, should she have the last joints of his toes amputated because it’s an inconvenience she doesn’t want to deal with? Of course not. She knew when she married my father that it would be something that came with the territory and she accepts that fact. Sounds stupid, right?
Voluntary onychectomy is, when simply put, the amputation of a cat’s weight-bearing digits for the convenience of the owner. Most people cite the reasons they declaw cats as behavior problems (scratching furniture) or aggression towards humans. Both of these problems are entirely resolvable through management and/or appropriate training with a little bit of effort on the part of the owner(s).
When you declaw a cat, not only do you put it through an entirely unnecessary, painful, and potentially traumatizing procedure, you forever remove from it the ability to engage in all of it’s natural behaviors. The simplest natural behavior is just walking on it’s feet correctly. Evolution creates certain physical structures for their specific efficacy and when you lop off your cat’s toes for your own convenience you forever force it to walk in a way that is unnatural for it. You also remove it’s ability to scratch, climb and stretch.
I do not believe that people should be allowed to have pets if they are not prepared to handle what comes with them. Scratching and using their claws for communication are natural behavior for a cat and therefore should be assumed as part of the price to pay for the luxury of cohabitating with one. If you’ve accidentially encouraged claws-out aggressive play or if you’re pushing your cat so far past it’s comfort zone that it keeps scratching you, that problem is entirely on you. If you’re declawing your cat because you prioritize the state of your furniture over the cat then you don’t deserve the luxury of getting to own a cat. If you need to mutilate an animal to make it fit into your life, don’t get the goddamn animal.
I have said this a million times and I will say it again: If you want a pet whose welfare you are willing to sacrifice for your own ease of care, you are not responsible enough to own any living creature. As sentient beings who make the conscious choice to take on the care and welfare of a living creature (or six), it’s an ethical imperative that we provide the highest quality of welfare possible even no matter what the expense or time investment required.
It’s entirely possible, as we’ve shown numerous times on this blog, to use planning and appropriate management to eliminate the irritations that come with a cat having and using claws. Cats can be trained to play without hurting, humans can learn to read cat body language, claws can be clipped or dremeled as an entirely positive experience, and soft-caps can be applied. All it takes is time, dedication and forethought.
So, @fat-and-nerdygirl, it is for all of the above that I am appalled that you are actively advocating for unnecessary declawing procedures. This girl does not appear to have any of the severe medical conditions that would make it vaguely acceptable to consider declawing for her safety. It’s simply that her cats are being cats – that’s the only problem. You’re advocating she put her pet through an unnecessary surgery for basically no reason when she’s already found a much more appropriate solution and is implementing it correctly.
More importantly, I am pissed that you are spreading misinformation while advocating for accurate research. Many of your ‘facts’ are flat out wrong. Nail-clipper declaws are still incredibly common, awfully enough. Declaws do not always heal fast – most studies report lameness still present after 8 days and sometimes even up until two weeks after surgery. Just because a voluntary procedure is common does not mean it is good for the animals or ethically okay.
Now, look, I understand. You have four cats who have been declawed and at the moment they don’t appear to be having any issues. It sounds like you did do your research to find someone to do the surgery whose skills and techniques would provide the highest rate of success for your cats. I’m not going to attack your choice to declaw them because at this point it would be moot and I don’t know what your reasons were for making the choice at the time you did. I understand how, after putting four animals through that procedure, it can be incredibly hard to hear newer research come out that indicates that declawing isn’t great for them and questions the ethics of doing so. That’s rough on any pet owner, wondering if you made the right choice for the animals whose care you’re entrusted with. That’s enough to cause anyone to defend their choices more heavily – it’s a pretty common type of cognitive dissonance. But please, please stop spreading misinformation and backing it up with phony requests for ‘better research’ and misleading diagrams. I’m glad your cats are doing well post-surgery, and I sincerely hope they reach the ends of their lives without any complications surfacing.
Not all cats will be as lucky as your four cats.
Some cats will be declawed and forever live walking on bones that were never meant to be in contact with the ground or support weight that way. Some cats will develop claw shards or infections or arthritis. Some cat owners will be devastated to find out that they caused their babies to suffer by choosing what has been touted by peers as a ‘simple, safe, elective surgery’.
Help me stop that from happening to more animals and their humans. Stop spreading misinformation and defending an archaeic solution to the problems that arise when humans are lazy about caring for the animals they take into their homes.
Some assholes have been putting nails in cheese and treats in dog parks in Chicago and Massachusetts. Also adding antifreeze to water bowls.
Please watch out for your dogs. And if you find out the address of someone doing this, give me the address and tell no one. I will disembowel them.
Antifreeze is fucking deadly as shit. Whilst my mom worked in the vets office the neighbor of a cat owner had become sick of his neighbors tom spraying by his house so he left antifreeze out for the cat. Animals are weirdly attracted to the smell and will drink it.
The cat was given to the vets and for 2 days it’s insides were slowly dissolved by the acids and it bled from his nose, mouth and even eyes.
On the second day, the vet not being able to help and refusing to let the cat suffer any longer put the cat down. The neighbor who did not deny his crimes didn’t even offer to pay the woman’s vet bill.
SO THE BIGGEST FUCKING SIGNAL BOOST TO THIS POST.
Fuck who ever is doing this. They can fucking burn.
my friend had a cat and it drank antifreeze that was puddled in the driveway and one day they were knitting and it just vomited up all of its internal organs and fell over dead on her lap.
The perpetrators of all of this will burn in Hell.
A neighbor of mine threw a ball of hamburger full of rat poison pellets over our fence for my son’s dog. He survived, barely, but has had nerve damage ever since.
Okay, listen up, if your pet drinks antifreeze, do you know what the cure is? Alcohol. That’s right. To save your furry little friend you have to get them drunk out of their faces. Antifreeze is an inhibitor and stops your enzymes from working, but luckily alcohol stops that from happening. I learned this from my A Level Biology lessons, but here’s a source anyway http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/2617997.stm
Shit this is important SIGNAL BOOST THIS THANK YOU ALICE
BOOST. FUCKING BOOST.
They did this recently in a town near me. They put nails in hot dogs and threw them into backyards as well as some rat poison. A lot of the neighbor dogs died…
@drferox please I would like to know if this is true and safe to do.
No.
No.
No.
Do not give your pets alcohol if you suspect they have had antifreeze.
Take them to a vet clinic for assessment ASAP. Alcohol is only helpful if given very shortly after ingestion, and will actually make the toxicity worse if given too late.
I know this isn’t specific to Canada and isn’t really politics, but this happened to someone I know recently and I think it’s important that people know about it.
Seriously guys, I really recommend that if you use these: stop.
This almost happened to me as well – I (along with my family) heard about people accidentally swallowing the bristles if they get stuck to the grill and then get caught in food, and our immediate reaction was “that sucks, but come on, how do you not notice them?”
And then not even a full 24 hours after we first heard about it, I got one in my burger. And the thing is, it’s really difficult to notice them. I literally thought it was a hair at first. And then as I was trying to get it out of my mouth, I thought ‘no, that’s not a hair, must be a burnt crunchy bit or something’ and then it got partially stuck between my teeth and I was finally able to grab it. All in all, it probably took me a good two to three minutes from first noticing it to finally getting it out of my mouth – and I lost it a couple of times too. If I’d been eating faster, or been less determined about getting it out of my mouth (I’m really picky about textures), I would’ve swallowed it.
All in all, considering how many people use them, it’s actually a pretty rare occurrence, but it can cause so much fucking damage it’s just not worth the risk.
There are wooden and I believe stone or pumice bbq scrapers/cleaners that are much safer, if you have a wire cleaner, please replace it
Not like women have been telling y’all this since the beginning of time or anything.
I mean, yeah, at one point three years ago I was curled up in a fetal position literally screaming/crying/gasping for breath on my bed in my dorm room, so my response to this headline is basically, “No shit.”
No wonder women are so likely to ignore heart disease/attack symptoms. If something isn’t as bad as my cramps, I figure it can’t be that bad.
THAT LAST COMMENT
!!!!!
No seriously. There aren’t enough people who understand how important that last comment is. I lost my right kidney four years ago because of “if something isn’t as bad as my cramps, I figure it can’t be that bad.”
My. Fucking. Kidney.
Don’t force people with periods to internalize and silence themselves when they have cramps!
People die from their appendix bursting all the time because of this!!!!!!
THEY AREN’T SUPPOSED TO BE.
Listen up, people with uteruses: if you are in serious pain during your period, something is medically wrong and you need to see a doctor. You should be, at worst, in moderate discomfort. The sort of thing where you don’t particularly want to do too much, but you’re OK if you have to. If you are in debilitating pain, SEE A DOCTOR. (And, for those worried about it, a lot of cramp-worsening ailments can be diagnosed without a pelvic exam. It’s usually questions about exactly what kind of pain and what makes it worse, an exam that consists of lightly pressing on various parts of your lower stomach, and possibly an ultrasound.)
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