Did not know debarking dogs is a thingπ
this post was submitted on 11 Jan 2026
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I had a neighbour in the 80's who did it. The dog still barked incessantly, but it was like a loud whisper.
We thought is was sad.
Me neither. What a world.
Declawing cats is at least an understandable urge, people just don't realize how harmful it is if they don't know.
But debarking dogs? What the fuck?
There's no reason to declaw cats. Clip the claws to blunt the points, switch claw-tempting furniture for less satisfying styles and provide a good scratching/climbing piece, or realize you're not an adequate person to have a cat.
Yes I totally agree. But I get why people my think of doing it. They think they're just nails, when it's more like removing part of a finger.
That's all I was trying to get across.
Okay, I'll say it, declawing cats is an understandable atrocity. Cats scratch the shit out of everything, and we do have ways to trim nails and stop them from growing without amputating part of the digit they're attached to so I can understand the misconception. We just don't do that for cats.
DEBARKING DOGS????? There's no way that's anything other than what I think it is.
They surgically cut their vocal cords.
Cats and scratching is like dogs and chewing. When young they have to be taught what is scratch able and what isn't just like teaching a dog what is a toy and what isn't. A well raised cat doesn't scratch on anything other then scratching posts and other cat toys. A well raised dog doesn't chew on shoes or other non-dog toys. Both might damage things they shouldn't due to stress, but I have had multiple cats and dogs that didn't damage anything they weren't supposed to.
Guess I missed the boat on my guy. I still love him and have learned to appreciate his artistic vision on the couches when his nails grow out. :P
Clipping a cat's claws is easily done, even if you only have a human toenail clipper (turn it sideways because claws are taller than they are wide). It helps if your cat has been trained from kittenhood that clipping involves treats, but if not, just do 1-2 at a time, followed by a treat, instead of all at once. Just get the tips, don't cut down to the quick. You only need to do the "fingers" to lessen scratching damage. Be sure to provide something appealing that they're encouraged to scratch and climb.
I agree, I'm just saying that I can understand the misconceptions around declawing.
I thought declawing was already banned in Ontario?