What is the opinion of the board here, on requiring cats to be declawed for your rental?

This is from the humane society:

People often mistakenly believe that declawing their cats is a harmless "quick fix" for unwanted scratching. They don't realize that declawing can make a cat less likely to use the litter box or more likely to bite. Declawing also can cause lasting physical problems for your cat.

Many countries have banned declawing. The Humane Society of the United States opposes declawing except for the rare cases when it is necessary for medical purposes, such as the removal of cancerous nail bed tumors.

People who are worried about being scratched, especially those with immunodeficiencies or bleeding disorders, may be told incorrectly that their health will be protected by declawing their cats. However, infectious disease specialists don't recommend declawing. The risk from scratches for these people is less than those from bites, cat litter, or fleas carried by their cats.

The truth about cats and scratching

Scratching is normal cat behavior. It isn't done to destroy a favorite chair or to get even. Cats scratch to remove the dead husks from their claws, mark territory, and stretch their muscles.

Cats are usually about 8 weeks old when they begin scratching. That's the ideal time to train kittens to use a scratching post and allow nail trims. Pet caregivers should not consider declawing a routine prevention for unwanted scratching. Declawing can actually lead to an entirely different set of behavior problems that may be worse than shredding the couch.

What is declawing?

Too often, people think that declawing is a simple surgery that removes a cat's nails—the equivalent of having your fingernails trimmed. Sadly, this is far from the truth.

Declawing traditionally involves the amputation of the last bone of each toe. If performed on a human being, it would be like cutting off each finger at the last knuckle.

It is an unnecessary surgery that provides no medical benefit to the cat. Educated pet parents can easily train their cats to use their claws in a manner that allows everyone in the household to live together happily.

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How is a cat declawed?

The standard method of declawing is amputating with a scalpel or guillotine clipper. The wounds are closed with stitches or surgical glue, and the feet are bandaged.

Another method is laser surgery, in which a small, intense beam of light cuts through tissue by heating and vaporizing it. However, it's still the amputation of the last toe bone of the cat and carries with it the same long-term risks of lameness and behavioral problems as does declawing with scalpels or clippers.

If performed on a human being, declawing would be like cutting off each finger at the last knuckle.

A third procedure is the tendonectomy, in which the tendon that controls the claw in each toe is severed. The cat keeps their claws, but can't control them or extend them to scratch. This procedure is associated with a high incidence of abnormally thick claw growth. Therefore, more frequent and challenging nail trims are required to prevent the cat's claws from snagging on people, carpet, furniture, and drapes, or from growing into the cat's paw pads.

Because of complications, a cat who has been given a tendonectomy may require declawing later. Although a tendonectomy is not actually amputation, a 1998 study published in the "Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association" found the incidence of bleeding, lameness, and infection was similar between tendonectomy and declawing.

Some negative effects of declawing

Medical drawbacks to declawing include pain in the paw, infection, tissue necrosis (tissue death), lameness, and back pain. Removing claws changes the way a cat's foot meets the ground and can cause pain similar to wearing an uncomfortable pair of shoes. There can also be a regrowth of improperly removed claws, nerve damage, and bone spurs.

For several days after surgery, shredded newspaper is typically used in the litter box to prevent litter from irritating declawed feet. This unfamiliar litter substitute, accompanied by pain when scratching in the box, may lead cats to stop using the litter box. Some cats may become biters because they no longer have their claws for defense.

Try our tips for stopping unwanted scratching

If you are worried about your cat damaging your home, or want to avoid unwanted scratching, start with these tips:

Keep their claws trimmed to minimize damage to household items.

Provide stable scratching posts and boards around your home. Offer different materials like carpet, sisal, wood, and cardboard, as well as different styles (vertical and horizontal). Use toys and catnip to entice your cat to use the posts and boards.

Ask your veterinarian about soft plastic caps (like Soft Paws®) that are glued to the cat's nails. They need to be replaced about every six weeks.

Attach a special tape (like Sticky Paws®) to furniture to deter your cat from unwanted scratching.

Sticky Paws on Amazon.com

Nail Caps on Amazon.com

Don't subject your cat to unnecessary procedures

Declawing and tendonectomies should be reserved only for those rare cases in which a cat has a medical problem that would warrant such surgery, such as the need to remove cancerous nail bed tumors.

Nope, not at all.

My declawing cats ended when I got married. I declawed our kitten in 2000, and in 2004 moved to my farm. My hubby's first act was to put a cat door through the living room wall with an outside staircase, and a cat highway in the great room. Since, they were now indoor outdoor, we did not declaw any of our other kittens.

I am an animal lover, but have loved cats and had at least one since I was 10 years old. To remove their claws is like cutting the end of your fingers off so you won't grow nails. Do you thin that will hurt and effect every aspect of your life? Yes it will.

Cats need their claws to protect themselves. Not only in fighting but to escape up a tree, over a fence, to avoid coyotes, dogs and kids who want to pull their tails.

Yes cats scratch and dogs bite. Men leave their cloths on the floor never picking up after themselves. Do you send them all to reform school? Take a belt and smack them on their behind?

We have had many declawed cats over the years. They have all been just fine. They obviously should never be let outside.

The idea that it's like cutting off your fingers at the knuckle is nonsense. Cats are not people. A cat with claws can be very destructive. Much happier human / cat relationships when cats are declawed.

I've always had cats in my family.

Declawing is cruel.

our ad states "we don't accept cats, other pets we be case by case basis"

We always had de-clawed cats and no issues. Nowadays we don't do it, but back then it was just the done thing.

Animal Rights activists, against all sense and sensibility, are now starting to push pet owners NOT TO SPAY OR NEUTER their pets. Are you kidding me? Do you know how many unwanted dogs and cats are destroyed each year? I will never follow this recommendation. It's like not gelding a horse: let a male horse go through puberty as a stallion and you will have a (potentially) dangerous and aggressive horse.

Male cats can develop aggressive and protective habits (biting, spraying...) if they are not neutered early.

I have always had declawed cats. There has never been a problem. They didn’t seem to be affected in anyway.

I don't allow cats, so it isn't much of an issue. However, I don't think that declawing is an effective way to stop cat damage. Declawed cats can have litter box aversion and I certainly don't want that in a rental unit.

I don't really have an aversion to animal amputations. I'm OK with docked tails on sheep and dogs and cut ears on cattle. But the way to stop scratch damage with cats is to have proper scratching trees and to do some training.

Cats are much more likely to have litter box issues if they are declawed. You are robbing Peter to pay Paul. I have 3 of my own, non declawed. All use the two litter robots well.