The American nation is in denial about declawing cats. But it is gradually coming out of it. There is so much to say about this subject that I decided to build an umbrella page, this one, to hold all the blog posts and whatever else is produced.
Please note...that this page is not an attack on America or Americans. I like both. It is an attack on the practice of declawing cats conducted by vets at the request of cat keepers. I don't want to do this but I must speak up on behalf of the cat and if that upsets some people, so be it. I cannot remain silent on this topic because to do so would betray the cat and that would totally undermine the purpose and reason for the existence of this website.
Only a tiny fraction of one percent of this website is provocative and this page is one example because it is pointless talking about this subject in bland language.
Whether you dislike or like what I say please join the debate by using the form at the base of this page.
When you talk about cat declawing you only talk about the United States. It really doesn’t happen anywhere else. The process is interwoven into the fabric of American society and ultimately it is the American veterinary surgeon who is to blame for causing such a bottomless pit of pain and distress. The exact opposite that he or she is under oath to achieve.
In addition to the fundamental issues, such as national denial, consumerism, instant gratification, financial profit, unethical practices, the arrogance of the human, all of which underpin the ghastly process of cat declawing, there is the gradual trickle of news that is drip, drip, dripping out of this proud nation.
And the news is generally good news and it concerns legislation, yes, the law. As the veterinary associations continue to be in denial about their heinous crimes and defend the indefensible the only way to begin the long journey of stopping this legalised cruelty is to use the law and make it no longer legal. In short to criminalise it as is the case in Great Britain, for example (under the Animal Welfare Act 2006).
The first tentative steps are being taken at grass roots level, the only place where there is the will and means to change. There are too many discordant viewpoints at state or national level to pass laws. There are too many people with financial interests to pass laws at state level. By my reckoning the business of declawing cats is worth $20 billion. Vets are not going to give that up without a fight and to hell with the cat!
The city councillors (is it a city? – I am not American) of West Hollywood are at the forefront of change being the only body of people in the United States (at July 2009) to have passed an ordinance (law or legislation – the word “ordinance “ is not used in the UK) that bans cat declawing. It goes against what veterinarians are licensed to do. It effectively regulates the veterinarians of West Hollywood. The council of West Hollywood have stepped into the shoes of the local veterinary association and the American Veterinary Medical Association and done their job for them because the AVMA won’t do the right and proper thing.
At the time of writing this it seems there is a battle of wits going on at the legislative level to regulate vets. West Hollywood ban declawing. The California Veterinary Medical Association challenge it and win then lose on appeal and the Supreme Court have by implication agreed the appeal court decision in not hearing a further appeal. Then the state of California (on an application by the AVMA) try and block other city legislators from following suit by prohibiting them from enacting legislation that in effect regulates the professions. That job should be in the hands of the state or the associations. The trouble is neither the state legislators not the associations can be relied upon to do the right thing.
The veterinary associations should be mortified because they are best placed to regulate their member veterinarians. As they have failed miserably to stop their own vets being constantly in breach of their ethical principles and oath in carrying out cat declawing procedures for non-therapeutic purposes the people through their elected representatives, the councillors, have decided to act.
Well, where do you start on the subject of declawing cats? We start with the simple acceptance that declawing cats is wrong. All right minded people will agree with that, as it is obvious, and no amount of circuitous and spurious argument by lawyers and veterinarians can change that.
Here are some articles on declawing cats. This is an expanding section because, as I mentioned, there is news and the law is changing albeit belatedly and slowly.
Photo: this is by fofurasfelinas, a Flickr photographer of great talent. It is published under a Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs creative commons License -- this site is for charitable purposes in funding cat rescue.
Click below to see contributions from other visitors to this page...
Why do people declaw cats?
I've been observing my cat and how he uses his claws, it's lead me to be convinced that cats really do use claws for everything... We have a big bag of ...
Declawing Cats Should Be Outlawed I live in Canada where the practice of declawing cats is prevalent. Prior to 2007, I also lived in France for 23 years where declawing is outlawed. Needless ...
OUTRAGED!!!
I thought about declawing my cats and struggled with the decision. I had a scratching post for them and they seemed to always use my doorways in the house....
Is a Nationwide USA Declaw Ban Possible?
It seem that a nationwide USA declaw ban is more possible now, during the Obama administration than for many years because the democrats have the power ...
Pain management for declawed cats
Pain management for declawed cats varies widely, which is disturbing because it is agreed by veterinarians that declawing cats caused a lot of pain. This ...
An Argument For And Against Declawing
Allow me to play the Devil's Advocate for a moment and side with those that see no problem with declawing cats.
Especially pertaining to the second ...
All Four Paws Declawed
I have a 16 y/o black cat, Zelda, with beautiful green eyes. I adopted her from the local shelter after originally going there to get a kitten. Here was ...
Just Answer Gives Unjust Answer on Declawing
Further to Babara's post on the pay-for-an-answer website, Just Answer, in which she described a shoddy answer on declawing cats ( Money Grubbing Online ...
Money Grubbing Online Vets
I had a Google alert, "how much does a basic spay and declawing cost?". It was on a site called Just Answer. {Note: Just Answer is a high ranking website ...
Have you noticed that many pro-declawers and veterinarians use the argument ...
All Creatures Animal Hospital Mislead Us
All Creatures Animal Hospital mislead us because their advice on when cat declawing should or could take place is contradictory and subtly encourages the ...
Adopting an Abandoned Declawed Cat
I do not believe in declawing. I never really felt that strongly about it until recently. I was in the break room at my job and a woman was posting a flyer ...
A Declawed Cats Day Poem
This was my first try at a declawed cat poem. I did this poem 1 month ago, and I'm constantly writing more cat poems.Leave a comment, or anything!...Zach....
Some Advice on Surgically Improving Your Cat
As others have already pointed out declawing might cause your cat to bite instead. So of course now you must have your cat's teeth removed - and not just ...
Ed Boks Speaks FOR Declawing Cats
Shelter manager, Ed Boks has 30 years experience in animal welfare and control and he argued against the Santa Monica ban on declawing. In the event he ...
You Can't Declaw a Micro Pig
I feel that people who declaw cats don't really want to keep cats. What they want is a companion of some sort in addition to or instead of a human companion....
Scientists are Unscientific About Cats
I am very surprised that a lot of scientists are unscientific about cats. What do I mean? There have been studies by scientists about declawing. You can ...
Criticising the San Francisco SPCA
I feel justified in criticising the The San Francisco SPCA. They are sitting on the fence big time when it comes to declawing. Declawing is the one subject ...
Declawing Turns Good Cats to Bad
I am a cat rescuer. I have worked in the rescue field for 19 years. In that time frame we have had cats from domestic to purebred come through our doors....
"Declawed cats need Joanna Lumley. I am a declawed cat. I have nightmares about what cats ...
The Paw Law
In the year 2016 what became known as the Paw Law was firmly established. There had been much argument and upset particularly from the DPs (see Declawing ...
The Declawing Disconnect
I am going to coin a new phrase: declawing disconnect. What do I mean? These are just my thoughts no more. An attempt to go behind the act of declawing ...
Declawed Abyssinian Cat Reilly
Thank you so much for speaking out about the horrors of declawing. I am not going to even watch your videos because I am sure that I could not stand it....
Some Veterinarians Are Ignorant of Cat Behavior
I'm so grateful for your education on this issue! I am 100% in favor of BANNING this convenience surgery in my country, & cannot wait until it is so the ...
More cat scratching advice
A little additional advice on how to prevent your cat from scratching the furniture - without having to mutilate it:
One scratching post is good, but ...
Thank You For a Brilliant Page!
Thanks so much for adding this page. The material is very helpful and I do hope that it will go a long way to help those of us in the USA to finally get ...
Ocimom
Long time ago, my parents made me declaw my first cat. I didn't know any better - no one really told me what happened. Watching your video with tears ...
Did public pressure start declawing?
Hi again, I admire you for giving this subject more space and as you already know, I think there is no justification for declawing cats. I thought this ...
Declawing? Why not detoothing as well?
I was shocked by the recent article on declawing in the United States (new window). To me this practice seems absolutely disgusting and I'm surprised ...
Laser Surgery for Declawing Cats
I already know that cat lovers and animal lovers, for the most part, do not support the declawing of cats. I've watched the videos, heard the horror stories ...
I Had My Cat De-clawed Instead of Put To Sleep
I had my 2 year old Siamese cat de-clawed this past summer. If I had known the difference it would make in her, I'd have done it much sooner. I almost ...
To Claw or Declaw
Although painful to watch so is the circumcising of infants. We have many surgeries by choice and provided the cat is going to be kept inside and loved ...
