By Esther
I am not posting here to educate against declawing–there are plenty of informative posts here already. What I’m doing is posting my ideas–and asking for suggestions–for getting involved outside of the internet. Here are some thoughts. More ideas welcome.
1) Wear anti-declaw t-shirts, tote bags, pins, etc.
2) Dress up your cat with anti-declaw bumper stickers, car magnets, etc.
3) Stick an anti-declaw yard sign in your front yard.
4) Write to your local newspaper and ask them to print reasons not to declaw.
5) Hand out anti-declaw business cards, informational pamphlets, etc.
6) Write! Online and on paper.
7) Make a video explaining why declawing is harmful.
8) Make anti-declaw posters and put on public bulletin boards, etc.
9) If possible, support vets who do not declaw. If for this reason you switch vets or turn one down, let them know the reason.
10) Write to your local politicians and ask them to consider a ban on declawing.
11) To anyone involved in cat rescue: Adopt out only to people who will not declaw, and educate as many people as you can.
12) Be nice to people. Even though we’d really like to attack anyone who would even think of declawing (especially if we’ve tried and failed at educating them), that will only make enemies and is unlikely to convince people to change their minds.
13) But do be firm in your stand. Don’t let anyone tell you that you’re wrong, that you’re wasting your time, that you’re not making a difference, or anything else to slow you down.
14) Be creative. Think up different ways to get the word out.
15) Don’t give up! You’re doing an important service helping cats and people. We need all the help we can get. Every person counts. At times it will seem slow, but keep on. We’ve come a long way already. Let’s go the rest of the way!
Great article and great ideas!
https://pictures-of-cats.org/declaw-posters.html
https://pictures-of-cats.org/Customised-Cat-Declaw-Bookmarks.html
Good for you Esther, I wish more people would join us and be active like you are, because education is the only way declawing is ever going to be stopped.
We in other countries can help in the battle via the internet but it does need people right there on the spot where this legalised abuse is happening.
You are welcome to use any of my anti declaw posters and bookmarks, they are especially easy to print off and make and leave lying around where the public go, popped into library books, put in with cards and letters to friends and contacts….
GOOD LUCK
One day declawing will be banned thanks to people like YOU 🙂
These are all great ideas – I’m assuming you are in the US? Thanks to people like you things are changing slowly but still changing.
Hi Esther. Thanks for visiting and making these good suggestions. We are making progress thanks to people like you, me, the Ruths and all the regular visitors to PoC and many people in America.
Sadly, there are still a lot of cat owners and vets who think declawing is just fine. As you imply, the change will be slow because it is a culture problem. It’s an aberration.