If the vets are declawing cats because it makes money and we can’t change their minds by referring to ethics, we are left with arguing that it could be more profitable to leave a cat’s claws alone and then provide an alternative service that deals with people’s dislike or uncertainty about a cat’s claws. That is why this short post takes that cold, commercial approach…..
Veterinarians could make more money from servicing and dealing with cat’s claws than they do from removing them in a highly controversial, and for me, unpleasant, operation. A vet charges about $100 for each standard front declaw, while follow up checks and repair treatment from complications probably adds another $50, on average.
Once a vet has removed a cat’s claws he has lost an asset around which he can make money. Vets like to make money out of bits of a cat’s anatomy. Therefore leave the asset alone and use it for profitable purposes.
Let’s think about it. Declawing is a one-off use of a asset that can make money for the vet. Leaving the claws intact allows the vet to make money from them for the remainder of the cat’s life. It has to be more profitable for the vet in the long run.
Here are some suggestions on how a vet can make money from claws that exist as oppose to removing them. I am thinking aloud. It is a form of brainstorming. Some might work, some might be stupid. I don’t care, as long as vets stop hurting cats.
Trimming Claws Can Lead To Lots More
A lot of people don’t like to trim their cat’s claws. A vet could provide a service. The trimming could be carried out by a vet tech and be part of an overall, cat checkup that included basic medical checks such as oral health check (check for teeth and gum health), ear check (check for ear mites), skin check (check for anything that might irritate a cat), eyes and coat. The vet tech could also groom the cat. This would be a maintenance service in the same way we service cars. A lot of people maintain their cars with more commitment than their cats.
It would have to be cheap – let’s say $50 or less.The service could be provided at the home of the cat’s owner. Give the vet tech a van and send her on her way to service the cats of the community with the objective of bringing in business for the vets.
The check up and trim could be a means to make money in other areas. A vet tech could find something that needs doing and charge a vet’s rate for that much needed procedure. I don’t care if it is made up, as long as the vet stops declawing.
Selling Products
What about a DVD on how to deal with a cat’s claws or a seminar of some sort? A typical vet’s surgery is made up of a reception area, consulting rooms and facilities at the rear for surgery and storage etc. What about a room where clients could be trained? Vets are animal experts. Why can’t they educate people who need educating on animal caretaking? This would be chargeable and would also provide a handle for selling products.
Isn’t one of the duties of a vet to educate the public and encourage them to be more concerned for cat welfare? I realise that some vets want people to be lousy cat owners as it leads to sick cats but this is short-sighted thinking. Proactive business strategies are much more durable and profitable in the long run.
Other cat claw products are:
- Clippers
- Cat scratchers
- Paw pads
- Furniture for people that is designed to be scratched!
It is time vets to show some imagination and decency. It cannot be beyond the bounds of their imagination and business acumen (what acument?) to work something out that makes a profit in a sustainable way from a cat’s claws.
Do you have any ideas on how a vet can make money from a cat’s claws in a sustainable way?
Thanks you Ruth for supporting this idea, which comes from Ruth (Monty’s mom) in America and myself. If vets look to profit all the time then I say they can make more if the resources (claws) are retained. Then, the income is renewable by having to do yearly and routine work. Declawing is and example of one of those typical human weaknesses: the search for instant, unsustainable profit without a single regard to the long term consequences and ethics/morality.
So they DO admit that declawed cats are more liable to bite!
Brilliant article Michael!
A lot of people take their dog to the vets for claw trimming so why not take their cats too? Yes vets could make money out of selling various scratching pads and posts, setting out a tempting display would encourage people to buy them.
Our vets have recently started selling cat carriers, all colours and sizes and some real beauties, surely USA vets could do the same with scratching posts and pads, after the intitial outlay they would make a good profit.
Bret Glass of KatAWhack makes wonderful cat furniture, they could stock up on that and earn commission from him for selling it.
But no, they prefer to mutilate cats by declawing surgery, especially little kittens, they don’t have the cats welfare at heart they only think of the dollars they can make immediately and in the future.
Are they frightened of getting scratched? I’ve read before about some vets and even vet techs saying a declawed cat is easier to handle,that they only have to watch out for getting bitten then, not scratched.