Cat websites should fight declawing for these reasons:
Debt of Gratitude
Without the domestic cat there would be no funny cat pictures, no funny cat videos, no websites built on the back of all that the domestic cat offers to society. Millions of dollars are made out of writing about the domestic cat and presenting images of the domestic cat on the internet. At the very least, owners of cat sites should pay a little back and consider cat welfare at a most profound level because declawing is about cat welfare at the most basic of levels. It is done at the behest of, and for the convenience of, the cat’s owner and is a brutal mutilation of a significant part of the beautiful anatomy of the domestic cat. So the first reason why cat websites should fight declawing is as a thank you for allowing them to make money out of the cat.
Cat Welfare
A central feature of cat websites is cat welfare and how to improve it. Declawing a cat is the antithesis of cat welfare. It is cat mutilation for no therapeutic reason. To fight against it, is to fight for cat welfare. To ignore it is a failure to discharge a cat website’s obligation to address all issues of cat welfare. The second reason is that declawing is an important topic within the subject of cat welfare.
Sitting on the Fence.
The reason why cat websites don’t fight cat declawing is because the owners of these websites are concerned that they will lose visitors because a large percentage of the people who are part of the biggest domestic cat market, North America, declaw their cat or cats.
A lot of cat websites, such as Catster.com and CatChannel.com sit on the fence. They’ll write about cat declawing but they won’t decry it with conviction. They won’t fight against it. They just report it as if it’s a news story. That is not good enough as far as I’m concerned. I don’t believe you can present a “balanced discussion” on the topic of declawing. It is bad, very bad and should be stopped and that is all that needs to be said.
Doing the Opposite
Some sites actively promote or encourage cat declawing. These are usually veterinarian websites. The owners of these sites should know better. A good example is the website: LocalVets.com. They have a page where they proudly declare (in complete ignorance of the vet’s oath):
LocalVets.com has the most complete directory of declawing across the country. Enter your zip code to find declawing in your area.
Idiots. They have a map where you can pin point a vet who declaws. Don’t bother. 99% of all American vets declaw cats (as at date of post). You don’t need a map. Just ring your nearest vet.
Need to Improve Cat Welfare
There is an obvious need to improve cat welfare. The most pressing issues concerning cat welfare are:
- Declawing
- The production of unwanted domestic cats and their legalised killing.
All cat websites have a duty to address these difficult subjects without fear or favour.
Selection of pages on PoC about Declawing. Each one is a fight against it. My thanks to Ruth aka Kattaddorra for pointing out the LocalVets site to me.
A passionate, beautiful and sad comment. Thanks Babara. This is is the page where you can read about the smell of the blood of a declawed cat:
https://pictures-of-cats.org/the-smell-of-the-blood-of-a-declawed-cat.html
Thank you for agreeing. It is nice to have support.
Absolutely my pleasure. Thank you for commenting. I want to shout about it. Everyone who cares should.
Fantastic article Michael.
Barbara as always you have said it as it should be said and pulled no punches especially as owners pick their cats up in a clean bandaged paws nice and neat condition when as you rightly say only hours earlier that cat was covered in blood terrified out of its wits and in agony.
So yes websites should state how bad declawing is!
I get angry and upset every time I read about declawing and I get even more angry about all the selfish owners and vets who inflict it.
Its vile, disgusting and totally uneccessary and those who carry it out should be jailed for animal cruelty.
Thanks Michael for this article. And Barbara, your words brought tears to my eyes – you’ve said it all really. I live in Canada where cat declawing still continues to be performed. I have written to BCSPCA, various Veterinary Associations ,PETA , and several other animal rights groups all of them have responded. But nobody is doing anything to stop this heinous act. I feel it should be banned in North America. I don’t think just public education is enough because there are still going to be those cat owners who will have it done anyway. The only group actively trying to get cat declawing in the US banned is Pawproject.org and here in Canada : Adopt Me Canada.
These websites need to include information on why declawing is bad for your cat, and provide info on how to accommodate the clawing instinct. Links to sites selling the best clawing apparatus should be provided.
Then there is the “backyard breeding” issue. There are still many people who fail to see how this negatively affects the welfare of cats (and dogs). All these website need to strongly emphasize the importance of adopting from a shelter.