I call it “cute abuse”. Cute is profitable. Cute makes you feel all fuzzy inside. Cute is good business. The word “cute” should not be used in conjunction with the word “abuse” but sadly this is the case all over America in malls and parking lots. It makes us realize how some people really do lack a sensitivity towards animal welfare. Important note: there are millions of Americans who are deeply concerned about animal welfare.
People love tiger cubs. You can understand why. They are the cutest of all wild cats. Our attraction to tiger cubs has resulted in unscrupulous people exploiting the tiger for financial profit. Surprised?
There is actual no limit to the human imagination in dreaming up ways to exploit the tiger. Tiger cubs as photo props is at one end of the commercial spectrum. Perhaps tiger bone wine and tiger body parts for medicinal purposes is at the other end because it is gruesome rather than cute. America does cute; China does gruesome. Both exploitations are disrespectful of the tiger and animals in general.
This Big Cat Rescue video explains the problem well:
Tiger cubs can be seen in cages in malls and parking lots across the USA. There must be cars, noise and fumes. Would this be frightening to a tiger cub in a cage?
At first sight, it looks pleasant enough to many people but when you think about it, it is actual raw abuse of a vulnerable and beautiful wild cat species. I am sure cute abuse it not limited to tigers. Lion cubs look extremely cute too. White tiger cubs are particularly cute, which is, actually, abuse piled upon abuse because white tigers are heavily inbred, so much so that some are born with congenital defects. They are probably killed at birth. The same can said for almost all captive wild cats to varying degrees.
People who like to see tiger cubs should really look beyond the cute image. They should think wider, to the business end of the process. I am referring to the breeding programs to create a supply of tigers (see also Tigers for Sale). The cubs are often taken early from their mother, psychologically damaging both and mother. To the business-minded people who use tiger cubs to make money, you can imagine that cat welfare is not their first priority.
People should recognise the fact that cubs are put to work when they are weeks old. It is an animal version of child labour. The cubs are not just used as a photo prop. Sometimes people simply pay to pet and hold the cub.
Using tiger cubs as business opportunities must stop. Local governments need to do more to stop it. I am sure it breaches animal welfare laws of some sort or am I being naive?
Ruth you are a wonderful advocate for cats; really classy. However, despite my best efforts, people who said they wanted to attend the protest on Facebook (they more or less signed up to it) disappeared when the moment came to step up to the plate and start doing it; booking flights etc.. This is not criticizing you or anyone. I have no right to do that. It is the way life is. I do feel, though, it was indicative of a lack of real commitment in America to end declawing, which is apparent anyway because it takes place so widely. Millions of people think it is a good idea.
I could not spend £1,000 coming over etc. if only a few might attend. I am not that rich 😉 The original announcement was “Are there 100 people who want to march in protest”. I wanted 100 people at least to make it worthwhile.
Another group took up the challenge, and after the event they announced that a small number attended, which I think deserves a big pat on the back.
https://pictures-of-cats.org/antideclawing-demonstration-st-louis-usa-2011-timetable-and-methods.html
Note Michael wrote on 18th July 2011:
Just a short note to say a heartfelt thank you to START – St. Louis Animal Rights Team for turning up and protesting.
The numbers were small, very small (7) regrettably but it happened.
The people who protested deserve a lot of praise. I, for one, admire you guys.
I feel a sadness though that we could not get real numbers to attend.
There were only about 7 people there, all from START, no one from Michael’s arranged protest, the pictures and account on their facebook page at the time proved that.
The protest went ahead but only by the START people who invited the people who had volunteered to go to Michael’s protest to go along too, but none attended.
Michael called his trip over there off because as it got near people started backing out, some pretended they thought it was an on line protest although it was clear it wasn’t because the meeting place etc had been discussed. It wasn’t worth him coming over.
I know you printed a lot off Ruth, remember I designed the leaflets, we just couldn’t believe that of 400+ people no one was passionate enough to go ahead anyway without him.
I’m sorry for those of you over there who do care but if it was here, no matter what the weather, we would be out on the streets with tables of educational leaflets, petitions, etc, it’s the only way to stop the suffering of cats being legally abused, the AVMA and greedy vets won’t voluntarily change, it’s down to the people who care about cats to force them to change.
There were people protesting the AVMA’s convention in St. Louis. Large numbers of people. Certainly some were people who had planned to join Michael’s protest, but then just protested with the other groups instead when it was cancelled. Local people came out. Just as, if the convention had been in my city, local people would have come out to protest it. I do think the location and time of year cut down on who was going to show up. We really just can’t take that kind of heat because up here we almost never get that, and even when we do, it’s more intense in the south. I was in Indiana once in July and I had a hard time just walking from the car to the motel. Would someone from the south accept an invitation to a football game in Green Bay, WI in December? I think not. There is no way they could sit outside in sub zero temperatures for hours, but I know I could tolerate that with little difficulty.
The problem is where to direct our efforts. The AVMA convention was a great idea, but do we protest businesses that declaw? We could get sued. Very easily. I am not willing to attack individual veterinary clinics. I have a good lawyer, but still– scary. And I just don’t have deep pockets. They do.
We keep doing what we can, but just because one protest didn’t happen, that doesn’t mean Americans don’t care. Other protests did take place and many, many people do speak out to family and friends every day about declawing. The word is spreading. Those who want to ignore it will eventually have no choice but to see the evidence.
That’s not true. I would have come, and my husband as well as my friend Don from Madison, WI and my young friend Emily who recorded Simon’s song with me. I tried to talk Michael into still having it with a few, but he declined. Then the forecast was for 100 degree temps in St. Louis for that weekend, so my husband stated that he would not want to go because he does not deal with heat well (nor do I) and since Michael had cancelled it seemed wise to let it go and look for local venues instead.
Until the AVMA makes it clear that declawing is never acceptable and until vets actually follow the recommendation of their own professional organization nothing will change. I have paid a high price for my stance against declawing losing friends and family members over it. I’m not welcome for holidays anymore with my family because my aunt insists she will declaw any cat brought into her home, mostly at this point, because she knows it will hurt me terribly to even hear about it. She rubs it in my face and claims I’m too stupid to understand that it’s really no big deal. I’m not a vet after all, so how can I know this is wrong? Her vet will back her up. I offered to buy her a beautiful scratching post– a custom made, expensive work of art really. A guy near Madison makes them. She turned me down in favor of mutilation.
Americans do care about stopping declawing and both veterinary workers and lay people who stand up against it pay a heavy price for doing so in both social exclusion and ridicule, personally and professionally. It isn’t fair to ignore those sacrifices just because after Michael pulled the plug I didn’t want to travel all those hours to endure 100 degree heat. I printed tons of materials for that protest, money wasted when it was cancelled. I just think most people can’t tolerate summer in St. Louis for a protest and with the economy the way it is most people are just scraping by. That doesn’t mean they don’t hate declawing. Had the protest been scheduled in Milwaukee it would have happened. I could have gotten a hundred people there myself. People like my aunt are the minority and seen as backwards by a lot of people. But they are such a vocal, stubborn minority!