This is a really cool way to protest against the declawing of cats for non-therapeutic reasons. 99.9% of all operations are for non-therapeutic reasons. The idea comes from a South African artist Mark Wilby who employed it to protest against the Chinese demand for rhino horn resulting in the gradual extinction of rhinos.
Anyone can do it from anywhere in the world which makes it particularly powerful. It is very cheap to do and the target can be selected with precision or the target can be a general one.
What we do
When you next cut your toe nails you sellotape the clippings to a letter. The letter reads:
Dear Sirs,
Please find enclosed toenail clippings to be used as free merchandising material in your new promotion to encourage cat owners to trim their cat’s claws rather than asking you to declaw their cats. You may treat this merchandise as a gift from me and you have the right to retain, use, discard, or dispose of it in any manner you see fit without any obligation whatsoever to the sender.
I wish you every success in your new promotion, which ensures compliance with the veterinarian’s oath.
Your faithfully,
From the point of view of keeping it peaceful and polite it is probably better to target vets at random. Or we could target the AVMA. This would avoid any repercussions.
I have checked the USA Postal Service Regulations and the covering letter complies. The rules are found under Receipt of Unsolicited Merchandise from the Postal Reorganization Act of 1970, Title 39, United States Code, Section 3009.
To be honest I think I am being overly cautious. The rules on receipt of unsolicited merchandise relate to protection for recipients from being preyed on by aggressive businesses. But the covering letter does comply with the rules.
Alternatively just put the toenail clippings in the envelope and send it. Does anyone in America who visits this page see a problem with this idea?
I am convinced that it is legal and very cool. It is a nice way of gently but poignantly reminding vets that when they declaw cats they are doing wrong no matter how many weasel words and wriggles they employ to get out of the guilt that they push to the back of their head.
Great idea 🙂 – I’m sure they get alot of confrontations about this and dont even read further when they realise. They probably just say ‘oh those stupid people’ and thats it. Thats because they can, because they have the upper hand. People out there dont know its bad I guess. Thats the AVMA’s upper hand. Actually all you need is a quick ad on lots of TV stations saying exactly what it is and that would change everything. If not then a nice big scandal or thing in the news that brings it to light. Graffiti sadly is a useful weapon. Personally I hate graffiti in general and dont want any of it – but it can be used when you dont have a voice. That is what its power is I think – a voice that can be heard when other avenues that are more legitimate shut you down and/or are corrupted. Go through the center of a big city one night and write your message thousands of times – a group of you – and I think if you are lucky it might just get in the news. That would put the idea in everybodys mind then.
Its awful to think of having to take such measures but that is the way of our culture and why I suppose graffiti is a constant if not growing thing. I still hate it because I find most of it useless – but some small amount of it is not, it has a need and a place and a purpose.
The Paw Project have a new movie out Marc, the trailer is very powerful, I hope it gets spread around the entire country because even that had me in tears seeing the suffering of declawed cats large and small.
How very interesting! I’d love to send a parcel of fingernail/ toenail clippings to the AVMA, it would be well worth the postage!
It would have to be a huge co-ordinated effort for full effect though, targeting them as well as every vet who declaws.
Or maybe the anti declaw people in the USA could send their cats claw trimmings with a message to say ‘Just like every other animal, cats claws can be trimmed, you don’t need to amputate their finger ends instead’
The possibilities are endless……
Yes, nice idea with the cat’s nails. I think the basic idea is good because it is easy to do. And I agree it would take lots of people to do it for it to have an effect. But as it is easy to do maybe people will do it? I guess I am dreaming a bit but I like to try new ideas. I think we have to think about new ideas because nothing is happening.
For the record, a cat’s claws (some US vets call then ‘nails’) are the same material as fingernails and toenails – keratin. This is a hard protein that is a component in making skin too.
The trouble is many people say they will do something and when it comes time to do it they back out, I’m thinking of the St Louis protest you arranged Michael and over 400 Americans pledged to attend but they all backed out.
I think we UK animal welfare people have much more passion and staying power, come on the troops, trim your finger and toe nails and get ’em in the post, although the recipients would probably just write us off as insane lol