This is a follow up to my previous article: Hatred or Fear of Cats, where Michael said in a comment:
‘I think there is a subliminal fear of claws which might go back to the beginnings of the human species – millions or at least hundreds of thousands of years. The big cats would have been a real danger to people then and claws are a cat weapon’
It made me wonder if he is right and having thought about it, I think he is, that those people who have their cats declawed are really afraid of claws!
To go even further, maybe the vets who declaw cats are afraid of claws too, they must find it easier to handle and treat a cat who can’t scratch, at an appointment. Although, I think most cats are too frightened to protest at a visit to the vets and handled gently wouldn’t scratch anyone on purpose.
But surely working with animals, it’s part of the job to expect some very nervous cats to struggle and maybe scratch the vet or vet nurse. There’s no big deal about getting a few scratches, certainly not worth disabling a cat for life by the major surgery of declawing.
Declawing kittens because they scratch when playing is very cruel, they haven’t had time to learn ‘claw manners’ and to take away the joys of kittenhood is unthinkable to people who truly love cats.
Are the people who are afraid of claws afraid of scissors and knives too? What about needles? Sharp objects are part of life, we respect them for their uses, we don’t go around removing the sharp bits.
Why don’t we? Because they are necessary to our daily life, just as cats claws are necessary to their daily life.
A message to pro declaw people: Don’t get a cat and adapt him for your own convenience or because you are afraid of those essential parts of his body, his claws, they are embedded in bone because they were never meant to be removed.
If you don’t like claws, you don’t like cats!
Or even for people to realise how wrong it is to take a cats claws because of their fear of them. Those people should not have a cat, it’s unfair to get a cat and adapt him instead of accepting him and every part of him.
I hope that people can examine their emotions about claws because of your article and if they decide they are a bit frightened of them (and it’ll take some honesty to decide that) then address the fear and learn to like and admire them as we do.
Thanks for your comment Marc, you are always a great support to all cat causes.
I find it sad that anti declaw articles don’t get as many comments as they used to, such as this excellent one by Christine in Canada:
https://pictures-of-cats.org/a-cat-who-started-biting-after-being-declawed.html
I hope people aren’t becoming complacent and thinking the battle is won, yes the anti declaw movement has come a long way but there’s a long way to go yet. I can’t stop writing and designing educational posters until declawing is banned and every last cat in the world is safe from this cruel surgery.
Ruth – once again I cannot add to what you have said. I agree – great poster and great article 🙂
Thanks Michael, there is no need to feel fear of claws, just respect for them. We respect a dog’s teeth can bite us, we don’t get his teeth removed, we just don’t do anything to the dog to make him want to bite us.
It’s all about lack of respect for cats and anyone who doesn’t respect their cat and accept him as he comes is an unfit person to have a cat around.
Thanks for quoting me 😉 Your poster is very creative and looks great on PoC.
I believe that the behavior of people is often affected by a subliminal fear of anything and everything. Fear has a big impact on our lives but I don’t think people accept that or even notice it.
It happens all time and often affects doing new things. The fear of the unknown. As for cats and claws. Let’s say that all humans have a subliminal fear of claws or at least a potential for it.
Someone like me or Ruth, we respect cats, understand them. We actually like a cat’s claws but treat them with respect. We don’t get scratched,
By contrast, a person who does not understand cats or has less knowledge of cats might get scratched because they mishandled their cat and failed to read their cat’s behavior and respect their cat.
Then the subliminal fear leads to declawing. Fear of claws alone can lead to declawing. Also a combination of (a) subliminal fear of claws (and even the cat) and (b) a lack of sufficient knowledge of cat behavior and respect for the cat can lead to declawing. And both parties to the declawing process, vet and cat owner can have the same fears.
Thanks for the article, Ruth.