CLAWS, WHISKERS AND TAILS

CLAWS, WHISKERS AND TAILS

by Ruth
(England)

WHISKERS ARE IMPORTANT AND NECESSARY

A cat’s whiskers are very sensitive to vibrations in air currents. As air swirls around them they vibrate. These vibrations mean the cat can sense the presence, size, and shape of obstacles or spaces without seeing or touching them. Whiskers are also good for hunting rodents, which of course was a cats first purpose in life.

A cat with damaged whiskers may bite the wrong part of a mouse because healthy whiskers provide cats with vital information about the shape and activity of that mouse. Whiskers also help cats smell odours. They are extremely sensitive as they are closely connected to the nervous system.
A cat with damaged or missing whiskers will be in discomfort and possibly become confused or disoriented.

Montage by Ruth AKA Kattaddorra.

TAILS ARE IMPORTANT AND NECESSARY

A cat uses his tail for balancing. When he walks along a narrow fence and decides to look over in one direction, his centre of gravity shifts and his tail automatically moves in the other direction. This re-establishes his body’s centre of gravity and keeps him from falling off the fence.

He also uses his tail as a counter weight when changing direction suddenly at high speed.

His tail is also important for letting us know what mood he is in, such as angry with his tail all bushy, happy with it held up, like when he runs to greet us, or frightened, with it tucked away between his legs.

CLAWS ARE IMPORTANT AND NECESSARY TOO

A vet would never recommend amputating a cat’s healthy tail or whiskers so why do they happily amputate other equally as important healthy necessary parts of a cat:

HIS TOE ENDS/CLAWS

As well as for self defence claws have many other uses.

They influence the way a cat walks and balances and exercises, he uses them for grooming and for playing too. Claws grow firmly embedded into bone because they were never meant to be removed.
Vets who declaw cats, amputate those bones and leave the cat disabled for life.

Some vets even say it’s better done to a very young kitten. To deny a kitten of his important and necessary claws is physically and morally wrong.

It’s time vets who declaw faced up to the truth that they are breaking their sworn oath to cause no animal to suffer.

They are making dollars from the suffering of the cats they are eager to mutilate whilst cunningly disguising the fact that ten (or 18) amputations is major surgery which affects the cats entire lifestyle.

Amputation of ANY healthy body parts of a cat is CRUEL, including the amputation of his toe ends/claws.

Kattaddorra signature Ruth

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CLAWS, WHISKERS AND TAILS

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Feb 19, 2012 Too true NEW
by: Cat lover

Great poster and write up.
Yes each and every part of a cat is important and has a purpose.
Sadly we have to remove the healthy reproductive organs of cats for their own sake but declawing is never for the cat’s own sake.

Declawing is only done by money grabbing vets for selfish or ignorant people.


Feb 18, 2012 All bits are important NEW
by: Edward

Your right man all the bits of cats are important or they wouldnt have them when theyre born.
I dont know what the AVMA are playing at if they dont stop them vets from axing toes off cats and to me if theyre cruel enough to ignore that then theyre not to be trusted with anything to do with animal welfare.
So what is it theyre doing there it seems to me theyre there for nothing but to get money.
Ed


Feb 17, 2012 AVMA NEW
by: Ruth

There been a long discussion on the AVMA page on facebook recently but they totally ignore any comments from outside the USA.
In answer to the USA anti declaw stalwarts though they said they can only recommend their policy they can’t enforce it !
Also they still say it keeps cats in their homes and it’s acceptable as long as pain medication is used.
They just ignore the comments that some vets don’t give pain medication and that some are advertising the supposedly last resort operation.
So what are they for ? Who does care about vets breaking their sworn oath ?
The AVMA are obviously going to do nothing at all to stop declawing.


Feb 16, 2012 Great article NEW
by: Michele S.

Ruth what you say is very true

Cats need their claws just as much (and posssibly more so) as they do their whiskers and claws. Yet no vet would even contemplate suggesting the removal of those body parts. Even worse is that many of them lie about the true nature of declawing and both the immediate and long-term detrimental effect it has upon cats. Those unethical vets rely upon the inherent trust of their clients not to question their recommendation to declaw their cat.

The vets that sicken me the most are those who offer neuter & declawing packages. Pretending that it’s somehow beneficial for the kitten to undergo two surgeries whilst under anaesthetic. In reality what they are doing is known as upselling and something that is frowned upon in the medical profession.

Why on earth the AVMA hasn’t taken disciplinary action against any of these vets is beyond my understanding. What are the AVMA guidelines for if not to be followed for the good of the profession and it’s patients?


Feb 16, 2012 No different NEW
by: Barbara

You’re right Ruth, it’s no different chopping off toe ends to chopping off whiskers, tails, even heads if a cat meows too loud or often or eats too much, or backsides if it’s a nuisance cleaning the litter box. Sounds crazy? Well how crazy is removing healthy and vital parts of cats paws? What a world it would be if we could just obliterate the bits we don’t want wouldn’t it?

Barbara avatar


Feb 16, 2012 Thank You NEW
by: Michael

Great work Ruth. Very strong argument. Sensible and impossible to argue against. Love the poster too.

Thanks for contributing again to the fight against declawing.


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