Declawing is Caused by a Lack of Respect
by Maggie Sharp
(Hobart, Tasmania, Australia)
Chilli playing a feather game on his first day with me.
I've had declawing on my mind 24/7 lately, it's all I've been able think about, I even dream about it! I've been thinking long and hard, and I've come to realise that declawing is mostly caused by a lack of respect.
I know that declawing is also caused by ignorance, selfishness, cruelty etc, but when you think about it, all of that comes down to respect too.
A person wouldn't declaw a cat if they respected a cat, because with a cat comes its claws, and, therefore, to respect the cat you have to respect its claws. Not even a veterinarian would declaw a cat if they respected the cat.
Why is it that people respect inanimate objects such as furniture more than cats? That furniture doesn't feel pain, and once the furniture is ruined there is plenty more out there to replace it. But a cat can't be replaced, as each cat is truly unique, and once a cat is declawed that uniqueness sort of disappears, it's forgotten in the pain, discomfort and unfamiliarity of declawing.
Today I was playing with Chilli, I was holding a feather and brushing it along the floor, Chilli would pounce and attack the feather and at one point he sliced my finger, it hurt but I ignored it, until I realised that there was blood running down my finger.
I didn't hit him, I didn't yell, I didn't curse him or his claws. I simply stroked him, said "good boy" and washed my hand. I respect Chilli and his claws a lot, and his behaviour was natural.
I don't clip his claws because he has every right to them as they should naturally be. But imagine if Chilli was declawed, we would never be able to play that game (which, might I add, is his favourite) and I would never get to see Chilli naturally, and to own a cat you have to respect their natural physical state, declawing does not respect that.
Another reason why I don't clip Chilli's claws, is because if he needs to use them he will. If he attacks someone with his claws he obviously has a reason to do so, the same goes for any cat. And if you can't respect a cat and their need to use their claws for any reason, in any situation, you shouldn't own one.
It frustrates me to see people who disrespect these amazing creatures so much that they declaw them... It is disgusting and it really needs to be stopped...
Maggie