Do Americans want to keep declawing? Yes

Do Americans want to keep declawing? Yes

by Michael

You cannot escape the conclusion that Americans (as a nation) want to retain the practice of declawing cats. I have no option other than to come to that unhappy conclusion. Why am I so sure?

Because over about 60 years or so, Americans have had ample opportunity to stop doing it. Over that time more people annually have declawed their cat.

The law is ultimately in the hands of the people. It is by the people for the people. The people are doing almost nothing to change. There is little lobbying of politicians to change the law. There seems to be little change in the underlying attitude towards it even though at one time after the spate of declaw bannings in some major cities, I had thought change was coming.

Most or at least half of the comments on PoC criticising declawing come from English people or people in countries other than America despite most visitors being Americans.

Stopping declawing is not on the agenda for Americans. The demonstration that I tried to organise confirms that. Four hundred people agreed to come on it but when push came to shove, when words had to be converted to action it all melted away.

You simply have to come to the regrettable and unhappy conclusion that the United States (and Canada) are no where near ready to stop declawing their cats. By and large there is a large body of people in the US who want to declaw their cat and who believe it is OK to do it.

As I have said before I find it very strange that tens of millions of Americans are prepared to commit a criminal act and perpetrate animal cruelty under UK law and the law of many European countries and Israel.

Wake up America! It is a terrible reflection on your attitude towards animals.

Comments for
Do Americans want to keep declawing? Yes

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Feb 03, 2012 Apathy rules NEW
by: Rose

Yes some people do want to keep declawing for convenience so that they can take a little kitten and have its last toe joints removed and save themselves the bother of teaching it to use a scratching post.
They don’t want a cat to be a cat,they want a cat to be as they want it to be,it doesn’t matter about the cats quality of life as long as it can sit like an ornament looking pretty on their perfect furniture.
The apathy there is dreadful and the vets are laughing all the way to the bank as they reap money for crippling cats and no one much tries to stop them.
The AVMA turn a blind eye too.
My sympathy is entirely with the endless suffering cats and also with the handful of people like Dee who feels ashamed on her country’s behalf and who cares about that suffering and is trying to do something to stop it.


Feb 03, 2012 Some do NEW
by: Barbara

I think on the whole yes Americans and Canadians DO want to keep declawing because it’s convenient for them to take a cat to a vet, throw x hundred dollars at him and have the cat made into a soft toy that can’t do any damage to the precious soft furnishings with his claws, it also means they can pretty much leave the cat in the hands of the kids and the family mutt knowing that whatever they do to the cat he can’t use his claws to defend himself.
Having said all that though there are some good people who are desperate to outlaw it and who get very frustrated and upset at the lack of progress either through apathy or because people who make good money from declawing cats will not give it up easily.
For myself I can’t understand the mentality of anyone who contemplates removing healthy and vital parts of a cats feet, they must see the cat as an object/possession and not a living, breathing, warm blooded animal that feels pain just as much as you or I.

Barbara avatar

Two useful tags. Click either to see the articles: Toxic to cats | Dangers to cats


Feb 03, 2012 Too few fighting it NEW
by: Ruth

How I agree with you Michael !
There are too few Americans and Canadians fighting to get declawing banned, some pay lip service as to how they hate it but they do nothing to help stop it.
Every one of those 400 people who promised to attend the demo should feel ashamed that as it drew close they backed out.
If abuse like declawing was happening in our country we’d be out on every street in every city and town, in our thousands with educational leaflets and posters, collecting signatures on petitions, campaigning to stop it.
We’d be going round schools and writing to the press.
I feel sorry for the people there who are doing all they can.
What’s that saying, something like ‘To stand by and watch abuse is as bad as performing that abuse yourself’
The anger and frustration I feel at declawing being allowed to go on so long by the people there is indescribable !

Kattaddorra signature Ruth


Feb 03, 2012 We Americans NEW
by: Dee, Florida USA

Each time I read a posting like this, I am ashamed to be American. I abhor declawing and any other abuse.
Sadly, many Americans consider animals as disposable, not as a family member, comapanion, or child. This is evidenced by the many animals brought to kill shelters and the enormous feral cat population here.
Our laws encourage all of this. Cats are not allowed to be cats here. It is against the law not to have any cat or dog outside without a leash. Violation of this levies hefty fines, confiscation of the animal, and depositing in the kill shelter.
I have known many folks who, simply, surrender their cats rather than pay the enormous fines. Many other people surrender their cats as “problematic” because they damage furniture, etc., all because they are not afforded the opportunity to do “cat things” outside. They can’t climb a tree, scratch on a branch, or chase a butterfly.
Hence, I think that there are those that declaw because: their possessions are more precious than their cats and it is against the law for cats to be cats here.


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