The guilt of declawing cats must be shared
by Mel
(UK)
After following as many articles as possible about declawing I feel I have to have my say. I have noticed that many people blame the vets. Yes those vets must take a large proportion of the blame. But so must the people who have their cats declawed take some blame also.
They say they did not know what declawing meant, that their vet offered it and they accepted. They ACCEPTED a procedure without first finding out what it was.
But I trusted my vet, they say. So does that mean if the vet had said would you like your cat dewhiskered while he is being neutered, they would have agreed because the vet knows best? I think not.
Everyone knows that cats have whiskers because they need them. It is hardly rocket science then that cats have claws too because they need them. So why did they not ask about the procedure called declawing? The vet would have to explain then that it was ten amputations. Would they have still trusted the vet who had offered major surgery so lightly? I think not in the case of most people.
I randomly phoned 6 vets practices here in the UK to ask if I could have my kitten neutered and declawed. All the people who answered the phone sounded shocked and refused declawing on the grounds that it is banned.
I then asked if before the ban they would have agreed. All said no, never! One lady was trying very hard to stay polite but her voice was as cold as ice and left me in no doubt of her disgust at me.
I did tell them all in the end that I was merely doing some research as declawing happens to kittens routinely in the USA and Canada and that I wanted to write an article on the difference in opinions between them and the UK.
I told them also about the vets who offer neuter and declaw packages and the vets who offer discount vouchers for declawing. All were shocked and disgusted and agreed even had it only been the claws and not the amputation of healthy toe joints, it was still very very wrong.
I asked if were they employed by a vet in the USA, would they offer, book in, or assist, at a declawing. All said an emphatic NO they would rather be unemployed.
As I have already stated, vets who declaw must take the largest proportion of the guilt, along with their employees who work for them knowing full well what they do is wrong. But the people who hand over their cats without finding out what will happen to them must take a share of the guilt too.
USA and Canadian people, please do not take home a kitten or a cat if you do not like a pet with claws.
USA and Canadian people with a cat already, please do not ever trust a vet who declaws. Phone around and find a vet who really does care about the animals he or she trained to care for.
Join the people of the UK who would never condone such abuse of living creatures.
Mel
The guilt of declawing cats must be shared to Declawing cats