by Michael
Vets justify declawing using a single argument; that it benefits cats on the basis that it stops cats being given up to shelters and therefore it helps create a better bond between cat and human.
Whenever I have heard vets or their representatives defending the process of declawing that old and tired cliche is wheeled out. And it is flawed and wrong.
I have constantly said that it is arguing that two wrongs (declawing and abandoning) make a right. We know they do not. I have also argued that declawing promotes bad cat caretaking.
Eileen Jefferson, DVM, presents this idea in a different way. She says that if a cat owner is encouraged by vets to think that a cat’s claws are disposable they are more likely to think that the whole cat is also disposable.
This is an excellent argument. In declawing a cat vets are endorsing the cat owner’s idea that a cat’s claws are disposable at the whim of the human. This degrades the cat/human bond, which is the opposite to the argument presented by vets in support of declawing.
There is only one conclusion that can be drawn from this. Vets are encouraging poorer cat caretaking.
Obviously, it is part of a veterinarian’s work to encourage excellent cat caretaking.
Michael
I made this video a while ago and I know some people have seen it but some have not. It truly was spur of the minute stuff. I am not saying it is good. It does say something though. It makes a point.
You can get the embed code for this video on my Flickr Photostream. Click on this link. You can then put the video on other pages if you want to!
