I found these two kittens in my travels yesterday. They were behind a strip mall that I pass through on my way to Walmart some mornings around 4:30 AM when I have run short of the cat food that I packed for my colonies. They are semi-feral and I brought them home to socialize. I called the rescue group I am affiliated with and they were approved to be displayed for adoption at Petsmart after undergoing testing and neutering. I was so happy until I got an email from one of the board members asking how I felt about declawing.
Here are some excerpts from the emails I got and my responses:
HER: “What do you think about declaw? I know a great couple who wants one of those and they have a good vet to declaw them. They come in every Saturday.”
ME: “Very, very strong feelings about declaw mutilation.”
HER: “I had 2 done at T&C on kittens and no problem what so ever…They jump off my bed onto the tile and doesn’t bother them…I would only have a reputable vet do it…Mine are done with lazer.”
ME: “Not negotiable. Sorry. Amputation for owner convenience is unacceptable to me.”
No more emails received since, so I don’t know if I can adopt them out or not at this point.
Actually, I was shocked by her because this group is anti-declaw all the way. I think she stepped out of bounds in her exuberance to have them adopted.
I decided to exercise my right to visit the adopter’s home at any time to check on the welfare of my adopted cats. I’ll tell all upfront to expect it. I, also, have the right to confiscate if they have violated the adoption contract which I have made certain clearly states no declaw.
I think that I covered my bases.
Dee please post area of Florida you’re in and contact info and if there will be adoption fee or just vet references. I can do article from work after midnight 🙂
If you can help Elisa. Great. I would hope that these two would be easy to adopt. They are Siamese mix cats even Snowshoes 😉 .
There are ways other than going to that extreme. My little guy Shadow (who was originally my brothers’ cat … then my moms’ until she passed away) had been declawed. But, “if” I had known what declawing actually did. I would have asked her not to have it done. At the time we were both unaware what it meant for the cat. I wish we had known about those little things that fit over the claws that stop them from scratching things up. Because it’s pretty horrible & cruel what happens to them. Both my mom & I loved him dearly and would not have purposely wanted to harm him. I would NEVER have the same done to another cat I owned.
Let me know if you need me to do an Examiner article for adoption. They’re adorable!
Michael, I will share this post. . . I am praying that these babies do not get declawed/mutilated. . .
I feel when a cat lover and caretaker is in an environment where declawing is commonplace it is hard sometimes to avoid it and circumvent it.
A contract forbidding declawing is good and perhaps the best you can do but if the adopter ignored the contract and declawed the cats, then what?
You can’t sue for compensation and the irrepairable damage has been done. Difficult situation.
Thanks for allowing me to post this, Dee. I hope it does not cause problems.