Ruth, one of the country’s staunchest advocates against declawing, forwarded a couple of photographs to me of a red, spotted tabby-and-white cat being declawed together with a photograph of the cat after being declawed. The screenshot is below.
Jim, a visitor comments (see below): “The woman on the left is the vet and the one who, according to the post, threw the severed cat toes at a third person, apparently a student intern, who was the one who took the photo and wrote the comments. The cat on the right is not the same cat as the one on the left…but apparently was subjected to declawing. It’s still very disturbing and discouraging.” This clears things up. My description off the photos is not accurate with respect to the parties but it does not change what is happening with respect to ethics and moral code.
Perhaps I needn’t add words to this page but I will add a few. I am compelled to. I presume the photograph on the left shows the veterinarian and his assistant declawing this cat. I don’t know the name of the person who made the comments which are below the photograph but they are crass beyond belief and appear to be made by the vet. The behaviour of this couple of medics during the declawed operation is highly objectionable. It is nauseous.
The veterinarian is laughing at the fact that his assistant threw at him the fragments of bone and the claws that had been amputated from this cat’s smashed toes. He actually finds it amusing. Amusing for God’s sake! Only a vet who is completely desensitised to the reality of what he is doing could behave in this manner. And then to post the photos online. Extraordinary. Update: Please read the comments by Ruth on this as she has a better grasp of the ‘players’. This article was written from the screenshot alone.
In the picture on the right we see the aftermath of the declawing operation. This is the classic, fearful, racked with pain, face and posture of a cat who has suffered 10 amputations at the same time, which all took place within about 15 minutes and therefore the operation is quite likely a botch. The vet or assistant finds the photo amusing for some macabre reason.
I am shocked and I am in despair because these vets certainly do not care and by that I mean the vets who genuinely believe that declawing is acceptable and which is part of their culture. Shame on him and her. They are not fit to be veterinary medics.
To be an excellent vet you have to have empathy with the patient. That is as important as knowledge and skill. It is also telling that a trainee vet (if I am correct) is doing the operation. It tells us how routine and unimportant it is to the clinic.
The woman on the left is the vet and the one who, according to the post, threw the severed cat toes at a third person, apparently a student intern, who was the one who took the photo and wrote the comments. The cat on the right is not the same cat as the one on the left…but apparently was subjected to declawing. It’s still very disturbing and discouraging.
So do you and you are an asset to our International group already!
Like I said in an earlier post,the photo is irrelevant whether it is the same cat or not !!!!!!!!
I’m behind every law to ban declawing and Ruth thankye so much for advocating the cause,ye rock!
Well said Irish! I’ve heard some horrific stories over the years about the pain, shock and anguish of newly declawed cats and I’ve always said suicide is not a option for cats, but that poor cat was in so much pain she actually did do it.
How can anyone justify declawing when this has happened even once! I’ve heard about cats throwing themselves around the cage and bleeding, cats cringing in the corner too shocked to move and you are here to tell us it’s all true!
What sort of vet would even risk that happening? What sort of vet amputates cats toe ends for convenience sake? What sort of vet advertises declawing? It’s shocking and disgusting and they need to STOP IT RIGHT NOW! The Paw Project vets must be in deep distress over their colleagues who do this, they are struggling to repair mutilated paws while declawing vets carry on crippling more cats, many of who will have to live with lifelong pain because the Paw Project can’t help them all.
I’m more determined than ever to help get declawing stopped!
Wot does it matter that it is a different photo,that isnt even important in my book,this discussion is about this vets and staff apathy in regards to mocking a cat just newly declawed and Sue when I said punch in throat I meant every word,I care not that it bothered ye,I’m bothered still by the last assisted declawing I did,ye were not there,ye didnt have to hold a sobbing owner because her cat died,last night I found out 2 other people I know had their cats declawed this past Friday,this is my rant on facebook after I found out and if anyone here has an issue with my rant then I am sorry but I feel strongly about this issue!
RANT
It seems of late there have been more people having their cats declawed and those that have done this whether ye are my friend or family know that all cats have the right to bear claws,if ye have not done this vile cruel deed to ye cat but are entertaining the thought then do me a favor,REHOME YE CAT,ye have no business having a cat if ye furniture and material things are more important to ye,cats claws are like our fingers,how would ye like ye finger cut off to the first knuckle,hmmmm,I have seen a cat kill itself due to the horrific pain because the pain was that unbearable,ever hit ye thumb/finger with a hammer? well the pain is 20 times worse for a cat newly declawed,and those that say their cats were just fine after being declawed are LIARS,as a cat gets older their paws and joints become arthritic,they have litter box issues,their personality changes from the former affectionate cat to a hostile aggressive cat and most wind up be surrendered to a shelter where it most likely will be PTS because of wot ye did,I have heard every excuse in the world for getting a cat declawed,the onethat bothered me the most was a friend who told me he was getting his cat declawed because it scratched his toddler and I gave him every option and other resources not to declaw his cat,well he did it anyway so he is no longer a part of my life,I had a former friend who adopted a kitten and then a few days later bought new furniture and then comes over to my house to tell me she is getting her kitten declawed,I pleaded and begged her not to do it but she did anyway,right now in the state of NY an assembly woman has introduced a new Bill banning declawing in our state and I hope to gawd it gets passed,I currently have a declawed cat that her former owner had done and sheis one of the most hissiest pisseist cats I have ever had,she is aggressive towards my other cats,she will NOT use the litter box so I have to lay out a cheap shower curtain on my carpet upstairs as a huge puppy pad and I have to clean it up every day,anyone else most likely would have surrendered her to our shelter and if adopted most likely returned because of her aggressiveness and she would be PTS and I cant bear the thought of that happening to her,tis not her fault but her former owners so again I am telling ye to rehome ye cat if ye want to get it declawed,photo is of a cat who was just declawed,rant over!