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.
You would think a vet & (or anyone who assists them) would have a hell of a LOT more compassion & respect for these animals. I find it sickening this happened and I don’t consider it funny at ALL. It’s bad enough that they are doing this to “ANY” cat really. But, to make jokes about an animal they are in essence mutilating….IS DISGUSTING!!!!!
I am livid to the point I wish I could find the vet and vet techs and punch them in their throats,I am a former vet tech and believe me these cats suffer the most unimaginal pain,the last cat I assisted in declawing was the last for me because when the cat come out from being put under it was in so much pain it slammed itself against the kennel walls several times and broke it’s neck,the USA needs to ban this vile procedure like the UK did!
I just cleaned out 8 litter boxes and, all the while, thinking about this article.
R, please never stop fighting.
Truthfully, I had never heard of declawing until late in adulthood. Even then, I had the delusion that it was just about removing the claws. You have enlightened me and so many others.
Thank you for that.
To me it is the callousness of it. They just don’t have grasp on what they are doing.
Thanks Ruth for adding to it and clarifying.
Thanks for updating that. I’ll make an adjustment. Actually, I can’t do it now because the title is hard to change at this stage. Never mind. The principle is still the same. I have added a note to the page to check out the comments.