I really couldn't believe it when I read it, that supposedly 9 vets had told the writer that indoor cats need to be declawed for their own safety !!! Why ? Well they reckoned that a cat might snag its claws on something while playing and may break its toe bones.Also, using a litter tray the cat could get germs under its claws and spread them around the house. This writer adds that he/she hates it when cats nibble and yank out their own claws and that it hurts then as bad as a hangnail hurts a human( he/ she thinks they yank whole claws out, not simply remove the shards from them as cats naturally do when manicuring !!! ) Then he/she adds that cats with claws can hurt each other and if they don't get treament immediately, the wound can get infected. I'd say a bite was much more likely to become infected than a scratch !
This person obviously knows zilch about cats and what's more, is desperately trying to justify having his/her own cats declawed.
It would be funny if it wasn't so serious,because someone who doesn't know much about cats and declawing, could read that, think it was true and have their poor cat declawed on this person's say so !
In all my years working with vets and doing cat rescue and having cats at home too, never once have I seen a claw injury so bad it justifies declawing ALL cats. Nor have I seen a cat with a broken toe.
Who are these pro declaw people who can't understand the concept that cats are born with claws because they need them ? As for spreading germs with claws, well I'd think it more likely that more germs would be spread by a cat with mutilated feet,especially before the wounds are healed.And as for cats might hurt each other !! Are all animals to be disabled,have their claws and teeth removed, just incase they hurt another animal ? We might as well say humans should be disabled too as we are more likely to hurt each other and animals than ever an animal would be !
Monday 18 May 2009
Wednesday 13 May 2009
Different cultures
Here in England most people believe in giving their cats their freedom if at all possible.We've had cats for over 35 years now and never a thought of always keeping them in the house, to keep them safe. So when I first came across Yahoo Answers, which is mostly USA questions, as well as the shock when I discovered cats are still being declawed there, I also found out that many people are adamant that cats should never ever be let out. Looking into this, I can understand why, if there is danger outside, such as busy roads, I think the USA roads are far busier than ours, and also wild animals out there which could kill a cat.But many of these people were asking questions about 'bad cats' when in reality, these 'bad cats' are simply bored out of their skulls ! These people don't seem to learn about cats before they get a kitten, they don't have the slightest idea how to look after them or when to get them vaccinated and neutered.Worse still are the ones who feel it's routine to have a kitten declawed ! Or that it's compulsory, kids as young as 13 replying to questions on Yahoo Answers and 'advising' people to 'get it declawed' or 'why isn't it declawed yet?' They have no idea what they are saying, and thankfully when they are told about it by the many anti declaw members, there's shock and horror from most of them 'But I didn't know they did THAT to the cat' And some don't even provide a scratching post for their kitten, why should they bother to train the cat when it's so easy to have it crippled so it can't scratch their precious furniture.Or another excuse'It might scratch the baby'
Of course not everyone is like that, many USA people I've come across and stayed in contact with, don't have their cats declawed and they give them the best life an indoor only cat can have, with plenty to do, scratching posts, toys, and kitty grass, and these cats are content, we know cats adjust to their lifestyles. But cats on leashes and cats in strollers, having a sniff or a sighting of freedom but not allowed to enjoy it,to roll in the grass, to climb a tree, we can't understand. Here in England, leashes are for dogs.And I don't visit the dogs section of Yahoo Answers very much but sometimes see in passing 'how do I crate train my dog?' That seems routine too, that dogs are shut in crates instead of having the freedom of the house and garden as our dogs do here.
I think once declawing is banned and I have my life back, as my every spare moment is spent on this project now( and YES it WILL be banned one day as the USA must soon catch up with the rest of us in the civilised world .....we have Pet Welfare laws here now, maybe the powers that be in the USA will realise that animals are not mere possessions to be adapted for human convenience and will pass some new laws, once they admit that declawing a cat IS animal abuse) When I do have time,it will be interesting to study various cultures and the different ways they treat their pets.
But back to cats and their freedom, our cats are always kept in at night and never left out if we go anywhere,they enjoy the garden and the embankment and trees opposite where we live,we are very lucky,it's a cat friendly place. Our old home was cat friendly too, until some cat hating neighbours moved in......we soon moved out, but meanwhile we stood on guard while our cats were out in the garden ! Our cats are the most important things in our lives and deserve the best life we can give them.
I'm not saying anyone is right or anyone is wrong, it's not clear cut like declawing is, that IS wrong, no question about it !
Just musing over the diferences in culture, that's all.
Of course not everyone is like that, many USA people I've come across and stayed in contact with, don't have their cats declawed and they give them the best life an indoor only cat can have, with plenty to do, scratching posts, toys, and kitty grass, and these cats are content, we know cats adjust to their lifestyles. But cats on leashes and cats in strollers, having a sniff or a sighting of freedom but not allowed to enjoy it,to roll in the grass, to climb a tree, we can't understand. Here in England, leashes are for dogs.And I don't visit the dogs section of Yahoo Answers very much but sometimes see in passing 'how do I crate train my dog?' That seems routine too, that dogs are shut in crates instead of having the freedom of the house and garden as our dogs do here.
I think once declawing is banned and I have my life back, as my every spare moment is spent on this project now( and YES it WILL be banned one day as the USA must soon catch up with the rest of us in the civilised world .....we have Pet Welfare laws here now, maybe the powers that be in the USA will realise that animals are not mere possessions to be adapted for human convenience and will pass some new laws, once they admit that declawing a cat IS animal abuse) When I do have time,it will be interesting to study various cultures and the different ways they treat their pets.
But back to cats and their freedom, our cats are always kept in at night and never left out if we go anywhere,they enjoy the garden and the embankment and trees opposite where we live,we are very lucky,it's a cat friendly place. Our old home was cat friendly too, until some cat hating neighbours moved in......we soon moved out, but meanwhile we stood on guard while our cats were out in the garden ! Our cats are the most important things in our lives and deserve the best life we can give them.
I'm not saying anyone is right or anyone is wrong, it's not clear cut like declawing is, that IS wrong, no question about it !
Just musing over the diferences in culture, that's all.
Monday 11 May 2009
Putting straight some facts about declawing
I just want to put a few incorrect facts straight for the benefit of anyone who thinks declawing cats is acceptable.
1. Some people say a cat's pain threshold is higher than ours.That is untrue, cats hide their pain remarkably well,for instance a cat can be seriously ill before the owner knows anything is wrong.To a cat, showing pain is a sign of weakness.
2.Some people compare the pain of declawing to the pain of spaying.Untrue again,the pain after declawing is much worse than after spaying, which as we know is an internal procedure.Cats need very strong pain killers after declawing, actually the same strength given to terminally ill people.A spayed cat goes home the same day and is up and about in no time.A declawed cat stays at the vets at least overnight, some throw themselves around the cage in their pain, which shows how bad it is,I’ve already said cats prefer to hide their pain,so you can only imagine the intensity of that pain! The more stoic cats hunch in the corner. Some tear at their bandages, they bleed, the cage walls are splattered with their blood, their stumps have to be reglued…. imagine that, sore bleeding stumps being handled …and all declawed cats are shocked and bewildered.
3.Some people think lasering is less painful than amputation. Untrue ! the only difference between lasering and amputation, is that lasering is less bloody and heals quicker.
4.Some say but cats don't actually need their claws.Oh yes they do !Claws are necessary for everything a cat does,grooming,regulating the body temperature, walking, yes cats walk on their toes,like a ballerina dances, it takes a fortnight after being declawed to learn to walk differently, and this walk, along with being unable to stretch their muscles properly,as cats need to dig in with their claws to stretch and strengthen their leg, shoulder, and back muscles,being unable to do this can lead to arthitis in later life.There’s no more pitiful sight than a declawed cat trying desperately to scratch for exercise.
5. Some reckon it's daft to compare declawing a cat with a human losing their finger tips.No it's not daft at all, it really is equivalant to a person having their finger ends amputated.A person like that would be disabled, well so is a cat, they are classed as disabled once they are declawed. Anyone taking a perfectly healthy cat to be declawed is making it into a disabled cat.The last joint of the cats toes, along with the claws are gone for ever.Some operations are botched,in which case, in time,the claws grow painfully back and the cat has to go through another operation,as I’ve said and will say again, cats hide their pain, so the first the owner knows of this, is when the cat is in so much pain, he starts limping.Another botched job is when a splinter of bone breaks off and the vet doesn’t notice, the splinter is glued in the stump, can you imagine the pain from that ? These painful situations can happen years after the declawing was done.
6.Some people say well vets wouldn't do it if it was so cruel.Well, yes some would, the money from declawing tops up their bank balance very nicely.Declawing is banned or considered extremely inhumane in 38 countries as it is animal abuse and even before it was banned many caring vets in those countries wouldn't do the procedure,vets are trained to help animals, not to mutilate them.
7.Another misconception is that there would be more homeless cats if their owners couldn't have them declawed. Well that's untrue too as Rescue Shelters are full of declawed cats,the very people who have them disabled, turn them out when the behavioural problems from being declawed begin. Many start biting as they feel (and are) defenceless without their claws, many have litter tray problems,imagine having to dig with sore stumps, they find the carpet or soft furnishings much less painful to use.Having urine soaked furniture is far worse that a few sctatches on it !
8.Some people say well indoor only cats should be declawed.Not so ! Indoor cats need their claws to exercise too, so should not be declawed, also you can’t guarantee they will never get out or that someone won’t break into your house sometime and the cat will escape through a broken window ,easy prey for animals out there,and if the cat didn’t get out,people who rob others homes couldn’t care less about cats, the poor defenceless cat would be totally at their mercy.
9.Some people say well it's no big deal for a kitten to be declawed.But, that's wrong too, declawing is supposed to be, according to the AVMA , a last resort procedure for serious scratching problems, not a routine operation on kittens the owner isn’t even going to bother to train.It is very very easy to train a cat to a scratching post:
http://clawsforever.ning.com/group/anniesbible/forum/topics/scratching-posts-and-training
To deprive a kitten of its claws just incase it scratches is very wrong !
10.Some say but cats are more cuddly without claws.But that's morally wrong,cats are born with claws because they need claws,they have a right to keep those claws.People know cats have claws, so why get a cat only to adapt it, it’s only for human benefit that cats are put through this barbaric procedure,it is of no benefit at all to the cat.
11.Some say but cats with claws are dangerous around babies and children. Wrong again. Cats don’t have to be declawed if you have a baby, we in countries where it is banned, bring up our babies and children alongside our cats,watching over them and teaching children to handle pets gently and to respect them.They don’t grow up thinking that cats can be adapted and treated like soft toys.They learn that they are living feeling beings, just like us.Besides, a declawed cat, if abused by a child, will naturally retaliate by biting and a cat bite is far far worse than a warning scratch.
We have 2040 people who have signed our ban declawing petition so far, including 12 USA vets,authors who are trained cat experts and other educated well known people.the signatures come from 43 different countries, but 50% are from USA citizens who are against declawing.
http://www.petitionthem.com/default.asp?sect=detail&pet=4312
1. Some people say a cat's pain threshold is higher than ours.That is untrue, cats hide their pain remarkably well,for instance a cat can be seriously ill before the owner knows anything is wrong.To a cat, showing pain is a sign of weakness.
2.Some people compare the pain of declawing to the pain of spaying.Untrue again,the pain after declawing is much worse than after spaying, which as we know is an internal procedure.Cats need very strong pain killers after declawing, actually the same strength given to terminally ill people.A spayed cat goes home the same day and is up and about in no time.A declawed cat stays at the vets at least overnight, some throw themselves around the cage in their pain, which shows how bad it is,I’ve already said cats prefer to hide their pain,so you can only imagine the intensity of that pain! The more stoic cats hunch in the corner. Some tear at their bandages, they bleed, the cage walls are splattered with their blood, their stumps have to be reglued…. imagine that, sore bleeding stumps being handled …and all declawed cats are shocked and bewildered.
3.Some people think lasering is less painful than amputation. Untrue ! the only difference between lasering and amputation, is that lasering is less bloody and heals quicker.
4.Some say but cats don't actually need their claws.Oh yes they do !Claws are necessary for everything a cat does,grooming,regulating the body temperature, walking, yes cats walk on their toes,like a ballerina dances, it takes a fortnight after being declawed to learn to walk differently, and this walk, along with being unable to stretch their muscles properly,as cats need to dig in with their claws to stretch and strengthen their leg, shoulder, and back muscles,being unable to do this can lead to arthitis in later life.There’s no more pitiful sight than a declawed cat trying desperately to scratch for exercise.
5. Some reckon it's daft to compare declawing a cat with a human losing their finger tips.No it's not daft at all, it really is equivalant to a person having their finger ends amputated.A person like that would be disabled, well so is a cat, they are classed as disabled once they are declawed. Anyone taking a perfectly healthy cat to be declawed is making it into a disabled cat.The last joint of the cats toes, along with the claws are gone for ever.Some operations are botched,in which case, in time,the claws grow painfully back and the cat has to go through another operation,as I’ve said and will say again, cats hide their pain, so the first the owner knows of this, is when the cat is in so much pain, he starts limping.Another botched job is when a splinter of bone breaks off and the vet doesn’t notice, the splinter is glued in the stump, can you imagine the pain from that ? These painful situations can happen years after the declawing was done.
6.Some people say well vets wouldn't do it if it was so cruel.Well, yes some would, the money from declawing tops up their bank balance very nicely.Declawing is banned or considered extremely inhumane in 38 countries as it is animal abuse and even before it was banned many caring vets in those countries wouldn't do the procedure,vets are trained to help animals, not to mutilate them.
7.Another misconception is that there would be more homeless cats if their owners couldn't have them declawed. Well that's untrue too as Rescue Shelters are full of declawed cats,the very people who have them disabled, turn them out when the behavioural problems from being declawed begin. Many start biting as they feel (and are) defenceless without their claws, many have litter tray problems,imagine having to dig with sore stumps, they find the carpet or soft furnishings much less painful to use.Having urine soaked furniture is far worse that a few sctatches on it !
8.Some people say well indoor only cats should be declawed.Not so ! Indoor cats need their claws to exercise too, so should not be declawed, also you can’t guarantee they will never get out or that someone won’t break into your house sometime and the cat will escape through a broken window ,easy prey for animals out there,and if the cat didn’t get out,people who rob others homes couldn’t care less about cats, the poor defenceless cat would be totally at their mercy.
9.Some people say well it's no big deal for a kitten to be declawed.But, that's wrong too, declawing is supposed to be, according to the AVMA , a last resort procedure for serious scratching problems, not a routine operation on kittens the owner isn’t even going to bother to train.It is very very easy to train a cat to a scratching post:
http://clawsforever.ning.com/group/anniesbible/forum/topics/scratching-posts-and-training
To deprive a kitten of its claws just incase it scratches is very wrong !
10.Some say but cats are more cuddly without claws.But that's morally wrong,cats are born with claws because they need claws,they have a right to keep those claws.People know cats have claws, so why get a cat only to adapt it, it’s only for human benefit that cats are put through this barbaric procedure,it is of no benefit at all to the cat.
11.Some say but cats with claws are dangerous around babies and children. Wrong again. Cats don’t have to be declawed if you have a baby, we in countries where it is banned, bring up our babies and children alongside our cats,watching over them and teaching children to handle pets gently and to respect them.They don’t grow up thinking that cats can be adapted and treated like soft toys.They learn that they are living feeling beings, just like us.Besides, a declawed cat, if abused by a child, will naturally retaliate by biting and a cat bite is far far worse than a warning scratch.
We have 2040 people who have signed our ban declawing petition so far, including 12 USA vets,authors who are trained cat experts and other educated well known people.the signatures come from 43 different countries, but 50% are from USA citizens who are against declawing.
http://www.petitionthem.com/default.asp?sect=detail&pet=4312
Sunday 10 May 2009
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
