Big Government should step in and stop declawing of cats
I have a cat named Sammie who likes to scratch things. The couch, rugs and an expanding spot of chipped-off paint on a wall are all proof.
My wife and I have advised him against this behavior. My daughter bought him a scratching post, which he seems to enjoy. Sammie still likes to scratch around the house.
The easiest solution would be to have him declawed. Now, a bill has been filed that would make that nearly impossible.
If it passes, Florida veterinarians would be fined $1,000 if they remove a cat’s claws, unless it was medically necessary to aid the cat.
Saving a couch’s life would not qualify as a medically necessary.
On the list of crises facing our state, cat declawing isn’t exactly red tide or the teacher shortage. The bill smelled like Big Government wanting to take away my rights as a pet owner.
After all, New York is the only state that bans declawing, and we know how messed up that place is.
Then I looked into what declawing actually entails. It was enough to make me stop laughing at PETA members.
The bone, ligaments, joint capsule and tendons are amputated. It would be like having your fingers cut off at the last knuckle. It takes four to six week to recover, though the cat is never the same.
It can’t properly stretch or distribute its weight while walking. There’s a higher risk it will develop arthritis and back problems.
Cats don’t claw furniture just to aggravate their owners. They do it to exercise, relieve stress, mark their territory and behave in ways nature intended.
That’s removed with declawing. So is a cat’s ability to defend itself.
Even with medicine, the whole procedure can be torture. Cats are much too stoic to complain, of course, which is where humans have come in.
Declawing began in the 1950s and was in vogue for decades. Now the Humane Society, the American Association of Feline Practitioners and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals strongly oppose declawing except in rare medical circumstances.
The New York State Veterinary Medical Society fought the bill that state passed in June. People with medical conditions that compromise immune systems can’t risk getting scratched.
Many veterinarians say cats are more likely to be abandoned or euthanized if their owners can’t have them declawed. The American Veterinary Medical Association’s position is that cat owners should educate themselves about declawing.
It’s questionable whether that always happens. One veterinary employee told Veterinary Practice News they must closely follow a script when discussing declawing:
“We are not allowed to explain that it’s an amputation of the toe….People have no idea that it leaves a gaping wide hole… unless they ask specifically what the procedure entails, but no one asks. We simply say we don’t encourage it or discourage it.”
The AVMA says there’s no scientific evidence declawing leads to behavioral abnormalities. But studies have shown that after declawing, many cats become aggressive and poop more around the house.
Other studies have shown the primary reason people get their cats declawed isn’t medical conditions. It’s household damage.
If you love your drapes more than you love your cat, you should have bought a hamster. Maybe you’ll still care enough for your cat to try some potential nonsurgical remedies.
They include a scratching post, nail trimming, applying soft plastic caps to the nails. Pet experts also advise covering scratching spots in scratch-deterrent sprays or materials like double-sided tape, plastic or aluminum foil.
If everything fails and the legislature passes the declawing bill, you might have to choose between your pet or your wicker chair. If that’s a tough decision, sorry. This law is overdue.
There are about 90 million pet cats in the U.S., and it’s estimated 25 percent are declawed. That means roughly 20 million cats had their toes chopped off to preserve home furnishings.
If New York is any indication, the bill is in for a fight. Hopefully it will pass and declawing will be safe, legal and very rare.
That won’t be good news for my couch or my distaste for Big Government. But after learning about cat declawing, I realize one thing for sure: My rights as a cat owner are superseded by Sammie’s rights to be a cat. Sentinel Columnist