One of my big things is to educate people against declawing and get it outlawed in the US. (That will take time, I know.) I've put together some ideas to get a start and raise awareness and encourage others to get involved. Would love more ideas.
1) Wear anti-declaw t-shirts, tote bags, pins, etc.
2) Dress up your car with anti-declaw bumper stickers, car magnets, etc.
3) Stick an anti-declaw yard sign in your front yard.
4) Write to your local newspaper and ask them to print reasons not to declaw.
5) Hand out anti-declaw business cards, educational pamphlets, etc.
6) Write! Online and on paper.
7) Make a video explaining the harm in declawing.
8) Make anti-declaw posters and put on public bulletin boards, etc.
9) If possible, support vets who do not declaw. If for this reason you switch vets or turn one down, let them know the reason.
10) Write to your local politicians and ask them to consider a ban on declawing.
11) To anyone involved in cat rescue: Adopt out only to people who will not declaw, and educate as many people as you can.
12) Be nice to people. When you'd really like to attack someone because they would declaw, don't. That will only make enemies, and won't convince anyone to change their mind.
13) But do be firm in your stand. Don't let anyone tell you that you're wrong, that what you're doing is not important, or that you're wasting your time.
14) Be creative. Think up different ways to get the word out and educate people.
15) Don't give up! You're doing an important service, helping cats and people. We need all the help we can get. Every person counts. At times it will seem slow, but keep on. We've come a long way already. Let's go the rest of the way!
I had no idea that declawing is legal when done by a vet in the USA. This inhumane practice is certainly not allowed in Britain.
I assume these are indoor cats and the owners don't want their furniture scratched. They could just buy a specially designed cat pole for their pet to scratch instead of declawing. I'm really shocked that anyone would ask a vet to do this, and angry that vets are doing it.
Yes, it's sick how it's not only allowed, but promoted by some. I've made a few brochures that tell a few declawing facts, briefly how to protect the furniture, and things to do to help get it stopped. So they're good to hand to anyone, whether they need educating or want to get involved. I'm thinking about handing them to local animal shelters that are not all against declawing and hope they will start making sure potential adopters will not declaw and try to educate people, or at least give them something to think about.
They should make a poster with a cat owner holding their pet, and photoshop off the owners fingers at the knuckles, making them look like they were all chopped off. It might help send the message home of what they are really doing to a cat when they have them declawed. If you can't tolerate the behavior of a pet in your household, don't get a pet at all.
I still don't know why this is so bad? I am only considering it to prevent my 2 year old from getting scratched. It's not the furniture I'm worried about. It seems how no matter how careful he is, he still ends up getting scratched. I think its just because the kitten is playing and doesn't actually realize she is being harmful. I definitely don't want to do something to the cat that may end up being more harmful to her though.
Definitely make sure baby and kitty's playtime is supervised. Kittens tend to roughhouse like human kids; usually when they're older they know not to bring the claws out around people who care for them. Does the two year old know to gently pet the kitty? I wouldn't let a child play catch-the-finger with a kitten or even a cat, but a cat toy on a string or on a stick should be alright.
Definitely don't get her declawed. If you have to take her to a shelter or get her rehomed where she might be an outdoor cat, she will have no defenses and will most likely die in a serious fight with a dog or more vicious cat if they can't run away.
That's a good point. Yeah it is supervised and he knows to pet her nice. He definitely is not mean to her by all means. It just ends up happening when they both get excited.
I do not think it is inhumane to declaw cats unless they are going to be outside and need to protect themselves. But when you have a cat who never goes outside without assistance. To me it is only inhumane if the cat is an outdoor cat but when you have kids and whatnot declawing your cat may be needed.
Cat Servant,
I applaud and can totally appreciate your enthusiasm about your campaign against declawing cats. However, you make a thread, ask everyone to support you and offer no reason as to why we should.
All you have posted in a link to a single page of a single veterinarian that opposes declawing.
Personally, I do not oppose declawing an indoor cat. I do feel it is imperative that it be done at a very early age. For the record, I know many, many veterinarians that will not declaw after 10-12 weeks of age. Most vets insist on laser surgery, pain meds and antibiotics although this surgery is done in less than 5 minutes and the cat doesn't even go under general anesthesia.
It isn't fair to say that veterinarians who practice declawing are cruel considering that they use the above precautions when performing this surgery.
Do you want to know what I think is worse than declawing? If it were an illegal practice in the US, the majority of people wouldn't have a cat. The population would boom overnight leading to feral cats; cold, hungry, homeless and starving. People do not want cats tearing up furniture and ripping up their skin. Bottom line.
If a cat has to go through a declawing to have a forever home with a little old lady for the rest of it's sweet life then I say, schedule a surgery and get that baby taken care of.
Declawing is amputation of part of the cat's toes. It is very painful. Cats can easily be trained to use scratching posts and not your furniture. I know plenty of people with cats with claws and they do not "tear up their furniture and rip up their skin."
Declawing causes behavioral problems. Many declawed cats bite. Many won't use the litter box. And, let's face it, who on earth would put up with that if they won't tolerate the occasional scratch or take the time to train their cat?
People who love cats and care about their well-being are not going to do something they know is harmful. I don't think the majority of people who declaw their cats know what they are doing. I've heard and read of way too many who would never do it again after the first time, and I've known of plenty to change their mind if they were educated about it in time.
(01-26-2014, 10:21 AM)Cat Servant Wrote: Declawing is amputation of part of the cat's toes. It is very painful. Cats can easily be trained to use scratching posts and not your furniture. I know plenty of people with cats with claws and they do not "tear up their furniture and rip up their skin."
Declawing causes behavioral problems. Many declawed cats bite. Many won't use the litter box. And, let's face it, who on earth would put up with that if they won't tolerate the occasional scratch or take the time to train their cat?
People who love cats and care about their well-being are not going to do something they know is harmful. I don't think the majority of people who declaw their cats know what they are doing. I've heard and read of way too many who would never do it again after the first time, and I've known of plenty to change their mind if they were educated about it in time.
After being in the veterinary field for years, I am well versed in the procedures involving a feline declaw. I am also well aware of that a cats claw does to elderly skin. You have made your point and I have made mine.
Let me correct you..
**Declawing may or may not cause behavioral issues
**Some cats are can be trained to refrain from clawing up people and furniture HOWEVER it is in their nature to claw and they use their claws to grasp when they are jumping. Most people have no idea how to train a cat therefore your statement is only correct assuming everyone can monitor and train their cat...bottom line is that everyone can't.
**Assuming that people do not know that a declaw is an amputation is the owners fault. You talk about people caring so much about their pets but they do not do their homework in regards to a declaw...Yep...that's love. Why isn't the responsible pet owner arming themselves? It is their responsibility to be aware of what they are doing to an animal..VERY BAD POINT YOU ARE MAKING! Your point only proves that they have no clue as to what they are doing...Hmmm...
Here is the bottom line. I do not oppose declawing and I do not promote it but I do not appreciate people guilting pet owners into NOT declawing a pet when it could mean keeping a good home and not keeping a good home.
Your citing is skewed and views are not fair nor are they balanced and nor do I see you offering both sides of a story so people can make an educated decision on their own Instead you are using one sided statistics to guilt people.
I don't honestly care what your position is as long as you are educating an owner with fair and balanced education instead of guilting someone to death because of YOUR views and personal opinions.
We all have opinions that we express here. Why don't you arm people with both sides? Let them make a choice and use real statistic instead of opinions.
Oh dang, I am so cruel. I declawed my kitten at 9 weeks. Oh wait...I amputated its toes at 9 weeks. Guess what the other option was? Hmmm...for a kitten that was in a taped box left on the doorstep of a vet clinic, the only other option was euthanasia. Black cats and dogs are not easily adopted. Our rescues and shelters were full. Whats more cruel, taking a precious little kitten and killing it because people were irresponsible and let their cat get pregnant and now have to dump kittens and the kittens will not be accepted because THEY ARE BLACK... OR declawing a kitten, so it can come into my home and not scratch my children and my furniture and my dogs?
Your cats are hunters right? That is mentioned in your bio. Squirrels, birds and lizards...Guess cats that have claws like to kill/hunt stuff, because they can. It makes me a bit sad to think of the damage YOUR CATS CLAWS do to other animals. Hmmm...you said it. Not me.
My cat healed within a week. Suffered NONE of the issues that you insist will happen. Yep - no behavior issues, doesn't bite, uses the litter box...yadda...yadda. Oh wait...9 years later he is still fine and dandy!!
Educate people. Let them make a choice. Don't guilt people. That's all I am saying...and back up your facts in a fair and balanced way - not in a skewed way that demonizes someones potential choice! You need to understand the difference.
~~Do you know the difference between education and experience? Education is when you read the fine print; experience is what you get when you don't. ~Pete Seeger
~~Education: the inculcation of the incomprehensible into the indifferent by the incompetent. ~John Maynard Keynes
Declawing is ILLEGAL in MANY countries, because it is considered animal cruelty, and if you asked a vet about it in such places, they'd be socked and horrified. People still have cats, claws, and nice furniture.
Many cat behaviorists do report behavioral changes--for the worse--in declawed cats. Of course not every cat shows all of them, just like not all humans react to traumatic events in the same way.
Numerous vets in the States refuse to declaw because they see what it does to the cat. http://www.declaw.com Plenty still do it, without educating the owner, because they make money at it.
I won't be swayed by biased articles on web sites of huge veterinary corporations,which downplay the harm in declawing so fewer people will change their minds so they'll make more money at it. They won't get my business. And I have no interest in arguing further--just had to say what's on my mind. I'll go right on educating people about what declawing is--and how to train their cats--and hope it gets outlawed in the States because it IS animal cruelty.
(01-28-2014, 08:18 AM)Cat Servant Wrote: Declawing is ILLEGAL in MANY countries, because it is considered animal cruelty, and if you asked a vet about it in such places, they'd be socked and horrified. People still have cats, claws, and nice furniture.
Many cat behaviorists do report behavioral changes--for the worse--in declawed cats. Of course not every cat shows all of them, just like not all humans react to traumatic events in the same way.
Numerous vets in the States refuse to declaw because they see what it does to the cat. http://www.declaw.com Plenty still do it, without educating the owner, because they make money at it.
I won't be swayed by biased articles on web sites of huge veterinary corporations,which downplay the harm in declawing so fewer people will change their minds so they'll make more money at it. They won't get my business. And I have no interest in arguing further--just had to say what's on my mind. I'll go right on educating people about what declawing is--and how to train their cats--and hope it gets outlawed in the States because it IS animal cruelty.
I would never attempt to sway you or any other person. The fact remains that you still give people an option. Inform and educate.
You are not arguing with. You bore me and honey..Vets do not make any money on declawing...Get real! Pft... You know what you know because of statistics that you read on the internet. Try some real life stuff.
Sorry to inform you but not all Vets are as unethical as you describe. WE EDUCATE! WE DO NOT GUILT! Know the difference...
I do not need to check out your totally biased links. Note that I said totally biased. I am in the Veterinary profession and know what declawing is all about.
In your opinion is it animal cruelty. So be it. I really don't care. Don't spout off though about how Vets make money by declawing. You know nothing. Don't spout about how sooooo many vets refuse to declaw. Never met a single one...in YEARS! EVER...pft.. Another thing...if you own a cat...THEN ASK ABOUT PROCEDURES! DUH! Research! Why do I have to come into a room and start from Genesis and end in Revelations in regards to declawing? Don't people do their homework? FYI - I tell everyone it is an amputation...list pro's AND con's and educate owners. I don't scare them into a decision. It is all about being mature enough to effectively communicate to people instead of scaring them. Guess you missed my point before.
Lookie, Lookie!! I can cite biased websites too! Whoop for me! What a waste of a morning responding to your junk.
