With spokescat in tow, vet group pushes to ban cat declawing in New York

[Little Tich]

Source: MPR News

New York would be the first state to ban the declawing of cats under a legislative proposal that has divided veterinarians.

Several vets — along with a spokescat named Rubio — came to the state Capitol on Tuesday to lobby for the ban. They say the declawing procedure, which involves cutting through bone, tendon and nerves to amputate the first segment of a cat's toes, is unnecessary and cruel. Australia, Britain and several European countries already ban the practice. It's also illegal in Los Angeles and some other California cities.

"It's a disfiguring, inhumane and misguided procedure," said Eileen Jefferson, an Ulster County veterinarian who does not perform the procedure. She said about 25 percent of cats will be declawed.

While Jefferson and the other vets discussed the bill at a press conference in the Capitol, Rubio roamed the room, sniffing the reporters and occasionally offering a meow as greeting. The 11-year-old Abyssinian has his claws but chose not to use them on the journalists.



Read more: http://www.mprnews.org/story/2016/05/17/new-york-cat-declawing-ban-proposal

Link to the Paw Project homepage: http://pawproject.org/

Link to declawing fact sheet: http://www.pawproject.org/Fact%20Sheet%20NEW.pdf

[LiberalElite]

1. I've lived with cats for over 30 years

i personally don't like the idea of declawing but I couldnt' take a hard line against it because - I also have known about a dozen cats who were declawed and they could do everything the cats with claws could do. They used the litterbox, walked normally, jumped onto high cabinets, were not "biters". One of them even managed to kill mice - and he was declawed on all four paws.

Most of the cats belonged to an old friend who had the (self-serving IMO) attitude that it's better for the cat to be declawed and have a home than not declawed and in the pound.

[Arugula Latte]

3. It's incredibly painful, though.

[Orrex]

19. I imagine that having your balls hacked off would hurt a bit, too

[Bibliovore]

11. They can be very capable, but declawing also causes other, less obvious problems

The toes are part of cats' basic locomotive anatomy. When the first joint of each toe is amputated, they have to change their walking angles. You know how when you hurt a leg and start to favor it, sometimes you wind up with other pains as a result, such as a sore other leg or back or hips because you're walking differently? Declawed cats have to walk differently all the time, and are more likely to develop arthritis and to do so sooner.

Further, because declawing initially gives cats wounds on each foot, if they step in cat litter before they're fully healed it tends to hurt. That can lead to litterbox problems, which unfortunately can lead to cats being dumped by their owners, or euthanized.

A friend with a couple of non-declawed cats and a dog once took in a declawed cat who needed a home. The dog barked at the newcomer, who took a swipe at the dog's nose -- and you could _see_ the dog realize that whoa, that didn't hurt -- here was a cat it was safe to annoy! It took a while to train the dog to leave that cat alone.

I'd only be hesitant about an outright ban on declawing because some cats routinely scratch themselves until they bleed. If that's allergy-based it can usually be treated by a change in food and/or litter, sometimes with medications, and it's important to talk with a vet and try all of that first because no animal should have to feel that physically itchy all the time. If it's a purely behavioral problem, however, it can be much harder to stop. I heard once of a cat who could only be stopped from that self-harm by declawing, and that the cat actually calmed down significantly after the procedure.

[procon]

2. When I was a child my pop would trim our cats front claws with a nail clipper.

The cat got petted and loved in the process and it took less than a minute so there was never any resistance. When I got a cat of my own, the first thing I did was get him accustomed to having his feet held so I could trim his claws. All of my furbabies through the years will snooze in my lap whilst I do their peticure and its all done before they even wake up.

I live near Los Angeles and declawing is illegal. I was it was banned nationwide.

[840high]

4. Exactly what I have always done.

[Archae]

5. I do that with my two kitties.

They get too long and sharp, I trim them myself.

My black one complains and squirms the most.

But they get catnip treat after.

[beergood]

6. good

it should be illegal, declawing is a nice way of saying unnecessary amputation. your cutting off the tip of their toes. its inhumane.

[TexasBushwhacker]

7. Ear clipping next please! n/t

[passiveporcupine]

8. I hope they don't make it illegal to do it if it's medically necessary.

I have a rescue cat who had to have her two front dew claws removed. She is a Polydactyl, and apparently their dew claws can be a problem for many of them, because they don't get sharpened and rubbed off like regular claws, because they are hidden behind extra toes, so they grow very thick and curve back into the leg and puncture the leg. You can't see them because they are hiding behind the toes. I didn't even know about this until my cat's foot got so infected I almost lost her. We gave her antibiotics for a week before surgery, to try to get the infection under control, then had to do surgery to remove both claws, even though it was risky in her condition. Her leg turned black and smelled like a dead animal. She survived and is doing fine now. She even started purring after the surgery...something I'd never seen her do before.

So...I hope if they make it illegal to do it to protect furniture (you can train cats to use scratching posts instead)...they don't prevent necessary removals for polydactyls.

[Bibliovore]

17. Thanks for this comment

Problems with polydactly (which, incidentally, this browser's spell check thinks should be "pterodactyl&quot are much more common than my example from last night of the cat who wouldn't stop scratching himself bloody, and "medical necessity" is the needed caveat here.

[PatrynXX]

9. This one I'd be against banning declawing

It would mean more cats put to sleep. Which is even more inhumane. Now having Pit Bull's ears clipped, I'm up for a total ban on that.. Got into an argument with someone who said clipping their ears never had anything to do with fighting but it was tradition to tell the sexes apart

[indivisibleman]

10. To declaw or not to declaw.

We never had a problem with our clawed cats when they were allowed to roam. They got their "claw time" outdoors and pretty much left our furniture alone. Then our community made it illegal for a cat to be outside and if caught there was a 50 dollar fine. We struggled to keep our cats indoors but were still fined once.
When we got two new cats we made them indoor cats and they started to destroy the furniture. We tried a number of methods suggested but none of them met with much success so we had to get them declawed. I believe that if declawing is made illegal it will drive down cat ownership greatly. We have already seen a great reduction in cat ownership in our community due the present laws. We love cats but will never own a front clawed cat again unless we were to move to the country.

[Bibliovore]

13. Both of our cats are indoor-only

Neither is declawed. One loves the sisal-wrapped ones and never claws elsewhere. The other kept scratching the stair risers. We put tape on the risers, and that stopped her and she started using the posts, but if we removed the tape she went right back to the risers. So we tried those S-shaped ones -- they come up about the same height as a stair and give her a vertical surface, and she likes those just fine. She still occasionally scratched the risers until we moved one of the S scratchers to the foot of the stairs she'd scratch, and that did the trick. My partner's parents have a big cat who refused to use a scratching post until they got him a quite tall one that lets him really stretch up.

Sometimes it takes a little more experimentation to find a mutually agreeable scratching surface. And in the meantime, you can trim your cat's nails (or use glue-on nail caps) to prevent any furniture damage.

[shenmue]

12. Go kitty!

[Midnight Writer]

14. I know several cat owners who will not own a cat that is not declawed

I own multiple cats myself, and have never declawed one. I did adopt a stray that was already declawed. I have a circle of friends who adopt and own multiple cats, and many of them want only cats that are declawed.

Reasons might be that they have children that they do not want scratched, some have experience with cats that have damaged furniture and woodwork in their homes, some have spouses or significant others that are afraid of cats with claws.

I would not describe any of these cats as distressed or suffering in any way, although I am sure the procedure is painful. These are indoor pampered pets that I am convinced would probably not have a home and family if they were not declawed.

I myself would not own a pet that is not neutered or spayed. I am sure that these procedures are also painful for the animals, but I certainly do not see it as inhumane or cruel.

The bottom line is that declawing is in many cases a "deal breaker" for cat owners. If the choice is between a declaw procedure and a happy home for a cat, I vote for the declaw. I think it is ridiculous for this to be a matter for law enforcement to be concerned with. Animal control and shelters have more than enough on their plates already.

[Spider Jerusalem]

15. Then those people should not own cats.

They should get a hamster, or something. Declawing cats is banned here (UK) under animal cruelty laws (along with tail docking and ear cropping for dogs); cats are still the most popular pet in the country. And comparing it to spaying/neutering is kind of absurd. Which would you rather have: a vasectomy/tubal ligation, or the amputation of the first joint on all 20 of your digits?

[indivisibleman]

18. Very True

If declawing were banned cat ownership would plummet. The result would be far more cats being euthanized and eventually the cat population would be greatly reduced. Some people would like that though.... Vets won't declaw here unless the cat is something like under 6 months old.
Great point on neutering and spaying. I know one of our cats was much more upset about being neutered than being declawed. In fact all of our declawed cats went on to live long and healthy lives. One lived 19 years.

[Orrex]

22. We had two cats, both declawed

We also had an infant in the house, so it wasn't simply a matter of protecting the furniture, as some are inclined to characterize it.

We adopted these cats as free kittens out of a filthy, flea-infested basement, where they were kept in a small cage with their litter and food in adjoining bowls. Both kittens were worm-ridden and scabby from dozens and dozens of flea bites.

When we had them declawed, they walked around somewhat gingerly for a week, but after that it didn't seem to bother them in the slightest. They were exclusively indoor cats, fond of rough play, and they never turned into "biters," which I've also heard is the inevitable result of declawing.

There is no question that we gave them a better life than they would have had in that basement, claws or no claws.

[alarimer]

16. When you have pets, expect your furniture not to be in perfect condition.

I've lived in apartments forever and my cat usually manages to claw on the carpet. But in most cases, the carpeting was already in bad shape when I moved (they are usually too cheap to replace it after every tenant), so I was never charged out of my security deposit.

If I owned a house, I would probably have wood floors, so that I would not constantly have to replace carpeting.

I've never successfully got the cat to use scratching posts. He usually uses my couch and it shows, but it was cheap and will be replaced eventually, so I don't much care. It's just the price you pay for pets. You want nice things, don't have cats.

[DawgHouse]

20. My husband and I were talking about this last night.

I'd rather have my pets than "nice things". They bring much more joy.

[Arugula Latte]

21. Exactly. A shredded couch or chair or two is

a small price to pay. My kitties bring me joy everyday, all day. Right now all three are snuggling eith me as I do paperwork and surf the net.