I do not condone any mutilation of dogs such as ear cropping, tail docking etc, let alone the declawing of them, but what inspired this blog was a question on Yahoo Answers:'Can you declaw a 6 month old puppy'No more information than that, but it was obviously a serious question as the asker gave the puppy's age.What an outcry in the answers 'why on earth would anyone do that' and 'how cruel it would be' and 'what pain it would cause the puppy' and 'the asker should give it away rather than declaw it' A few bright sparks came on: 'I've never even heard of vets offering or doing the procedure on anything but a cat' 'No vet in their right mind will declaw a puppy......maybe a cat, but not a dog''No ethical vet would EVER do it because declawing a dog will literally cripple them. Dogs and cats have a slightly different structure to their feet'Do they think declawing doesn't cripple a cat too ?Dogs only use their feet to walk on and their claws to scratch themselves. Cats use theirs to defend themselves, to groom,to exercise, and to play, as well as to walk on and to scratch themselves.See my previous blog:http://kattaddorra.blogspot.com/2009/05/putting-straight-some-facts-about.htmlabout why cats claws are necessary and why declawing cats is not acceptable.Why no outcry like this,every time someone asks about having a kitten or a cat declawed ? Why is a 6 month old puppy different to a 6 month old kitten ? A kitten feels as much pain as a puppy!Imagine the shock and horror of people seeing someone walking along with a limping declawed dog! Well the vet who did that dreadful operation would be as hated as the owner who had the dog declawed, as the poor things mutilated feet ending in stumps would be plain for all to see. Who sees the stumps of a declawed cat who is then a prisoner for life (unless they escape of course and their life is soon over, with no defence they are easily cornered and killed by wild animals)? No one sees that poor cat limping and in pain apart from the family, no one sees the bewilderment of the poor creature desperately trying to use non existent claws, no one sees the cat being punished when the behavioural problems from declawing begin, such as biting, and the using of carpets and soft furnishings because digging in a litter tray hurts so much. No one misses the cat written off as a 'bad cat' when it ends up unrehomeable in a Rescue Shelter because of those behavioural problems.No one sees another new kitten come into the home and oh so casually off it goes to have its toes removed too, because of the baby, the children, the frail person, or the very important furniture! Cats are living feeling beings, they should not be replaceable possessions! So come on everyone who shudders with horror at the thought of declawed dogs, shudder with horror at the thought of declawed cats too and help us end this barbaric operation once and for all !!
http://www.petitionthem.com/default.asp?sect=detail&pet=4312
Claws are the essence of the cat
Thanks for your post kattaddorra. Yes, it's disgusting that cats are second rate, second class animal citizens here in America. No big deal to cripple a cat for life, but God forbid a dog! Well, people will be shocked to find that most veterinarians are NOT "too ethical" to de-claw a dog - they will "de" anything the "owner" (I refuse to use the word "parent", "gaurdian", or "family" here because those are warm terms that indicate people who care about animals. "Owners" or people who possess & don't respect their pets, de-claw their pets) asks them to - rabbits, ferrets, raccoons, iguanas, dogs, and of course, most routinely, cats in our country.
Recently a google alert came up about a relinquished 4 PAW DE-CLAWED PITTBULL DOG, disposed of because his "owner" didn't like the sound his claws made when he walked (another case of de-knuckling NOT keeping the animal in its home). So, yes, VETS DE-CLAW DOGS!
Both the "owner" of this disabled dog mentioned above, and the veterinarian who maimed him should be prosecuted for ANIMAL CRUELTY. Just like every "owner" and vet who maims cats for life. This is ANIMAL CRUELTY, plain & simple, happening everyday, all day long in our vet offices. Why aren't more people outraged & speaking up about this?
Where are the national campaigns from the animal welfare orgs about natural pet behaviors, how to train companion animals, and what "de-claw" really means? And who are these people/rescuers/breeders adopting our pets to "owners" that haul them off to the vet (whose only true interest is making money) to have some or all of their paws mutilated because they are too lazy to trim nails or understand that animals have physical & mental needs, desires, sounds, smells, & emotions? These are NOT "good homes"!
I'm ashamed to be an American when he comes to how rampantly, casually, & routinely these convenience surgeries are pandered & inflicted on our companion animals. Absolutely HORRIFYING!
"Pit bull's injuries raise false alarmJournal and Courier - Lafayette,IN,USAOne pit bull currently available for adoption had all four paws declawed because its former owner didn't like the sound it made walking, Alcorn said. ..."