Please help us ban declawing

[Killearn Kitties]

To the British and Danish members of this forum, and citizens of other countries with similar bans: Would you please inform us on how well the ban on declawing is working in your country?

Ruth?.. Randi?.. Anyone else with first-hand knowledge on how well a ban on declawing works in your country or region?

Do people in your country by and large understand and agree with the reasons for not declawing cats? What does someone do with a cat that scratches inappropriately? Use scratching posts and Soft Paws and such to redirect or retrain the cat?

Or are lots of cats just punished or abandoned if they start trimming their nails in undesirable locations? More or less since these bans were put into place?

Phesina, I find it quite hard to answer the question of how well the declawing ban works here, or whether people agree with it. It is simply not an issue. I have no idea when declawing was banned. I had never heard of declawing until I joined this forum. So far as I am aware, the only place it is allowed in the western world is North America.

I have never heard of a cat being given up here because it clawed the furniture. Perhaps others will know of such a situation.

A lot of cats in this country have access to the outdoors, and probably do the majority of their stratching there. Scratching posts are very heavily marketed for indoor cats.

[G535]

I had heard about declawing before I joined PetTalk but had no idea that it was still common practice in the US. I also don't know when it was banned in Australia , it's certainly not an issue here either.

[JustineNYC]

I have never heard of a cat being given up here because it clawed the furniture. Perhaps others will know of such a situation.

.

My neighbor used to breed Maine coons, and someone returned a cat after 3 years because they got a new sofa set and the cat no longer "matched" with the living room. People come up with anything.

[kattaddorra]

Here in England the ban on declawing works very well,it's looked upon as an outdated barbaric procedure and people who don't like cats to have claws, don't get cats. But even so, cats are the most popular pet in our country.We bring up our babies and children alongside our pets and teach them to respect the animals,having children is no excuse to have a cat declawed.Our children grow up loving animals and treating them properly.Having a dog scratched by a cat is no excuse either,taking away the cats claws is removing its defence against dogs, dogs soon learn not to mess with cats,declawed cats wouldn't stand a chance against a dog.
I worked as a vet nurse all my working days and even before the ban, people here rarely asked to have a cat declawed,if they did they were told in no uncertain terms that it was just a last resort for very serious scratching problems. I knew about declawing, of course because of my training, but in all the years I worked, I never saw one done because once people knew it was amptutation of the toes, they wouldn't put a cat through it.A lot more vets are refusing to do it in the USA and Canada, because research shows that many many cats have problems, they are forced to walk differently for a start, after the first days of excrutiating pain, it takes a fortnight to adjust to the new walk,which causes back problems to many poor cats.Some people say well my cats are OK ! But are they ? Cats hide a lot of pain and they adjust, they have no choice but to go on,many suffer secret mental torment. A cat needs it's claws for everything ....walking, grooming, playing, stretching it's muscles .....the more research I do the more I'm sickened that anyone can deprive the beautiful creatures of their rightful claws.The stories I've heard have kept me awake at night, I could go on for ever about it all.....more and more are joining in the quest to have it banned.There are some really explicit remarks alongside some of the signatures.
THANK YOU to everyone who has signed it, sorry the link was broken, I can't think why, but I'll post it here again ...
http://www.petitionthem.com/default....etail&pet=4312
and finally my poem on behalf of the many declawed cats in Rescue Centres right now ....
I once used to have such elegant paws,
My furry feet had beautiful claws.
How I loved to stretch them out,
I was really happy just jumping about.
They tidied my ears, they groomed my coat,
They kept the fur neat around my throat.
I thought I had my claws for good,
I thought my owners understood
Just how much they meant to me,
Oh but how wrong can a cat be!
One day I was taken to a frightening place,
I had no idea what I had to face.
I was put to sleep against my will
And woke up in pain and feeling ill.
My paws hurt so much I couldn’t stand,
How would I jump? how would I land?
Worse was to come, as I was later to see
Just what those people had done to me.
My toe ends and claws had gone for good
My owners hadn’t understood.
I couldn't ask why as I don't have a voice,
Or free will, or any choice.
They had ruined my life without a doubt
So I bit those people and they cast me out.
Now I sit in a shelter hurting and sad,
How could anyone treat me so bad?
My paws always ache, I feel very alone.
I wish someone kind would give me a home.

[Randi]

Phesina, you ARE right in supposing the ban on declawing cats here, works!! First of all, it's not legal for a vet to declaw a cat here, people who wants a cat, know that they have claws, so they deal with it!

More people in Denmark (and Europe), than in USA, let their cats out, so they will sharpen their claws on trees for the most part. However, there are some who don't let their cats out, and on cat discussion forums here, some discuss how to prevent cats ruining their furniture. The replies are... clip their nails, get a scrathing post! Declawing is not an issue at all! I have never known anyone with a declawed cat here.

It's cruel to have your cat declawed, and it''s sad that not many people seem to know what the procedure imply - and if they do, it's even more sad!

[phesina]

Thank you to all who responded to my question.

I am SO GLAD to hear first-hand how well the declawing ban works in various societies from people who live in those societies.

[carole]

Firstly i would like to say well done for trying to do something about it, and i think it is a bit wrong to say nothing will change as long as people value their furniture over cats, obviously it does work, it is the same in New Zealand, declawing is not even an issue here, i also did not even know of this practice until i joined PT, and was horrified to say the least that it is legal especially in the United States.

I know of no-one who has declawed their cats, and it is illegal for a vet to do that here too.

So don't give up thinking it cannot happen in the US of A, it is working well in many countries, so it will work there too.

Keep at it and yes i will sign the petition too, as I hope others who are concerned will too.