Although cat declawing is banned in several European nations, animal advocates said they know of no such restrictions in the United States.
Well, it's about damned time someone started doing something about this. Declawing a cat isn't a small thing. It literally removes the bone up to the first joint on each of the toes. It's the equvelant of removing the first joint of each of a person's fingers to trim their nails. It's a horribly cruel butchery of cats and it's sheer laziness on the part of the cat owner. I've had Kush-ka for 13 years and my mom's had her two kitties for 12 years and none of them are declawed because we took the time when they were kittens to teach them not to scratch, provide them with safe scratch items (like scratching posts and such), and didn't play with them directly with our hands so they were never confused on what they could and could not scratch. (Hands are for loving, not for playing).
Declawing is a surgical procedure, also called onychectomy, in which the animal's toes are amputated at the last joint. Most people do not realize that a portion of the bone—not only nail—is removed. Declawing may result in permanent lameness, arthritis, and other long-term complications. It is actually illegal in many countries.
--from The Paw Project advocates who pushed through the bill in Hollywood.
There is a weath of information on declawing, scratching instinct in cats, and ways to aid in teaching a positive behavior (using provided scratcing posts and such) rather then resorting to mutilation of the cat found on The Paw Project's frequently asked questions page.
I applaude West Hollywood for passing such a humane bill and can only hope this will set the precedence needed to get this ban to expand throughout the country.
With thanks to my friend Rand for emailing me the CNN article
~ flowers bloom near Memory and Dream
at 4/9/2003 12:28:22 PM ~
~
