California cities act to ban cat declawing

[Amy SF]

California cities act to ban cat declawing
L.A. is among those rushing to prohibit the practice before a state law backed by a group of vets says they can't.
By Maria L. La Ganga and Anne Colby

November 7, 2009

Reporting from San Francisco and Beverly Hills - The law of unintended consequences has seldom been more clearly illustrated than by the catfight unfolding from San Francisco to Los Angeles.

Veterinarians who did not want cities meddling in their business persuaded the state Legislature to bar local governments from banning the practice of declawing cats -- beginning in 2010.

Not wanting to be pushed around themselves, nearly half a dozen cities are rushing to prohibit the controversial procedure before the January deadline, striking a blow for rights both animal and municipal.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la...495,full.story

I'd like to see cat declawing banned nationwide, but unfortunately I don't think I'll see that happen in my lifetime. This is because even though individuals banning the practice is a step forward, there will always be those who say "well, if I can't get it done in THIS city, I'll just take my cat to a city where it's not banned and get it done."

I would also like to see a society in which people are not pushed into getting it done because they're given a choice of either that or getting rid of the entire cat. People should not have to mutilate their cats if they want to be able to keep them.

[LyricGaia]

I wonder if people who do that realize that cats really get their toes cut off at the last knuckle... and that during recovery cats still have to jump, walk, run, and use their litter box no matter how much it hurts.

[Amy SF]

I want to add that the vet I take my cats to bills himself as an "animal rights veterinarian" and absolutely refuses to declaw cats. So even if the procedure doesn't get banned in Santa Monica, he'll be at least one vet in the city who won't do it.

[Kiz]

It's about time. I am more hopeful than you, Amy SF, declawing is banned across the length and breadth of this country so why not yours?

[Amy SF]

I'm glad to see that a cat won't be declawed anywhere in Oz, Kiz, but unfortunately in the US, we've had this federal govt. rights vs. states' rights argument going on since, well, since the country was founded. And I don't see this as an issue that politicians at the federal level will take under consideration. I think they'll just go, "meh, it's something for the invidiual states to consider."

I CAN see the Washington D.C. city council banning the procedure, but that's as close as it might get to Washington.

[Skylark]

I don't think I've talked to anyone in my area of Ohio who is opposed to cat declawing. OK, maybe one or two, but I don't go around asking people for their views on cat declawing, in part because I do not have cats myself.

[Amy SF]

Skylark, you're just not talking to the right people. I'm sure there are people in Ohio who ARE opposed to it.

[peace]

The Sept. issue of Animal People News contained some interesting history about declawing. Apparently, like tail-docking and ear-cropping, declawing was originally performed by dogfighters. In this case they wished to render their "bait" animals defenseless. And like tail-docking and ear-cropping, declawing was later co-opted by vets who commercialized the procedure.

Surprisingly, declawing is defended by some humane societies who fear that cats who scratch will be more likely to be dumped at a shelter. However, this fear proves unfounded, as studies of shelter surrender stats show that scratching furniture is the cause behind less than 1% of cat surrenders.

[amhappy1]

Cats have a need to claw at things and cat owners should understand that. When one of my cats decided to start scratching my couch, I put a scratching post nearby. Problem solved.

[Kiz]

I don't get the whole "I want a cat - but now claws!" or "I want a snake - but it has to be vegan!". Are these people really sure they actually want cats or snakes or do they just want cat or snake shaped stuffed toys?