Is Declawing Cat an Amputation? Vet Weighs In

Q: The veterinarian I just saw refuses to declaw my cats. She says it’s considered unethical, but I’ve had cats forever and never got this memo. I think it’s unconscionable to leave cats outdoors, and that’s what would happen if I didn’t declaw my cats. (My hands and my furniture require it!) Is this a real rule among veterinarians or is my vet being dramatic?

A: Here’s the memo: The procedure we commonly refer to as a “declaw” is one an increasing number of veterinarians refuse to perform. Many of us consider it unethical and immoral to amputate the first knuckle of a cat’s digits just because it makes our lives easier and keeps our furniture healthy.

I mean, if destruction and injury were the concern, why would we stop at the claws? Why not take out all their teeth, too?

Clearly, neither de-teething or declawing cats offers a realistic solution to the problem of cats being cats. From time to time they will still behave in ways that are inconvenient to us. But that doesn’t mean we have to suffer unduly.

We can all learn to manage our cats’ unwanted behaviors by understanding how and why they use their claws, teeth and other potentially problematic parts. In the case of claws, here are some key points to keep in mind:

1: Cats who have their claws removed are still capable of inflicting damage to humans and their property. Further, veterinary behaviorists recognize that declawed cats may use their teeth more often during aggressive encounters (with cats and humans). And teeth typically inflict more damage than claws do.

To read more on this story, click here: Is Declawing Cat an Amputation? Vet Weighs In

FOLLOW US!

A Bowie Animal Rights Group is Howling After the City Unveiled the New, More Expensive Estimate of a Proposed Animal Control Room

Bowie, Maryland - Supporters howl over Bowie animal holding room price tag Renovated area would hold three dogs, eight cats and cost about $113,500

Bowie Citizens for Local Animal Welfare is reconsidering its initial pledge of $30,000 to create an overnight animal control facility, one it has been advocating for the city staff moved into the new city hall in 2011. The city put a temporary holding facility in the new building, but CLAW pushed for a more complete project that allowed animals to be kept overnight. They currently go to the Prince George's County shelter in Upper Marlboro at day's end.

The City Council approved the overnight holding room expansion in December 2013 and later the cost was estimated to be about $27,000, said Tara Kelley-Baker, CLAW's president and Bowie resident.

But the final estimate is more than four times the initial number Kelley-Baker cited – it will cost taxpayers $113,500 to hold three dogs and eight cats. CLAW members weren't aware of the rising costs until the final estimate was released, Kelley-Baker said. The organization had initially raised $100,000 to build a free-standing facility in the city, but couldn't get council support on the project.

"We would have appreciated understanding the situation better," Kelley-Baker said. "We are a little surprised at the additional cost. We still want to work with the city to make this happen."

Bowie city officials said the increased cost is due to renovating a storage space to hold the cats. That room represents a bulk of the cost — about $83,800, said Lawrence Pierce, Bowie community services director.

The renovated rooms will allow animal control to hold animals overnight while they look for their owners. Currently staff members who pick up strays drive around the neighborhood to find the animal's owner. If the owner can't be located they hold the animal until the end of the day. The animal is then taken to the county shelter.

The city brought in county animal experts to insure the room would safely house the animals and that gets expensive when you consider plumbing, ventilation, heating and cooling, he said.

Pierce said the size of the room should serve the city's needs as they don't get much traffic. There hasn't been a dog in the room for two weeks, he said.

"This is a new area for all of us," Pierce said. "This was originally designed to be a storage closet for ground maintenance needs."

CLAW's board members will be discussing whether they still want to give the city the $30,000 on the project now that they know it costs so much, Kelley-Baker said. The thought was the money would cover the whole project, but members haven't had much chance to discuss the increased cost, Kelley-Baker said.

City Councilman At-large Dennis Brady said the animal holding room is a compromise between a free standing facility and the current temporary holding room.

"I'm a little disappointed that we didn't have a free-standing facility … We could have gotten the high school kids to do community service hours there," Brady said. "It is a step in the right direction. It would be nice coming out of college to go out and buy your Ferrari, but this is an incremental approach."

FOLLOW US!