Hello, Honey, Elvira Mistress of Felinity here.
I'm more than just a great looking Feline, I'll have you know!
Bold, fresh, and the most delightful Pussycat in the world!
You can call me Miss Elvira, for short, just don't call me late for dinner, treats, a nap, or a snooze!
Welcome to The Elvira Factor!
You are about to enter the No Bull Zone!
Grab your tails, Felinity Assembled, it's going to be a bumpy ride! ;-D
(You missed the debut? Shame on you! ;-D )
The alert among you will have noticed something in the title of this post...
Yes, this is the 500th post to this blog, since it began on New Year's Day 2010, and I am very proud that Nikita let me do the honors, especially since it allows me to announce a couple of new things we have in store.
Now for the Meowing Points Memo:
Are you a Clawed, or Declawed, Kitty?
Our ancestors immigrated to this continent with the first settlers in the 16th century and, from the start, were "Working Cats" who earned their keep on Vermin Watch in businesses, & homes, and on ships, and farms.
This was the way it was as late as the 1940's.
And yet, especially beginning in the 18th century, many of our ancestors were beginning to live a life of leisure, familiar to us today, as companion animals in the homes of our Humans, though many enjoyed occasional outdoor access as part of the bargain.
Of course Feral Felines, with no ties of the sort above, were also part of the landscape, and a bane, especially, to cities.
After World War 2 more Felines became companion animals, of the indoor living only variety, and this led to more spaying and neutering, and eventually to routine declawing as well.
The Humans did the last to protect their furniture, and other belongings, among other reasons, or so they told themselves.
Daddy Kiril lived among Cats growing up, and in adulthood, before Nikita came into his life, as a Kitten, in 1998, and all those Cats were declawed as far as he can remember.
Nikita met the same fate before his first year of life ended, and there was no second guessing the decision.
As the years went by, and they became bloggers, and involved in the Cat Blogging Community, they encountered Humans, and Felines still clawed, with strong feelings about the issue, and the knowledge, and experiences, to back up their position, and so began a slow learning process, where Daddy began to change his own views on the subject.
When I entered their lives, a year ago, the decision was made not to have me Declawed and, surprise, surprise, I have not trashed the furniture, or the house...though I DID once get so hyper that I almost scratched out one of Daddy's eyes, um, hee, hee! :-D
Oh, and no, that's NOT my middle toe I'm wagging, in the photo above. :-D
For a year, now, Nikita has been wanting to include a section of links related to the subject, in the sidebar, something that the late, great, Whicky Wuudler, knew about, and it was just a day before he went to Rainbow Bridge that he send us a collection of links to get us started.
Upon perusing some of these links, and reading old e-mail correspondence between Whicky & Nikita, as well as checking out some Facebook pages, I did some thinking and, approaching Daddy & Nikita, this week, told them i wanted to make this subject something of an ongoing project for me, as my first first real step in becoming a serious Repurrter, and Comentator, like Nikita, more serious than all that I've done so far.
They enthusiastically said "You Go, Girl!", and so, with this post, I begin. :-D
And that's the Memo! ;-D
Next up is...My Word!
Actually, it's 2 words, this time...
The first word is Onychectomy, the medical term for Declawing.
Declawing is not a minor operation.
According to Wikipedia the procedure involves sugically amputating the end bones of a Felines toes.
While America, and Asia, still engage in this practice, many nations around the world, and some US cities, have banned it as an act of animal cruelty.
25% of domestic Cats in the US are said to be Declawed, and Humans with Cats often are faced with requirements, and laws, requiring the procedure, thus complicating decisions on where to live.
There ARE arguments for performing the procedure, beyond just protecting the furniture, including legitimate medical reasons, such as for "a therapeutic purpose", and the debate, for, and against, is an often heated, and emotional, one.
The Wikipedia article is even being disputed for its point of view
The above photo is of one of Nikita's claws, from last october, when we learned he had arthritis in his ankles, and wrists, partly related to having been Declawed.
"The Front Left Paw displayed a sore, reddish, paw, and bone, in the 3rd toe (Soft Tissue Swelling), with bones poking out a little in the area of Declawing."
The 2nd word is...Tendonectomy, a supposedly less painful alternative to Declawing, though it's not recommended in many Veterinary circles.
According to Wikipedia: "A small portion of the tendon in each of a cat's toes is surgically removed to prevent the cat from being able to extend the claws. Unable to extend the claws, the cat is no longer capable of scratching.
Claws will continue to grow following tendonectomy, and because the cat can no longer extend the claws to scratch, the Cat will not wear down the claws as before."
As you can imagine there are studies for, and against, this procedure, and comparing it to Declawing, favorably, and not.
The debate is just as heated, and emotional, as that over Declawing.
There are even Facebook pages, groups, and causes, on every conceivable side of these debates.
Speaking of which the debate about Declawing, and all the alternatives, surgical, and non-surgical runs the gamut, including, Laser Declawing, and Nail Caps, and even includes those folks who say "Well, hell, it's better than getting rid of the Cat!".
Which leads me into the Knuckleheads of the Week...
Last spring the AP & Petside.com, took a survey of American Pet Owners their thoughts on Declawing., and the results will leave many scratching their heads.
The majority of these knuckleheads, including a majority of Cat Peeople surveyed, were fine with the idea, believing it's a simple procedure, good for their Feline Companion.
According to these folks it's fine if tiny little Brutus, and huge ol' Fluffy, keep the neighbors awake all night with their incessant argueing over politics, or just simply howling at the moon, but the family Cat must be Declawed so as not to damage the sofa.
Under a thrid of Cat owners surveyed had the procedure done.
Those in favor use the excuse that "it's an integral part of the adoption process, as Claws apparently are a turn-off for some potential adopters".
Well, what do you expect from the unedumicated masses?
Death, or Declaw, seems to me a false arguement.
The article discuss this, and ends up wondering why Humans seem more sympathetic to Dogs, than Cats.
Jo Singer, of Petside, has some thoughts on this survey.
I think it's not as simple as that, and to make it a Dog vs Cat question does a disservice to both species.
And don't EVEN get me started on those who say "But Snagglepuss won't even notice that his claws are gone!"
Now to my Patriots of the Week...
The Paw Project, in Ca., has led the fight since at least 2002, and was instrumental in West Hollywood becoming the first city in the United States to ban the practice of Declawing, "unless necessary for a therapeutic purpose".
This was in 2003.
Los Angeles, San Francisco, Burbank, Santa Monica, Berkeley, Beverly Hills and Culver City have since followed.
The story is told here.
Over at Pictures of Cats there was an essay, around the end of the year, about Anti-Declawing Legislation, and many comments resulted.
One comment, in particular, caught my attention, because it makes a few points that should not be forgotten among all the hissing, and coughing up, and tossing of, hairballs, this subject causes.
Commentor Linda Inveninato - 1/7/11
"The Federal Government has no authority under the Constitution to outlaw Declawing. Felines, no matter how much we love them are not "We the People."
The 20 enumerated powers do not include animal protectionism.
The Federal Government was established to list specific Federal Duties and to protect US citizens natural rights against government intrusion. The Federal Government has no authority in the area of animal pet protection.
But, animal protection IS ALREADY LEGISLATED as a State issue! Hurray!
This is where you start if you can prove that more Declawed Cats are euthanized by percentage than Clawed Cats."
Something to think about.
Is Declawing a rational choice, or irrational cruelty?
Which side is being more rational, or irrational, in stating their case?
Do you have stories on your blog, or links to articles, and websites, for, or against, that you would like to share?
Post links in the comments, or used the e-mail listed in the sidebar, and I will get them.
All posts on this subject will be found in this Category: Declawing: It's About Your Toes, Ya Knows!
Well, that's it for this edition.
Dear reader, your comments about anything you read in this post, or any other, past, present, or future, on this blog, are welcomed, and encouraged.
Thank You, and Good Day! :-D
Hmm, no, um, clause in the US Constitution
on this subject.
:)
Posted by: Jaspar | July 17, 2011 at 10:09 PM
Ah ha! So that was Elvira's big surprise.
I have never had a declawed cat myself as my furniture can attest. I should take pictures.:D
Only time claws are a problem is when I am trying to get a cat in the carrier to take him to the vet.
They don't particularly like that.:D
Painful too. Big, fluffy towels come in handy there.
Except for shredding the furniture and maybe dismembering a bird or too, they don't use them much.
OK, there is the occasional cat fight and Ritzi likes to knead blankets.
I don't see the need to mutilate a cat just to save the furniture IMHO.
Posted by: Mog | July 17, 2011 at 11:39 PM
If cats had written the constitution, there sure as heck would be!!!! ~KC
Posted by: KC | July 18, 2011 at 12:27 AM
Mommy has never had a declawed cat, all of us has our claws and the majority of us are very good and do not trash the furniture or carpet.
Scylla claws the carpet up when she encounters a closed door, which is very naughty of her.
Mommy wouldn't adopt a declawed cat because the cat would be unable to defend itself.
Our humans do not do anything to our claws although when Whiskers was alive they had to trim one of his back toes, on each of his hind paws. He had extra claws and one of them would grow into his paw pad if they didn't keep it trimmed.
Posted by: Artemisia, Fenris, Socks & Scylla | July 18, 2011 at 05:11 AM
None of us are declawed 'cause Mom doesn't believe in it.
Posted by: The Crew | July 18, 2011 at 08:42 AM
Our humans don't believe in declawing either.
Unfortunately Sisters Sascha and Dolly were declawed before they came to live with us.
Happy 500th!!!
Posted by: Brian | July 18, 2011 at 01:36 PM
None of us are declawed either.
Our humans think it is animal abuse and done purely for the convenience of the humans.
There a very few medical reasons for declawing, such as claws growing into the footpad, bone infections, mangled toes, but that's about the only reasons our humans would ever consider the surgery, and only as a last resort.
Posted by: 'Kaika | July 18, 2011 at 10:25 PM
Thank you Elvira for a great post about declawing.
The sooner this barbaric mutilation is banned the better.
Claws are part of the whole cat who needs claws to be healthy.
Claws are essential to pretty much everything a cat does.
Israel banned declawing recently, so now it's 39 countries who are a better place for cats.
Props to all who have adopted declawed cats.
80% of declawed cats dumped in USA shelters are killed, deemed unadoptable because of the behavioural problems caused by declawing.
Declawed cats need homes too!
Gerry & Oliver
PS: Many vets who declaw ban their staff from telling clients the truth about declawing. Our Mum knows several techs who work for vets who follow this policy of keeping clients ignorant whilst keeping their cash tills full of blood money.
Posted by: Everycat | July 22, 2011 at 07:38 AM