About the Cat...

"Anonymous said...
i can't believe you found a vet that would actually do something so cruel (declawing) to your cat. if you like, the human equivalent is to have your fingers cut off from the last knuckle, right before the fingernail. think about it. please reconsider.
Monday, December 11, 2006 12:46:00 PM "



Dear Anonymous,

First of all, I must say I am thoroughly disappointed in your cowardice in hiding your identity. If you wish to express your opinion about someone else's decisions, be honest about it. I'd like to have an open conversation with you (because I probably know you) rather than talking into cyberspace.

Secondly, I am quite surprised you "can't believe" there are vets out there who declaw people's feline pets. Before we took Kitty in, I called 11 different vets for quotes, and not a single one had any problems with performing this routine procedure.

And finally, I don't think it's quite fair to equalize declawing with cutting off a human's fingers. Oh, I understand the procedure, and I realize it involves pain for the cat. But Kitty is NOT a human, however much we may want to give her status as a personality under our roof. Also, Kitty does not have fingers, she has paws with claws, and these claws have great and demonstrated ability to destroy furniture, curtains, woodwork, etc, despite the availability of a scratching post and the deterrence of a spray bottle. When such items are destroyed, it makes her owners fairly unhappy, and this in turn makes Kitty feel a little less loved. Since cats use their claws mainly for defense and catching prey, and since Kitty is a stricly indoor cat who will not need to defend herself or catch her own dinner, her claws were not necessary to her well-being, and in the long run were only causing her unhappiness in our home. Besides, outdoor cats mainly use their back claws for defense, and Kitty still has those if she ever manages to escape. And, for the record, Kitty's knuckles were not cut off; the surgery was not quite that invasive (and no, it wasn't the "cut the tendons" surgery either).

As much as we enjoy our cat, she is a secondary addition to our home. She is not a child, she is not human, and there are certain rules which need to be followed. No scratching or biting, no ripping the curtains, no destroying the couch. Since she could not demonstrate an ability to adapt to these rules, we took action, and now she is a happily obedient cat. I am certain that in her tiny cat brain, she has forgotten she ever had them. Don't get me wrong - I believe it is wrong to abuse any creatures which God has delightfully created and given to us for our use and enjoyment. My cat is fed, kept warm, and cuddled - better than her fate in the great outdoors. There are much more cruel activities going on in this world, cruelties to human lives, which we should be focusing our attention on.

For the record, Kitty bounced back quite quickly and is doing just fine - right back to her usual mischievous, whiny self.