New York State considering declawing ban

[Lonecatwithkitten]

Here in the UK we see it as barbaric, but in the US this a widespread practice currently it is illegal in LA and few other Californian cities. Now New York State are considering a ban, but some veterinary organisations say that declawing is the only solution to stop cats being euthanised or rehomed due to clawing furniture.
Personally I see clawing furniture as irritating, but it is my cats expressing a natural form of behaviour marking their territory. I love cats enjoy have no them in my home and accept that some of their natural behaviours I have to live with.
80% of cats in the US are declawed, is that owner expectations are different?
I see the possible change in state law as a really good thing, but having worked in the US for a period I am aware that the attitude to animals is very different to here.

[Fluffycloudland77]

I'm all for a ban.

If I can put up with mine pissing on the walls because his nemesis is in the garden they can put up with a few pulls in the upholstery.

[lavenderdoilly]

Spend a fair bit of time in us.good friends declaw. It is utterly barbaric, utterly unnatural and painful for cats. Plenty of products on market from sheaths (ugh!) to double sided sticky tape to more cat scratchers. US cats are generally indoors because there are many proper scary predators out there. But declawing is vile and, thank god, illegal in EU.

[RubbishMantra]

I really hope the ban goes through.

It's the same as if we were to have all our fingers removed at the end joints. God, the agony that must inflict. Cats need their claws for so many reasons, exercise being one of them.

I have holes in my beautiful 500tc bed linen, from where Little Monsieur "helps" me change the sheets. But I've never eyed the secateurs.

[Fluffycloudland77]

Dhs cousin was offered de-clawing darn south in 2009.

[BirthdayBetty]

I'm all for the ban too, it's barbaric have they not heard of scratch posts

[LineyReborn]

My cats have destroyed our living room door and we see it as a proud family art installation.

De-clawing is cruel.

[cozietoesie]

This link might be of interest to people.

[isamonster]

I'm a fan of this lovely cat... www.citythekitty.com

I remember people in the US doing this and saying it was OK. It is barbaric.

[DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen]

Iirc is common to de bark dogs too in the USA. Awful

[LineyReborn]

Grim.

[BeaArthursUnderpants]

I hope this passes, and catches on elsewhere. I'm surprised to hear the 80% figure because most cats I see are not declawed, but enough of them are and I don't think it should be done at all. Lavenderdoilly I don't know what "proper predators" you are referring to, but I've never lived anywhere in the U.S. where the threats to cats were worse than they are in my greater London neighborhood. I don't think that's a reason to keep cats inside. I have to admit the effect on the wild bird population does give me pause (see link below), but in any event I don't think indoor cats should be declawed.

mobile.nytimes.com/2014/03/22/opinion/sunday/the-evil-of-the-outdoor-cat.html

DameDiazepam I'm happy to report that I've never heard of a dog being debarked in the U.S., and I know lots of dogs. So at least that's not catching on.

[GingerIvy]

I have heard of declawing cats but I lived in the States for years and don't know anyone that had their cats declawed. 80%?? That seems high. I know a lot of cat owners, and we had cats too.

[RubbishMantra]

Bea, sadly it's not just dogs.

A well known poster on here wrote about chatty cats having their vocal chords removed in the States.

[RubbishMantra]

I think it's horrible to adopt an animal then force unnecessary surgery for the owner's pleasure. Ear trimming for example. Or breeding animals so their noses are so flat and squashed, they can barely breathe.

[Lonecatwithkitten]

80% is an AVMA stat so likely to be fairly accurate.
I do know that in Colorado cats are kept in due to Cougars and that in certain parts of California the Cougars are spreading so that may make people keep their cats in. However, one of the cat vet gods lives in Colorado keeps his cats protected by using a shed attached to the house and a cougar proof pen attached to the shed to allow them out to express natural behaviour like scratching outside. He has cat scratch marks inside the pen on the shed and cougar scratch marks on the shed outside the pen.

[cozietoesie]

Coyotes are spreading as well, including in urban areas. A hungry coyote could make short work of a cat who didn't climb out of the way, sadly.

[RubbishMantra]

God I feel lucky. I live in a town, but surrounded by rural area, so the foxes haven't ventured into the town, and I've only (very) occasionally seen the flash of a fox tail whilst driving through the forests.

When I lived in London I saw far more foxes than I do now. One was carrying a bag of McDonalds leftovers, still in the bag on a busy street. They're as agile as cats.

I still lock-down the boys from dusk til dawn though.

[cozietoesie]

You'll almost certainly have them there, Mantra, just that they won't be so bold/crowded. They're virtually everywhere in the UK - a very successful and adaptable species.

[gleam]

I live in a town surrounded by rural area and live just about dead centre in the town.

Middle of the night, I saw a fox out of my window eating chips dropped on the pavement.

[DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen]

I agree, I saw foxes every night in London but 10 years in the country and I've only ever heard one yowling at night once. Ds was fascinated on a recent visit to London as he saw one for the first time, he's 15!

My dad feeds them

[lavenderdoilly]

Bea - suburban new york state where my family lives has snakes and bears not far away. Seem like proper predators to me.

[RubbishMantra]

I used to feed them too Dame, beautiful creatures, when I lived in London, before I had cats. But I wouldn't want them near my little princes!

The area I live in now is very pro fox-hunting/culling cubs/shooting parties etc. , so I think that's made them particularly wary of us humans around here.

But no, I don't let the boys out at night. They sleep through, MCat by my feet, Little Monsieur under the duvet, with his little curly head on the pillow.

[Fluffycloudland77]

TBH when we lived in the country I never saw a fox. Saw a black leopard but no foxes.

Cos the farmers have rifles and shoot them.

[Fluffycloudland77]

City kitty is fab though, the photos of those poor cats with all paws bandaged up are utterly heartbreaking.