Why is declawing not illegal in the US?

kicken74

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Jun 27, 2007
Messages
22
Purraise
1
Location
Wisconsin
I had posted an earlier thread about when to declaw and neuter my two boy kitties. After reading all the responses, I never realized that declawing is illegal in the UK and other parts of the world. Why not here? I find this interesting that it's illegal elsewhere but not in the US. Everyone seems well educated on this subject and thought maybe someone knows why this is still allowed in the US.
By the way, I decided to not declaw them
 

yosemite

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Apr 26, 2001
Messages
23,313
Purraise
81
Location
Ingersoll, ON
First let me say thank you for not declawing.


Most informed pet owners (cat owners) know that declawing is barbaric and would love to see it illegal here in North America as well. Unfortunately the folks passing the laws haven't been educated enough as yet so until we the people can get them educated and on-board, we'll have to just keep doing what we can to educate the masses.
 

twstychik

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Sep 27, 2006
Messages
5,720
Purraise
4
Location
Northern IN
Originally Posted by kicken74

I had posted an earlier thread about when to declaw and neuter my two boy kitties. After reading all the responses, I never realized that declawing is illegal in the UK and other parts of the world. Why not here? I find this interesting that it's illegal elsewhere but not in the US. Everyone seems well educated on this subject and thought maybe someone knows why this is still allowed in the US.
By the way, I decided to not declaw them
Your cats love you even more for making that choice!

I wasn't that educated about de-clawing until I came here. So, when you say that everyone seems to well educated about declawing I can agree that it's true here at TCS but the general population isn't so well educated. I think it should be illegal but until enough people are educated on it, that will never happen.

Originally Posted by Yosemite

First let me say thank you for not declawing.


Most informed pet owners (cat owners) know that declawing is barbaric and would love to see it illegal here in North America as well. Unfortunately the folks passing the laws haven't been educated enough as yet so until we the people can get them educated and on-board, we'll have to just keep doing what we can to educate the masses.
Exactly... until enough of the right people know how cruel and brutal the declaw procedure really is and that there are plenty of was to keep cats for mis-using their claws the laws won't change. And the most important thing to remember is that it's up to US to educate the law makers.
 

rang_27

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
May 28, 2002
Messages
4,304
Purraise
5
Location
Milwaukee, WI
There is an increasing number of people getting educated on what declawing is an how inhumane it is, but there are still a fair amount of people that don't understand how to train a cat not to scratch furniture. When I started volunteering 4-1/2 years ago we had a ton of declawed cats, currently there are only 3 out of about 40 that are declawed.
I give you a lot of credit for educating yourself to the truth of declawing. I know my pervious cat had been 4 paw declawed because I was a child when I got her & my parents declawed her. I now have 4 cats with all their claws, if you keep them clipped they really aren't that bad.
 

katz4life

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Jul 24, 2007
Messages
3,667
Purraise
2
Declawing should be illegal everywhere...it should be illegal in the U.S. too!

We always thought declawing a cat is like taking away our fingernails. I actually can't believe people declaw at all (unless its for some medical reason) Our cats never ever scratch our furniture because our house is full of cat poles, cat highways, cat houses, & cat carpet...they have no reason to claw anything.


I think people declaw their animals too fast...instead of paying the money to get them declawed, spend that money on surfaces that are theirs to scratch on. Its very simple.
 

taterbug

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Mar 10, 2006
Messages
2,583
Purraise
32
Location
hills of TN
The vet schools should be the main ones helping to make declawing illegal. If they would start teaching students that it wasn't an acceptable practice,then there wouldn't be so many vets suggesting the procedure,IMO. That would stop a lot of it!
 

camille eonich

TCS Member
Young Cat
Joined
Jun 13, 2007
Messages
96
Purraise
1
Location
NC
I would never declaw a cat. Having said that what if someone decided that spaying and nuetering pets was just perfectly horrible and that it should be illegal to do so?


There are people of that mindset. They will also tell you that any issues that are caused by a non-nuetered male can be handled by training and that females can be dealt with as well.
 

mbjerkness

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Jun 18, 2007
Messages
7,583
Purraise
18
Location
In the middle of BC
Hi I live in Canada , after reading here what declawing is, I have been telling everyone like me, none of them, knew how awful and cruel it really is. I will continue to tell people, I can't beleive people do this to their kitties
 

twstychik

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Sep 27, 2006
Messages
5,720
Purraise
4
Location
Northern IN
Originally Posted by taterbug

The vet schools should be the main ones helping to make declawing illegal. If they would start teaching students that it wasn't an acceptable practice,then there wouldn't be so many vets suggesting the procedure,IMO. That would stop a lot of it!
I agree completly. When Frankie was declawed (my parents choice) the vet didn't bat an eye at doing it. Instead he shuold have explained (in graphic detail) how it was done and what ill effects it can have. I'm fortunate that Frankie did ok with it and I was educated about it later and saved Wickett the pain. I also didn't have to really "train" him. All I did was provide him w/ rugs and scratch pads and he did most of the rest.
 

taterbug

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Mar 10, 2006
Messages
2,583
Purraise
32
Location
hills of TN
Exactly! In my neck of the woods,when you take a kitten in to be spayed or neutured, the vet asks if you want them declawed,too. It would make such a difference if they would stop suggesting it to thosethat don't understand the details.
 

goldenkitty45

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Aug 29, 2005
Messages
19,900
Purraise
44
Location
SW Minnesota
I have no clue. But it may be slowly changing. Many vets will not declaw (I know several of them) and I think there was something about a city or even the state of Virginia that is now banning declaws....so if we keep pushing for it to be illegal and educate people on what REALLY happens, maybe 50 yrs from now it will be illegal
 

rang_27

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
May 28, 2002
Messages
4,304
Purraise
5
Location
Milwaukee, WI
There is one vet at the vet practice I go to that I will not allow to see my cats because when I got Isaac he was trying to talk me into it. I said, no I don't believe in declawing & he proceeded to tell me all the pain managment he had for them. I said No again & he said well if it ever becomes a problem. I said "It's not a problem with the other 2 cats it won't be a problem with him" IMO the issue with some vets is that it's another way to make money. A declaw is expensive and they probably make a good profit on declawing.
 

sarahp

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Jun 7, 2006
Messages
15,841
Purraise
28
Location
Australia
I think the reason it's legal in the US is because too many people get their say, and get up in arms if anyone tells them what they can and can't do.

In Australia it's always been illegal as far as I know, and nobody even knows about it.

The US seems to have a real "convenience culture" to it - it's more convenient for owners to declaw than train their cat not to scratch, and nobody wants their precious furniture ruined... So the vets pander to the wants of the people with the money rather than the pets needs.

As well as that, states can't just make a law banning it, it would have to be a Bill, is that correct? And once you start trying to pass bills telling people that they're not allowed to do something with their pet, they get up in arms about how their rights are being taken away, an animal is their property and they should be allowed to do what they want... blah blah blah.

I'm meeting with a couple of shelter volunteer friends next week and plan to ask them if they know how to go about lobbying to get declawing banned in California.
 

momofmany

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Jul 15, 2003
Messages
16,249
Purraise
70
Location
There's no place like home
Originally Posted by kicken74

I had posted an earlier thread about when to declaw and neuter my two boy kitties. After reading all the responses, I never realized that declawing is illegal in the UK and other parts of the world. Why not here? I find this interesting that it's illegal elsewhere but not in the US. Everyone seems well educated on this subject and thought maybe someone knows why this is still allowed in the US.
By the way, I decided to not declaw them
I saw that thread and have to admit that I joined the throng that was lecturing you about not doing it. I appologize. Please don't hold any ill feelings towards the folks that offered you the lecture, we all simply feel very strongly about the topic.

I think that if we understood why our government won't make declawing illegal, that the argument would have been made and it would have been done long ago. I think the U.S. is so up on "personal choice" sometimes that they fail to see the inhumanity of some of that choice. I also think that because animals are considered "property", that they fail to look at them as living creatures. Where would someone land if they cut off their (human) children's finger tips?

I am so happy you decided not to declaw. Please let us know if you need help *preaching* to your boyfriend.
 

strange_wings

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Dec 20, 2006
Messages
13,498
Purraise
39
I've never had a vet ask if I wanted to declaw a cat during spay/neuter. From what I understand, it's not as common in rural areas (such as well I live) because people let their cats outside.

As to why it's not illegal - pets are considered property and really have little to no laws protecting them in many cities and states. Were that to change first, then something could be done about declawing.
 

thepatches

TCS Member
Young Cat
Joined
Jul 10, 2007
Messages
40
Purraise
1
Location
Pittsburgh PA
Vet's suggest the procedure and back it up in most cases because it is yet another unnecesary thing they can charge you for.
 

ddcats

TCS Member
Super Cat
Joined
Apr 2, 2007
Messages
848
Purraise
2
Location
Where whiskers abound.
Congratulations for keeping your kitties whole!


Why is it not illegal here in US?

Bcause of $$.
(Feed low quality food, get cat declawed, both result in vet bills for physical and psychological sickness)
 

goldenkitty45

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Aug 29, 2005
Messages
19,900
Purraise
44
Location
SW Minnesota
I'll see if I can locate the declaw issue in Virginia. I think it was a bill that was recently passed (either 2006 or 2007). But I remember reading about it.
 
Top