"As my veterinarian put it: for many people the alternative option is destruction of the animal."
Some veterinarians will say the same thing to make their customers feel better about the decision to declaw. It is a specious argument at best. There are a number of alternative humane options to this inhumane amputation of toes. They include trimming the claws, using soft nail caps, and providing plenty of legal scratching surfaces for the cat, in the form of scratching posts, cat trees with built in scratchers, and all the latest scratch-pad toys coming on the market. My cats even enjoy scratching corrugated cardboard boxes.
The Association of Veterinarians for Animal Rights has this to say about that platitude:
"Some veterinarians have argued that some people would have their cats killed if declawing was not an option. We should not, however, allow ourselves to taken 'emotional hostage' like this. If a person really would kill her or his cat in this case, it is reasonable to question the suitability of that person as a feline guardian, especially when there are millions of non-declawed cats living in harmony with people."
Some owners of declawed cats say their cats suffered no ill effects from declawing. Do you really think, given a voice and a vote, your cats would say, "Sure! Go ahead and chop off my toes?" Sadly, I've seen (personally or by my email contacts) too many cases with tragic, long-lasting repercussions, including the ultimate destruction of the animal, and I have been a cat lover for over 50 years. I have no doubt that people who declaw love their cats. It is not my intention to criticize people who for reasons known only to themselves have opted for declawing. But I do intend to do my best to convince people "on the fence" that declawing is NOT the only alternative, and I cannot in good conscience ever say "it's okay under such-and-such circumstances."
It is the procedure I deplore, not the people who do it.
