VMDiva

The recent ban on cat declaws in Berkeley and the current legislative efforts to create bans in other California towns may have unintended consequences. The concern with elective procedures such as cat declaws is a topic of debate within the veterinary profession.  Most veterinarians still perform declaws nationwide and help cat owners decide whether to pursue a declaw or not. Many owners who elect the have their feline friend declawed do so with full disclosure to the discomfort the cat will feel postoperatively. It is not a decision to be taken lightly. It is also not a decision to be made by bureaucrats.

Cats are destructive of no fault of their own. Cats sharpen their claws on the best available substrate, which unfortunately many times is your new sofa, clothing, moulding, etc. In a Utopian world, owners would have infinite tolerance for cat scratches and destructive behavior. We don’t live in Utopia. One can argue right or wrong but the issue remains. I fear many more cats will be forced outdoors where they face the perils of cars, predators, and disease. It is known outdoor cats have a significantly shorter lifespan than indoor cats. I also fear that more adult cats, and therefore less adoptable cats, will end up in a shelter situation. The repercussions of an influx of cats into a shelter will most likely result in an increase of euthanasias. I predict a repeal of the ban in several years.