Thinking of declawing your kitty? If you're in Israel, think again as the Israel legislature has unanimously passed a bill that outlawed the declawing of cats.
It's now a crime punishable by one year in prison and a fine of $20,000. But oh, won't someone think of the furniture? Link - via Metafilter
Unlike spaying, which has a definite health benefit for the cat, declawing is something that only benefits the owner, not the cat.
Azog - glad you convinced you mother. A stray cat I took in had kittens and I gave one to my Mother-in law under the understanding that she wouldn't do that. She had it done anyway. I was in a fury, and congratulated her on mutilating her cat.
Just because you "own" a cat it doesn't mean that you get to cause it pain for the rest of it's life.
Hmm... hmmm.....
Why would so many veteranarians perform this cruel and disfiguring procedure?
Why do so many declawed cats seem perfectly fine and not in sheer agony every time they step on their mutilated paws?
Maybe I'm just too naive.
I think it's cruel now and would never get it done to my own. Our cat used to tear up our furniture until we finally found smething he would use instead. Lured him with catnip to a scratching mat and he's been using it ever since.
I say good for Israel. I wish declawing, ear docking, tail docking and other unnecessary surgeries were banned in the US.
Declawing, debarking, ear and tail docking are of course banned here, since, like, forever.
If you take proper care for your kitteh, he/she will use the scratching post or board. If there is one and the little critter prefers your furniture, it feels it gets too little attention from its humans.
The comparison to circumcision is a weak one. Sometimes it is absolutely necessary (e.g. phimosis), while declawing never is.
Frankly I don't understand religious circumcision, myself. To me it is an unnecessary surgery which has no benefits.
Still, cutting a little piece of skin comparing to cutting off parts of a limb seems disproportionate.