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From: larry@kitty.UUCP (Larry Lippman)
Newsgroups: net.pets
Subject: Re: Re: Kitty speaks out on declawing cats...
Message-ID: <235@kitty.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 4-Aug-85 23:52:57 EDT
Article-I.D.: kitty.235
Posted: Sun Aug  4 23:52:57 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 7-Aug-85 04:16:02 EDT
References: <163@kitty.UUCP> <119@rtp47.UUCP>
Distribution: net
Organization: Recognition Research Corp., Clarence, NY
Lines: 43

> All of the proponents of declawing pet cats seem to be missing one very 
> crucial point. In most cases, I'm sure that these (soon to be amputee) cats 
> didn't have a whole lot of input into whether or not they were to join your
> households. To make that choice for them, and then to fix them up so that they
> fit into your idea of what cats should be is, I feel, incredibly cruel.
> 
> The only answer to the question of whether or not cats should be declawed
> is NO in my mind. Potential cat owners must (as I did before taking any of
> my 3 cats) realize the capacity that cats have for ripping up furniture
> and decide whether training them to use a scratching post would be feasible.
> If this is a problem, then a cat is not for you. Go buy some kind of inanimate
> toy instead of making one out of a living creature.

	Okay, you have three cats.  Do you have them vaccinated for any feline
diseases like distemper, rabies, feline leukemia virus, etc?  If so, did you
ask the cats if it was alright with them to be vaccinated?  Are any of your
cats neutered?  If so, did you ask their permission?  There are certain things
which people have to do in the best interest of their pets, and which people
have to do in order to have pets AT ALL.
	There are presently many more cats in this country than people willing
to give them a home.  Thousands of perfectly healthy cats are destroyed each
day by animal shelters.  If someone is willing to open their home to a cat and
thereby assure it of damn good life, then I do not see a problem with declawing
as a requirement for living in that environment.  If for some reason I were
prevented from declawing my indoor cats, then I would have no choice but to
force them to spend a good part of their existence outdoors - an action which
will not exactly increase their chance of living to a ripe old age!
	If you read my article closely, you will see that I am *NOT* advocating
en masse declawing of cats - only those cats which: (1) have a total indoor
environment, and (2) CANNOT be trained to use a scratching post in a reliable
fashion.  I do not feel that declawing an indoor cat is in any way cruel as
long as it is done after responsible consideration.

	Larry Lippman
	Recognition Research Corp.
	Clarence, New York
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