“If declawing was animal abuse, veterinarians wouldn’t do it.” Comment from Katie Gagnon, reporter for the Philly Voice on Twitter, May 13, 2016
This post is in honor of Lucy the 12 yr old declawed cat in Missouri. 
Photo from ThePhillyVoice.com
Her comments are a sad example on how so many pro-declaw veterinarians are deceiving cat owners to believe that amputating their cat’s toes is a viable solution to solving an issue with their cats, that can successfully be taken care of with humane alternatives.
Today I’m asking you to please take the focus away from blaming this woman who wrote the story and obviously was mislead by her unethical vet to sadly believe that declawing was a good choice for her poor Lucy.
Yes, this reporter/cat owner could have done a simple 5 min google search to see that declawing is inhumane and banned in most of the world. She could have simply ask this unethical vet to apply soft paws on Lucy once a month to prevent this perceived “danger” to her baby. But she didn’t and she went on the advice of this trusted doctor that has had years of veterinary medicine and supposedly is in the profession to be an advocate for the welfare of ALL animals.
The “heal” and “help” part of the veterinary oath goes out the window every time a veterinarian declaws a cat. They are using their skills to harm and mutilate a cat’s paws…parts of their bodies that are so important to everything that makes them a cat AND so important for their health and well being. 
Think about this…This woman is now getting death threats and all sorts of horrible things said to her because of what her DOCTOR advised her to do.
This woman did what every cat owner in the world does with their doctor of veterinary medicine and TRUSTED their advice. Trusted that out of all the options available, declawing a 12 yr old cat for the sake of a baby on the way, was the right choice.
I heard that she is getting threats and there are really bad comments on the story. MY FRIENDS. I KNOW YOU ARE SICK AND TIRED OF CATS BEING HARMED IN THE HANDS OF “DOCTORS” LIKE THIS BUT PLEASE STOP WITH THE VITRIOL AND THREATS!
I see cats suffering every single day by what vets did to them by declawing them. Trust me, I’m so sick and tired of this animal abuse in the hands of these veterinary professionals.
I see declawed cats being thrown away to shelters left and right and euthanized because of issues with their toe amputations. I’m sick and tired of the veterinary associations like the NYSVMS AND AVMA who are trying to kill bills that are good for cats but bad for their pocketbooks. Bill that would protect cats from this harm. IT IS PURE EVIL HOW THEY WANT TO KEEP ALLOWING THIS UNNECESSARY PAIN AND SUFFERING TO CONTINUE.
Our anger and frustration is because we care and is normal for compassionate people who love animals, but we must be the better human being in this and not lower ourselves to the dark side. It will just hurt our cause and in turn less kitties will be saved from this torture and abuse.
This is a big opportunity to use our passion to respectfully educate everyone how the choice of declawing is the wrong for ANY situation. REMEMBER WHEN YOU THREATEN ANYONE, IT’S WRONG AND THEN THEY ALSO CAN TWIST THINGS AROUND AND PLAY THE VICTIM. THE ONLY VICTIMS ARE ALL THE CATS LIKE LUCY.
Here is the story. [button href=”http://www.phillyvoice.com/katies-baby-preparing-my-fur-baby-my-infant/” color=”red” newwindow=”yes”] 12 yr old Cat declawed for a baby[/button]
This reporter even believed her vet so much that she tweeted out her story to a pregnancy website and was trying to spread this terrible advice to other expectant mothers on @whattoexpect
Folks, she TRUSTED this “doctor’s” advice.
“Talking to Lucy’s veterinarian during the beginning of my pregnancy was incredibly helpful in making the decision to declaw her,” Katie Gagnon says in this story about how her vet helped her make this terrible decision.
I Respectfully Reached Out To Her Veterinarian
(This reporter initially posted the link to her vet’s practice in Missouri but since has removed it)
I wanted to try to get some information about why any veterinarian would recommend or perform a declaw on a cat especially for the reason of a baby on the way.
So as a journalist, I respectfully reached out to her practice in Missouri.
I spoke with the office manager and told her who I was and said I just wanted to get some answers to be able to understand why they advise amputating cat’s toes for a new baby and not the humane alternatives like soft paws or nail trims.
The manager said she couldn’t speak about Lucy’s case but said, ” Each situation is specific and different and it’s not something we recommend. It’s not something we tell clients they have to do. It’s a personal choice and the doctors and the owners make that together what they think is BEST for the animal.”
I understand the client/doctor confidentiality factor and know that no one can comment about her specific case but that’s not what I was asking.
I said that I simply wanted to do a story to shed some light on why some vets would declaw a cat for a situation of a baby being on the way and she said, “I’m going to decline to answer your questions.”
I also asked if the vet is now liable if the baby is bit by the cat since declawed cats tend to bite more. The manager said, “That’s not true. I’m done with this conversation.”
And she hung up on me.
So I called back a few minutes later to just try to ask them if they give out educational advice to cat owners, like what the Humane Society recommends (Which Mrs Gagnon actually links to in her story) like trimming nails.
A different woman on the phone said, “That’s great but we’re not the Humane Society and we don’t have to live by their rules either. I don’t know if anywhere in that article she (Gagnon) said that that’s what they Humane society recommended,” then she hung up on me.
(Actually Mrs Gagnon did put this very helpful link to educational info from the Humane Society about pets and babies. One of the things that they say is, “Get your pet used to nail trims.” [button href=”http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/pets_babies.html” color=”green” newwindow=”yes”] Humane Society-Introducing Your Pet and New Baby[/button]
So I thought I would try one last time to respectfully reach out to one of their veterinarians for this story. They put me on hold for a few minutes and finally a vet came on the line who didn’t give me her name said that she appreciates me being respectful in reaching out. I told her that I know she can’t talk about Lucy’s case specifically but I just wanted to know why they would, in any situation, advise cat owners to declaw their cats.
She said, “This is a decision that is very private and very controversial and it’s between the doctor and the family only, and so I can’t give you a comment on it, I’m very sorry.”
I also asked why they would ever advise declawing for a baby since declawed cats tend to bite more.
This veterinarian said, “That’s absolutely an opinion that is out there and clearly your opinion and I absolutely respect that and again I’m not going to be able to comment about this for a couple reasons, one it’s in violation of my doctor/patient relationship and because it is likely to get twisted so I’m absolutely not going to comment.”
I told her I take great notes and would never twist anything anyone says.
She said, “I’m sorry, I appreciate journalism and I appreciate your efforts, I’m just not going to be able to comment. Good luck with your article and website.”
Here are three sites for America and Canadian veterinary practices where you can find humane and compassionate doctors who put the welfare of all animals over sofas or any other weak excuses. [button href=”https://citythekitty.org/” color=”green” newwindow=”yes”] City the Kitty No-Declaw Vet Lists Canada and America[/button]
[button href=”http://www.pawproject.org/no-declaw-vets/” color=”green” newwindow=”yes”] Paw Project No-Declaw Vet List[/button]
[button href=”http://www.declaw.com/veterinarians-who-do-not-declaw/list-of-veterinarians” color=”green” newwindow=”yes”] No-Declaw Practices[/button]
I will end this story on a good note with these sweet and awesome stories from cat owners with babies and cats.
Leah and Bryan’s 5 month old boy, Ben with their kitty, Stripes.
Leah says this about Stripes…”Stripes was found in the woods as a tiny kitten by himself with singed whiskers, not sure if by a cruel act or maybe a barn fire. So, they posted him to the local shelter needing a foster, and I contacted them and picked him up later that day, adopted him the next!
I have someone trim his nails!
My husband and I only want them done right so it doesn’t hurt him and doesn’t bleed! We only want the best for him.
I actually wanted to get him declawed when I first got home, because I literally knew nothing about declawing till I posted an ad with where is the best place to go and someone told me about soft paws.
From there I found the Paw Project link and have been convinced ever since that declawing should never be an option. I even converted a few people on the issue.. success story I’d say. I never knew declawing hurt them as bad as it did.
Stripes doesn’t take to the baby for clawing. He’s too smart for that and only wants to snuggle and love him. He’s blessed with so many toys and posts that he doesn’t even need soft paws anymore, he just doesn’t scratch the valuables. We wouldn’t change a thing”.
Here is a note and photo I received today from Anne Marie…
Dear City, I thought I’d send you a picture of my orange tabby. My son is fascinated by our cats’ paws and claws. Theo our cat never complains when Alex messes with his feet, as he is in this picture. I know some people declaw because they worry their children will get scratched. My cats have NEVER scratched my son.
However, had we amputated our cats’ toes, I don’t think we’d have a calm picture such as this. Declawing often turns cats into biters, and a child touching their paws would probably end in a hurt child.
There is no reason to ever amputate a cat’s toes! Children and clawed cats can peacefully coexist!
I just told my son I was sending his pic to City the Kitty. He wanted to know who that was. (I’ve shown him pictures before.) he asked if City has claws. When I said yes, he said, “Okay, I just wanted to make sure.” Ha ha! He’s only 3, but he knows it’s very bad to declaw a cat. “