Update November 2020.
AAHA took legal action to force us to take information about them from this story.
Screenshot of AAHA’s Twitter account. AAHA blocked us for shining light on the fact that they allow declawing in their hospitals. Please take 60 seconds and sign our petition to AAHA- AAHA Petition
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Bitterroot Bobcat and Lynx, in Montana, breeds these wild cats. They recommend declawing their wild cats on all four paws. Here’s their website –Bitterroot Bobcat and Canadian Lynx website
Bitterroot Bobcat and Lynx was asked what veterinarian they use and recommend for a 4 paw declaw for a bobcat.
Their answer, “Pruyn Vet Clinic in Missoula. Dr. Card does the bobcats and she is great.”
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Surely that couldn’t be true since Pruyn Veterinary Hospital is a standard of excellence American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) hospital. They are supposed to be the best of the best in veterinary medicine and AAHA is strongly opposed to declawing of domestic cats. Surely they don’t condone any of their accredited animal hospitals declawing wild cats on all four paws?
We looked into this and found out that it is true. Pruyn Veterinary Hospital Website
Employees confirmed that Dr Shoni Card is their exotic animal vet and she does the declaws on bobcats and lynx cats. They charge $250 for an all four paw declaw on domestic cats, bobcats, and lynx cats at this AAHA hospital Pruyn Animal Hospital in Missoula, Montana. An employee says that Dr Card does the declaws with a cautery which is a super heated hot wire. Another employee said that she uses a laser for the declaws.
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We reached out to AAHA and asked them, “Does AAHA allow their animal hospitals to declaw bobcats?”
AAHA sent us a note saying, “AAHA strongly opposes the declawing of domestic cats….”
We replied and asked AAHA that specific question again and they told us that some of their AAHA hospitals do not provide care for exotic companions.
AAHA actually sent us a link on how we can locate an AAHA hospital that treats exotic animals and told us that the AVMA and AAZV oppose declawing of “big cats” unless it is for medical reasons.
Why would AAHA send us a link to locate one of their hospitals that treats exotic animals after we asked them this specific question?
Can you please ask AAHA if they allow declawing on Bobcats and Lynx on all four paws. Also ask them if it is against the law to declaw an exotic/wild cat because one of their hospitals provides this amputation service for these wild cats. If you get an answer, please send it to citythekitty@gmail.com
More about AAHA hospitals and declawing- AAHA’s declaw communications toolkit
AAHA’s double standards- AAHA’s double standards