Cats...I know right?
An issue has been under my skin lately. It has to do with the large amount of cats in shelters and the large number of cats that are killed in shelters, simply because no on wants them. In fact, I have heard that most shelters will immediately put any cat not using it's litter box to sleep. Again, this is something that I have heard and it is probably impossible to find statistics to back this up.
A lot of the reason that a cat may not use the litter box is completely preventable. Most cat behavior problems are fixable if not preventable. A lot of people declaw cats as an order of convenience. In fact, I have heard people ask "Why does this cat still have it's claws?" as if after a certain age, the claws just fall off. (I will admit that I ask why dogs aren't spayed or neutered if I notice).
Here's the deal. Declawing cats (or the medical term onychectomy) is not just a removal of the claw. It is the removal of the entire first digit of the toe. The Paw Project is an organization in CA that is dedicated to stopping the mutilation of cats. They give a pretty detailed explanation of the declaw procedure. (I do understand that this will be biased, but shit, so am I). Another website that outlines this information is Cats International.
Here's what gets me: Declawing a cat is simply a convenience measure for the owner. I have literally heard people say "Well, I'd rather have that then have them scratching me (the furniture, the walls, etc)". This floored me. Sometimes I am still surprised at the lack of compassion that people have for companion animals.
I think that cats have it worse. So often cats are portrayed as not fun, serious pets, and assholes in general. If you have ever seen a playful kitten, you know this isn't true. I suspect that people who want a "low maintenance pet" adopt a cat. And in many ways a cat is more self sufficient than a dog, but they still may need attention. They may need training. They need vet care (YES even if they are inside all the time). Cats definitely need to be spayed or neutered.
Love your cats please.
3 comments:
I think you are right on target with most of what you said. The only point I might dispute is with regard to cats not using the litterbox (RE: your comments about cat-related problems being fixable in general). Once a cat stops using the litterbox, it can be extreeeeeemely difficult to turn that cat around. There are things you can do to prevent it from happening in the first place, of course. Having at least as many litterboxes as cats is important. Changing the litterboxes frequently. Not declawing. I sure wouldn't want to walk around on cat litter (of any kind) after just having my feet surgically mangled.
You're right, though. Cats have it bad. I've often wished they weren't quite so good at reproducing - who hasn't found a litter of kittens at some point?
Thanks C! You know a heck of a lot more in the cat department than I do, so thank you for the clarification.
i recently found out how much I like cats!! I was never what they called a cat person, not that I'd wish them any harm of course. But my one daughter adoped 2 a couple years ago and then my other daughter adopted one about 6 months ago. I realized how fun and sassy they can be!!;) I agree about the nail thing...how cruel. Recently my newphews ex had a baby and one of her cats started piddling all over... she wanted to get rid of it... of course. Her son was so sad my sister took the cat and she had no problem at all. I think cats need time to adjust too... I use to get the newsletter from FVHA and read the statistics of how many cats/dogs were PTS. It use to amaze me how many cats were PTS for spraying.;(
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