Council committee: City should outlaw declawing of L.A. cats

A City Council committee called on Monday for an ordinance that would outlaw the declawing of cats in Los Angeles.

[Brad Benson]

how about we just neuter illegal aliens and LA Times Sports Editors instead?

[my thoughts]

another idiotic, waste of time, city council ordinance..first allowing roosters, now prohibiting the declawing of cats. i shall not ask what's next.

[Christopher]

I have a rescued cat who has trouble using the litter box because his paws hurt from being declawed. (I did not figure this out myself, it was my vet who explained it to me.) It's pretty shocking that the CVMA would oppose a ban on declawing. It must be a lucrative business for the vets they represent. As with everything in life, follow the money...

[Anamouse]

Thousands of people who like cats,(and I'm not one of them), keep them indoors and if they weren't declawed many would destroy furniture and end up at the pound or just thrown out the door where they end up as strays.
Indoor cats don't need their claws any more than many dogs need their long ears and once they are removed their chances of being happy pets for the rest of their lives improves dramatically.
Why change the law and force people to find out if they can put up with a cat that still has it's claws if removing them is an option?
Doing so will just result in more dead cats.

[West Valley Dave Smith]

Another waste of time by your wonderful Spring Street Gang of 15. A noble idea but there are just a few more important things that should be on committee agendas.

When will these morons stop wasting their time and our tax dollars?

[John]

Bad law! I adopted a cat that was not declawed a number of years ago. Tried as I could with a scratching post, toys, etc., the cat still preferred the couch and a chair which were destroyed. Not just the material became ripped and torn, but woodwork became scratched by the claws. After over a year of trying, I eventually gave up the cat to protect my house from being destroyed. On the other hand, I have a friend who has had a declawed cat that is over 14 years old, and is healthy, happy and a great pet. Just say "NO" to stupid laws that don't work.

[DMS]

This is ridiculous.
How much government do we need in our lives anyway?
1. Many people will not adopt cats because of this proposed ban. It is a fact of life--cats scratch. How naive to say get a scratching post. Also, many obsessive scratches will end up in the pound. Prepare for more scores of pets put to death because of this.
2. The same people who say don't declaw, urge us to spay and neuter our pets. Ask yourself, what would you rather have cut off, your balls or your fingernails?
3. Constantly berating your pet for doing what is natural creates a very stressful environment for both owner and pet. This can make them neurotic and misbehave.
Bottom line, the practice should not be encouraged, but the decision should be left with the owner.
GOVERNMENT STAY OUT OF OUR LIVES!!!!

[Mark]

What a load of guano. I agree with the Veterinary Assoc. on this one. If your cat is an INDOOR cat, there is absolutely nothing wrong with declawing them. NOTHING. This is another case of the Peta crowd wanting to legislate their PC view of reality into law. It has nothing to do with animal cruelty, and everyting to do with people who presume to know more about animal's health and well being than academically trained individuals. Don't enact laws based on touchy-feely ideals of groups who don't know what they're talking about.

[SandyCo]

I have two cats who have all of their claws, and they have yet to destroy my furniture. And even if they did, they're cats! Scratching is part of being a cat, period. Spaying/neutering is important; declawing can be avoided. Would you really rather amputate the last joint and fingertip of every digit on your hands and feet? Somehow I think not!
http://adage.com/goodworks/post...

[Mary]

A few of the above posts are by the paid lobbyist. Everyone knows that declawing is unnecessary and inhumane. That's why it's illegal in many other foreign countries. You are cutting off the last digit of their feet. They can no longer walk normally.

I rescued two previously declawed cats which were dumped at the shelter. One, they still would "claw" on the furniture. Two, they refused to use the litter box. Three, they had aggressive issues and were biters. It took me a year of behavioral modification to get these cats back to normal. I was at least able to teach them to rub the kitty trees instead of the sofa in less than a day. That's what they really needed, not to have their toes lopped off.

[Seth]

How about outlawing the circumcision of the human male penis? If snipping the tip off a penis isn't mutilation, I don't know what is.

[Seth]

I guess they think the word p-e-n-i-s is obscene. It a part of the body just like nose, ear, arm. Geez, grow up LA Daily News.

[benji mason]

Seth wrote:

How about outlawing the circumcision of the human male penis? If snipping the tip off a penis isn't mutilation, I don't know what is.

I guess you are one of those guys walking around with a penis that is sharp as a pencil,skin it back jack.

[AngryWhittierRes ident]

My "got damn" cat has shredded my couches....I better get her in before they ban it.

P.S. Thanks for allowing me to keep my roosters! They are an essential part of my life and make just fantastic pets.

[susan]

honestly with ALL the issues for a city to waste time with this is foolish what is next.....ending cutting umbilical cords and ending spaying and neutering for animals.....come on.....it is time for this person to find a new calling

this could be a valid discussion in the proper venue. However an ordinance is not the venue. I am sure some cats do have pain associated with procedures to remove claws...a vet discusses these options with the pet owner PRIOR to the procedure. How is this a city issue?????

[jimmy webb]

mary search and find something actually important to talk about and as for you benji you crack me up, benji the doc snipped and clipped a little too much huh, dont worry it will grow back, NOT!

[Baffled LA City Employee]

Seriously? Declawing of cats? This is what the LA City Council discusses at a time when 7,800 EAA-represented City employees - including LAPD Criminalists - are furloughed? I think council members should direct their attention and paid time dealing with REAL problems. That's a policy statement I'd like to make.

$179,000 per year for these clowns to discuss declawing of cats. Unbelievable.

[Sandie Lazaris UK]

So a majority of you value your sofas more - bloody ridiculous! Declawing is unheard of here in the UK and it should be outlawed in the US. If it wasn't for your vanity cats wouldn't go through this torture...thus 'stupid''money wasting' laws wouldn't have to be issued!
I have adopted many cats...and yes, they do like to claw...but a spray of water, directly at them, puts them off. My sofas only need replacing when they've gotten old!
Bloody good job there are scratch mitts for babies...or would you consider having your kids de-nailed?

[Incredible]

Doesn't the City Council have more important things to do than pressing for an ordinance banning the declawing of cats??? We have over 12% unemployment rate in LA County alone; the county is very unfriendly to those who want to start a business, because of too many regulations; the county is running on deficits, not surpluses; we have illegal alien gangbangers running amock; we have the highest tax rates in the country; we keep paying for all the bloated pensions and salaries of government cubicle workers and union workers and then we end up having a 50+% dropout rate in LAUSD, nevertheless, and the government workers taking an early retirement, some as early as 50 years of age; many traffic lights are not synchronized, and so traffic is backed up, some couldn't even move forward at the green light because the traffic light at the other end of the intersection isn't synchronized (a perfect example of that is on the intersection of Sepulveda Blvd. & National Blvd. in Culver City); the traffic on all the major freeways are terrible, largely because of the illegal alien population and LA County's sanctuary policy;..... Banning on the declawing of cats??? Is this what we are paying for them to do???

[Im telling]

Great. What about the slaughter of cats and dogs and the cruel neutering of six week old puppies at shelters that happens regularly?