Should It Be Illegal to Declaw Your Cat?
If New York State Assembly member Linda Rosenthal, a Democrat, and State Senator Joseph Griffo, a Republican, have their way, New York could become the first state to ban the declawing of cats. The procedure is illegal in most European countries, and carries a yearlong prison sentence, or a $20,000 fine in Israel. Veterinarians in New York oppose the bill, saying that the decision should be left to pet owners and medical professionals. Should it be illegal to declaw your pet cat?
* illegal = 불법적인/ declaw = ~의 발톱을 제거하다/ have one's (own) way = 뜻대로[마음대로] 하다/ ban = 금(지)하다/ procedure = 절차[방법]/ prison sentence = 징역형/ veterinarian = 수의사/ bill = (국회에 제출된) 법안
애완동물 고양이의 발톱을 제거하는 것은 불법이어야만 하나요?
1. A Necessary Option to Save Lives
Excessive dog breeding, ear cropping and tail docking are more abusive than declawing a pet cat.
2. Declawing Should Be Illegal, Period
Declawing is not some sort of specialized manicure that only a vet can do, it is amputation of the toe bones that contain the claws.
3. Modify Behavior, Avoid Declawing
Declawing defensive cats may help to protect a child, particularly an autistic child, from an emotionally upsetting injury.
4. Americans Should Speak Out Against Declawing
Animals are sentient beings and not simply “property."
Sample Essay
Declawing Must Be an Option to Save Cats’ Lives
New York State is considering making it a crime to have a pet cat declawed. But why is this an issue now, when breed standards and mutilation of dogs are more common and cause more death? Many breed standards kill animals or significantly decrease their longevity; and ear cropping and tail docking are unnecessary cosmetic surgeries that are illegal in much of Europe. In addition, overt animal abuse and cat hoarding, where animals truly suffer, are rarely investigated or corrected. Nevertheless, time and resources are being focused on cat declawing legislation.
Cat declawing, or onychectomy, like any surgery, should only be the last resort, that is, when not doing so is worse and could lead to the cat’s death. Perhaps there is debate because declawing is viewed as a “cosmetic surgery” needed more for the owner than the cat. While this is sometimes true, the epidemiology of cat survival makes a different compelling case.
Contrary to popular belief, there appears to be no significant dog and cat overpopulation documented by the successful supply of dogs from commercial and private breeders and the continued decrease in cat numbers because household have fewer of them. What is happening is that there are too many adult pets being surrendered to shelters, many to die. The most common reason for relinquishment are behavior problems. For cats, the problems are spraying and property damage cause by scratching. There are strategies to lessen behavior problems but many cats are just not able to resist scratching so owners abandon them or give them to shelters.
Cat declawing, as a last resort, is a reasonable alternative. Research I've conducted with colleagues shows that declawed cats stay in people’s homes longer; that is, it keeps people from giving their cats away. Declawed cats do not exhibit any more bad behaviors, including biting of people, than cats that are not declawed.
Another very important issue is the death of small wild mammals and birds. Studies show that cats do considerable damage to wildlife. I would like to see study on whether declawed cats kill fewer song birds, which is a growing problem around the world, and a major reason for catching stray cats. Declawed cats are kept as indoor pets more than non-declawed pets, and being home will protect wildlife.
Declawing a cat should be viewed as a last resort and should not be a crime.
