March 2016 - Chirpy Cats

Why we decided to stop declawing cats – Interview with two no-declaw clinics

There are a few veterinary clinics in Montreal who have decided to take a solid no-declaw stance and have stopped performing declaws. The Pierrefonds Animal Hospital and the Centre Vétérinaire Riv Sud are two such veterinary clinics. I have reached out to them for an insider view of declawing and why they have taken this major step to stop practicing it. The good news is that both clinics report a growing awareness among their clients about what declawing is. These clients are very willing to accept the many humane alternatives. However, there still seems to be that tiny percentage who will insist, but they now happily decline them. Eventually with persistence and education, hopefully these requests will be a thing of the past. Below is my interview with Anita Cuisinier DVM and Susan Brown DVM.

paws need claws, a tortie cat showing off her beautiful claws

Scout proudly shows her claws, in true tortie style.

Declawing in North America is a controversial topic. I had never heard of declawing before until I moved to Canada. I knew that North American cats, for the most part, lived an indoor pampered life of luxury and comfort and that of course, like everywhere else, are valued members of their families. What I didn’t know was that there existed a culture of declawing for reasons none other than to spare the couch from damage. Roughly 31% of these pampered North American cats are missing a vital part of their anatomy, their toes. Try as I may, I could not come to grips with the fact that it is done purely for the convenience of the owners with zero benefits to the cat. As someone who has had the honor to have been owned by many clawed cats all her life, the idea of declawing is not only cruel but totally absurd. Why remove a body part that is as vital to them for their functioning and well-being, as our limbs are to us? As many as 28 countries all agree that there is nothing controversial or debatable about the amputation of cats’ toes, it’s just outright inhumane and shouldn’t be practiced.

March 29 is National Declaw Awareness Day. The goal is to create awareness around this heated topic, educate cat guardians about what declawing entails and help put an end to this unnecessary procedure which is still very much rife in North America. But what exactly is declawing and why is it still practiced here?

What’s the craic, my friends? I’m excited to be wishing you a Happy St. Patrick’s Day! I have many good memories of my home country of Ireland, where I stayed with my The Lady Cat in green and hilly Letterkenny, Co. Donegal. My friend, Sarabi and I, used to go for long walks on the nearby beaches, climbing over boulders and savoring the sand between our paws. Those were the good old days of my youth.

leash walking cats — Walking on a beach near Letterkenny, Ireland, 2002

I’m a retired show cat who was born in County Cork, Ireland and I used to travel all over to strut my stuff and show off my good looks and temperament in shows around Ireland and once in England too. I got to travel on a ferry! I am an Asian Blue Ticked Tabby, originating from the silky Burmese breed and we come in all color types. I don’t get too caught up in titles but I have earned a few. My full name is Coomakista Ninh Earl Grey and I am also a Supreme Premier and Tara Grand Premier. I am also the first Asian Ticked Tabby to hold these titles and to have three Best of Varieties at Irish Supreme Shows. Despite my grand titles, I’m a very mellow and down to earth old chap, preferring these days, to rest in my catio condo and watch birds. Although I have a calm demeanor I am not a pushover and when the young punks need some training on proper kitty etiquette and basic house rules I’m always showing them the ropes with a firm paw.

14/03/2016
Chirpy Cats
7 Comments
Catnip Chirps
cat health, geriatric cat, multi-cat household, pi day

March 14 is celebrated annually as Pi day and the tradition of eating pie is welcomed and encouraged by Math geeks and non-geeks alike. Pi is the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter and this number, regardless of the size of the circle, is always the same: 3.14159….an infinite decimal. It’s a great excuse to get away from your desk and join your colleagues and indulge in a slice, or two. But I’m a cat and I don’t work so I’m hoping I will be handsomely compensated when the humans get home from work.

I have discovered I have a lot in common with Pi or π (the symbol). Like Pi, the ratio of my circumference to my diameter was also a mathematical constant, and like Pi, eventually, I lost approximately 3.14 lbs. But before you go ahead and stuff your face, please read my story…

The Liebster Award – Spread the love!

I have been nominated for a Liebster Award by our friends at Three Chatty Cats! A big thank you to Rachel and her three rescue kitties, Sophie, Olive and Dexter. She manages an amazing blog which highlights cat rescues and shelters and their life-saving efforts. A very informative blog and worth checking out.
I’m new to the cat blogosphere and did not have a clue as to what this award was about. After some digging around, the Liebster Award is a way of giving recognition to fellow bloggers starting out, a means of discovering other new blogs, growing your audience and building a sense of community. It’s a virtual award from fellow bloggers who think your blog is worthy of recognition, and that is something fantastic actually. Please note, my nominees are by no means obligated to accept or participate, but either way, if I picked your blog it’s because I think it’s pretty cool.

Archive - March 2016

Why we decided to stop declawing cats – Interview with two no-declaw clinics

Declawing – why it needs to stop

Happy St. Patrick’s day, with Love

So it’s Pi day – A Cat Weighs In

The Liebster Award – Spread the love!