Declaw Surgery
 Dear Mayor Don Iveson,

I would strongly recommend you work with city council in establishing a ban within the city on declawing of cats. I know it is just one small area. But I think it would a great first step against animal cruelty. It is just an outlaw on it for one city but every other city may follow suit. Cats deserve to have their claws. They deserve rights too. Too many cats suffer problems after declawing and are more likely to be sent to a shelter because of declawing and their new "issues". They are not disposable creatures.

"Onychectomy, popularly known as declawing, is an operation to remove an animal's claws surgically by means of the amputation of all or part of the distal phalanges, or end bones, of the animal's toes. Because the claw develops from germinal tissue within the third phalanx, amputation of the bone is necessary to fully remove the claw. The terms "onychectomy" (origin: Greek ὄνυξ onycho, nail + ἐκτομή ektome, excision) and "declawing" imply mere claw removal, but a more appropriate description would be phalangectomy,[1] excision of toe bone.

Although common in North America, declawing is considered an act of animal cruelty in many countries"

Why should we continue to support and put our cats through this cruelty for our own selfishness? This act of cruelty is banned in 22 countries! Cats need their claws! When you declaw you increase your chances of your cat getting arthritis, litterbox issues, agression issues. A declawed cat is more likely to bite out in an act of self defense. There are other options such as the use of soft paws. A safe alternative to declawing. Think of it as taking a cigar cutter and cutting off every finger at the first knuckle and not being able to use that. That is what we are doing to these poor animals. It is cruel. It is TORTURE and THIS NEEDS  TO STOP. Don't believe me.. go look up and watch "The Paw Project". We as humans do not remove a dog's teeth because they chew. Why should we remove a cat's claws because it is doing what it is supposed to do naturally which is scratch.


"Despite the prevalence of elective onychectomy in North America, no standard practices exist regarding the surgical techniques or surgical tools used, the administration of post-operative analgesics or other follow-up care, or the optimal age or other attributes of cats undergoing the procedure.There are three surgical methods: scalpel blade, guillotine trimmers, and laser."