----- Original Message -----
From: Barbara Bates
To: chrisgale35@...
Sent: Saturday, January 03, 2009 4:49 PM
Subject: Declawing of cats in the USA

Hi, I know you have your hands full with all the campaign work you do
here in our own country but I noticed on your blog today that you were
commenting on Sarah Palins' murderous doings in the USA and just
wondered if you would spare a moment to sign our petition against
declawing of cats in the USA. To be perfectly honest we'd really like
some "important names" on it and as you're so well known for your work
for animals...here I am asking you!
http://www.petitionthem.com/default.asp?sect=detail&pet=4312
I've added a short description of what happens below, but of course you
may already know about this. Although we live in England we were so
shocked and upset to find out it is so commonplace and how devasating it
is to cats that we determined to start this worldwide petition, where
incidentally about 70% of the signatures come from the USA, and at the
same time try and get someone somewhere in the USA to get campaigning on
the streets!

Thanks
Barbara Bates
http://clawsforever.ning.com/

This mutilation of cats, which is already banned in 24 countries
including our own (though only since 2006), is legal in almost every
state of the USA. It involves amputating the final joint of the cat's
toes including the claw which is in fact part of the bone, both back and
front feet, and is done to prevent the cat from using the claws
destructively on soft furnishings. But it causes the cat great mental
distress and physical, in some cases excruciating, pain and deformity.
Cats walk on their toes and not on the pads of their feet, and declawing
forces them to walk in an unnatural way often causing back and joint
pain.

Although the American Veterinary Medical Association has stated that
declawing should be considered only after attempts have been made to
prevent the cat from using its claws destructively, declawing is being
carried out routinely on cats at the same time as neutering and on young
kittens, without any attempt being made to teach them not to use their
claws on soft furnishings.

Due to shock and pain some declawed cats undergo a profound personality
change and may become morose, reclusive and withdrawn, irritable,
aggressive and unpredictable. Declawed cats often feel so insecure,
lacking their first line of defence, that they tend to bite more often
as a means of self-protection, this leads to many declawed cats being
abandoned or sent to animal rescue centres when, having lost their trust
in their owners, they become aggressive towards them, such cats as these
are difficult to re-home and many are destroyed.

For further information please see the following websites, but note that
some descriptions and pictures may be distressing
www.pawproject.com/html/faqs.asp
www.declawing.com/html/declawing.htm
http://www.declaw.lisaviolet.com/