Author: John Brookland

John Brookland is an animal welfarist, and amateur historian. He authors two popular blogs: animalrightsandwrongs.uk and animalrightsandwrongs.com with a monthly worldwide readership of thousands. He has written seven books on his exploits helping animals, also on social history and a book on the war horses of World War One. During his long and varied career which has taken him round the world, he has unfortunately witnessed most of the horrors of animal cruelty there is to see and has gained extensive insight into most animal welfare issues which he uses to write his blogs. He is now retired and still travelling the world with his partner to view wildlife and wild places before they and he disappear.

Why the U.S. veterinary profession is happy to declaw cats.

The declawing (onychectomy) of domestic cats is a controversial issue which has been in the news recently in the U.S. because the state of New York has become the first State to ban the practice. It can only be viewed as a barbaric procedure, with no moral, medical or ethical necessity to do it, but most of the world still allows cats to be declawed. Surprisingly though, the worldwide veterinary profession, and particularly U.S. veterinarians, appear unwilling to weigh in and stop it.

Cat claws, declawing cats. cruelty to cats
Apartment owners to do not their cats damaging their furnishings.

It is lawful in the USA and Canada, although some city authorities such as Denver and Los Angeles ban it. It is popular in the U.S. because many owners live in high rise apartments and do not let their cats outdoors where they can have a good natural scratch. It is illegal in most of Europe, the U.K, Australia and New Zealand where it is deemed as unnecessary and inhumane. The procedure involves cutting off the end bone of each toe with guillotine clippers or a scalpel under anaesthetic with a nerve block used for each paw. Some vets use a laser to cut through. If you were to watch such an operation, it would make most people squirm.

Cats can suffer many side effects.

Cats have their paws bandaged afterwards, are hospitalised for two days and are issued with 7 days of painkillers. Side effects include numbness in the paws, infections, back pain and possible ongoing pain medication. It is therefore surprising that so many vets are willing to perform it, but not only that, even campaign against it being banned.

Because of the campaigns to outlaw declawing some veterinarian are promoting tendonectomy whereby the tendons that allow a cat to extend its claws are severed by surgery. Another method without the need for surgery is plastic caps that are glued over the claws, which unless you have a lot of patience and a very placid cat also requires a regular visit to the vet for the cat to be sedated. But are any of these alternatives any better. Thanks to the pet trade the plastic caps have become a fashion craze spread by social media.

Cat claw covers, crulty to cats, cosmetic surgery on cats

Declawing in U.K. illegal since 2006.

Declawing became illegal in the UK when the new Animal Welfare Act 2006 came into force which made it an offence for a veterinarian to “carry out a procedure which involves interference with the sensitive tissues or bone structure of the animal, otherwise than for the purpose of its medical treatment” and under their guidelines a veterinary surgeon “must not cause any patient to suffer by carrying out any unnecessary mutilation”. This has supposedly stopped tail docking in dogs, which was a similar scenario in the U.K., where many veterinarians fought against having the procedure banned, but that’s another story.

Declawing cats was possible in the UK for cosmetic reasons before this, but there was little call for it, unless it was for medical reasons such as nail bed cancers or on cats of owners suffering from bleeding disorders and immunodeficiences when a scratch could be harmful. Ironically many commentators believe declawing makes cats bite more.

Many U.S. veterinarians campaign against a ban.

UK vets are at odds with their colleagues in the US who have always resisted attempts to ban it and actively lobby politicians and law-makers. It is difficult to understand why a so-called animal welfare profession can be so indecisive over this issue. It is pretty much a black and white – as either the procedure is inhumane and unethical or not. To be fair not all U.S. veterinarians are pro declawing. The problem lies within the veterinary profession which cannot decide whether it is welfare, scientific or business orientated.

The New York State Veterinary Medical Society published a long position statement on the subject which includes a few scaremongering comments about euthanasia and makes one wonder whether US vets have forgotten their oath “to protect animal health and welfare and to prevent and relieve animal suffering“. Some of the reasons given for keeping declawing legal are:

  • it should be an available option when the alternative is abandonment or euthanasia;
  • declawing of cats should be considered after attempts have been made to prevent the cat from using its claws destructively;
  • cats that would lose their home if not declawed face a higher risk of euthanasia and spend years in conditions that may be far from ideal.
Perceived cultural difference between U.S. and U.K. veterinarians.

There is also a perceived cultural difference between the U.K. and U.S. whereby the British put welfare before all other considerations and Americans want the freedom of choice what to do with their possessions.

It could be that this cultural difference manifests itself in U.S. veterinarians who are unhappy at being told not to do something. Or could it be that with an estimated 20 -25% of U.S. cats being declawed it is a lucrative business at a low cost to them and whether it be declawing, tendonectomy or plastic caps a ban would seriously impact their income.

Otter lunacy in Japan’s animal cafés.

Can we expect to be drinking a latte with a hedgehog or otter at our local Starbucks or Costa anytime soon in the UK?

Animal cafés are opening across the world particularly in Asia at an increasing rate despite the obvious welfare and food hygiene issues and are proving a major draw to foreign tourists thanks to social media. Although a few restrict themselves to dogs or cats many cafe owners are constantly trying to outdo each other by introducing more and more different animals to become the quirkiest establishment.

It all began with offering customers the chance to have a latte in the company of rabbits, cats and dogs but has moved on to monkeys, chinchillas, alpacas, hedgehogs and even penquins, but now it is the turn of otters.

Cafés are heavily promoted by social media

The trend or craze is being fuelled as always by social media and judging by comments the draw of these establishments is that they are ‘cool’, the animals cute and the experience unique. This maybe a reflection on how the younger generations view animals and how out of touch they are with animal welfare issues.

The cafés are heavily promoted on travel sites, YouTube videos and the general media with little concern for the unnatural conditions faced by the animals and the stress of constant handling. They have become popular tourist attractions with foreign visitors who flock to cuddle them and take selfies to post. It has also resulted in a demand for pet otters with the inevitable rush to captive breed them and the knock on result of unwanted ones starting to appear in rescue centres in poor condition.

Foreign tourists are flocking to these animal cafés so can we expect our local Costa or Starbuck in the UK and USA to follow suit. I suspect if given the chance they would.

When will we understand that animals are not toys

It would appear from watching the videos that the foreign clientele are young adults or parents who see no harm in giving their children the impression that it is acceptable to use animals in such a way as though they are toys. We just cannot resist the desire to get up close and personal with animals and ignore the fact that most of them are stressed by the encounter.

Hedgehog cafés are the most popular.

Baby hedgehogs have been popular for a while now and you can even buy one on the spot once you have bonded with it over your coffee. You can even share a meal with a monkey or snake and have the monkey deliver it to your table dressed in a waiter’s outfit. It appears there is no end to this lunacy.

The otters used tend to be the small clawed species because, according to café owners they do not scratch so badly. Ironically the first wild otter to be seen in Japan for 38 years was spotted a few weeks before the first café opened and now the locals want to see what one looks like and own one.

Animal cafe with racoons
What happens to them when they become adults.

Given the chance would we have a latte with a hedgehog, otter or monkey at our local Costa or Starbucks?

We are now seeing cat and dog cafes opening in the UK. In fairness there is probably nothing wrong with a cat cafe as most cats enjoy pampering and interaction and there is often an added benefit that they are unwanted and looking for new homes. The problem is the use of unsuitable animals and on the spot selling to customers.

So, as these cafes are so popular with Western visitors in Japan can we expect our local Starbucks or Costa to cash in on this lucrative trend? Unfortunately, I believe that given the chance many would happily patronise such establishments, despite animal rights protests, because there is an increasing trend that it is now acceptable to exploit animals and a new generation that doesn’t appear to fully understand the concept of animal welfare.

Where and when will all this lunacy end.

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The lure of ‘get up close’ animal attractions
Tourists abroad risking life and limb.