The social media fad for colourful cat and dog claws.

Animals or Toys?

A couple of years ago there was some controversy when a UK animal charity spoke out about the use of dog and cat claw covers as a fashion statement by many pet owners. It was apparently an increasing fad which many felt unnecessary and detrimental to the animal, while others could see no wrong in it. Since then there has been little coverage of it but the internet and social media is still littered with images and adverts.

There are many sides to the argument with animal welfare advocates and some veterinarians against the practice while owners and the pet trade see no wrong. Veterinarians in the USA, where declawing cats is a common practice, feel their use is a valuable tool in persuading owners not to declaw their cat.

“Claw caps can be effective if applied correctly. Unfortunately, in the U.S. declawing is legal and common. For some this is the only way we, as veterinarians, can convince people not to declaw their cat. With proper application cats indeed can retract their claws with caps on, I have seen hundreds of them do it”

Nicole Martell-Moran, Feline Medical Centre, Houston.
dog painted claws, fad painting dog claws

Claw caps are usually applied by owners super-gluing them onto the claws but this can lead to them being attached incorrectly. Both the glue and caps are easily available on the internet from Amazon and ebay. Covers are not always used as a fashion statement, but to stop the cat destroying or damaging the furniture and soft furnishings. Those against the practice allege that if attached incorrectly, they often cannot fully retract their claws.

Manufacturers and owners state that the caps stop cats from hurting themselves when washing and avoids their owners getting scratched arms and legs when playing. They also stop the cats damaging their furniture and they insist it doesn’t affect their natural behaviour.

Others point out that scratching is all part of owning a cat, is part of their natural behaviour, that claws are useful during self-grooming and that they help a cat to mark their territory.

For many owners, particularly the young, it is a purely selfish act and a fashion fad to satisfy the whim to display their pets on social media. Unfortunately with all such fads and crazes there is no way of convincing them of the wrongs as most just see it as a piece of fun. It is just another facet of our modern relationship and attitude towards our pets.

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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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