Letter: Illinois should not ban declawing cats

This may not be a popular opinion, but I disagree with banning declawing cats.

I have had four declawed cats. Two came declawed. Two we had declawed. Not one of these cats ever had an issue with being declawed. And the two we had declawed came home from surgery just fine without any problems. There are post-op instructions to follow and, like any post-op instructions, if followed properly the cats will be fine.

We chose to declaw our two cats years ago, before all this discussion came about. Our cats are happy, well-adjusted indoor cats. They never go outside, therefore, do not need their claws to defend themselves against predators. Allowing a cat to roam outside is far more dangerous than declawing. It leaves them vulnerable to predators, the elements, being hit by a car, being poisoned, being hurt by cruel people, put in a rescue or far worse.

To me that is far more unfair to an animal than declawing. I am not of the opinion that cats need to roam or it is in their nature to outside. People who believe cats should roam – the same could be said for dogs then.

Veterinarians are highly skilled doctors and know how to properly handle the surgery. As with any procedure there are risks.  And there are medically necessary reasons for some declawing. Banning declawing may leave a lot of cats that would otherwise be adopted and declawed left in shelters and rescues. Many cat lovers do not want their house, children or themselves torn up by a cat’s claws.

People dump their animals in shelters or to be euthanized simply because they do not want them. Perhaps direct some legislation towards that and provide funds to shelters that take in animals who are simply dumped.  

I do not know if I would opt to declaw a cat again, but I feel that the state needs to leave this alone.

C. Bast

Sycamore