Declawing Your Cat is Now a Crime in Berkeley

mcfly · 11-12-09, 01:36 AM

Saw this on the news tonight.

Quote:

Cats have found another safe haven in Berkeley, where declawing felines is now a misdemeanor crime.

The city joins a growing list of cities, including San Francisco and West Hollywood, that have instituted bans. Los Angeles and Santa Monica also have given preliminary approval to them.

Berkeley's city council unanimously voted Tuesday to ban the practice that backers say is painful and inhumane. Councilman Jesse Arreguin, who co-authored the law, says most declawing is done only to benefit the owner.

Violations will be punishable by a $1,000 fine or six months in jail.

The California Veterinary Medical Association opposes such bans, saying the decision should be made between the owner and veterinarian.

Spokesman Carl Singer says there are some cases where declawing is preferable to putting the animal down.

http://cbs13.com/local/declawing.cat...2.1307192.html

I didn't know it was against the law in San Fran and W. Hollywood already.

Boba Fett · 11-12-09, 01:47 AM

Eh, it will just drive people hell bent on having a declawed animal to take them to shady vets.

glassdragon · 11-12-09, 02:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Boba Fett

Eh, it will just drive people hell bent on having a declawed animal to take them to shady vets.

Exactly. I understand the opposition to declawing, in fact I won't get my cat declawed even though I have thought about it, but all this is going to do is have people take them to vets who may not have a license, a clean environment, or any scruples (much less pain killers) to get it done. At least if they allow it the pet will live, albeit in quite a bit of pain for awhile, but at least he won't die from some contaminated medical equipment from an infection (Which by the way would be way more painful to the cat than the declawing process)

Giantrobo · 11-12-09, 03:33 AM

Really? Shady Vets? Have we seen this in Cities were this is already law?

kvrdave · 11-12-09, 03:36 AM

All cats should be declawed. All dogs should be delimbed.

Stupid hippie law.

spainlinx0 · 11-12-09, 06:52 AM

Shady vets? They can't just drive a town over?

FiveO · 11-12-09, 08:11 AM

Reason 57 out of 359 not to move to California.

cpgator · 11-12-09, 08:21 AM

CA is broke, and they are spending time on crap like this?

big whoppa · 11-12-09, 10:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mcfly

I didn't know it was against the law in San Fran and W. Hollywood already.

I didn't know either about it in SF or Berkeley though it comes as no surprise in this hippie/hipster city.

Why doesn't CA make it a crime for doctors to perform circumcisions as well? Then we won't need a find a way to recycle those foreskins.

General Zod · 11-12-09, 10:09 AM

This will just result in cats being put down. We've got 5 cats.. 1 bsolutely would not stop clawing the furniture, dogs, other cats, etc.. We got her declawed. We got another as a stray already declawed. They absolutely don't care and, in fact, they still try to sharpen their claws. Still very happy any affectionate.

starman9000 · 11-12-09, 10:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spainlinx0

Shady vets? They can't just drive a town over?

Exactly. Stupid law, but lets not get absurd.

Charlie Goose · 11-12-09, 10:27 AM

Declawing cats should be illegal everywhere.

milo bloom · 11-12-09, 10:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Charlie Goose

Declawing cats should be illegal everywhere.

It already is in parts of Europe.

Spread your hand out on the desk folks, now take a sharpie and draw on your fingers at the first knuckle joint on each finger. That's what they remove on your cat's paws when they declaw. We have a nearly 14 year old cat that we had declawed when she was 2 or 3 and they did it wrong and had to take another knuckle on a couple of the toes. We can see the pain in the way she holds her feet up sometimes to this day. Never again.

Mrs. Danger · 11-12-09, 10:42 AM

Those whacky Californians!

wildcatlh · 11-12-09, 10:46 AM

Declawing is an awful practice. The vast majority of veterinarians I've dealt with in the past refuse to do it.

But... as odious a practice it is, and regardless of what I think of people who do it... it shouldn't be against the law.

CRM114 · 11-12-09, 10:55 AM

Should there be ANY laws preventing abuse of animals? Should it be illegal to remove their teeth? Not arguing in favor of this law but I don't believe it can be removed from other abuses so easily.

Kittydreamer · 11-12-09, 11:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Charlie Goose

Declawing cats should be illegal everywhere.

This.

Vibiana · 11-12-09, 11:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kittydreamer

This.

Brent L · 11-12-09, 11:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kittydreamer

This.

I totally agree as well.

I've never been able to understand the logic behind declawing a cat. Oh, poor you, you think the cat is cute but you don't want it to scratch your house up or give you a few scratches every now and then? Then tough crap, either learn how to break a cat from doing that, or just lessening it, or get a different pet.

I feel so sorry for cats I see that have been declawed.

Draven · 11-12-09, 11:13 AM

Everyone who opposes declawing also opposes getting pets fixed, right?

I love it when people talk about cutting off your knuckles but are perfectly fine with cutting off your genitals.

Groucho · 11-12-09, 11:13 AM

"Shady vets".

Numanoid · 11-12-09, 11:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brent L

I feel so sorry for cats I see that have been declawed.

Really? I've lived with around a dozen different cats over the course of my life, ALL of which were declawed. Never did I see one exhibit any kind of indication that their paws hurt or in any other way showed signs of giving a single hoot that they had been declawed.

I think maybe, just maybe, we spend a little too much time projecting our own feelings on to our simple-minded friends.

Numanoid · 11-12-09, 11:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Draven

Everyone who opposes declawing also opposes getting pets fixed, right?

I love it when people talk about cutting off your knuckles but are perfectly fine with cutting off your genitals.

Greater good.

CRM114 · 11-12-09, 11:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brent L

I totally agree as well.

I've never been able to understand the logic behind declawing a cat. Oh, poor you, you think the cat is cute but you don't want it to scratch your house up or give you a few scratches every now and then? Then tough crap, either learn how to break a cat from doing that, or just lessening it, or get a different pet.

I feel so sorry for cats I see that have been declawed.

One of the reasons I stopped owning cats and started owning a more intelligent species - dogs.

CRM114 · 11-12-09, 11:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Draven

Everyone who opposes declawing also opposes getting pets fixed, right?

I love it when people talk about cutting off your knuckles but are perfectly fine with cutting off your genitals.

Spaying and neutering serves a greater purpose than protecting someone's Pottery Barn leather sofa.

11-12-09, 01:47 AM	#2
Boba Fett DVD Talk Reviewer Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Pacific NW Posts: 2,430	Re: Declawing Your Cat is Now a Crime in Berkeley Eh, it will just drive people hell bent on having a declawed animal to take them to shady vets. __________________ On a gathering storm, comes a tall handsome man. In a dusty black coat with a Red Right Hand.

11-12-09, 03:33 AM	#4
Giantrobo DVD Talk Hero Join Date: Apr 1999 Location: TORRANCE, CA Posts: 42,143	Re: Declawing Your Cat is Now a Crime in Berkeley Really? Shady Vets? Have we seen this in Cities were this is already law? __________________ XBOX Gamertag: Giantrobo On my 3rd 360 as of 9/27/2007

11-12-09, 03:36 AM	#5
kvrdave DVD Talk God Join Date: Aug 1999 Location: Pacific NW Posts: 67,857	Re: Declawing Your Cat is Now a Crime in Berkeley All cats should be declawed. All dogs should be delimbed. Stupid hippie law. __________________ Of all tyrannies a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victim may be the most oppressive. It may be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron’s cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated, but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience. - C.S. Lewis

11-12-09, 06:52 AM	#6
spainlinx0 DVD Talk Hall of Fame Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: NJ Posts: 9,510	Re: Declawing Your Cat is Now a Crime in Berkeley Shady vets? They can't just drive a town over? __________________ 360: Scorpy Gkar

11-12-09, 08:11 AM	#7
FiveO DVD Talk Limited Edition Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Minnesota Posts: 5,441	Re: Declawing Your Cat is Now a Crime in Berkeley Reason 57 out of 359 not to move to California. __________________ "Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world...she walks into mine..."

11-12-09, 08:21 AM	#8
cpgator DVD Talk Platinum Edition Join Date: May 2000 Location: Colorado Posts: 3,361	Re: Declawing Your Cat is Now a Crime in Berkeley CA is broke, and they are spending time on crap like this?

11-12-09, 10:09 AM	#10
General Zod DVD Talk Legend Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Planet Hooston Posts: 13,742	Re: Declawing Your Cat is Now a Crime in Berkeley This will just result in cats being put down. We've got 5 cats.. 1 bsolutely would not stop clawing the furniture, dogs, other cats, etc.. We got her declawed. We got another as a stray already declawed. They absolutely don't care and, in fact, they still try to sharpen their claws. Still very happy any affectionate. __________________ "Kneel Before Zod"

11-12-09, 10:27 AM	#12
Charlie Goose DVD Talk Legend Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Sesame Street (the apt. next to Bob's) Posts: 15,906	Re: Declawing Your Cat is Now a Crime in Berkeley Declawing cats should be illegal everywhere. __________________ Ohwa Tagu Siam

11-12-09, 10:42 AM	#14
Mrs. Danger DVD Talk Hall of Fame Join Date: May 2005 Location: With Nick Danger Posts: 9,876	Re: Declawing Your Cat is Now a Crime in Berkeley Those whacky Californians! __________________ "Sorry" won't bring back Johnny's testicle. www.kinkyspot.com or is that too adult?

11-12-09, 10:46 AM	#15
wildcatlh DVD Talk Legend Join Date: Jan 2000 Location: Work. Or commuting. Certainly not at home. Posts: 16,369	Re: Declawing Your Cat is Now a Crime in Berkeley Declawing is an awful practice. The vast majority of veterinarians I've dealt with in the past refuse to do it. But... as odious a practice it is, and regardless of what I think of people who do it... it shouldn't be against the law. __________________ "An avidity to punish is always dangerous to liberty. It leads men to stretch, to misinterpret, and to misapply even the best of laws. He that would make his own liberty secure must guard even his enemy from oppression; for if he violates this duty he establishes a precedent that will reach to himself." -- Thomas Paine

11-12-09, 10:55 AM	#16
CRM114 DVD Talk Legend Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Lehigh Valley Posts: 22,505	Re: Declawing Your Cat is Now a Crime in Berkeley Should there be ANY laws preventing abuse of animals? Should it be illegal to remove their teeth? Not arguing in favor of this law but I don't believe it can be removed from other abuses so easily.

11-12-09, 11:13 AM	#20
Draven DVD Talk Legend Join Date: Feb 2000 Location: Rosemount, MN Posts: 11,046	Re: Declawing Your Cat is Now a Crime in Berkeley Everyone who opposes declawing also opposes getting pets fixed, right? I love it when people talk about cutting off your knuckles but are perfectly fine with cutting off your genitals. __________________ XBL GamerTag: Draven Sinclair PSN: DravenSinclair

11-12-09, 11:13 AM	#21
Groucho DVD Talk Hero Join Date: Mar 2000 Location: Salt Lake City, Utah Posts: 47,980	Re: Declawing Your Cat is Now a Crime in Berkeley "Shady vets".