3939.3: Suck
This has not made me the maddest I've ever been about something, but I'll be damned if it isn't maddening ENOUGH.DEAR AMY: My brother’s long-term, live-in girlfriend and I care about each other very much, but we are both hotheaded and stubborn.
Here’s the issue: I recently agreed to foster a mother cat and her kittens. I have grown very attached to them. I also am anti-declawing. My brother and his significant other have decided to adopt one of the kittens; they are excellent caretakers. She wants to have the kitten declawed.
I am 100 percent against this, believing it to be both unnecessary and cruel. She doesn’t want the cat to “wreck the furniture, scratch her children or destroy their expensive speaker system.”
I pointed out that the adoption contract (which has not yet been signed) does not allow declawing and states that a declawed cat will be defaulted into the shelter’s ownership.
She simply stated that this was “nonsense” (she used a less delicate phrase) and said she was going to have the cat declawed anyway.
I have agreed to take back the kitten any time if her claws become an issue.
How can I prevent the declawing of this cat without causing a rift? We are all attached to each other and to this kitten. -- Foster Mom
DEAR FOSTER: Declawing cats is inhumane; there are many ways to mitigate scratching without declawing an animal.
If you release this kitten into the care of someone you know will have its claws yanked out, you are in breach of your agreement with the shelter. I can’t imagine the shelter would use you to foster cats in the future. If you can’t effectively persuade your brother and his girlfriend not to do this, blame the shelter’s policy.
If they want house pets with no claws they should get an ant farm.
Here’s the issue: I recently agreed to foster a mother cat and her kittens. I have grown very attached to them. I also am anti-declawing. My brother and his significant other have decided to adopt one of the kittens; they are excellent caretakers. She wants to have the kitten declawed.
I am 100 percent against this, believing it to be both unnecessary and cruel. She doesn’t want the cat to “wreck the furniture, scratch her children or destroy their expensive speaker system.”
I pointed out that the adoption contract (which has not yet been signed) does not allow declawing and states that a declawed cat will be defaulted into the shelter’s ownership.
She simply stated that this was “nonsense” (she used a less delicate phrase) and said she was going to have the cat declawed anyway.
I have agreed to take back the kitten any time if her claws become an issue.
How can I prevent the declawing of this cat without causing a rift? We are all attached to each other and to this kitten. -- Foster Mom
DEAR FOSTER: Declawing cats is inhumane; there are many ways to mitigate scratching without declawing an animal.
If you release this kitten into the care of someone you know will have its claws yanked out, you are in breach of your agreement with the shelter. I can’t imagine the shelter would use you to foster cats in the future. If you can’t effectively persuade your brother and his girlfriend not to do this, blame the shelter’s policy.
If they want house pets with no claws they should get an ant farm.