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I knew Max for only the last hour of his life.
Working as a Vet Tech, I had never seen a declawing and as it happened, I never would. When Max came in, he was a beautiful healthy young cat. He was brought in by his owners who had payed dearly for a new imported leather couch and didn't want their precious investment damaged. (for clar: the couch)
Within 10 minutes of sedation he had minimal life signs and was completely blue. He was pronounced dead after 20 minutes of vigorous revival techniques. I was told by the vet that 'some cats just can't deal with the sedation and die'. This happened many years ago, but I still think of Max. How can I forget how I felt giving him chest palpatations, straining to hear a blip on the monitor while tears ran down my face. What a waste of a precious life! Just like in a human operation, there are risks in anaesthetizing or even just sedating a living body. EVERY TIME is a risk.
With all the alternative options available now, I consider this a mutilation diguised cleverly as a minor elective surgery. It's an unacceptable risk! Don't gamble with your cats life just to mutilate the one protection they have against gravity. Think about the pounds per square inch...cats literally walk on their toes. If you take the toes away, they are crippled. It's called physics! Cheers Max, see you later on the other side of the rainbow bridge.
November 5, 2001
