THANK YOU, Israel: Cat Declawing is Made Illegal -- Brings Jail and Hefty Fine

Re-Posted By Dawn Kairns, Author of MAGGIE: the dog who changed my life 

 Israel Makes Cat Declawing Illegal

from Dec. 10 Care 2 Blog by Cherise Udell

"Cat declawing is now officially — and legally — off limits in Israel.

On November 28th, the Israeli legislature voted unanimously to make cat declawing illegal. Imagine the collective meow of relief that was heard across the country!  If someone is caught declawing a cat they can expect up to one year in jail and a hefty $20,000 fine.  Israel joins the U.K., Brazil, most of Europe, and Australia for taking a strong stand on this cruel practice. In the United States, declawing unfortunately remains legal except in a handful of cities.

Onychectomy (the medical term for declawing) is a procedure where the claw and part of the bone of a cat’s toes are removed, usually to keep the feline from ruining furniture, catching birds or scratching children. Cat claws however are rooted deep in the bone, so partial bone removal is necessary in an onychectomy. To put this in perspective, the bone removed on each digit is akin to removing up to the third knuckle on each human finger. OUCH!

In addition to being painful, declawing leaves a cat virtually defenseless.  For an indoor cat, this may not be much of an issue, but for a cat that spends time outdoors and meets an unfriendly dog, being declawed can be fatal. Cats also need their claws for stretching their tendons, climbing, balance and marking their territory. Oh, and shredding your favorite reading chair.

Many people who consider having their cats declawed think the procedure is simple and relatively painless — and that it is a quick fix for razor sharp claws on their otherwise sweet and cuddly kitty. Clearly, having a significant section of bone removed on each toe is not a simple painless operation. Please consider passing on the word to new cat owners or submitting an editorial to your local newspaper that this is not the case!

A humane alternative to declawing is the monthly trimming of claws with nail clippers. Although, that sounds like a potentially hazardous endeavor for any human to undertake, it can be safely done! I trim my cats’ claws, especially in the winter when the snowy weather keeps them house bound and they get less natural wear and tear.  I just use human nail clippers and only do it when they are sleepy. I am very careful not to clip beyond the clear claw area. If you clip into the pink sensitive area (called the “quick”), your cat will definitely let you know about it!  The goal is to blunt the end of each claw. For a more detailed explanation on how to cut kitty’s claws without drawing your own blood, visit the website: Cats Scratching.

So, again three cheers to Israel for having the gumption to just say no to cat declawing."

Toxic Tick and Flea Products Affect Pets and Humans

Posted By Dawn Kairns, Author of  MAGGIE the dog who changed my life A Story of Love
original post by Delia Quigley on the Care 2 Blog on Mar 9, 2011

I thought this post by Delia Quigley was worth a re-post for you, your Dogs and Cats!

The snow has not completely melted and the ticks are already making a play for Maya and Seamus. Looking back a year ago, as a new dog owner, I was instructed to buy a certain chemical product to apply to my pups, which would literally have the ticks and fleas falling dead to the floor. This, I thought to myself, is too good to be true; but because I was ignorant and advised by those I considered more knowledgeable, I bought a rather expensive 3-months supply of Frontline with the anticipation of a tick-free summer ahead. As I read the package instructions I was shocked to find that the chemical ingredients were so toxic they must be applied with latex gloves so as not to, as in never, touch my skin.

Yes, but what of my pups skin? If it is toxic to me, what must it be to their small bodies? You might think that I tossed the whole thing in the garbage on that realization, but no, I am ashamed to say that I did not. For two months I applied the toxic chemicals until one day I did my own research. What I found is shocking, perverted, untenable, and horrifying, but we Americans keep on poisoning our pets, along with ourselves and chemical companies continue to provide the loaded gun.

The active ingredient in Frontline is fipronil, an insecticide and member of the phenylpyrazole family of chemicals. Its purpose is to disrupt an insect’s nervous system functions. Well, hold on there doggie, according to the Journal of Pesticide Reform, “In tests with laboratory animals, fipronil caused aggressive behavior, damaged kidneys, and ‘drastic alterations in thyroid function.’ The fipronil-containing product Frontline caused changes in the levels of sex hormones.”

The other two toxic bad boys in Frontline are Methoprene, a neurotoxin that can cause liver enlargements, headaches, throat irritation and nausea and Ethanol, which can cause fatigue, lethargy, dizziness and nervous system disruption.

In her excellent 2008 Care2 article, The Surprising Poisons in Our Pets, Melissa Breyer reports that according to the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Center, “dogs have much higher rates of cancer than people do, including 35 times more skin cancer, four times more breast tumors, eight times more bone cancer, and twice the incidence of leukemia.”

And here’s the kicker, the Environmental Protection Agency has classified fibronil as a carcinogen, because exposure to fipronil caused benign and malignant thyroid tumors in laboratory animals. All of which means it can cause cancer in both animals and humans.

You can be exposed to fibronil by petting an animal that has been treated with Frontline. The treatment persists for at least 56 days on pets. The good news is that the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) has checked over a hundred tick and flea products finding that most of them contain chemicals toxic enough to cause harm to both pets and humans.  You should refer to their list before buying a product that may potentially harm your pet and contaminate yourself and your children. Fortunately, there are plenty of natural ways to control ticks and fleas in your environment. Care2 has a number of articles to help you out. Click HERE for a list of natural flea and tick control remedies.