Duff said:
Just wondering how many anti-declaw people have no problem culling off a slightly deformed hatchling because they can't sell it and don't really want to have to take care of another snake? Not trying to start anything new, but it seems a bit hypocritical to me to be screaming about de-clawing being cruel to the cats, but freezing/bopping/gasing (or whatever method) is perfectly ok to a slightly deformed but otherwise healthy hatchling.
I was wondering when this would be brought up.
I guess I fall into that category, as I willingly cull non-feeding corns but disagree with declawing.
My main beef with declawing is the fact that its altering an animal to suit OUR needs, not the animals. Like people de-beaking poultry to keep them from pecking each other or eating their own eggs. Or clipping the end wing joint off of water birds to keep them from flying off, so they have to swim around their pond all year. Or what I've seen done a couple of times around here is to cut the external portion of the penis off of a male show horse, so it doesn't hang down and detract from the overall appearance of the horse. All things I wish I'd never known that people actually did to animals.
Cats do quite well indoors all their lives with claws. Declawing them as an insurance policy to make sure they never get out just doesn't make sense to me. In most cases it is not necessary nor recommended, even by vets. Like someone else said, I'm not a big fan of docked tails, cut ears, declawing, or any other variety of designer animal.
All of my cats have learned that scratching the couch = face full of water, nothing big or time intensive. Does it stop them all of the time? No, cats are cats. But most of the time they keep it to the scratching post. That coupled with weekly claw trimmings is all that's required usually.
How many people with indoor cats keep jingly collars on their cats? I know how easy it is for mine to get out without their collar on and I never knew! Packing in arm loads of groceries and one runs right out. Hell my dog has even snuck out like that before. I know I'd feel a lot safer if my indoor cat got out and had claws.
As for culling snakes, most people are afraid such deformed snakes will be bred if given away and want to take no chance of a potentially inheritable defect being passed on. There are a lot of people out there who couldn't give a flip about a kink on a snake and just want to breed it for breeding's sake to make money.
I currently own two deformed snakes, a cal king and a hypo corn. Both I gave assurances that they would NEVER be bred. And not to toot my own horn, but I don't think there as many trustworthy people out there like myself. I know I don't trust many people. But I think both people took a big risk letting the snakes go to another person. Luckily, those snakes are owned by me and my word is golden.
I cull ALL non-feeders and most problem feeders. Its such a big unknown to me that I don't want to risk those special needs hatchlings getting out and polluting the gene pool down the line. To me, culling a non-feeding hatchling is a lot more humane than letting it potentially starve to death or creating future problem feeders.
Snake breeders don't have the luxury of being able to sterilize the problem snakes. I mean, if spaying/neutering was as easy and affordable as it is in dogs/cats, there'd be a lot more pet-quality snakes out there. And I know for certain that I'd go that route if I ever had a deformed hatchling to hatch out for me. But until then, the best policy is to euthanize the snake.
Hopefully all of that wasn't a bunch of gobbledeegook.
