Response to Lorraine:
 
I'm with you on the declawing...but immunizations and neutering save
lives.  Period.  Yes, out of the hundreds of thousands of animals
immunized each year, a small percentage of them will have a reaction --
but have you ever seen diseases, for example distemper, in action?  One
of my mother's cats got distemper (it was a rescue, and hadn't yet been
immunized), and it had to be put to sleep in order to avoid an agonizing
death -- but what would have been more tragic is that at the time she had
27 cats (she lives out in the country) -- had they not been immunized
against it, they could have ALL DIED.
 
Now, consider rabies.  Here I am, standing in my living room, showing my
new neighbour my lovely ferret.  If that lovely ferret gets spooked and
bites my neighbour, or if her claws scratch him, the state can come and
take my ferret, and put her to sleep, no questions asked.  However, if
I have a current vaccination record showing that the ferret hasn't got
rabies, and is immunized against it, the worst that will happen is
perhaps a fine, and being told to find another home for her -- and
probably not even that much will happen.
 
Let's talk about neutering/spaying.  (Ouch, does that hurt for a while).
But wait, before we discuss neutering, have you ever given birth to a
child?  That hurts, too.  Now go down to your local ferret shelter, and
count unwanted noses.  Then go to the local ASPCA and ask them how many
cats and dogs they will kill this year due to overpopulation.  If those
animal's parents had been spayed and neutered, they wouldn't be now
sitting in a wire cage, waiting for the injection that will end their
lives.  Now, go to the field near where I used to live in Chicago, and
watch the feral cats -- how happy do THEY look?  No one took the time to
spay/neuter them, no one has taken the time to immunize them, and they
live and die miserably (but not before having several batches of kittens,
many of whom won't ever reach adulthood).
 
What do we do for our animals?  We provide the best modern medical care
that our money can buy.  We love our ferrets/cats/dogs/rabbits/birds/etc.
with all our hearts, and we want to PREVENT illness and injury as much as
humanly possible.  I'm watching my ferrets curled up comfortably in their
hammock -- no canine distemper here, no rabies...and absolutely no memory
of their last immunizations.  That short jab several months ago has been
completely forgotten by their conscious minds.  They're happy campers
(and healthy!) because I took the time to PREVENT what I could prevent...
now, unfortunately, some diseases can't be prevented (YET)...but as soon
as they can be, you can bet that I'd sell every stick of furniture in my
house to raise the money to do it.  It's not cruelty...it's called LOVE.
 
Now think of my human children -- they're running, jumping, playing --
those polio vaccines have protected them from a lifetime in a wheelchair
(yes, folks, thanks to the people who don't want to "risk" their
children's comfort or health with a polio vaccine, polio -- which had
been virtually eradicated in the US -- is now on the rise).
 
We have been granted G-d given intelligence in order to *better* the
lives of the humans and animals around us -- I am the first to admit that
we don't always do that, but immunizations and neutering are NOT the
problem.  Wanton destruction of the environment, puppy/ferret mills,
animal abuse, child abuse, spouse abuse, terrorism...THOSE are some of
the awful things that people need to fight against.
 
I spay, I neuter, I immunize...because I love.  I want my babies to live
in good health for as long as they possibly can.  I don't have statistics
for animal life spans, but I can tell you that the human life span in the
US has lengthened tremendously since modern medicine and immunizations
were developed...I want to use all that vast research and knowledge to
lengthen and enrich the lives of all who I love, human and animal.
 
Chana
[Posted in FML issue 4294]