Law protects cats' right to scratch

THE liberal Californian city of West Hollywood has struck a blow for feline rights by becoming the first in the United States to outlaw the de-clawing of cats, city officials have said. "We hope that this will send a message to other US cities and to the state of California and that they will also soon ban this cruel practice," The Los Angeles-area city of 3,500 residents has a history of passing controversial and progressive new laws, including an earlier resolution declaring that people cannot own pets, but simply become their "guardians."

But we all know what damage cats can do to furniture etc. What if some owners now opt to have their cats put down instead of de-clawing them? Is that what these “animal lovers” want?