美国国家公共电台 NPR A Declaw Law? Veterinarians Divided Over N.J. Cat Claw Bill

 

KELLY MCEVERS, HOST:

In New Jersey¹, lawmakers are considering a bill that would make it a crime to declaw cats. If it passes, New Jersey would be the first state in the country to ban the practice. The bill has sharply divided veterinarians. Critics call it painful and barbaric, but some vets² say the surgery can prevent cats from being abandoned. NPR's Joel Rose reports.

JOEL ROSE, BYLINE³: Veterinarian Gordon Stull introduces me to one of his patients - a gray and white rescue cat named Queen Elizabeth (ph).

GORDON STULL: That's Queen Elizabeth.

(SOUNDBITE OF CAT MEOWING)

STULL: She's a really sweet cat.

ROSE: When Stull graduated from veterinary school more than 40 years ago, he says declawing was routine.

STULL: I did it for a while, and it started to bother me.

ROSE: Why? What bothered you?

STULL: It just seemed like this is not a procedure I should be doing because it's not helping⁴ the animal. It's a convenient for the client, and it's a mutilation.

ROSE: Declawing is an amputation⁵. It removes part of the cat's toe bones along with the nail. And a lot of vets say they don't like to do it, including Stull's boss at the Atlantic Animal Health Center in south Jersey, Lori Nordt.

LORI NORDT: So we recommend things for cats to scratch or trying to address the problem without having to do the declaw. I'm totally in support of banning it.

ROSE: That's exactly what New Jersey Assemblyman Troy Singleton wants to do. He introduced a bill that would make declawing illegal except to protect the health of the cat.

TROY SINGLETON: I personally think declawing is a pretty barbaric practice. It's more of a matter of convenience as opposed to anything dealing⁶ with the physical well-being⁷ of the animal.

ROSE: Singleton's bill goes far beyond the guidelines of professional veterinary organizations, too far for some vets.

JOSE PLA: This room here is our surgical⁸ prep. That's where we sterilize⁹.

ROSE: Jose Pla is a veterinarian in north Jersey who thinks declawing should be rare but legal.

PLA: I think that it is a surgery that has its place to help certain cats be able to enjoy a loving relationship with their owners. It is a surgery that should only be done as a last resort.

ROSE: In cases where the cat does serious damage to humans and or property. But Pla says banning the practice altogether would be a mistake. When declawing is done properly and with modern pain medicine, he says it's not as bad as its critics claim.

PLA: It is an amputation, but these cats, with modern surgical techniques, are going home the same day - no bandages, walking.

ROSE: Still, declawing is outlawed¹⁰ across much of Europe and several cities in California. Some veterinarians in California warned that more cats would be abandoned and could wind up being euthanized as a result. But the numbers don't bear that out. Veterinarian Gordon Stull says that might be because declawing can lead to biting and other undesirable¹¹ behaviors.

STULL: I've seen many patients that have been declawed that are having behavioral issues.

ROSE: The New Jersey bill passed the state Assembly last month, but it still has to claw its way through the state senate before it lands on the governor's desk. Joel Rose, NPR News, Galloway, N.J.

1 jersey   

n.运动衫

参考例句：

• He wears a cotton jersey when he plays football.他穿运动衫踢足球。
• They were dressed alike in blue jersey and knickers.他们穿着一致，都是蓝色的运动衫和灯笼短裤。

2 vets   

abbr.veterans （复数）老手，退伍军人；veterinaries （复数）兽医n.兽医( vet的名词复数 )；老兵；退伍军人；兽医诊所v.审查（某人过去的记录、资格等）( vet的第三人称单数 )；调查；检查；诊疗

参考例句：

• I helped train many young vets and veterinary nurses too. 我还帮助培训了许多年青的兽医和护士。 来自互联网
• In fact, we've expanded mental health counseling and services for our vets. 实际上，我们已经扩大了退伍军人的心理健康咨询和服务。 来自互联网

3 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

4 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

5 amputation   

n.截肢

参考例句：

• In ancient India,adultery was punished by amputation of the nose.在古代印度，通奸要受到剖鼻的处罚。
• He lived only hours after the amputation.截肢后，他只活了几个小时。

6 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

7 well-being   

n.安康，安乐，幸福

参考例句：

• He always has the well-being of the masses at heart.他总是把群众的疾苦挂在心上。
• My concern for their well-being was misunderstood as interference.我关心他们的幸福，却被误解为多管闲事。

8 surgical   

adj.外科的，外科医生的，手术上的

参考例句：

• He performs the surgical operations at the Red Cross Hospital.他在红十字会医院做外科手术。
• All surgical instruments must be sterilised before use.所有的外科手术器械在使用之前，必须消毒。

9 sterilize   

vt.使不结果实；使绝育；使无效；杀菌，消毒

参考例句：

• Antiseptic is used to sterilize the skin before giving an injection.杀菌剂被用于在注射前给皮肤消毒。
• He pricks the blister on his heel with a sterilize needle.他用一根消过毒的针扎破他脚后跟上的水泡。

10 outlawed   

宣布…为不合法（outlaw的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• Most states have outlawed the use of marijuana. 大多数州都宣布使用大麻为非法行为。
• I hope the sale of tobacco will be outlawed someday. 我希望有朝一日烟草制品会禁止销售。

11 undesirable   

adj.不受欢迎的，不良的，不合意的，讨厌的；n.不受欢迎的人，不良分子

参考例句：

• They are the undesirable elements among the employees.他们是雇员中的不良分子。
• Certain chemicals can induce undesirable changes in the nervous system.有些化学物质能在神经系统中引起不良变化。