The law will still allow landlords to reject potential renters who have cats and dogs, correct? Is that what it means?
Yes. They can, since it is their rights to do so.
Personally, I think most property damage by pets is from the urine and feces from cats and dogs. The other problem with dogs is chewing and digging.
Cats with claws can tear up furniture and curtains but that's usually more of a problem for the renter's property, not the landlord's property.
Why blame those renters? It is more something has to do with
irresponsible pet owners rather than renters. There are some great pet owners
are renters. One of my former roommates is capable of being responsible pet owner, yet the manager still required her to declaw her own cat. That's plainly wrong, IMO. But we didn't find any good place with less restrictiveness... We had no choice but to keep a secret from the manager so her kitty don't have to deal unbearable experiences of the declawing. At least, we moved out and the kitty still don't get one, thankfully.
Since I got all my cats as cats, not kittens, from shelters or people who were surrendering them, most of them were already declawed. They never had any behavior or health problems. Not all declawed cats end up with problems.
Just because declawed cats are doing okay, that doesn't mean it is okay to declaw cats... There are plenty of declawed cats are being dumped at animal shelters because of litter box problems, personality changes, and so on. I witnessed how many of them... My cat is one of them, and I adopted her when she was only about one year old, due to her personality is a bit more of introvert and hates to be picked up.
Sure, there are some kitties are doing okay. Still, we just can't ignore the grave problem between cats and declawing. So, why should we sweep them off under rug? I wonder, what is your thought on debarking and modifying some "unwanted" parts off of their posessions? (I don't think they consider them as their family members because they simply see animals as disposable ones, IMO.)
I really hope you aware that their claws are not just about protect themselves and hunting preys, but it is for their body design and health reasons..... You can look up someone's deviantART page. She is work at PAWS and is against declawing after she witnessed the reality, too.
Arixco on deviantART
I've had several declawed cats (front paws only). None of them escaped outside, got attacked by other animals, or got into fights. We also had dogs in the house, and there was no problem between them and the cats. (The cats intimidated the dogs, Labradors.) They don't need defense if they live indoors. Even if they "escape," they're probably in more danger of being hit by a car.
The only cat I had that wasn't declawed was a stray "street" cat that we adopted. He was an indoor/outdoor cat and got into lots of fights (which he probably initiated).
Really? Don't they need a defense? I respectfully disagree. I mean, how do you know? Some owners could be abusive that claws-less kitties can't protect themselves. Some irresponsible SPOs could forget to keep pets separate between species and felines, which they can kill them. Mostly important question is, how often declawed cats are rescued from horrible situations? Nobody knows... As for your mention of escaping, if they "escape", there are some large animals can kill it, or even some sick and sadistic young people can kill it for "fun"-- at outside or inside, it is not matter where they are. I can go on.
That is why it is important for cat's natural instinct to scratch serves both physical and psychological needs. Their claws would help them their walking stay balance well, stretching to relieve themselves, so its body is purposely designed to give it the agility and beauty that is unique to felines. Because, its claws are an important part of this design. Which means their claws are not just about protect themselves and hunting preys, but it is for their body design and health reasons.
Sorry... I can't understand why Americans have to snip all sorts of things away from creatures. For what? I hope you did adopt your declawed cats from animal shelters instead of take their claws away if you buy some pets.