Declawing a cat is a surgical procedure which has pros and cons. While there are people opposed to declawing cats, there are others that believe declawing is beneficial.
Declawing a cat is an important decision which should be made based on knowledge of all facts and consideration of both sides of the controversy.
What is Declawing?
Declawing a cat involves amputation of the last digit of each toe. Some cats may have only the front feet declawed while others may have all four feet declawed.
The surgical procedure for declawing a cat or kitten takes place while the cat or kitten is under a general anesthetic. Pain medications are administered both during and after the declaw procedure to decrease the pain involved for the cat or kitten.
The declaw procedure itself may be done using one of several methods, depending on the expertise and experience of the veterinary surgeon performing the surgery. Traditionally, declaw surgery was performed by dissecting out each individual nail with a scalpel or other knife-life surgical tool. However, in recent years, laser declaw surgery has become more readily available and may offer faster recovery times with less bleeding and discomfort than traditional declaw surgery. However, both types of surgery are performed and are accepted as effective.
Ideally, declawing should take place at a young age. Kittens, because of their smaller size, need to bear less weight on their feet following the surgical declaw procedure. Therefore, they tend to heal more quickly than more mature cats who naturally have a greater body weight. Kittens are often declawed as young as 6-8 weeks of age.
Cats or kittens which have been declawed need to remain indoors. The claws of a cat are one of the major defense systems a cat has at his disposal to protect himself. In a declawed state, a cat is more vulnerable and therefore safer indoors.
Aguments Against Declawing a Cat
There are many people who feel that declawing a cat is inhumane and some even go so far as to call the declaw surgery mutilation. Many lawmakers are now attempting to legislate whether a cat can be declawed in their jurisdictions or not.
Arguments in Favor of Declawing a Cat
In opposition to those people who believe that declawing is cruel and inhumane, there are many people who believe that declawing a cat makes the cat a better pet, making the bond between the cat and cat owner stronger and decreasing the chance that the cat will be relinquished to a pound or shelter or abandoned due to behavioral problems that the cat owner is unwilling or unable to tolerate in the home.
Those who oppose declawing a cat often claim that a declawed cat has a greater tendency to bite. However, there is no evidence that would prove this to be a correct assumption.
Alternatives to Declawing a Cat
There are a few alternatives to declawing a cat which are worthy of mention. There is a surgical procedure whereby the flexor to each nail is severed, resulting in the inability of a cat or kitten to extend the nail. This is known as a digital flexor tendonectomy. Cat owners opting for this alternative to declawing their cat need to be prepared to periodically trim the nails. If a cat owner fails to trim the nails for a cat which has undergone a digital flexor tendonectomy, the nails can overgrow and penetrate the skin and pads of the feet, causing pain and infection.
Another alternative to declawing a cat is applying a product known as Soft Paws to the nails of the cat. Soft Paws are coverings which slip over the nail and are glued into place temporarily. Cat owners electing to use Soft Paws need to be aware that Soft Paws will need to be replaced periodically, usually once every 4-6 weeks. However, the application of Soft Paws is not painful for the cat and surgery and/or sedation is not required to place Soft Paws on the claws of a cat.
By carefully considering all aspects of the declawing controversy and determining what type of lifestyle is intended for the cat in question, cat owners can make an educated decision pertaining to declawing their cats.
The copyright of the article Making the Decision to Declaw a Cat in Pet Care is owned by Lorie Huston. Permission to republish Making the Decision to Declaw a Cat in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
There are no arguments in favour of declawing a cat, how can it make
"owner" and cat closer when the "owner" has betrayed
the trust of the cat? And how can it make a cat a better pet when there is
every possiblity that the cat will develop behavioural problems e.g
inappropriate toiletting, biting (yes this does happen)or
withdrawal/nervousness. And then what about the possibility of
muscular/skeletal problems later in life through the cat being forced to
walk in an unnatural way and being unable to stretch the muscles in the
chest, back, legs and paws by hooking up and stretching?
Cats
are notoriously brave and will hide even extreme pain rather than show
weakness, this is why so many "owners" think that their cat is Ok
afterwards, some even think it's cute to see their cat hold up a paw never
thinking that that paw is hurting!
Shelters are full of declawed
cats, adapted to their owners idea of the perfect cat but when they find
that all is not as simple as they imagine, their furniture gets peed or
pooped on instead of clawed or their children get bitten instead of
scratched, out goes the cat..some dumped to fend clawless for themselves
and some destined to sit in a cage in a shelter until deemed un-rehomable
they are killed.
No method of "declawing" (de toeing)
a cat is humane and no-one has the right to deprive a cat of their right to
enjoy every claw on every paw being used for the purpose it grows there.
May 10, 2009 5:26 AM
Guest :
There is never any justification for declawing a cat !There is no benefit
to the cat, only to the selfish owner.The people who say it makes the bond
stronger between owner and cat obviously should have got themselves a
stuffed toy as they don't understand a living feeling cat needs to be
independant and to enjoy its life a a cat should, with its rightful
claws.Do these people enjoy their power over a defenceless animal ? The
talk about pain medication to decrease the pain is sickening, there should
be NO pain because a cat should not be put through the most painful
procedure a cat can endure and deprived of its claws, to begin with.
Removing the toe ends/claws by amputation or laser makes no difference to
the pain and the result that the cat is disabled. Lasering is less bloody
and heals quicker, that's all ! Declawing is supposed to be a last resort
procedure for serious scratching behaviour,so its hardly 'ideal' that
kittens are routinely declawed, in fact it's wrong to assume they will grow
up with scratching problems. People are offered a neuter/declaw package by
some vets,but those vets don't explain the seriousness of declawing and
that many cats have biting or litter tray problems afterwards.Or that years
later, because after declawing a cat can not exercise propely by digging in
its claws, to keep its leg, shoulder, and back muscles healthy and strong,
many declawed cats develop arthritis.In countries where declawing is
banned,we train our cats to scratching posts.Anyone who doesn't like it
that cats have claws, simply doesn't get a cat ! Cats are born with claws
because they need them and to take a perfectly healthy cat and have it made
into a disabled cat by declawing it, is very wrong.Finally it doesn't save
cats from Rescue Shelters,because after the behavioural problems begin from
declawing, many end up in shelters anyway as 'bad cats'and have very little
chance of being rehomed.The sooner declawing is banned worldwide, the
better ! Retired vet nurse/cat rescue
May 10, 2009 7:21 AM
michelecyprus :
Declawing is banned in at least 25 countries on the grounds that it is
considered to be a form of animal cruelty. Legislation in the UK goes so
far as to refer to it as an "unnecessary mutilation". There are
never any pros to the procedure since it is always done for the benefit of
the owner and not the cat's physical or mental welfare. How on earth
can amputating the end of a cat's toes make them a "better" pet
or make the "bond between the cat and cat owner stronger"? Such
statements are pure nonsense and purely from the perspective of the human
and not the cat itself. Using that rationale, wouldn't amputating the
fingers of children be a good idea, so that it prevents them from growing
up to become thieves, murderers, or violent criminals? Even the AVMA
who are not opposed to declawing, suggest that it should be a last resort
option, and therefore should not routinely be performed on kittens before
they have even exhibited any undesirable behaviour with their claws. The paragraph advising alternatives to declawing failed to point out the
most obvious one - teaching the cat claw manners based on their natural
behaviour. Literally millions of people worldwide have babies, children,
furniture or compromised immune systems, and yet they don't find it
necessary to amputate their cat's toes. They understand that if cats are
provided with something of their own to scratch and encouraged to use it,
that they will not ruin household items. Through play, kittens can be
taught to be gentle with their claws and human children should always be
taught to respect animals and handle them correctly so that don't get
scratched. There's a wealth of information available on the internet on how
to do this, all it takes is love and patience - two emotions that those who
chose to declaw cats seem to lack.
May 10, 2009 8:15 AM
Guest :
declawing of cats and kittens is certainly a very volatile subject, as, in
my own opinion, and also many other cat lovers, it SHOULD JUST NOT HAPPEN.
Thereis a reason why it has been banned in so many countries and that is
because it is cruel. It just seems beyond belief that people should
willingly want their animals to be mutilated like this, whatever happened
to animals being as nature intended. If cats were meant to have no claws
or soft paws attached, they would be born like that. Please lord, one day
let common sense prevail. Leaves cats the way they were meant to. This is
like having genetically modified pets
May 10, 2009 8:21 AM
aunty :
I'm at a loss as to how you can justify the idea that declawing can be
beneficial? To the owner maybe because it saves them the time and trouble
spent on training the kitten/cat where it is acceptable for them to use
their claws and it saves them the expense of replacing furniture that their
laxness in training costs them but beneficial to the cat? Never in a month
of Sundays! AVMA policy states that the declawing procedure should be
carried out only as a last resort when all other measures have failed,so
how then can veterinarians justify amputating the toes of kittens 6-8 weeks
old? At that age kittens have no control over their claws and haven't had
the chance to demonstrate whether or not they will use them
destructively,nor at that age would it have been possible to even start to
train a kitten to use a designated scratching area or post. The excuse of
many people who declaw their cats is inappropriate scratching but anyone
who declaws a young kitten is doing it just for the sake of doing it,with
no intention of it being a last resort! The statement that declawing
strengthens the bond between cat and owner is absurd,and how can amputating
a cat's toes make it a better pet? It makes it a different pet that's for
sure but a cat comes with claws so if the claws aren't part of the deal
maybe a different kind of pet is indicated and not altering a cat to suit
the vagaries of the owner. If people in the 25 countries of the world
where declawing is banned can manage nicely with cats plus claws why can't
the people in the USA and Canada manage? What is it that makes them unable
to cope with a fully clawed cat? Why are they scared to let their children
learn in a natural way that cats,and indeed all animals,should be treated
kindly and gently and if they don't do so then they'll get a swift scratch
from the cat or nip from the dog. That's how I learned and how all the
children in all the generations of my family learned. And if our furniture
is less than perfect does it matter,is a house full of love and kindness
not more important than a perfect sofa? What would be the most
laughable thing were it not so tragic is that declawed cats often turn to
soiling the very possessions that they were mutilated for the sake of,a cat
with sore & sensitive paws may choose a soft sofa or bedding above
harsh litter,or a cat tormented by a child might give a nasty bite,far
worse than a swift scratch I can assure you.Wake up and smell the coffee
folks,declawing is cruel!
Jun 7, 2009 2:03 AM
Guest :
I will not be popular with my opinions here, i can tell. I do agree that
yes declawing a pet IS painful; and I can see how it is inhumane. However I
am a cat owner and I do have a declawed cat.
I tried all of
the alternatives to surgery--- my cat chewed off his soft paws leaving
bloody stumps on his front paws REGULARLY. My cat is a wonderful cat, very
loving and posessive of his family. He dosent scratch the furniture and
never has he does however attack small children in my home. The cat had a
18 month old child cornered-- not in his mind being aggressive but as
playing with the child. This was regular behavior for my cat from the time
that I got him. My friends children have been scarred by my cats claws.
After 2 years of trying I could not train him not to "play with the
children" the way that he was.
Since he would not keep the
soft claws on, and he would not leave the children alone... would it be
more humane for me to kick him out of my home or to send him to the over
populated animal shelter (or should I say DEATH CAMP)than to pay the money
to have him declawed?
Saying that getting a cat declawed is
selfish of the owner is 100% correct. I am so selfish that I wanted to be
able to keep my cat, to not have children scarred, to not want to send him
away to die. I am horribly selfish. I am so selfish that I tried every
alternative to avoid the surgery for 2 years. I am so selfish that instead
of getting rid of my cat and pawning him off on a stranger who could/would
get rid of him themselves---I used the last alternative I had. I am a
selfish owner of a declawed cat, and I LOVE my cat. For all of your pious
opinions thrown about and you statistics with your noses stuck up in the
air about those of us who choose to get our cats declawed -- what do you
really KNOW? I know this---- my cat still loves me and he is very faithful
to my family, he is happy and pampered and well taken care of.
Aug 7, 2009 1:59 AM
Guest :
There are fair reasons to declaw. I don't let my cats outside. I live in a
rural area and it's too dangerous, there is no reason to have concern they
will be turned out w/out claws and I have made provisions for them upon my
death. Cats enjoy ripping, it's marking their territory. Two ruined a house
full of furniture despite every attempt to stop them, for years. Declawing was a way to keep my cat and not have my home ruined. Painful
for the cat. Yes it is. After three days, they began to play with
their toys! After healing, their paws are not tender and the cats are
very well behaved beloved pets... and I'm not angry at the shredded door
jambs, the wall corners, the couches, curtains or the bed being torn to
shreds. It's much easier to teach a cat to stop spraying or urinating out
of box than it is to redirect the desire to mark by clawing, and I don't
care how many scratching posts you put out, or how many nail caps (which
are said to have more success with PASSIVE cats). Mine weren't passive or
aggressive, but they did NOT want the caps on their claws. My cats
have been declawed for 10 years, and 2 years ago, I had 2 new additions
declawed as kittens. The day they came home they had discomfort, the
successive days, they healed just fine and were bouncing all over in no
time. They even begin to use their paws differently without claws, they
touch your face, they grip items, they adapt and not all of the adaptation
is aggressive or negative, quite the contrary. We spay and neuter our
cats. We tend to believe it's a very good thing. This too is a terribly
painful operation. I don't think people realize how invasive the spay
procedure is, or that adhesions occur...but we do it for convenience sake
most of the time. The benefit is that it can reduce some types of cancers
and it makes the animals more tolerable by stopping the yowling. That's the
bottom line on most spay/neuter for animals we don't let roam or mix with
the opposite sex. I'm astonished at the mentality that the declaw
surgery is inhumane. We CLEAN cat's teeth and that is traumatic (and
carries risk) if you've ever witnessed or had it done to a beloved cat. Declaw IS surgery and carries with it pain in the healing process, but
the cats, if they were well rounded, will weather it well, and those who
were not, we'll perhaps declawing wasn't the answer to the issue? I
have had, over 20 years, 10 declawed cats. None of them exhibited negative
behaviors after their declaw.
Sep 2, 2009 9:43 AM
Guest :
You people are rediculous. I agree 100% that declawing is a painful
procedure, but so is a surgery to spay or neuter. What makes you think that
the fact that the cat is declawed would have anything to do with behavioral
issues later on in life. There are plenty of unwanted cats and other
animals out there facing worse fates than a simple declaw, and in my
opinion, there will be even more unwanted if this procedure becomes
illegal. To the comment about causing skeletal difficiencies later in life,
that's a little dramatic since there is no connection between the two.
Sep 30, 2009 11:31 AM
Guest :
I think it interesting that everyone thinks it's inhumane to declaw a
cat...I have two cats that got declawed because the one was terrorizing the
other. I was finding dried, caked blood behind my cat's ear, and neck that
was from the other cat attacking him. I declawed my cats to keep our
family together...also, to live in my apt complex (and in most apt
complexes) you have to have your cats declawed...so reconsider before you
judge. I love my cats and they are very happy...I grew up with a declawed
cat, and she was in pain for a couple days (just like any human surgery)
and was healed and back to normal very quickly.
May 9, 2009
