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Declawing is a major surgery known as onychectomy, performed under anesthesia, that removes the tip of each digit (from the first knuckle out) of the cat’s forepaws.
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Declawing is a major surgery known as onychectomy, performed under anesthesia, that removes the tip of each digit (from the first knuckle out) of the cat’s forepaws. There is a slight chance of death in the surgery, and a declawed cat may have an increased risk of infection and life-long discomfort in its paws. This surgery is not recommended for an adult animal and is considered an act of animal cruelty in some countries (see below).
People generally have cats declawed to prevent them from hunting and from damaging furniture. Rarely, vicious cats are declawed. In the United States, some landlords require that tenants’ cats be declawed.
Veterinarians are generally critical of the procedure and some refuse to perform it because the absence of claws in a cat:
1. Deprives it of its main defense abilities, including escaping from predators by climbing trees;
2. Impairs its stretching and exercise habits, leading to muscle atrophy;
3. Compromises its ability to balance on thin surfaces such as railings and fence tops, leading to injury from falls;
4. Can cause insecurity and a subsequent tendency to bite.
This operation is rare outside of North America. In Finland, Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland, declawing is forbidden by the laws against cruelty to animals.[17] In many other European countries, it is forbidden under the terms of the European Convention for the Protection of Pet Animals, unless “a veterinarian considers [such] non-curative procedures necessary either for veterinary medical reasons or for the benefit of (the) animal”. [18] In Britain, animal shelters find it difficult to place imported cats that have been declawed and subsequently most are euthanized.
An alternative to declawing is the application of blunt, vinyl nail caps that are affixed to the claws with nontoxic glue, requiring periodic replacement when the cat sheds its claw sheaths (about every four to six weeks). However, the cat will still experience difficulties because the capped nails are not as effective as claws.
July 15th, 2010 at 6:52 pm
I don’t believe that cats of any age should be declawed. I’m from the UK and have lived in several European countries and can assure you declawing is illegal in all member states of the E.U. Here in the UK it’s classed as an “unnecessary mutilation” along with ear-cropping and tail docking. As far back as 1985 the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons produced a report denouncing it as a mutilation stating “It is not acceptable if carried out for the convenience of the owner. The removal of claws, particularly those which are weight-bearing, to preclude damage to furnishings is not acceptable.” It was the vets’ refusal to perform the procedure which brought about a legal ban.
How ironic then that it is vets in North America who are the ones keeping the procedure going by not disclosing fully to clients exactly how declawing not only disables cat, but leads to behaviours such as litter box avoidance and an increased tendency to bite. It’s true to say that the only declawed cats we see in the UK are those imported from North America, but rest assured they are not euthanised. Just like any other disabled creature with special needs, rescue organisations make every effort to place them with a patient and compassionate person. The fact that declawed cats should find themselves in need of a new home makes a mockery of the “forever home” promise that their original owners used as an excuse when they got them declawed. I would dearly love to see declawing banned everywhere in the world. We are meant to protect our pets from harm – not pay vets to inflict it upon them.
July 19th, 2010 at 9:58 pm
I wholeheartedly agree with Michelle that no cat should ever be declawed. A barbaric practice. If people prefer pristine furniture to the welfare and safety of their cats, it is wise for them not to have a cat. Thanks for your cautionary words about the dangers of this procedure.