Many well-intentioned pet owners who love their cats seek declawing as a means of protecting their furniture and their frayed nerves. I’ve owned many cats since I was a child and once declawed a cat myself thinking it was an option that was as harmless as a manicure. Moreover, I was comforted by the fact that the procedure would not inconvenience an in-door cat that was unlikely to get into any back alley trash can fights. Indeed, I was only removing the front claws, so I reasoned that the cat still had its rear claws that could operate as back up. Since I trusted my pet care to my veterinarian who said nothing, I considered the matter a well thought out solution for a cat that had little paw control.  It wasn’t until years later that I realized what I had done. I had mutilated my cat. Such a harsh word for something so commonplace. It prompts one to ask: Why is this procedure so common if it is harmful to pets? Sadly, many pet owners, though well intentioned, are misinformed about safe and healthy pet care and their veterinarians do very little to resolve this state of affairs. Rather than cast blame, it is more important to help pet owners get the information they need to make responsible decisions. I can’t get my cat’s claws back, but I can help inform others so that they don’t make the same mistake. 

First, declawing is not a beauty procedure. It is not like toenail cutting and it is not a manicure. It is a medical procedure with all the risks that surgery entails. It is more akin to ripping out a nail than clipping a toenail. A cat’s claw is so closely attached to its bone, that the last bone of the cat's claw has to be removed to complete the procedure. And the ligaments and tendons that go with it. Think of it more like amputation. Moreover, even though your pet can’t tell you, the procedure is very painful.  Remember when your cat came back from surgery after being spayed or neutered? Well, that’s minor surgery. This is major surgery. In fact, it is several mini major surgeries. Imagine inflicting pain on your pet because of an inconvenience? The poor cat experiences pain as it recuperates and has to carry out its daily tasks of eating, jumping and using its litter box. Every time it uses its paws. And a cat uses its paws to do just about everything. Did you know that in many countries, this procedure isn’t even legal?

While it may be true that the cat still possesses its back claws, the truth remains that it has front claws for a reason. The front claws also aid a cat in its defense. Even in-door cats sometimes escape to the outside. Not only are the front claws used as a means of defense, but the cat’s alignment is off kilter if part of its body has been amputated. The mutilation of its front paws by declawing alters the configuration of its body and its ability to defend itself the way its body was designed. Watch your cat stretch. Do you notice how it uses its claws to do this? It digs its claws into a surface to get a good grip and then pulls its body into alignment. It also uses its front claws to do other things besides tearing into the living room couch. A cat uses its claws to balance and exercise. It is also important to note that cats simply love scratching. For indoor cats especially, their clawing is a way of acting out their natural urges to play, climb, chase and mark territory. It’s bad enough we have them cooped up in-doors, but do we want to deprive them of all the joy in their life?

Since cats use their claws to do more than, well, scratch, declawing a cat can lead to unanticipated behavioral problems. In addition to the many cat specific ways in which cats react to stress, the scratching that the pet owner hoped to eliminate through declawing is often replaced by biting in declawed cats as they overcompensate for the insecurity they feel in having no claws. Fortunately, we have not resorted to removing our cats’ teeth. The Association of Veterinarians for Animal Rights has this to say about justifications for declawing: “The Association of Veterinarians for Animal Rights is opposed to cosmetic surgeries and to those performed to correct 'vices.' Declawing generally is unacceptable because the suffering and disfigurement it causes is not offset by any benefits to the cat. Declawing is done strictly to provide convenience for people.”  www.avar.org

The saddest news is that there are alternatives that make this painful and cruel procedure unnecessary. For outdoor cats especially, there are a number of scratching products available that could suit the varied temperaments of fussy cats. They are made of all sorts of material and come in varied sizes. There are also many products available to trim a cat’s claw. I favor a simple human toenail clipper that can be bought at any drugstore for my adopted cats. I cuddle them and clip each nail for whatever time span the cat will allow. For one of the cats, it’s one or two nails a day. I started when the cats were kittens so they got used to my holding their paws. One thing to remember though when trimming your cat’s nails is to avoid the pink tissue known as the quick. This is a very sensitive area that could cause pain and profuse bleeding. It is best to leave a good measure of nail between the nail and the quick and have on hand styptic powder to help with any accidental bleeding. If this makes you nervous, take your cat to a professional groomer or veterinarian for nail clipping. There are also little nail caps that can be glued onto a cat’s front claws. These are a great alternative for pet owners that experience difficulty in training their cat to use a scratching post.

On a final note, it is probably worth ending such an article by highlighting many of the positive attributes our cats possess that far outweigh their supposed inconveniences. While it is true that my bed mattress now resembles a box of shredded wheat, nothing can replace the joy of watching my kittens curl up in each other’s paws at the foot of my bed every night. Or flashing a laser beam around the room and watching them dart in and out of furniture. Having them purr in my ear when I wake up feels as good as morning coffee. They make excellent companions for the lonely or elderly and willing playmates for the young and young at heart. They teach us patience and they exemplify nurturing.  Not a bad tradeoff for a little wear and tear. 

Questions or Comments? Please feel free to e-mail me at Petlover@Wholesale2go.com for a list of veterinarians who do not declaw or for product information.

Copyright 2002.  Sophistication Alley Ltd. All Rights Reserved.

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