Declawing Cats
Cats. Loveable, furry friends who roam their owner’s houses as their own domain. Cat owners would do anything to make their feline comfortable and out of harm’s way. Unfortunately, many cat lovers have unknowingly subjected their cats to a painful procedure that has become a ‘quick fix’ to scratching; declawing. This procedure can not only cause phantom pains post-procedure, but the cat has to re-learn how to walk, due to its altered balance. Furthermore, scratching is a natural behavior that can be used as an alternative to declawing. Claws are the cat’s first line of defense as well, so while a cat may be strictly indoor, if the animal were to ever escape outdoors it would have no way of defending itself.
This method of scratch prevention is much more involved than most people think. Many believe the misconception that declawing is simple; like trimming human toenails. According to an article online written by Dr. Drew Weigner, Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and past president of the Academy of Feline Medicine; “There are several different techniques, but they all involve one thing. You have to remove the claw, and you have to remove the little piece of bone that the claw grows from. If you don’t, the claw will try to grow back… The way cats are normally declawed, there’s an instrument with a sliding blade, almost like a guillotine, and it cuts a straight line through the joint between that little piece of bone and the next piece of bone, which is much bigger.” Essentially, it’s like cutting off the first part of the toe to prevent further claw growth.
While declawing is a sure way of preventing unwanted scratching, what cost is it to the cat? There are many complications that can occur during or post- surgery. The main issue being pain after the procedure. In an article written on All Feline Hospital’s website; “If not enough pain control was utilized with the procedure, the cat can actually develop a hypersensitivity of the nerves in the toes that can result in a lifetime of acute pain every time your cat puts weight on their paws. This can result in cats holding their paws up every time they sit down from chronic pain. Sometimes this hypersensitivity can be reversed with certain combinations of medications, but not always. In people, after an amputation, they can commonly experience phantom pain, where they feel pain in the limb that has been removed. While we can't really ask cats if they feel this, each declaw is a toe amputation, so there is a very high likelihood that they also experience this phantom pain.” Imagine yourself being put through a surgery that cuts off the tips of your bones in your fingers, and being in so much pain that you cannot express clearly to anyone. It’s a horrifying thought to imagine yourself, let alone an animal go through that pain. Yet another drawback of declawing to the cat is that it must re-learn to walk. Since a part of their paw has been removed, they have to adapt how to evenly distribute their weight.
Cat scratching can be a natural way of displaying affection, marking territory or simply for exercise. Using the cat’s natural instinct to scratch to the owner’s advantage by providing a positive outlet for them to scratch on is a happy alternative for both the cat and the owner. These routes are also more cost-friendly methods to prevent scratching as opposed to surgery. Scratching posts, cardboard pads, and cat condos are all ways for the cat to exercise its needs without destroying furniture. Another way to prevent scratching on furniture is to put caps on the cat’s claws that allow them to exercise the motions of scratching without the sharpness of the claws. Using unpleasant scents like orange or vinegar sprays to deter felines away from areas that are not suitable for scratching or using good smelling odors like catnip to encourage the cat to scratch in a specific area are also easy options for cat-owners.
In conclusion, another important factor to consider with the consequences of declawing is that claws are the cat’s main way of defending itself. If the cat for some reason gets lost outside, there are many dangers that could threaten a cat’s life, and a cat without claws being outside has far more risk of encountering a danger and not being able to walk away from it. It doesn’t matter where the owner lives, there are always dangers outdoors for cats in general, and for a cat without claws, the odds of the lost cat surviving are much smaller than those with intact claws.
So while the method of declawing is the only permanent fix to unwanted scratching, the risks of complications overwhelmingly outweigh the ending benefit. Forcing the cat to change its weight distribution to maintain simple balance due to removal of important bone. Taking this natural instinct to scratch away from a cat is simply cruel when there are so many more natural and cost effective ways to prevent scratching. Taking away the feline’s defense mechanism is also a secondary consequence that would be robbed from the cat. With all of these points described, would you choose to declaw your cat?
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