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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