Declawing Cats

Declawing or onychectomy is a surgical procedure involving removal of claws and should not be confused with a pedicure. Declawing puts the pet in great pain not only during the surgery but also after it. Although it is widely practiced in many countries, it is still considered as an unnecessary mutilation and is illegal in some countries. Another drawback is that this surgical procedure is not reversible.

Before having this surgery performed on your cat, you should understand as many aspects of it as you can learn. The claw is very different from a toenail as it is attached to the toe bone. The last toe bone and the joint are removed along with the claw, during declawing. Nature designed the cat’s body in such a way that everything is used to balance its movement, agility and grace. The main purpose of claws is to defend against an enemy and to get proper grip while walking. By amputating the joint, the whole walk is altered. Besides walking, other behaviours like eating, hunting, gripping, etc. also get changed. Cats that have had their claws removed can no longer enjoy climbing trees and tall objects which also means that they cannot jump from heights. Declawing changes the life of a cat. Some people who have had this procedure performed on their cat even claim that the whole personality of the animal is changed after the procedure. Although medical science hasn’t reported any side effects, many owners have reported physical and emotional complications in their cat after having this procedure done. The recovery is also full of pain and the pet can aggravate the situation by walking too soon after the operation and by scratching in the litter box.

Unlike other animals that walk on their paws, cats step on their toes. And when the last bone and joint are amputated, the animal frequently slips and loses its balance. The shift of weight can also affect the front quarter muscles. The imbalance can be very disturbing for the cat. Some cats even develop secondary contracture of the tendons. Claws are the primary defence for cats. When they loose their claws, they should not go outside, because they are unable to defend themselves. They may also develop a case of insecurity and lose their desire to do a lot of things that they enjoyed before they were declawed. Some cats even develop a tendency to bite, not only strangers but also familiar people and even their owners.

As a natural instinct, cats have a tendency to scratch after they urinate or have a bowel movement. When the claws are missing, some cats develop an uneasy feeling and they start wetting and soiling on rugs, carpets and soft furniture which fills the house with odour. Another thing which actually contributes to this habit is the fact that the cat experiences pain when it scratches the litter in the litter box, so it will choose to do its bodily elimination on a softer surface.

There are many options to declawing. First of all, you should understand that scratching is a natural instinct for cats. The act of scratching is exercise for the animal. It exercises the front quarter muscles and cats also gain pleasure out of the whole act. Nail caps are available to cover the claws. To use them, you will have to fill each cap with adhesive and slip one on each claw. The structure of these nail caps is very soft and the cat can scarcely feel the foreign object. The use of nail caps will save home furniture from further cat scratches. The claws can also be trimmed, but it should be done very carefully. Only the tips should be clipped and not the whole claw, especially the opaque part as that part of the nail contains blood vessels and tissue. As a result of cutting the nail too short, the cat can suffer a lot of pain and there will be a lot of blood loss. If while cutting your cat’s nails you accidentally cut them back too far and bleeding starts, dip the bleeding nail into a container of sulphur. The sulphur will stop the bleeding and act as an antiseptic to prevent infection. Note, if the sulphur does not stop the bleeding, get your cat to a veterinarian as quickly as possible, because too much blood loss could be fatal. When buying a nail clipper for your cat, make sure that you buy one designed for cats. A nail clipper designed for a dog will crush a cat’s claw instead of cutting it cleanly. Before trimming the claws, the cat must be made comfortable by massaging its paws so that it will get used to having its toes and feet held. If you are uneasy about clipping your cat’s nails you can file the ends down, or take your cat to a veterinarian or to a pet groomer to get its nails cut. If you use nail trimming as a method of reducing pet damage, make sure that you have them trimmed frequently as cat’s nails grow quite quickly.

Also, you should provide your cat with a scratching post. If it does not want to use this post to scratch on, put a little cat nip on the scratching post and this should encourage the cat to use it. There are many other options available at your local pet store. You should also train your cat, from an early age, that scratching anything but its scratching post is not acceptable. When you see your cat starting to scratch furniture, carpets, drapes, etc. immediately say “No” firmly and move the cat to the scratching post. Until the cat is trained not to scratch household goods, put the cat into a cat enclosure when you are not home.

In conclusion, declawing a cat should not be considered when there are many other ways to stop your cat from scratching things you do not want damaged. As mentioned above, it is irreversible, painful and will change the personality of your cat, usually not for the better. There are many other options that can solve the problem and none of them lead to disfigurement of your cat. You can even consult an animal behaviour modification specialist. Very few of the people who had their cats declawed that mom and dad talked to were satisfied with the results. Of the many mom and dad talked to, only two said that they would do it again. The rest stated they would find other options.

Until next time,

Teia