Declawing cats is such a cruel procedure, it has been banned in many countries, including many European countries and Australia. However, it still remains legal in most states of America.
People entertain the idea of declawing a cat for perhaps two reasons. They feel their young children will be safer and their furnishing won’t be mauled.
Let’s look at this issue from the cats point of view.
Declawing cats is the same as de-nailing you. Pulling nails off is one of the most extreme tortures used. The finger tips are rich in nerves, to allow very sensitive information to be gained from a very light touch.
When the anaesthetic wears off after the operation, the paws will be very sore. Nerve pain is supposed to be one of the worst pains there are. Pain killers rarely touch it.
Phantom pain, that many amputees suffer with, is a very real possibility, even though the cat cannot tell us. This often never goes away.
Because of the immediate pain, the cat will find walking difficult and will naturally walk on the back of their feet, rather than on the front. This shifts their whole weight bearing ability, creating musculo-skeletal problems later on in life.
In the days that follow the operation, they will avoid anything that makes the pain worse, including using a litter tray. This can inevitably set up bad habits in the future.
A naturally happy cat will only use their claws when they are angry or frightened. Children, unless closely monitored, can easily frighten, or anger, a cat. When a cat defends herself with her claws, this is a warning sign – ‘back off, or I’ll be more forceful”.
Children need to learn boundaries when dealing with animals. Left to their own devises, animals are far better at teaching children these boundaries, than people are. They rarely use excessive force. Young children learn very quickly.
A declawed cat is more likely to use her teeth to get the same message across, negating your attempts to protect your children. In most cases, the use of their teeth is more severe than their claws.
Certainly your furnishings are likely to fare better, but are inanimate objects more important than the pain and suffering you inflict on a living, sentient being? Perhaps if your furnishings are more important than your cat, then you shouldn’t have a cat?
Declawing cats shows great insensitivity to the needs of the cat. A contented cat, one with all her natural needs satisfied, is never going to use her claws unnecessarily. When she does, you need to ask yourself why. Then resolve that issue, so she doesn’t have to again.
If you have a declawed cat, the homeopathy can help your cat’s pain.
11 replies to "Declawing Cats Is A Painful, Cruel And Ineffective Procedure"
Thanks for this article on declawing cats. I did it once, and never again My young cat was never the same. Her paws spread and she never walked right after the operation. Will print this off if I can and share it with others. Thanks so much for this timely article.
Linda from Orillia
i.agree, same to people who keep their cats indoors! as for furniture, cats can be disciplined through tone of voice and body language!
I wish more people would investigate this BEFORE they have it done! NONE of our cats has ever been, or ever will be, declawed! And they are ALL INDOOR CATS! We’ve learned to live with it!
It’s what I call homely – happy cats and tatty furniture…
Thank you so much for addressing this horribly painful declawing of cats.
My sister thought too much of her furnishings and had this done to all
her cats, then wondered why they turned out nasty. I couldn’t impress on her the pain she caused them when all she had to do was Keep their nails clipped and teach them via a water spray bottle what wasn’t acceptable. I’ve trained all my kitties this way and have never had a problem with them. I will see she gets a copy of this article.
Have read several times that declawing is the equivalent of removing the first joint of the finger. True or not, it should be banned here in every state. Declawing essentially disables our loving pets.
People can set up their households so there are various kinds of scratching posts and places for appropriate vertical climb and play (and clawing). Clawing is intrinsic to a cats nature and we all know that’s how they sharpen their claws and stretch. We need to accommodate their instinctual behaviors so they are happy and so are we. Happy cat = Happy household!!
I live in the U.K. where de-clawing cats is illegal, and regarded with horror by both pet owners and veterinarians. Is it true that as much as 50% of a U.S. veterinarian’s income comes from de-clawing? If so, you will struggle to get de-clawing recognised as the torture of defenceless animals, which is what it is. How many veterinarians forget the honourable maxim “First do no harm” if that affects their income?
I would never declaw my cat. It is an act of torture. But I have wondered about trying to clip her claws a bit, as they are sharp as needles. She does not scratch me, but she does kneed my skin during the night (sleeps in my bed) and that is really ouch! I’m not sure if clipping the nails would be cruel.
Clipping claws makes a cat defenceless. You also have to be very careful about not going near the quick, which is live tissue. If you ask them not to do that painful kneeding, then do listen.
Please join our anti-declaw pages on face book. We desperately need everyone to share educational memes! Ask your vets if they declaw, and if they do please consider find a better CAREtaker for your cat and tell them why. . Your doctor needs to be more concerned about your cat than your furniture! Declawing is big business. They need to respect your cats paws. Just to test the truth will they fully explain what declawing really is.
Myth… Declawing does not keep cats in homes. Do a search on petfinder.com for declawed cats in your zip. We pull declawed cats from shelters constantly.
Thanks for taking action, people must be educated or it won’t stop.
Can you give us a link to your FB page?