Facts About Declawing
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At Central Bird & Animal Hospital, we do not offer declaw surgery. Declawing cats is essentially an
American preference, which is often done out of habit. Declawing is of no benefit (but considerable harm)
to the cat. Please read the facts below carefully, and consider some of the alternatives to declawing.
Declawing is actually illegal or considered extremely inhumane in the United Kingdom and most of
Europe, as well as Brazil, Japan, Australia and New Zealand.
Declawing is not like a manicure, and it is not like having your own fingernails removed; as unpleasant as
that might be, you would still retain full function of all your fingers and their joints, even if you might have
trouble picking up coins from the coffee table! Declawing is serious surgery. Your cat’s claw is not simply
a toenail. It is actually so closely adhered to the bone that to remove the claw, the entire last bone of
the cat’s toe has to be removed. For comparison, consider if your fingers (or toes) were amputated at
the last joint. And remember that during the lengthy recovery period, your cat still has to use its feet to
walk, jump, and scratch in the litter box, regardless of the pain. As a major surgical procedure, there are
always associated risks such as anesthesia reactions, abscesses, infections, bleeding, or regrowth of a
malformed nail inside the tissue (necessitating another surgery).
Unlike most mammals which walk on the soles of the paws or feet, cats are digitigrade, which means
they walk on their toes. Their entire muscular and skeletal structure, as well as ligaments, tendons and
nerves are designed to support the cat in this position. Declawing destroys this natural alignment, and
can lead to leg and back pain similar to a person wearing improperly-fitting shoes. Besides balance and
mobility, a cat needs the exercise of hooking their claws into a surface and pulling back against their own
claw hold to stretch and strengthen muscles in the back, legs, shoulders and paws.
Many people who choose to declaw their cats do so in order to prevent injuries due to the cat scratching
family members. Be aware that many cats who are declawed but still feel a need to defend themselves
or discourage unwelcome attention simply use their teeth instead of their missing claws! There are
numerous reports of cats whose personalities change drastically following declawing. Friendly cats
become withdrawn, while cats who are deprived of their primary means of defense may become fearful
and/or aggressive. We have all heard of “phantom pain” that people experience following the loss of a
limb, and it is believed that cats suffer from this as well, experiencing pain or other sensations in toes
that are no longer there. Imagine how terribly disturbing and bewildering that would be to a cat!
Your cat is clawing your furniture and drapes? Dog owners train their dogs to urinate and defecate
outside, to stay out of the trash, to leave food on the counters, and to not chew up the entire family’s
footwear collection. Cat owners, similarly, can teach their cats to scratch at appropriate places
(scratching posts) and stay away from furniture and other objects. Look into sisal rope wrapped
scratching posts, and ways to entice your cat to use them. One tip is to place it near the place the cat is
clawing, and you might rub it with a bit of catnip to encourage the cat to begin using the post. There are
also products such as Sticky Paws ®, which is a clear adhesive film you can temporarily place on a
surface that you want the cat to leave alone. Cats don’t like that sticky sensation on their paws, and will
find another location to scratch (like your great new scratching post!). Another excellent alternative is
Soft Paws ®, which are vinyl nail-shaped caps that are glued on right over the cat’s claws. They stay on
up to several months, and are replaced as necessary. The cat gets to keep its entire claw and toe, can
still go through the motions of clawing, but cannot harm your furniture or other possessions. And you
can always keep your cat’s claws trimmed! Removing that sharp little barb greatly reduces the amount
of damage your cat can do, and at CBAH, we always do nail trims at no charge!
For more information on declawing (and why you should very seriously consider alternatives to
declawing), as well as tips to train your cat to direct its clawing activities appropriately, and other
alternatives to declawing, we suggest the following resources:
http://www.declawing.com
http://www.stopdeclaw.com
http://declaw.lisaviolet.com
http://www.pawproject.com
American preference, which is often done out of habit. Declawing is of no benefit (but considerable harm)
to the cat. Please read the facts below carefully, and consider some of the alternatives to declawing.
Declawing is actually illegal or considered extremely inhumane in the United Kingdom and most of
Europe, as well as Brazil, Japan, Australia and New Zealand.
Declawing is not like a manicure, and it is not like having your own fingernails removed; as unpleasant as
that might be, you would still retain full function of all your fingers and their joints, even if you might have
trouble picking up coins from the coffee table! Declawing is serious surgery. Your cat’s claw is not simply
a toenail. It is actually so closely adhered to the bone that to remove the claw, the entire last bone of
the cat’s toe has to be removed. For comparison, consider if your fingers (or toes) were amputated at
the last joint. And remember that during the lengthy recovery period, your cat still has to use its feet to
walk, jump, and scratch in the litter box, regardless of the pain. As a major surgical procedure, there are
always associated risks such as anesthesia reactions, abscesses, infections, bleeding, or regrowth of a
malformed nail inside the tissue (necessitating another surgery).
Unlike most mammals which walk on the soles of the paws or feet, cats are digitigrade, which means
they walk on their toes. Their entire muscular and skeletal structure, as well as ligaments, tendons and
nerves are designed to support the cat in this position. Declawing destroys this natural alignment, and
can lead to leg and back pain similar to a person wearing improperly-fitting shoes. Besides balance and
mobility, a cat needs the exercise of hooking their claws into a surface and pulling back against their own
claw hold to stretch and strengthen muscles in the back, legs, shoulders and paws.
Many people who choose to declaw their cats do so in order to prevent injuries due to the cat scratching
family members. Be aware that many cats who are declawed but still feel a need to defend themselves
or discourage unwelcome attention simply use their teeth instead of their missing claws! There are
numerous reports of cats whose personalities change drastically following declawing. Friendly cats
become withdrawn, while cats who are deprived of their primary means of defense may become fearful
and/or aggressive. We have all heard of “phantom pain” that people experience following the loss of a
limb, and it is believed that cats suffer from this as well, experiencing pain or other sensations in toes
that are no longer there. Imagine how terribly disturbing and bewildering that would be to a cat!
Your cat is clawing your furniture and drapes? Dog owners train their dogs to urinate and defecate
outside, to stay out of the trash, to leave food on the counters, and to not chew up the entire family’s
footwear collection. Cat owners, similarly, can teach their cats to scratch at appropriate places
(scratching posts) and stay away from furniture and other objects. Look into sisal rope wrapped
scratching posts, and ways to entice your cat to use them. One tip is to place it near the place the cat is
clawing, and you might rub it with a bit of catnip to encourage the cat to begin using the post. There are
also products such as Sticky Paws ®, which is a clear adhesive film you can temporarily place on a
surface that you want the cat to leave alone. Cats don’t like that sticky sensation on their paws, and will
find another location to scratch (like your great new scratching post!). Another excellent alternative is
Soft Paws ®, which are vinyl nail-shaped caps that are glued on right over the cat’s claws. They stay on
up to several months, and are replaced as necessary. The cat gets to keep its entire claw and toe, can
still go through the motions of clawing, but cannot harm your furniture or other possessions. And you
can always keep your cat’s claws trimmed! Removing that sharp little barb greatly reduces the amount
of damage your cat can do, and at CBAH, we always do nail trims at no charge!
For more information on declawing (and why you should very seriously consider alternatives to
declawing), as well as tips to train your cat to direct its clawing activities appropriately, and other
alternatives to declawing, we suggest the following resources:
http://www.declawing.com
http://www.stopdeclaw.com
http://declaw.lisaviolet.com
http://www.pawproject.com