We want to safeguard our belongings, but should we do it at the cost of our cat’s comfort?
We have all had that one cat that just won’t stop using everything as a scratching post. We want to safeguard our belongings, but should we do it at the cost of our cat’s comfort?
Some veterinarians are weighing in on the subject and many are not offering the procedure any longer.
Declawing is a surgical procedure that removes the cat’s claws. The surgery removes all or most of the last bone on each of the toes in a cat’s paw. This procedure severs the tendons, nerves and ligaments that provide normal functioning for a cat’s paw. Declawing has been compared to cutting off the tip of a human finger down to the last knuckle. It is not a realistic solution to a cat being a cat. It is in their nature to want to sharpen their nails on anything they deem appropriate, whether we agree with them or not.
The surgical procedure is illegal to perform in many cities in California. Rhode Island and Virginia have introduced restrictions related to the procedure. The anti-declawing movement has extended beyond the United States to the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Brazil, Israel and Australia, just to name a few. These countries have either banned it altogether or considered it inhumane and only to be done in extreme cases.
Along with the procedure being painful and uncomfortable for a cat, there have been behavior issues that have arisen after declaw procedures. These include, but are not limited to: litter box avoidance or issues; a higher rate of biting; a higher rate of using teeth for destruction or defense; and anti-social behavior. These are all reasons for owners to surrender their cats to animal shelters all around the world.
Jennifer Conrad, who founded the Paw Project (an animal welfare and anti-declawing nonprofit organization) and led the anti-declawing mission in California, states that removing a cat’s claws hurts their ability to naturally defend themselves and causes "a lifetime of pain."
How does declawing affect humane society populations? Approximately 20 to 25 percent of all owned cats are declawed. The Flagler Humane Society has found that three out of four owned surrendered cats that come in acting aggressively are declawed. Staff members have to care for declawed cats differently than cats that have intact claws. Declawed cats use their teeth more and teeth inflict more damage than claws do.
The FHS offers some alternatives to declawing. Alternative solutions can begin as soon as kittenhood. Start by training kittens to use scratching posts or other appropriate places to scratch. Soft Paws (kitty fake nails) can be applied young so the kitten can get used to the feel of them. Teach kittens to control their claws during human play and offer toys instead of using hands.
"We don’t condone the use of declawing as a method to stop unwanted scratching behaviors. Declawing is a cosmetic procedure that is done purely for the benefit of the owner and has no value to the pet as it is very painful. Is this fair to our pets?" said Amy Wade-Carotenuto, director of Flagler Humane Society.
Katie Share is the Animal Care and Placement Manager at Flagler Humane Society and the Supervisor for Flagler Animal Services. She can be reached at kshare@flaglerhumanesociety.org. Flagler Humane Society is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization founded in 1980. For more information, go to flaglerhumanesociety.org.