Reasons Why You Should NEVER Declaw Your Cat – Inhumane

Reasons Why You Should Never Declaw Your Cat

Today I am going to share with you some very good reasons why you should never declaw your cat.  A lot of people think that declawing a cat is the right thing to do without realizing the consequences of their cat being without claws.  Please bear with me to learn some simple facts.

Reasons why you should NEVER declaw your cat.

** Declawing a cat is not a simple procedure. **

It is major surgery that involves the amputation of the last bone of each toe If performed on a human being, it would be like cutting off each finger at the last knuckle.

Declawing your cat is very painful. It is a form of mutilation and it is illegal in fourteen countries. It has serious side effects, and it’s not even necessary. Yet, 31% of all cat owners in the United States have their cats declawed. If you are considering the same fate for your cat, please make sure you have all the facts.

Declawing your cat is a form of mutilation and it is illegal in fourteen countries. Share on X

The after effects that your cat must suffer through include considerable pain, infection and tissue necrosis (tissue death), lameness and back pain. Removing claws changes the way a cat’s foot meets the ground and can cause pain similar to wearing an uncomfortable pair of shoes. There can also be a regrowth of improperly removed claws, nerve damage, and bone spurs.

More Reasons Why You Should Never Declaw Your Cat

Declawing is not only unfair to your furry friend, but it is also cruel.  Learn how to modify your cat’s behavior instead. Likewise, you can teach your cat to use his or her claws in a non-destructive manner.

Clawing is a natural and necessary thing for a cat to do. Cats need their claws for several reasons:

  • Grooming is necessary to maintain health and cleanliness.
  • Scratching and licking prevent the fur from tangling, removes dead skin and hair, and helps to waterproof their coat.
  • Because cats require a lot of sleep, it is also necessary for them to stretch and exercise their muscles.
  • Cats also need to scratch to help shed away the dead outer husk layer of the nail to expose the healthy nail underneath.
  • Scratch marks are visual and olfactory territorial markers. The act of scratching deposits the cat’s scent from glands in their feet.
  • Most importantly, a cat uses its claws to protect itself.

Cat Declawing Surgery

As I mentioned earlier, the surgery requires the amputation of the entire last joint of the toe.  For a human, declawing a cat is equivalent to having the tips of the fingers cut off at the first joint below the fingernail. The amputation could be performed in one of two ways:

  1. Using a guillotine-type nail trimmer which cuts the joint between the last two bones of the toe;
  2. Using a scalpel blade to dissect between the two bones.

Reasons Why You Should Never Declaw Your Cat

The wounds on each toe are then filled will surgical glue and held closed for several seconds to promote bonding. Several layers of bandages are applied while the cat recovers from anesthesia. The bandages are removed before the cat goes home.  Unfortunately, several toes usually need to be cleaned and re-glued which is extremely painful to the cat who is no longer under anesthesia.

Declawing a cat amputates the entire last joint of the toe. That's like having the tips of your fingers cut off at the first joint. Share on X

Another method used for declawing a cat is laser surgery, in which a small, intense beam of light cuts through tissue by heating and vaporizing it. However, it’s still the amputation of the last toe bone of the cat and carries with it the same long-term risks of lameness and behavioral problems as does declawing with scalpels or clippers.

Reasons why you should never declaw your cat

Post Surgery Recovery

Following the surgery, the cat will experience pain for several days and often exhibit elevated blood pressure, an increased pulse rate, fever, and limping as evidence that pain exists. Complications such as bleeding, swelling, and infection may also occur.

The cat goes will have trouble walking for a few days, and the caregiver must use a special litter made out of recycled newspaper to avoid infection. The surgery is considered to be moderate to severely painful. One vet described:

“cats bouncing off the walls of the recovery cage because of excruciating pain. Cats that are more stoic huddle in the corner of the recovery cage, immobilized in a state of helplessness, presumably by the overwhelming pain” (Dodman).

There is also speculation that behavioral problems may arise in cats that undergo declaw surgery such as biting and personality changes. Because the cat no longer has its claws for protection, he or she may overcompensate for the loss by biting. The cat may also become withdrawn or stressed due to the loss of its claws. The stress could be caused by many things including the inability to simply jump onto an object, like a chair or couch or bed, and hold on with its claws. Even the joy of playing will be altered because the cat will no longer be able to grasp string or other toys with its claws.

Yet More Reasons Why You Should Never Declaw Your Cat

If putting your loving cat through the anguish is not enough to change your mind about declawing your cat, there are significant medical reasons why you should never declaw your cat.

  • An onychectomy is a major surgery. There is a risk involved with subjecting a cat to the physical stress of anesthesia and the strain of surgery.
  • There is also a risk that substandard surgical techniques can result in shattered bones, hemorrhaging, and regrowth of the nail in a deformed manner that is hard to treat later.
  • X-rays of the bone structure of the cat’s legs before and after declawing show a marked difference that’s caused by his having to balance himself unnaturally.  Without the nails, physical stress is placed on the legs, where it wasn’t intended to be.
  • From an emotional standpoint, the added long-term stress and frustration can cause chronic cystitis (bladder infection) or skin disorders.
  • If a cat experiences any or several of these side effects, the additional veterinary costs, in addition to the initial surgery, will well exceed any monetary loss due to damage to the home.

Reasons Why You Should Never Declaw Your Cat

Alternatives to Declawing your Cat

There is another procedure you may hear mentioned called a flexor tenectomy. In the flexor tenectomy surgery, the tendon that enables a cat to extend its claws is severed. The cat is then prevented from extending its claws, which dramatically decreases the amount of damage the cat can inflict, as long as the owner keeps the cat’s claws trimmed.  However, similar to the declaw surgery, the tendon surgery can have serious side-effects from the incidence of bleeding, lameness, and infection.

Some owners will STILL argue that there are valid reasons to have a cat declawed.  Perhaps the person should decide against owning a cat at all.  If such a person still wants a feline companion, they should consider adopting an already declawed cat. If they already own a cat with claws, they should consider placing their cat up for adoption in exchange for one without claws. There is no good reason to declaw a cat, other than rare medical conditions involving problems with a cat’s claws that require such treatment.

What You Can Do Instead of Opting For Surgery

Is your cat scratching up your furniture?  Do some research into how to modify the cat’s behavior.  Here are a few things that you can try:

  • Keep his claws trimmed to minimize damage to household items.
  • Provide stable scratching posts and boards around your home. Offer different materials like carpet, sisal, wood, and cardboard, as well as different styles (vertical and horizontal). Use toys and catnip to entice your cat to use the posts and boards.
  • Ask your veterinarian about soft plastic caps (like Soft Paws®) that are glued to the cat’s nails. They need to be replaced about every six weeks.
  • Attach a special tape (like Sticky Paws®) to furniture to deter your cat from unwanted scratching.

Reasons Why You Should Never Declaw Your Cat

There is a lot of information on the Internet these days that can guide you with modifying your cat’s behavior.   If you have been thinking of declawing your cat, I hope that these reasons why you should never declaw your cat has made an impression on you.  Here’s to your success and to your cat’s peace of mind as well.

Thank you for reading.

Reasons Why You Should Never Declaw Your Cat

SOURCES: HumaneSociety.org & Paw-Rescue.org

Reasons Why You Should NEVER Declaw Your Cat. Share on X

DID YOU KNOW?  

Declawing is an unnecessary surgery, which provides no medical benefit to the cat. Yet 31% of all cat owners in the U.S. have their cats declawed.  Please don’t subject your cat to this unnecessary and cruel procedure.

*** Please leave a comment below. ***

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Jeanne Melanson, Founder of Animal Bliss, a very cool blog about animals - wildlife and domestic too - https://www.animalbliss.com

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19 thoughts on “Reasons Why You Should NEVER Declaw Your Cat – Inhumane”

  1. Hi Jeanne,
    I am first time reading your blogs and really feel good to read your interesting blogs. After reading these blogs I realize that You also love all the animals like me. And the topic you have shared about the declawing cat is so informative. People often do that declawing of their cat for their own safety but its not a good cat’s health. After decalw they have faced so many problem in their life.
    Thanks for sharing…..Please keep posting such informative post.

    Reply
  2. Thanks for sharing this Jeanne. I never knew what they actually did to declaw a kitty. Now that I know, I don’t think I’d ever do it. Passing this along.

    Reply
    • You’re welcome, Brenda. A lot of people don’t realize what’s involved. Can you imagine? It must be so painful for them. I’m lucky. I’ve had cats all my life and I’ve never had a ruined piece of furniture. Thank you for visiting, and for your comment too.

      Reply
    • Aww, it must have been awful to see those cats that had been declawed, Lauren. I can imagine it would be the worst thing ever. I wonder if that vet clinic still does this procedure? I hope not. Thanks for leaving your comment. You know I appreciate it. 🙂

      Reply
  3. I don’t understand why so much fuss is made about declawing cats but so little about cropping dogs ears and tails for only cosmetic reasons.

    Reply
  4. I did not know the extend of this.. I used to have cats but I never de clawed them… It’s really like cutting fingers off?? I though it was just like finger nails.. I guess not.. Mine never used to scratch at the furniture too much.. surely it takes away their hunting abilities?

    William

    Reply
  5. Thank you for sharing this Jeanne and I never knew that these things went on these days. If a cat was meant to have no claws he would have been made that way. It is a very interesting read.

    Reply
  6. I just want to say thank you for this post. As an ex-vet tech, I know just how horrible this is for cats. Thankfully, none of the vets I worked for would do this as they thought it was cruel as well. It’s entirely unnecessary and my personal opinion is if you don’t want to deal with the claws, don’t get a cat.

    Reply
  7. Hi Jeanne,

    My goodness, what a horrible thing to do to a cat. Long ago, I had taken in a cat that was de-clawed. That poor thing would get stuck in high places all the time because he managed to climb up, but couldn’t get down.
    Yes, claws are necessary for a cat and I cannot for the life of me understand why a cat owner would do this horrible experience. I had other cats in my life, and when the were “clawing” in an inappropriate manner, I would lightly pinch their paws and say no. They caught on.
    Sure glad you included those pictures in here Jeanne to teach others what exactly goes on.
    -Donna

    Reply
  8. Oh goodness. I am an animal lover and a long time supporter of the ASPCA and PETA. So, things like this make me so sad but I am so happy to see someone EDUCATING the public. It is sorely needed. I hear so many people talking about “declawing” their cats and I think wow, ok so nature’s most natural gift to these animals and because its an inconvenience to the “owner” you elect to forcibly remove them? Wow. The pictures, for me, are so graphic that they land the proverbial plane right where it needs to be. This article is a MUST SHARE FOR ME! Thank you Jeanne.

    Reply
  9. Jeanne,

    You have truly educated me on why a cat should not be declawed. I do not have a cat but if and when I do, I definitely will not put them through this inhumane treatment. I now understand why cats need their claws and the proper procedures to actually declaw a cat the right way.

    That last picture of the kitten with blue eyes is enough to make anyone feel sorry for declawing a cat the wrong way. Thank you for sharing.

    Reply

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