Declawing, often presented as a simple solution to scratching, is actually a significant surgical procedure for cats and kittens. It involves the amputation of the last bone of each toe on a cat’s paw, comparable to cutting off a human finger at the last knuckle. Typically performed using a scalpel or guillotine clipper, the procedure requires stitches or surgical glue to close the wounds, followed by bandaging the paws. Laser surgery, another method, uses an intense beam of light to cut through tissue. However, both methods carry significant risks and can lead to long-term physical and behavioral problems for cats. Research published in the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery has shown a strong link between declawing and increased risks of back pain, avoidance of the litter box, and biting behaviors in cats.
Understanding cat paw anatomy and declawing amputation points.
Due to growing awareness of its detrimental effects, declawing is banned or considered unethical in many countries worldwide. In the United States, several states, including Maryland and New York, alongside the District of Columbia and numerous cities, have outlawed the practice. Leading animal welfare organizations like the Humane Society of the United States (now Humane World for Animals) and the Humane Veterinary Medical Association (HumaneVMA) strongly oppose declawing and tendonectomies, except in rare medical emergencies, such as the removal of cancerous nail bed tumors.
Download a comprehensive fact sheet about declawing to learn more and understand the implications of this procedure.
Tendonectomy: An Ineffective and Problematic Alternative
Tendonectomy is sometimes proposed as a less severe alternative to declawing. This procedure involves severing the tendon that controls the claw in each toe. While cats undergoing tendonectomy retain their claws, they lose the ability to control and retract them for scratching. This often results in abnormally thick claw growth, necessitating more frequent and challenging nail trims to prevent overgrowth. Overgrown claws can become snagged on carpets, furniture, and even people, or painfully grow into the cat’s paw pads.
Furthermore, tendonectomy is not a solution and often leads to further complications. Cats who have undergone tendonectomy may still require declawing later to manage the complications arising from the procedure. Despite not being an amputation, a study from 1998 in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association revealed that tendonectomy carries similar risks of bleeding, lameness, and infection as declawing itself, highlighting its ineffectiveness as a humane alternative.
The Negative Impacts of Declawing on Cat Health and Behavior
Declawing is not a minor cosmetic procedure; it is a painful amputation with significant potential for both short-term and long-term health issues. Cats can experience chronic paw pain, back pain, infection, tissue necrosis (tissue death), and lameness as a result of declawing. The removal of claws fundamentally alters how a cat’s paws contact the ground, leading to discomfort akin to wearing ill-fitting shoes constantly. Incomplete claw removal can result in claw regrowth, causing nerve damage and the development of painful bone spurs.
A veterinarian explains the declawing procedure to a concerned cat owner.
Post-operative care for declawed cats often involves using shredded newspaper instead of regular litter to prevent irritation to the surgical sites. However, this unfamiliar litter substitute, combined with pain when attempting to scratch in the litter box, can lead to litter box aversion. Cats may associate the litter box with pain and discomfort, resulting in them avoiding it altogether and urinating or defecating outside the box. Additionally, some declawed cats may develop biting behaviors as a defense mechanism, having lost their natural claws for protection and feeling more vulnerable.
Dr. Christine Schelling, a veterinarian and advocate against declawing, recounts a powerful experience from her veterinary student days: witnessing a cat in extreme pain, throwing himself against his cage walls following declawing surgery. This experience motivated her to launch declawing.com, an educational website dedicated to informing cat owners about the realities of this often misunderstood and harmful surgical procedure. Her commitment underscores the importance of understanding the true nature and consequences of Cat Declawing.
