Why Declawing Cats is Cruel and Unnecessary

What is declawing? Declawing is not just having your cat's claws trimmed, it involves having the claws surgically removed. At this point I will say that this procedure is illegal or deemed inhuman in several countries including England, Brazil, Finland, Wales, Germany, New Zealand and Australia.

In the United States there are more and more vets and cat organizations that are mounting protests that are against declawing on the grounds that it is unnecessary and inhumane.

There is no research showing that there are medical reasons for declawing a cat.

Cats and Their Claws

There are very good reasons why cats have claws. Claws provide protection, balance, and mobility.

Yes, cats do scratch. They scratch for exercise. They do this by hooking their claws in to a surface and pull against the resistance. This exercise helps to strengthen and give suppleness to joints and muscles.

They scratch to mark out their territory. A cat's feet are home to scent -glands and he uses them to show other cats what is his.

The Procedure

Cats' claws are close to the bone and to prevent any re-growth the first joint of all of the cats toes is amputated. Imagine having your fingers amputated to the first knuckle and then you will get the picture.

These is not a painless procedure, and remember cats walk on their 'fingers and toes'. Imagine how helpless they must feel.

The Future for a Cat After Declawing

The pain after declawing will be a short- term affair but what about other effects?

Declawing a cat can lead to physiological and behavioral problems.

One problem that can occur is the avoidance of the litter box. This would be because many litter box substrates can be painful to a cat with tender paws. A cat may try and avoid the litter box forever, as he will associate it with pain.

Remember we have already mentioned that cats use their claws for defense against other cat, dogs or even humans. They use their claws to 'warn'. Without this mechanism some cats will begin biting as a defense or warning and others may run away and loose their fight leaving them depressed.