Mik Laid
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- Posted: Fri, 04 Jul 2014 06:07:21 +0000
Declawing your cat or a big cat is the process of removing it's claws from it's paws, front or back, sometimes both. It's highly controversial and not many veterinarians practice it because it is a time-consuming procedure.
The actual procedure is the following with different techniques, but the same result.
"You have to remove the claw, and you have to remove the little piece of bone that the claw grows from. If you don’t, the claw will try to grow back.
The less you remove, the better, and that’s where the differences in techniques come in. The way cats are normally declawed, there’s an instrument with a sliding blade, almost like a guillotine, and it cuts a straight line through the joint between that little piece of bone and the next piece of bone, which is much bigger.
When you do that, right underneath that is the pad, and you actually cut that right in half too. So it’s like cutting the tip of your finger off."
I just wanted to bold that, so those of you who don't own cats or understand their anatomy that declawing a cat is not like cutting OUR fingernails. Our fingernails do not grow from the bone like cats do.
"They should call it 'de-toeing,' because that's really what it is — an amputation of the third phalanx," said Denver veterinarian Aubrey Lavizzo, who is leading the local PAW Project effort to make declawing illegal in Colorado.
Many people are against this practice saying it is wrong to remove the cat's claws because they were born that way and should remain that way. Others oppose it because they feel that it is for the owner's benefit and not the cat's, as in, it is scratching and being destructive. Others feel that the potential complications such as arthritis, joint stiffness, pain, post-surgical complications, litter box problems, biting and, even, death (always a small chance with any surgery) outweigh the benefits. Lameness is also a concern as a cat rests a lot of weight on it's pads and the claws in the pad support them. It's basically like removing a toe for them. An estimated 20 - 25% of the domestic cat population is declawed in the United States.
Reasons why some people choose to declaw their cats are: "to protect furniture or other property, they don't want to try to train the cat, their other cat is declawed,to stop the cat from scratching them,their friend's or neighbor's cat is declawed and they have always had declawed cats". There are good medical reasons why a cat should be declawed, such as "medically, sometimes you have to remove a claw if the claw is damaged beyond repair or if it has a tumor.
Sometimes it’s also trauma to the owners. There are people whose immune systems are suppressed or the elderly on blood thinners who can’t be exposed to the bacteria on a cat’s claws."
Personally, I would never choose to declaw any cat unless necessary. It is a not a routine medical surgery and if you can't deal with a cat's need to scratch or accommodate it in your home, then it shouldn't be the cat to pay for your poor choices. A cat being destructive, scratching you and so on, is no excuse to remove one of it's primary weapons. I believe this to be harmful for a cat if it were to end up on the streets. Without claws, it only has teeth and cats are fairly low on the food chain when not in our homes. I believe that most behavioral problems associated with scratching you or furniture could be solved by setting the cat on a play - feeding schedule. Unless it's medically necessary, we shouldn't remove it's claws.
Also, there are alternatives that are much more humane to the animal. One is to trim the cat's nails like you would a dogs. It's very easy to do and reduces the damage done. Another is cat nail caps, which at Pet Smart, is 15 bucks compared to $100 - $500 declawing procedures. The cat nail caps simply slip over the cat's nails, preventing them from scratching you. If you can't put them on, you could probably take it to a groomer or vet and have them put them on. Problem solved!
For larger cats, simply don't get in their cage. It's as plain as that. If you don't want a wild animal clawing your face and killing you, don't get in their cage.
So, EDers, what do you think? Would you declaw your cat? Why or why not?
Also, for those of you who donate to charities, if you feel this is wrong, here's a charity that repairs the paws of big cats who have been declawed. Just so you know~
The actual procedure is the following with different techniques, but the same result.
"You have to remove the claw, and you have to remove the little piece of bone that the claw grows from. If you don’t, the claw will try to grow back.
The less you remove, the better, and that’s where the differences in techniques come in. The way cats are normally declawed, there’s an instrument with a sliding blade, almost like a guillotine, and it cuts a straight line through the joint between that little piece of bone and the next piece of bone, which is much bigger.
When you do that, right underneath that is the pad, and you actually cut that right in half too. So it’s like cutting the tip of your finger off."
I just wanted to bold that, so those of you who don't own cats or understand their anatomy that declawing a cat is not like cutting OUR fingernails. Our fingernails do not grow from the bone like cats do.
"They should call it 'de-toeing,' because that's really what it is — an amputation of the third phalanx," said Denver veterinarian Aubrey Lavizzo, who is leading the local PAW Project effort to make declawing illegal in Colorado.
Many people are against this practice saying it is wrong to remove the cat's claws because they were born that way and should remain that way. Others oppose it because they feel that it is for the owner's benefit and not the cat's, as in, it is scratching and being destructive. Others feel that the potential complications such as arthritis, joint stiffness, pain, post-surgical complications, litter box problems, biting and, even, death (always a small chance with any surgery) outweigh the benefits. Lameness is also a concern as a cat rests a lot of weight on it's pads and the claws in the pad support them. It's basically like removing a toe for them. An estimated 20 - 25% of the domestic cat population is declawed in the United States.
Reasons why some people choose to declaw their cats are: "to protect furniture or other property, they don't want to try to train the cat, their other cat is declawed,to stop the cat from scratching them,their friend's or neighbor's cat is declawed and they have always had declawed cats". There are good medical reasons why a cat should be declawed, such as "medically, sometimes you have to remove a claw if the claw is damaged beyond repair or if it has a tumor.
Sometimes it’s also trauma to the owners. There are people whose immune systems are suppressed or the elderly on blood thinners who can’t be exposed to the bacteria on a cat’s claws."
Personally, I would never choose to declaw any cat unless necessary. It is a not a routine medical surgery and if you can't deal with a cat's need to scratch or accommodate it in your home, then it shouldn't be the cat to pay for your poor choices. A cat being destructive, scratching you and so on, is no excuse to remove one of it's primary weapons. I believe this to be harmful for a cat if it were to end up on the streets. Without claws, it only has teeth and cats are fairly low on the food chain when not in our homes. I believe that most behavioral problems associated with scratching you or furniture could be solved by setting the cat on a play - feeding schedule. Unless it's medically necessary, we shouldn't remove it's claws.
Also, there are alternatives that are much more humane to the animal. One is to trim the cat's nails like you would a dogs. It's very easy to do and reduces the damage done. Another is cat nail caps, which at Pet Smart, is 15 bucks compared to $100 - $500 declawing procedures. The cat nail caps simply slip over the cat's nails, preventing them from scratching you. If you can't put them on, you could probably take it to a groomer or vet and have them put them on. Problem solved!
For larger cats, simply don't get in their cage. It's as plain as that. If you don't want a wild animal clawing your face and killing you, don't get in their cage.
So, EDers, what do you think? Would you declaw your cat? Why or why not?
Also, for those of you who donate to charities, if you feel this is wrong, here's a charity that repairs the paws of big cats who have been declawed. Just so you know~
