Declawingonychectomy (plural onychectomies) (medicine) The surgical removal of a fingernail or toenail.https://en.wiktionary.org › wiki › onychectomy
Why is declawing bad? Declawing can cause paw pain, back pain, infection, tissue necrosis (tissue death) and lameness. Removing claws changes the way a cat's foot meets the ground and can cause pain like wearing an uncomfortable pair of shoes. Improperly removed claws can regrow, causing nerve damage and bone spurs.
Feline declawing is an ethically controversial procedure. Declawing is NOT a medically necessary procedure for cats in most instances. Scratching is a normal feline behavior--both inherited and learned. Cat owners should be educated on feline scratching behaviors.
Although declawing used to be more common in North America, it has less popular acceptance, and has been banned in New York in 2019 and Maryland in 2022 and is more widely considered to be an act of animal cruelty.
Declawing can cause infection, abnormal claw growth within the toe, inflammation, arthritis or behavioral changes such as increased aggression, biting, emotional trauma or litterbox avoidance issues.
Issues such as nerve pain or phantom pain can persist for years, sometimes for their whole life. Also, cats often change the way they walk, which can result in back pain. Declawed cats may also stop using the litter box because of irritation and pain that comes from stepping on regular litter.
That's what a cat feels after being declawed. “Sensory and motor nerves in the cat's paw are cut, damaged, and destroyed. Recovery from the surgery is a slow and a painful process. The pain from declawing is life-long and normal cat behaviors are forever gone.
Much like cropping a dog's ears, declawing a cat is illegal in the UK - as well as in much of Europe, Brazil, Australia, and New Zealand.
Cats that have been declawed often suffer from prolonged, long-term anxiety, stress, depression, are more fear, have no ability to protect themselves, and sometimes are more prone to biting if scared, as their first line of defense–their claws–have been removed.
The AVMA discourages the declawing (onychectomy) of cats as an elective procedure and supports non-surgical alternatives to the procedure. The AVMA respects the veterinarian's right to use professional judgment when deciding how to best protect their individual patients' health and welfare.
They found that inappropriate toileting, biting, aggression and overgrooming occurred significantly more often in the declawed cats than the non-declawed cats (roughly 7, 4, 3 and 3 times more often, respectively, based on the calculated odds ratio).
Applying nail caps — Nail caps, such as Soft Paws, can be applied to your cat's nails as a protective shield. While they need to be replaced every couple of months, depending on how quickly your cat's nails grow, they are an excellent alternative to declawing.
It seems that 25%–43% of all cats in American homes are declawed. The reason for this high number is that many veterinarians actively market and recommend the procedure without disclosing the details of the procedure to their clients with cats. Others perform declawing unquestioningly.
Many people report that they are happier with their cats after declawing, because it makes the cats "better pets." Unfortunately, many people have also discovered -- too late -- that declawing frequently causes far worse problems than it solves.
The most common reason to declaw a cat is to keep him from being destructive (scratching furniture, woodwork, doors, etc.), After finding a guilty cat sitting in front of shredded furniture, carpet, or drapes a few times, some pet owners might be tempted by this solution.
Unlike most mammals that walk on their heels and soles, cats walk on their toes; therefore, when a cat is declawed, its gait changes entirely and it can create intense discomfort and arthritis.
Laser declawing is considered by some in the veterinary community to be the most humane method for declawing. Reasons cited for this are that the toes undergo less trauma with laser, nerve endings are “sealed” off leading to less pain, and less bleeding occurs.
The practice of declawing has fallen out of favor in recent decades, and is even discouraged by the American Veterinary Medical Association, but many pet owners still contemplate the practice.
Declawing is best done when the cat is under 6 months of age. Young, immature cats declawed at less than 6 months of age heal fastest, experience the least pain, and have the lowest risk of complications.
No cat is too old to be declawed. However, the younger the cat is when surgery is performed, the faster the recovery. 8-16 week old kittens are often running all over the house the very next day after surgery.
Does declawing a cat affect its personality? Numerous studies that have researched a potential correlation between cat declawing and personality changes strongly indicate that none exists.
Another pro is that declawing cats may mean fewer cats end up in shelters. However, the cons of declawing far outweigh the benefits in most cases. Declawing cats removes their natural ability to climb, jump, fight, and ultimately, protect themselves.
While kitties cannot be made to stop scratching, as it comes naturally to them, they can be directed into scratching the appropriate places. Make sure you are well stocked with scratching posts where your little one can scratch to his heart's content.
Declawing is a painful, risk-filled procedure that is done only for the convenience of humans. There are only extremely rare instances, when claws are affected by a medical condition, that declawing cats can be considered anything but inhumane.
But declawing is the amputation of toes, removal of which can lead to long-term pain and behavioural changes suggestive of reduced welfare. In many countries, it is considered unethical to declaw cats for anything other than a medical condition such as infection or cancer.