Should declawing cats be against the law? Photo: Muffet/Flickr
Declawing cats can lead to chronic paw pain and other problems down the road, Louise Murray, the director of medicine at the ASPCA Bergh Memorial Animal Hospital told Paw Nation. "Many veterinarians feel that cats who have been declawed become more aggressive. This may be due to a feeling of being defenseless, or may be due to chronic pain," Murray says. "These cats tend to bite when afraid or stressed."
So you'd think that animal rights groups would all be jumping for joy that, as the San Francisco Chronicle reports, San Fran is considering a ban on onychectomy (declawing) and tendonectomy (removal of the flexor tendon). Not quite.
The law under consideration would would ban the surgery unless it was deemed medically necessary, the Chronicle reports. But the issue is more complicated than it sounds, says the San Francisco Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. The SF/SPCA has released a statement explaining why they're opposed to the declawing ban.
"We strongly advocate against the procedure, particularly when done solely for the convenience of the cat guardian," the SF/SPCA statement explains. It goes on to point out that "scratching is a natural feline behavior" and that with a little time and effort, cats can definitely be trained to sharpen their fingernails on scratching posts instead of your leather couch.
Nevertheless, the SF/SPCA is opposed to the ban on feline declawing, according to its position statement. While the group don't endorse the procedure, it fears that without the declawing option, frustrated pet owners might give up their scratchy cats. "Our mission is to save animals' lives and we understand that, in some instances, this procedure may be the only way to prevent abandonment, relinquishment, or euthanasia," the statement says.
Not all animal rights groups agree. "It comes down to animal cruelty and mutilating an animal for the convenience of its guardian," Sally Stephens, president of the Animal Welfare Commission, told the San Francisco Chronicle.
Other communities have already put the kibosh on declawing. The procedure is banned in about 25 countries, including the United Kingdom, according to the Chronicle. Will the City by the Bay be next? Could a nationwide ban one day follow? Stay tuned.
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I have 3 kitties and none are declawed and they DO NOT claw my furniture because I have given them several scratching posts. If you can not afford to buy one they are very easy to make I have made a few of mine. I think that declawing in CRUEL would you want the tips of you're fingers and toes cut off I doubt it so why do it to you're babies and if they are not you're babies you probably should not own them.
I have one cat. I had plenty of scratching posts and things for her to scratch. She would use them WHEN I WAS HOME...but when I went to work she would shred the back of the couch. I put sticky tape and did everything the vet told me to do but to no avail. I had her spayed and they did a laser declaw...no removal of the fingers and toes...they just laser the nail bed so they don't grow back. She was fine...no pain...no blood...and I got to save my couch. She was only 6 mos. old at the time, so she has grown up without her front claws, and I don't think she misses them.
Lisa you are wrong, whether by scalpel or laser declawing is the amputation of the final joint of the toe, there is no other way of removing the claws because they grow from this bone. Yes less blood with laser but not less pain, post op or risk of long term or age related complications. Your cat has had to grow used to having no toe ends, just as any other amputee grows used to disablement. This is why ban on declawing should be brought in, to stop people who value furniture above the well being of living creatures from mutilating animals .
Barbara is totally correct about laser declaw Lisa. Your cat would have felt much pain, agony even. It's testament to your lack of knowledge about cat behaviour that you weren't able to spot the signs of her misery. Don't worry, you are in great company, plenty of vets, including the barbarian who sold you the declaw and spay on the same day procedure are clueless about pain expression in cats.
Veterinary science has been very slow to take on board the findings of Behavioural Science - which has proven beyond doubt that cats feel as much pain as humans or any other mammal does.
They just express it differently.
Lisa, did you know that many pharmaceutical companies test our their new veterinary anaesthetics on cats undergoing the declaw procedure? No? They do, because the procedure is known to be SO AGONISING that the cat feels pain even when knocked out cold. Frequently cats try and pull away their torniqueted paws away from the scalpel or your beloved laser, they cry out in pain too.
Rarely do vets or techs tell the truth about declawing, because it would deprive them of a huge income. The AVMA policy on declawing states that it should be a last resort procedure for serious scratching behaviour used only AFTER all behavioural approaches have been tried and failed. Any vet who declaws a kitten is breaking the rules of the AVMA. The vet who declaws kittens is happy to break the rules of their governing body - are you happy to use a vet who has no integrity? The AVMA is pretty gutless as they don't police their policies, so vets happily carry on chopping off feline toes, lying about the seriousness of the surgery and filling their fat wallets with your dollars.
It's suckers who believe the lies of declawing vets who keep the practice alive. Wake up people, research declawing. Learn how to train your cats instead of mutilating them
Cats are not toys, they are not objects, they are living, feeling, beautiful, trusting animals who deserve a better deal from the self proclaimed best country in the world.
I live in the UK where all of our cats have claws because declawing is illegal.
Cats dont' get given up to shelters because they exhibit the natural behaviour of scratching - why? because we train 'em to scratch posts or they can be inside/outside as they please and scratch trees.
Our A&E departments in hospitals are not filled to the brim with elderly, children or immunocompromised people covered in cat scratches either - why? because we know that cats must be handled gently and with respect. It is cat bites that cause infection, rarely scratches - ironically it is declawed cats who will bite more due to pain and the fact that they have no frontline of defence.
We do not throw out our cats because of some stupid myth that cats indoors don't need claws - cats need claws for pretty much all of their movement.
San Francisco is at the head of a humane movement to get this outdated barbaric, abusive mutilation rightly banned. I hope the bill gets through. The rest of America needs to get a grip and ban declawing. One day soon it will be banned.
Until then, all we can do is educate those who believe the tripe that money grabbing vets and hard hearted vet techs feed them about declawing.
Cats need their claws!
Lisa,
Laser declawing is just as cruel and brutal as any declaw surgery. It is the amputation of the last joint on each toe. It is a potentially crippling surgery no matter how it is done. It sounds like your veterinarian "snookered you" so you would have the procedure done. If your vet had mentioned amputation of a joint, you may have been able to make a more informed decision
Those who really love their cats would never consider subjecting them to this inhumane and barbaric surgery. We do hope that San Francisco will follow West Hollywood's ban and quickly too. It is high time that the United States joins the over 38 countries around the world that already have a ban in place as it is considered cruelty to animals.
Cats need their claws and we need to make sure that they keep them. After all if cats were not meant to have claws, they certainly would not have them.
I totally agree declawing is very painful on your loved kitty. But there are other reasons to have the surgery done and not for scratching furniture. Take my incident.. My Turkish Van has been the only cat in my life for 7 years. My daughter moved in with her pure bred. My cat accepted her cat after a few months now they play together. I live in a second floor apt. and the roof is out side my bed room window. A stray cat comes around every so often when my baby is in the window even with the glass down. The stray and my baby get in it and the grawling and hissing is aweful. My cat was so angry she turned on me which sent me to my doctor three times, emergency room two times and a surgeon two times. ^ weeks later the same incident but this time my cat on my bed which is againt the window. I move a slight bit to get away so she would not claw me again and when I moved she attacked me in the face and head. Another trip to the emergency room and one to the doctor to have the staples removed.
I never would have her declawed but now I am afraid for the grandchildren. The damage she did on me would tear a three year old and 1 year old to shreds then she would be put down. I love her so much but this can not continue to go on.
So now I am torn between what to do . Have her declawed or what.
Declawing is very cruel and very painful for the cat.
I had another cat years ago and she was violent with the claws all the time. After stitches from her we had her declawed she then started biting and I did understand why. She did feel the pain. I could tell and I felt so bad about it. What if anything can I do?
Carole
I sat in on a declawing procedure one time and never will I declaw my cats. I have one who doesnt scratch on much but gets caught in the curtain and accidently shredded parts of them and my shades to my windows. But I wouldnt rather deal with that than knowingly harm my cat, rendering him defenseless
I've got four cats currently - and intact antique velvet furniture. I have always had intact furniture, and never declawed. I've been in rescue for over 20 years now, with hundreds of cats passing through my home, and never needed to declaw those either.
I would not want the people who stand to gain monetarily making the decision on laws about this. I would what the ethics and guidelines say, to be enforced on vets, which would make the practice illegal. Causing pain should not be part of any vet's work, and side-stepping all the cases vets and shelters have seen of the results going bad should count - it may not be scientific, but it's empirical, NOT anecdotal.
i will never ever do this to my cat! theres no need! no reason why! its cruel! ppl say they dont see anything wrong with it n that their cats r ok.... come on! we dont know what they feel! cats r supposed to have claws... ppl need to train their cats n teach em whats good n bad. i dont let my cat scratch my couch n hes a monster... not too long ago he jumped on one of our tables n broke it... what can i do? get rid of his legs??? DECLAWING IS CRUEL!!