Mutilation

by Pamela Sosnowski

Created on: December 29, 2009   Last Updated: January 19, 2010

Imagine what life would be like for you if your entire fingertips, right up to the first joint, were amputated. Grasping objects, such as the wheel of a car, would be very difficult. So would texting, typing, and using a computer. It would also be a challenge to write effectively with a pen. Your fingers would also be extremely sensitive to the touch for a very long time - perhaps even permanently.

If this were done to a human, it would most certainly be considered mutilation; however, when the same thing is done to a cat it's called maintenance, or declawing. Unfortunately, many people believe that having a cat declawed means that their nails are simply removed. In reality, it is a complicated medical procedure that requires an amputation of each toe up to the first joint (also known as deknuckling) - the equivalent in humans would be having the first inch of each finger removed. It is a cruel and painful procedure performed only for the owner’s convenience that has disastrous implications for the cat. Several countries consider the surgery inhumane. The United States is one of the few countries that still performs the procedure; it is illegal and has been banned in several European countries, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan (in 2003, however, declawing was declared illegal in West Hollywood, California, making it the first American precinct to denounce the practice.) Many American veterinarians are dead against it and will discourage owners from doing it. The Association of Veterinarians for Animal Rights states that declawing is "unacceptable because the suffering and disfigurement it causes is not offset by any benefits to the cat. Declawing is done strictly to provide convenience to people." Any cat owner considering declawing should not even own a cat in the first place. To have a cat’s claws removed is blatant mutilation, and scars them not just physically, but psychologically.

According to PETA, a declawing operation requires the removal of nail, bone, and cartilage up to the first joint of each toe. Tendons are severed, and normal function of the paws are disabled. The surgery can cause gangrene, permanent nerve damage and pain, and scar tissue formation. Cats that have been declawed have a hard time relearning to walk and balancing themselves after surgery; think of how difficult it would be for you to walk if you had all of your toes amputated. As a result, they often develop weakened leg, shoulder, and back muscles, and are reluctant to walk. If that isn't mutilation, then I don't know what is. And the damage done from a declawing procedure goes far beyond what you can see outside of the cat.

The act of scratching is part of a cat’s biological makeup; it’s in their nature to scratch just as it is for a horse to run and kick up its heels. They scratch not only for the pure enjoyment of sharpening and stretching their claws, but to mark territory. All cats - whether domesticated or in the wild - scratch. Declawing makes this inherent feline behavior impossible. How would you feel if someone made it physically impossible for you to enjoy your passion, whatever that may be, or removed your sex drive? This is what it is like for a cat that no longer has their claws.

It’s understandable, then, that declawed cats are more likely to suffer from several behavioral problems. A 2001 study in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association (JAVMA) found that 33% of the declawed cats that they examined were suffering from at least one behavioral problem, and 80% had one or more medical problems. They can become depressed, withdrawn, fearful, or aggressive. They may also urinate or defecate outside of their litter box, simply because they can no longer scratch or dig holes in the litter, since it’s usually painful for their paws to come into contact with it. Sadly, declawed cats are more likely to end up in shelters - a victim of their owner’s ignorance and laziness to train them where to scratch in the first place. They are also euthanized more often than non-declawed cats.

Having a cat declawed because you believe it will make them safer around children is a weak argument and a huge misconception. A cat without claws can actually become more aggressive and will resort to biting for self defense,since their paws have been rendered useless. Cat owners need to take responsibility to teach children to treat pets with respect and love, so that they’ll be less likely to scratch a human.  

There are so many humane alternatives to declawing. First, know that if you plan on getting a cat that they love to scratch, and they will scratch whatever they can get their claws on - unless you provide them with their own piece of scratch safe furniture, such as a post, scratching pad, or a kitty condo. It’s quite easy to train them to use their own furniture, and not yours, for scratching. Rub catnip on their scratching area, and give plenty of praise to your cat when they use it. Keep a few toys in this area to make this a fun place for your cat. A great technique for encouraging them to use a scratching pole or cat furniture is to buy a "bird" toy made of feathers or another cat enticing material on a stick (you can find them in any pet store) and making the object flit about the scratching pole or furniture.

Likewise, you can easily discourage them from clawing your furniture with a few techniques, as long as you don’t scare or physically harm the cat. A small squirt of water with a sharp “No!” should work, followed by showing them their scratching area and giving them plenty of praise and attention when they use it. PETA also sells a double-sided tape that can be placed on any area where you don’t want your kitty to scratch. Lastly, regularly keeping your cat’s claws trimmed (taking care not to cut into the “quick”, where the veins and nerves are located) can minimize the damage done to anything they scratch.

Cats are intelligent creatures and learn very quickly, so as a responsible pet owner there’s no excuse for declawing. I look forward to the day where it becomes illegal throughout all of the United States.

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