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Sarah Ledbetter

Animal Science II Honors

Sarah Smith

12 September 2018

Cat Declawing

​What is declawing? Cat declawing, or onychectomy, is the amputation of the last digital

bone, the third phalanx, nail bed and claw, on each front toe. If the surgery is performed

correctly and the entire nail bed is removed, the claw cannot regrow. The surgery involves the

risk of anesthesia, excessive bleeding and postoperative complications, including infection, and

is accompanied by pain that may last from several days or much longer unless appropriate pain

control is provided. Cats' claws are vital for both offense and defense. Examples being: capturing

prey, escaping predators, territorial marking, and relieving stress. Since they are an important

aspect of a cat then why remove them and is it ethically moral?

A main reason they owners declaw their cats is because it is a quick fix for unwanted

scratching or to prevent from damaging their property/belongings , and around 20-25% of

household cats are declawed. It is beneficial for owners because there is no longer the

maintenance of trimming claw or worry of furniture being damaged. However, some owners do

not realize that declawing can cause lasting physical problems.

Throughout the years the ethics behind this procedure has been debated by both animal

lovers and human societies. A reason for this is because If done on humans it is the equivalent to

amputating the fingers at the third knuckle, thus raising questions on the benefits. There are no

real benefits for the animal and if done incorrectly can lead to several health problems like :
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Back and joint problems, personality changes, litter box usage, not being able to go outside,

being more prone to biting, nerve damage, and in rare cases re-growth of deformed claws in the

pad. Some cat owners argue against declawing is because they feel the remove of the claws will

affect the natural grace of the cat. Also, many countries have banned declawing and several

organizations have been formed in America to oppose declawing. There are some medical

reasons why declawing is needed if the claw is too damaged or if a tumor is present, or if the cat

is around people have suppressed immune systems and cannot withstand bacteria found on cat’s

claws.

Alternatives procedures to declawing are to use synthetic caps that cover the cats claws,

but they are not permanent. Using double sided tape on furniture to deter scratching on those

areas, offer adequate areas or scratching posts, and simply being up to date with trimming cat's

nails. There is a tenectomy that has shorter hospitalization, less pain, and the elimination of the

need for postoperative bandaging. This procedure removes five to10mm sections of the DDFT (

deep digital flexor tendon) of each digit, resulting in the cat’s inability to protrude the claw,

however the claws can still grow and can cause harm to the cat. Scratching is a normal feline

behavior and owners should be educated on feline scratching behavior and be provided

behavioral recommendations by Veterinarians that allow cats to express these behaviors and

reduce those undesirable to the client.

Declawing will continue to be an ethically controversial topic and there are alternatives

available. What is important is that owners understand what it is and how it will benefit for harm

their cat. However, at the end of the day is up to the owners, and before any medical procedure

it is important to understand the risks along with any benefits.

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Save or download as PDF to submit

SOURCES ​https://www.catvets.com/guidelines/position-statements/declawing
http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/cats/tips/declawing.html
https://www.aspca.org/about-us/aspca-policy-and-position-statements/position-statement-decla
wing-cats
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2275335/
https://www.avma.org/KB/Resources/LiteratureReviews/Documents/declawing_bgnd.pdf