Declawing is not without complication. The rate of complication is relatively high compared with other so-called routine procedures. Complications of this amputation can be excruciating pain, damage to the radial nerve, hemorrhage, bone chips that prevent healing, painful regrowth of deformed claw inside of the paw which is not visible to the eye, and chronic back and joint pain as shoulder, leg and back muscles weaken.
Other complications include postoperative hemorrhage, either immediate or following bandage removal is a fairly frequent occurrence, paw ischemia, lameness due to wound infection or footpad laceration, exposure necrosis of the second phalanx, and abscess associated with retention of portions of the third phalanx. Abscess due to regrowth must be treated by surgical removal of the remnant of the third phalanx and wound debridement. During amputation of the distal phalanx, the bone may shatter and cause what is called a sequestrum, which serves as a focus for infection, causing continuous drainage from the toe. This necessitates a second anesthesia and surgery. Abnormal growth of severed nerve ends can also occur, causing long-term, painful sensations in the toes. Infection will occasionally occur when all precautions have been taken.
"Declawing is actually an amputation of the last joint of your cat's "toes". When you envision that, it becomes clear why declawing is not a humane act. It is a painful surgery, with a painful recovery period. And remember that during the time of recuperation from the surgery your cat would still have to use its feet to walk, jump, and scratch in its litter box regardless of the pain it is experiencing." Christianne Schelling, DVM
"General anesthesia is used for this surgery, which always has a certain degree of risk of disability or death associated with it. Because declawing provides no medical benefits to cats, even slight risk can be considered unacceptable. In addition, the recovery from declawing can be painful and lengthy and may involve postoperative complications such as infections, hemorrhage, and nail regrowth. The latter may subject the cat to additional surgery." The Association of Veterinarians for Animal Rights (AVAR)
Two recent studies published in peer-reviewed veterinary journals ( Vet Surg 1994 Jul-Aug;23(4):274-80) concluded “Fifty percent of the cats had one or more complications immediately after surgery.... 19.8% developed complications after release.” Another study (J Am Vet Med Assoc 1998 Aug 1;213(3):370-3) comparing the complications of declawing with Tenectomy concluded “Owners should be aware of the high complication rate for both procedures." Many cats also suffer a loss of balance because they can no longer achieve a secure foothold on their amputated stumps.
Vet Surg 1994 Jul-Aug;23(4):274-80
Feline Onychectomy at a Teaching Institution: A Retrospective Study of 163 Cases.
Tobias KS
Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Washington State University, College of Veterinary Medicine, Pullman 99164-6610.
"One hundred sixty-three cats underwent onychectomy..... Fifty percent of the cats had one or more complications immediately after surgery. Early postoperative complications included pain..., hemorrhage...., lameness...., swelling...., or non-weight-bearing..... Follow-up was available in 121 cats; 19.8% developed complications after release.
Late postoperative complications included infection...., regrowth...., P2 protrusion...., palmagrade stance...., and prolonged, intermittent lameness....".
J Am Vet Med Assoc 1998 Aug 1;213(3):370-3
Comparison of Effects of Elective Tenectomy or Onychectomy in Cats.
Jankowski AJ, Brown DC, Duval J, Gregor TP, Strine LE, Ksiazek LM, Ott AH
Department of Clinical Studies, Veterinary Teaching Hospital,
School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania,
Philadelphia 19104, USA.
"Objective: To compare short- and long-term complications after Tenectomy of the deep digital flexor tendons or onychectomy.
Animals: 20 cats undergoing Tenectomy and 18 cats undergoing onychectomy.
Procedure: Cats undergoingTenectomy or onychectomy were monitored for a minimum of 5 months to enable comparison of type and frequency of complications.Type and frequency of complications did not differ between procedures.
Clinical Implications: Owners should be aware of the high complication rate for both procedures."
Psychological & Behavioral Complications [NOTE: This info is not only from studies done, but also from a mountain of empirical data which should not be overlooked - all I did was contact ten shelters in each state and they all said the same thing.....this cannot be ignored, and is why so many shelters refuse to let someone adopt a cat if they are to be declawed]
Some cats are so shocked by declawing that their personalities change. Cats who were lively and friendly have become withdrawn and introverted after being declawed. Others, deprived of their primary means of defense, become nervous, fearful, and/or aggressive, often resorting to their only remaining means of defense, their teeth. In some cases, when declawed cats use the litterbox after surgery, their feet are so tender they associate their new pain with the box...permanently, resulting in a life-long adversion to using the litter box. Other declawed cats that can no longer mark with their claws, they mark with urine instead resulting in inappropriate elimination problems, which in many cases, results in relinquishment of the cats to shelters and ultimately euthanasia. Many of the cats surrendered to shelters are surrendered because of behavioral problems which developed after the cats were declawed.
Many declawed cats become so traumatized by this painful mutilation that they end up spending their maladjusted lives perched on top of doors and refrigerators, out of reach of real and imaginary predators against whom they no longer have any adequate defense.
A cat relies on its claws as its primary means of defense. Removing the claws makes a cat feel defenseless. The constant state of stress caused by a feeling of defenselessness may make some declawed cats more prone to disease. Stress leads to a myriad of physical and psychological disorders including supression of the immune system, cystitis and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)..
"The consequences of declawing are often pathetic. Changes in behavior can occur. A declawed cat frequently resorts to biting when confronted with even minor threats. Biting becomes an overcompensation for the insecurity of having no claws. Bungled surgery can result in the regrowth of deformed claws or in an infection leading to gangrene. Balance is affected by the inability to grasp with their claws. Chronic physical ailments such as cystitis or skin disorders can be manifestations of a declawed cat's frustration and stress" David E. Hammett, DVM
Moral, Ethical and Humane Considerations
The veterinary justification for declawing is that the owner may otherwise dispose of the cat, perhaps cruelly. It is ethically inappropriate, in the long term, for veterinarians to submit to this form of moral blackmail from their clients. Some veterinarians have argued that some people would have their cats killed if declawing was not an option. We should not, however, allow ourselves to taken 'emotional hostage' like this. If a person really would kill her or his cat in this case, it is reasonable to question the suitability of that person as a feline guardian, especially when there are millions of non-declawed cats living in harmony with people." CFA
[NOTE: the fact is one in three cats are surrendered after declawing since they then show inappropriate elimination, aggression, etc - and the same owners who fight to declaw to give that cat a honme, are first in line at the she;lter to surrener the animal]
"The Association of Veterinarians for Animal Rights is opposed to cosmetic surgeries and to those performed to correct 'vices.' Declawing generally 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 for people. The Association of Veterinarians for Animal Rights (AVAR)
"CFA perceives the declawing of cats (onychectomy ) and the severing of digital tendons (tendonectomy) to be elective surgical procedures which are without benefit to the cat. Because of post operative discomfort or pain, and potential future behavioral or physical effects, CFA disapproves of declawing or tendonectomy surgery."
World Small Animal Veterinary Association
Section 10-Non-therapeutic Surgical Operations on Pet Animals
i) Surgical operations for the purpose of modifying the appearance of a pet animal for non-therapeutic purposes should be actively discouraged.
ii) Where possible legislation should be enacted to prohibit the performance of non-therapeutic surgical procedures for purely cosmetic purposes, in particular;
d. Declawing and defanging.
iii) Exceptions to these prohibitions should be permitted only if a veterinarian considers that the particular surgical procedure is necessary for veterinary medical reasons."
The Association of Veterinarians for Animal Rights (AVAR) position on declawing cats:
"A major concern that the AVAR has about declawing is the attitude that is evident in this situation. The cat is treated as if he or she is an inanimate object who can be modified, even to the point of surgical mutilation, to suit a person's perception of what a cat should be. It would seem more ethical and humane to accept that claws and scratching are inherent feline attributes, and to adjust one's life accordingly if a cat is desired as a companion. If this is unacceptable, then perhaps a different companion would be in order."
Dr. Nicholas Dodman, Professor of Behavioral Pharmacology and Director of the Behavior Clinic at Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine and internationally known specialist in domestic animal behavioral research, explains declawing:
"The inhumanity of the procedure is clearly demonstrated by the nature of cats' recovery from anesthesia following the surgery. Unlike routine recoveries, including recovery from neutering surgeries, which are fairly peaceful, declawing surgery results in cats bouncing off the walls of the recovery cage because of excruciating pain. Cats that are more stoic huddle in the corner of the recovery cage, immobilized in a state of helplessness, presumably by overwhelming pain. Declawing fits the dictionary definition of mutilation to a tee. Words such as deform, disfigure, disjoint, and dismember all apply to this surgery. Partial digital amputation is so horrible that it has been employed for torture of prisoners of war, and in veterinary medicine, the clinical procedure serves as model of severe pain for testing the efficacy of analgesic drugs. Even though analgesic drugs can be used postoperatively, they rarely are, and their effects are incomplete and transient anyway, so sooner or later the pain will emerge." (Excerpted fromThe Cat Who Cried For Help, Dodman N, Bantam Books, New York).
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In a survey of 276 cat owners, 34% reported post-surgical discomfort in their cats while 78% reported primarily tenderness.[ Landsberg GM. Cat owners' attitudes toward declawing. Anthrozoos 1991;4:192-197.] Recovery time took from three days to two weeks. One cat (0.4%) had difficulty walking even after four months and another developed a house-soiling issue. Increased biting strength or frequency was reported in 10 cats (4%) but overall, 96% of owners were satisfied with the surgery.
At one veterinary teaching hospital, between 50 and 80% of cats had one or more medical complications post-surgery. 19.8% developed complications after release. Lameness was noted for 1-42 days (1 cat was still painful 96 months—8 years—later).[ Tobias KS. Feline onychectomy at a teaching institution: a retrospective study of 163 cases. Vet Surg 1994; 23:274-280.]
Even among private practitioners, medical complications are common; in one survey, 34.8% of 320 veterinarian surveyed reported long-term complications. [Landsberg GM. Declawing is controversial but saves pets. A veterinarian survey. Vet Forum 1991;8:66-67]
A study of two different surgical techniques found that 16% of those who underwent joint amputation developed lameness while only 5% who underwent bone amputation did.[9] 22% of the first group and 16% of the second experienced reopened wound.
The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) policy statement on declawing states: "There is no scientific evidence that declawing leads to behavioral abnormalities when the behavior of declawed cats is compared with that of cats in control groups."[ AVMA position statement on the declawing of domestic cats - April 15, 2003]
The most recent and most long-term study found that 33% of declawed cats developed behavior problems after surgery. 18% of cats had an increase in biting habits or intensity of biting after being declawed. [Yeon SC, Flanders JA, Scarlett JM, et al. Attitudes of owners regarding tendonectomy and onychectomy in cats. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2001;218:43-47.]
In another study, 16% of declawed cats developed behavior problems, and more declawed (55%) than intact (45%) cats were referred to a vet teaching hospital for behavior problems. [Bennett M, Houpt KA, Erb HN. Effects of declawing on feline behavior. Comp Anim Pract. 1988;2:7-12]
Eleven cats (4%) developed or had worse behavior problems post-operatively. Despite positive attitude toward declawing, 5 clients reported that their cats had developed litterbox and biting problems.[ Landsberg GM. Cat owners' attitudes toward declawing. Anthrozoos. 1991;4:192-197.]
Behavior problems are a primary cause of cats being relinquished to shelters. In one study, when all factors were accounted for, overall odds of being relinquished to a shelter was almost double for declawed cats as intact cats (1.89 compared to 1.00). Inappropriate elimination was twice as common in declawed (52.4%) as intact cats (29.1%). [Patronek, GJ, Glickman LT, Beck AM, et al. Risk factors for relinquishment of cats to an animal shelter. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 1996;209:582–588]
__________________________________________________________________________________
Studies Pertaining to Feline Onychectomy
Gary Patronek 
United States
United StatesStudy | #Cats* | Relevant Outcomes | Description of Study, Sample and Major Findings |
Benson et al., 1991 | 18 | Post-operative plasma catecholamine levels | Randomized experiment. 24 cats were randomized to either no surgery, or onychectomy with intravenous morphine, xylazine, or salicylate. Onychectomy was associated with increased postoperative plasma catecholamines that were decreased by morphine and xylazine but not saline. |
Bennett, Houpt and Erb, 1988 | 25 | Reason for declawing, desirable and undesirable behaviors up to two years post surgery | Retrospective survey of a sample of 25 intact and 25 declawed cats in private practice and a medical record review of 24 cats from a behavior referral service in a teaching hospital. Similar proportions of intact and declawed cats were reported biting and house soiling. Reported that 1 (4%) cat began to defecate out of box and 3 (12%) began to bite after onychectomy. 60/217 (27.6%) private practice cats were simultaneously declawed. A larger proportion (55%) of cats in the referral population were declawed. |
Borchelt and Voith, 1987 | 252 | Aggressive behavior | Retrospective survey of 887 cat owners from private practices. Clients were asked to fill out a survey on the incidence of aggressive behaviors in their cats. Similar proportions (60/252, 23.8%) of declawed vs. (168/613, 27.4%) intact cats bit family members; 2.3% of each seriously enough for medical attention |
Carroll et al.,1998 | 63 | Pain, lameness appetite and personality, 24, 48, and 72 hrs post surgery | Randomized controlled trial in a teaching hospital, DVM student surgeons. Post-operative analgesia evaluated in 63 cats undergoing elective onychectomy. 42 received butorphanol postoperatively and orally for two days after surgery. Post-operative analgesia and recovery scores better in butorphanol treated group. Owner-reported appetite and lameness scores were better in the butorphanol treated group on day 1; no differences were observed in owner evaluations by day 2. |
Cambridge et al., 2000 | 6 | Pain, endorphins, vital signs up to 36 hrs post-surgery | Randomized controlled trial in a teaching hospital.Temperature, pulse, respiration, pain, plasma ß-endorphins, and cortisol were assessed in six cats admitted for elective onychectomy, six for elective tendonectomy and compared with six bandaged, non-surgical controls. Only visual analogue scores for pain and response to palpation scores differed significantly between control and surgical groups. |
Franks et al.,2000 | 45 | Recovery, vital signs, pain, and lameness, up to 40 hours post-onychectomy | Randomized controlled trial in a teaching hospital, DVM student surgeons. Cats undergoing elective onychectomy were randomly assigned to be treated with transdermal fentanyl patches or butorphanol. Cats treated with fentanyl patches had better recovery scores at two of four evaluation times, lower sedation scores at two of eight evaluation times, and lower pain scores at six of eight evaluation times. There were no differences in forelimb pressure between the groups, but there were differences between pre and postoperative values. |
*Number of declawed cats for which data was provided | |||
Jankowski et al., 1998 | 18 | Short and long term complications, owner satisfaction in tendonectomy vs. onychectomy | Prospective clinical study using teaching hospital and private practice clients. 13/18 of the elective onychectomies were performed by DVM student surgeons. 4/17 (24%) cats had short-term postoperative complications including, two hemorrhage, one infection, and one change in behavior. Mean and median days until walking normally were 6.3 and 7 days, respectively, range 1–21 days. One cat did not walk normally for 180 days. Sixteen (88.9%) owners were satisfied. |
Landsberg, 1991 | 276 | Owner satisfaction, short and long term complications | Retrospective written survey of private practice clients. 70% of cats were declawed between 0.5 and 12 months of age, and 69% at the time of neutering. 266 (96%) owners had a positive attitude towards declawing. Primary reason (86%) was household damage, and second (29%) was to reduce injuries to people. Owners reported that 94 (34%) cats had discomfort post-surgically, primarily tenderness (78%). 157/233 (67%) recovered fully within three days, and 96% within two weeks. Cats done > 1 yr had more post-surgical discomfort; 102/246 (41%) were still allowed outdoors. One (0.4%) cat had difficulty bearing weight for at least four months, and another (0.4%) developed a house soiling problem. Ten (4%) reported a possible increase in biting or harder biting, but these owners still remained positive about the surgery. |
Landsberg, 1991 | N/A | Veterinarians’ attitudes, estimated complications | Retrospective mail survey of veterinarians. 320/400 returned questionnaires. 196/250 (78.4%) did not advocate declawing and only did it on request. 104/221(47%) veterinarians' recollections indicated no problems (ie no actual data), 55 (24.9%) reported nail regrowth, and 22 (9.9%) reported additional long term problems. Out of an estimated total of 120,000 cats declawed, this was extrapolated to a complication rate of 1/6,000 cats. |
Levy et al.,1999 (Abstract) | 20 | Bleeding, pain, healing, behavior, plasma cortisol, urine cortisol:creatinine ratios up to 24 hours after surgery | Clinical trial. 40 cats were assigned to either non-surgical control (20) or onychectomy via laser (10) or blade.(10) Complication rates, behavioral changes, plasma cortisol, and urine cortisol:creatinine ratios were evaluated up to 48 hours post-surgery. Complication rates were generally higher for the laser declaw group in the first two days, but were equivalent thereafter. Negative behavioral changes were more pronounced in the blade declaw group for two days, with less play and willingness to use their paws. Blood and urine cortisol were increased more in the blade declaw group for 24 hours. |
Lin et al.,1993 | 27 | Plasma catecholamine levels | Randomized experiment. 27 cats were randomly assigned to one of four anesthetic regimens involving a dissociative/tranquilizer combination plus either butorphanol or oxymorphone. Onychectomy performed on one forefoot without analgesics, and catecholamine levels were measured. Protocol was repeated the following week using the other forefoot, plus cats received either butorphanol or oxymorphone. Addition of butorphanol decreased norepinephrine levels immediately after surgery; oxymorphone resulted in lower epinephrine values four hours after surgery. |
Martinez et al., 1993 | 167 | Complications seven days and six months post-surgery | Prospective clinical study in a teaching hospital, DVM student surgeons Two techniques for onychectomy and two adhesives for wound closure were compared. 167/252 (66%) cats returned for both one week and six-month clinician rechecks. Lameness occurred more frequently in cats with disarticulation amputation (14/87, 16%) than in cats with bony amputation (4/80, 5%), possibly due to greater soft tissue trauma. Dehiscence occurred in 22% and 12% of cats, respectively. Lameness resolved within six months. |
Morgan and Houpt, 1989 | 24 | Behavior problems and owner attitudes | Cross sectional internet survey, convenience sample of 60 owners; 24/ 122 (19.6%) cats were declawed. Complication rates after declawing were not reported. Declawed cats showed more jumping on tables (~75%) than intact cats (~53%) and more house soiling (~25%) than intact cats (~15%) but this latter difference was not significant. Twenty percent of all respondents reacted negatively to the question about declawing. |
Patronek et al., 1996 | 476 | Behavior problems, risk of relinquishment | Case-control study of owned and relinquished cats involving a random digit dial survey of cat owners.Prevalence of declawing was 45%(476/1056) in the owned cat population. In the univariate analysis, declawed cats were at decreased risk of relinquishment compared to non-declawed cats (OR=0.63; 95% CI 0.45-0.87). After adjustment in a multivariate model, declawed cats were at an increased risk of relinquishment (OR=1.89;1.00-3.58); this reversal made the effect of declawing difficult to interpret. Among 218 cats relinquished to a shelter, more (44/84; 52.4%) declawed cats than non-declawed cats (39/134; 29.1%) were reported by owners to have inappropriate elimination (p=0.022). |
Pollari and Bonnett, 1996 | 534 | Prevalence of complications of elective surgeries | Computer records of short-term complications (within three weeks) of all elective surgeries performed at five private practices over 5–13 months. 450/851 (52.9%) feline sterilizations had onychectomy performed at the same time. Recording of complications in the computerized records was inconsistent. |
Pollari et al.,1996 | 146 | Prevalence of complications of elective surgeries | Computerized abstracts of medical records and sub-sample of written medical records at a teaching hospital. 287/1313 (21.8%) of cats sterilized were simultaneously declawed. Complications detected for 2/146 (1.4%) cats that underwent elective onychectomy alone during prior eight yrs. Specific complications were not reported. |
Tobias, 1994 | 163 | Prevalence of post-operative complications, pain, behavior problems | Retrospective review of medical records at a teaching hospital, DVM student surgeons. 163 medical records of cats undergoing elective onychectomy reviewed for post-operative complications. Follow-up was by exam and phone. Early complication rate 82.5% for blade and 51.5% for shear onychectomy. 61 cats were painful 1-42 days post-operatively (median two days) and 43 cats showed lameness that persisted from 1-54 days. Long term follow up was done for 121/163 cats; one cat showed prolonged lameness (96 months). High complication rate attributed to student surgeons. |
Winkler et al., 1997 | 18 | Pain in the immediate post-operative period | Clinical trial in a teaching hospital, DVM student surgeons. 18 cats that underwent elective onychectomy were alternately assigned to treatment groups and evaluated blindly to determine if wound irrigation with bupivicaine decreased pain in immediate post-op period. Bupivicaine treated patients had higher pain scores than saline treated controls at two hrs but not three hours post-op. |
Yeon et al., 2001 | 39 | Recovery, short and long term complications, owner attitudes | Retrospective phone follow-up of teaching hospital clients, DVM student surgeons. 39/98 owners whose cats underwent elective onychectomy or tendonectomy were contacted two months to five years (median 11.5 months) after surgery. 17 (44%) of declawed cats returned to normal within three days, 35 (90%) within two weeks. 31 (80%) had more than one medical complication. 13 (33%) developed at least one behavior problem. 6(15.4%) would not use the litter box and 7 (17.9%) had an increase in biting habits or intensity. 34(87%) owners had a positive attitude and 2 (5.1%) had a negative attitude towards declawing. |
REFERENCES
1. Bennett M, Houpt KA, Erb HN. Effects of declawing on feline behavior. Comp Anim Pract 1988;2:7-12.
2. Benson GJ, Wheaton LG, Thurmon JC et al. Postoperative catecholamine response to onychectomy in isoflurane-anesthetized cats. Effect of analgesics. Vet Surg 1991;20:222-225.
3. Borchelt PL, Voith VL. Aggressive behavior in cats. Compend Contin Educ Pract Vet 1987;9:49-57.
4. Cambridge AJ, Tobias KM, Newberry RC et al. Subjective and objective measurements of postoperative pain in cats. J Am Vet Med Assoc 2000;217:685-690.
5. Carroll GL, Howe LB, Slater MR, et al. Evaluation of analgesia provided by postoperative administration of butorphanol to cats undergoing onychectomy. J Am Vet Med Assoc 1998;213:246-250.
6. Franks JN, Boothe HW, Taylor L, et al. Evaluation of transdermal fentanyl patches for analgesia in cats undergoing onychectomy. J Am Vet Med Assoc 2000;217:1013-1020.
7. Jankowski AJ, Brown DC, Duval J, et al. Comparison of effects of elective tenectomy or onychectomy in cats. J Am Vet Med Assoc 1998;213:370-373.
8. Landsberg GM. Cat owners’ attitudes toward declawing. Anthrozoos 1991;4:192-197.
9. Landsberg GM. Declawing is controversial but saves pets. A veterinarian survey. Vet Forum 1991;8:66-67.
10. Levy J, Lapham B, Hardie E, et al. Evaluation of laser onychectomy in the cat. (Abstract) Proc 19th Annu Meet Soc Laser Med 1999;73.
11. Lin HC, Benson GJ, Thurmon JC, et al. Influence of anesthetic regimens on the perioperative catecholamine response associated with onychectomy in cats. Am J Vet Res 1993; 54:1721-1724.
12. Martinez SA, Hauptmann J, Walshaw R. Comparing two techniques for onychectomy in cats and two adhesives for wound closure. Vet Med 1993; 88:516-525.
13. Morgan M, Houpt KA. Feline behavior problems: the influence of declawing. Anthrozoos 1989;3:50-53.
14. Patronek, GJ, Glickman LT, Beck AM, et al. Risk factors for relinquishment of cats to an animal shelter. J Am Vet Med Assoc 1996;209:582–588.
15. Pollari FL, Bonnett BN. Evaluation of postoperative complications following elective surgeries of dogs and cats at private practices using computer records. Can Vet J 1996;37:672-678.
16. Pollari FL, Bonnett BN, Bamsey SC, et al. Postoperative complications of elective surgeries in dogs and cats determined by examining electronic and paper medical records. J Am Vet Med Assoc 1996;208:1882-1886.
17. Tobias KS. Feline onychectomy at a teaching institution: a retrospective study of 163 cases. Vet Surg 1994; 23:274-280.
18. Winkler KP, Greenfield CL, Benson GJ. The effect of wound irrigation with bupivicaine on postoperative analgesia of the feline onychectomy patient. J Am Anim Hosp Assoc 1997; 33:346-352.
19. Yeon SC, Flanders JA, Scarlett JM, et al. Attitudes of owners regarding tendonectomy and onychectomy in cats. J Am Vet Med Assoc 2001;218:43-47.
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POSSIBLE RISKS, CONSEQUENCES, & REALITIES OF DECLAW SURGERY:
*"...not all veterinarians are aware of the pain & lifelong damage that are ramifications of the procedure. Statistically, 50% of cats will come out of the operation with immediate complications for 2 - 3 weeks, and 20% will have complications for the rest of their lives. 1/3 of cats that are declawed will resort to biting or not using the litterbox." Dr. Jennifer Conrad, DVM, "Supreme Court Upholds Ban on Declawing", Amy Lyons, Beverly Press, Vol 17, No. 42, Oct 18, 2007 http://www.parklabreanewsbeverlypress.com/
" According to owners, 80% of cats had at least one medical complication following surgery; 55% took >3 and up to 14 days to recover. Yeon SC, Flanders JA, Scarlett JM, et al. Attitudes of owners regarding tendonectomy and onychectomy in cats. J Am Vet Med Assoc2001;218:43-47." http://www.littlebigcat.com/index.php?action=library&act=show&item=declawingandscienceasummaryofthefacts
*CHRONIC, INTERMITTENT, and PHANTOM PAIN: According to this 2005 article from the International Veterinary Academy of Pain Management, Dr. Gaynor, DVM states "It is becoming more and more apparent that the number of feline patients who have declaw procedures performed have subsequent chronic pain issues...within days to months to years...". In "Declaw Details" by Dr. Brenda McClelland, DVM (Cat Fancy Magazine Jan 2006) it states that "Veterinarians acknowledge that declaws are very painful for cats, but a recent study showed that the pain lasts longer than originally thought. Cats declawed on one paw that appeared to walk normally were put on a gait-analysis machine. Results showed that none of the cats fully used the declawed leg 12 days after surgery."
Cats are notorious for hiding pain; they hide their pain & suffering by nature from their days in the wild when being sick or injured put them at grave risk of becoming prey to other animals. Many declawed cats silently suffer adverse effects, sometimes unnoticed by their caretakers, because the consequences can range from obvious to subtle and some may take many years to surface. And as the above mentioned article states, some declawed cats appear to look normal when they really are not. "We may not know when some cats are suffering because of their stoic nature, and the fact that some cats in great discomfort may actually purr and seem to be half-asleep. Such self-comforting, so-called displacement behaviors are indicators of stress. Cats may learn to cope with the chronic pain of onychectomy, but the absence of overt pain does not mean they are pain-free." Dr. Michael W. Fox, D.Sc., Ph.D., B.Vet.Med., M.R.C.V.S.
"Stoicism may be cats' greatest enemy in the declaw debate. Nobody declaws dogs—in vet school we were told that it's too painful. Dogs whine, scream and howl; their pain is easy to recognize. But cats are quiet, and they characteristically endure pain without complaint. It is axiomatic in science that "lack of evidence does not equal evidence of lack." With cats, a lack of obvious signs of pain does not mean the cat isn't feeling pain; it may even be feeling a great deal of pain. Dr. Jean Hofve, DVM http://www.littlebigcat.com/index.php?action=library&act=show&item=declawingandscienceasummaryofthefacts
"While the pain is obvious in large cats (tigers) because of their size, small cats will go to great lengths to conceal their discomfort", veterinarian Dr. Jennifer Conrad, The Paw Project, http://www.prweb.com/releases/2009/04/prweb2291714.htm
"...in veterinary medicine, the clinical procedure (declawing) serves as a model of severe pain for testing the efficacy of analgesic drugs", Dr. Nicholas Dodman, BVMS, MRCVS, "The Cat Who Cried For Help", Bantam Books, 1997 *"Declawing cats....it's an operation that actually entails removing part of the toe or finger at the first joint. Afterward, many cats suffer chronic pain and post-traumatic stress disorder...", ASK DR. MICHAEL FOX, DVM, 10/22/2006http://www.nypost.com/seven/10222006/entertainment/ask_dr__michael_fox_entertainment_.htm+++++
*BLEEDING or HEMORRHAGE For every bone and piece of skin that is cut during declaw surgery, there is a wound site & oppurtunity for bleeding and hemorrage.
Read about these nightmare declawings: "His routine de-clawing turned into a nightmare when his vet removed the stitches, Connelly reported . "The cat was squirting blood," Heise said. She watched in horror as the vet yanked out her cat's stitches. "Without gloves -- without washing his hands -- without any instruments, he took and he ripped the cat's sutures out with his fingernails...The second veterinarian saved Samson's paws and possibly his life. According to Heise, "it was a bad situation. The infection had spread into his blood and into his soft tissue." http://www.10tv.com/?sec=news&story=sites/10tv/content/pool/200801/1696740312.html
"An investigator found that "on Sept. 30, 2005, you performed a declaw and neu-ter on Monkey.' Monkey was released with bleeding front paws. There were large areas of tissue missing and the pads were either cut or missing.http://www.cleveland.com/living/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/living-0/1200216641105730.xml&coll=2
"A friend had her indoor cat declawed even though she was reluctant to do so. It was a terrible experience for both the cat and the family. The poor cat bled profusely, made bloody footprints on the floor, slinging blood onto the wall. Now her paws are infected and the vet is keeping her" http://blogs.chron.com/animalqa/2009/07/are_postdeclawing_infections_c.html
*INFECTION For every bone and piece of skin that is cut during declaw surgery, there is a wound site & oppurtunity for infection to set in. The infection can start in one finger and spread throughout the paws and can lead to amputation of the entire toe, paw, or limb.
Read STELLA's Story ^..^ who had both of her rear paws amputated after infection from declaw surgery and TAZZY's Story ^..^ who DIED from infection after laser declaw surgery.
"Post-surgical complications include abscess formation, chronic infection (aggravated by cat litter) and chronic or intermittent lameness." Dr. Michael W. Fox, D.Sc., Ph.D., B.Vet.Med., M.R.C.V.S.
*PAW SWELLING, LIMPING, LAMENESS, or IMPROPER GAIT after surgery from paw pain, paw tingling, numbness, sensitivity, nerve pain, radial nerve damage, scar tissue, or phantom pain (the kind that amputee victims experience).
"I recently had my three kittens declawed. One them... has damage to the radial nerve. I have been told by another vet that the damage may never reverse. My vet never advised me of the posible complications. I have already spent thousnds of dollars, expect to spend alot more...It is sooooo sad to see her drag her leg..." http://www.catler.org/cgi-bin/dcforum/dcboard.cgi?az=read_count&om=208&forum=eda
*PAINPUL REGROWTH OF CLAWS inside the paw (not seen by the visible eye) if the vet didn't sever enough of the claw forming bone off during surgery, like this (the cat walked for 10 years with a claw growing under her skin, a true testiment that cats hide pain:REGROWN CLAWS. Or regrowth of claw that can be seen if it breaks through the paw skin, like this: ABNORMAL REGROWTH. This can happen 7, 8, 10 years after the declaw surgery.
*"ARTHRITIS : Research has shown that, in the immediate post-operative period, newly declawed cats shift their body weight backward onto the large central pads of the feet, and off the sore toes. This effect was significant even when strong pain medication was given, and remained apparent for the duration of the study (up to 40 hours after the surgery). If this altered gait persists over time, it would cause stress on the leg joints and spine, and would lead to damage and arthritic changes in multiple joints."Declawing: A Rational Look, Dr. Jean Hofve, DVM
"De-clawed cats tend to walk abnormally back on their heels rather than on their entire pads because of the chronic pain at the end of their severed fingers and toes. They often develop chronic arthritis and as the front toe pads shrink, chronic bone infections are common....The tendons that control the toe joints retract after surgery. These joints essentially becoming “frozen.” The toes remain fully contracted for the life of the cat. In order to keep weight off the tender amputated toes, cats shift their weight backward, the altered gait stressing the limbs and spine, which could lead to arthritis later in life." Dr. Michael Fox, http://www.twobitdog.com/DrFox/specialreport_Article.aspx?ID=46b4b2c4-93d6-4582-b4ec-7d311782aab8
*INABILITY TO DEFEND THEMSELVES without their primary means of defense against other animals and predators, their claws,
*INABILITY TO GRASP toys or wands without claws, plus frustration from inability to climb, scratch & stretch without obtaining a secure claw-hold,
*FEAR OR INSECURITY of jumping up or jumping down because of pain when landing or inability to get solid grounding. Some declawed cats will still jump but will shake its paws or limp when it lands. *POSTURE DIFFERENCES, Declawed cats sit back on their wrists instead of their whole paw, or older declawed cats develop painful arthritis from walking on incomplete paws for years (x-rays can confirm this) & develop "chronic back and joint pain as shoulder, leg and back muscles weaken." http://maxshouse.com/facts_about_declawing.htm
*ATROPIED and ULCERATED PAW PADS : Cats are DIGITIGRADE animals, they walk on all of their digits including their claws. Paw pads are for cushioning, they should be oval and supple but can harden, & become round or misshaped/shriveled & irritated after declaw surgery. Atrophied paw pads make it painful for cats to use crystal type cat litter. The P2 bones (the middle bone of the three in a finger) may also perforate the skin above the paw pad after the last bone is removed in surgery. *PERSONALITY CHANGE after declaw surgery including increased aggression resulting in biting & using their teeth more since their first line of defense is now gone. Plus insecurity, shyness, nervousness, stress, withdrawn, depression, and/or frustration from the trauma of the surgery and/or living without their main means of security. Because declawed cats cannot exercise in the manner a cat should (claw-hold scratching and stretching) their body may ache from atropied muscles and therefore may bite when handled due to body sensitivity. 1000's of cat guardians have reported DECLAW HORROR STORIES and more DECLAW HORROR STORIES where kitty suffered physical, emotional, and behavioral problems after declaw surgery.
*LITTER BOX PROBLEMS. A declawed cat may only want to use a smooth, soft surface to urinate (like the floor or carpet) if their declawed paws are too tender, sore, injured, uncomfortable, or deformed to rake litter. They may associate the pain they feel with using the litterbox, therefore creating a life-long aversion to litter or litterboxes. These litterbox problems can occur years down the line from phantom paw pain, ingrown claws, infection, nerve pain, arthritis, or atrophied pads. Declawed cats that can't mark with their claws, may even mark by spraying their urine instead. Read GOOD CATS WEAR BLACK by Annie Bruce, author of CAT BE GOOD and retired cat consultant, for more information about declawed paws being the #1 cause of litterbox problems for cats, and consider these statistics about declawing & litterbox problems:
Cats are notorious for hiding pain; they hide their pain & suffering by nature from their days in the wild when being sick or injured put them at grave risk of becoming prey to other animals. Many declawed cats silently suffer adverse effects, sometimes unnoticed by their caretakers, because the consequences can range from obvious to subtle and some may take many years to surface. And as the above mentioned article states, some declawed cats appear to look normal when they really are not. "We may not know when some cats are suffering because of their stoic nature, and the fact that some cats in great discomfort may actually purr and seem to be half-asleep. Such self-comforting, so-called displacement behaviors are indicators of stress. Cats may learn to cope with the chronic pain of onychectomy, but the absence of overt pain does not mean they are pain-free." Dr. Michael W. Fox, D.Sc., Ph.D., B.Vet.Med., M.R.C.V.S.
"Stoicism may be cats' greatest enemy in the declaw debate. Nobody declaws dogs—in vet school we were told that it's too painful. Dogs whine, scream and howl; their pain is easy to recognize. But cats are quiet, and they characteristically endure pain without complaint. It is axiomatic in science that "lack of evidence does not equal evidence of lack." With cats, a lack of obvious signs of pain does not mean the cat isn't feeling pain; it may even be feeling a great deal of pain. Dr. Jean Hofve, DVM http://www.littlebigcat.com/index.php?action=library&act=show&item=declawingandscienceasummaryofthefacts
"While the pain is obvious in large cats (tigers) because of their size, small cats will go to great lengths to conceal their discomfort", veterinarian Dr. Jennifer Conrad, The Paw Project, http://www.prweb.com/releases/2009/04/prweb2291714.htm
"...in veterinary medicine, the clinical procedure (declawing) serves as a model of severe pain for testing the efficacy of analgesic drugs", Dr. Nicholas Dodman, BVMS, MRCVS, "The Cat Who Cried For Help", Bantam Books, 1997 *"Declawing cats....it's an operation that actually entails removing part of the toe or finger at the first joint. Afterward, many cats suffer chronic pain and post-traumatic stress disorder...", ASK DR. MICHAEL FOX, DVM, 10/22/2006http://www.nypost.com/seven/10222006/entertainment/ask_dr__michael_fox_entertainment_.htm+++++
*BLEEDING or HEMORRHAGE For every bone and piece of skin that is cut during declaw surgery, there is a wound site & oppurtunity for bleeding and hemorrage.
Read about these nightmare declawings: "His routine de-clawing turned into a nightmare when his vet removed the stitches, Connelly reported . "The cat was squirting blood," Heise said. She watched in horror as the vet yanked out her cat's stitches. "Without gloves -- without washing his hands -- without any instruments, he took and he ripped the cat's sutures out with his fingernails...The second veterinarian saved Samson's paws and possibly his life. According to Heise, "it was a bad situation. The infection had spread into his blood and into his soft tissue." http://www.10tv.com/?sec=news&story=sites/10tv/content/pool/200801/1696740312.html
"An investigator found that "on Sept. 30, 2005, you performed a declaw and neu-ter on Monkey.' Monkey was released with bleeding front paws. There were large areas of tissue missing and the pads were either cut or missing.http://www.cleveland.com/living/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/living-0/1200216641105730.xml&coll=2
"A friend had her indoor cat declawed even though she was reluctant to do so. It was a terrible experience for both the cat and the family. The poor cat bled profusely, made bloody footprints on the floor, slinging blood onto the wall. Now her paws are infected and the vet is keeping her" http://blogs.chron.com/animalqa/2009/07/are_postdeclawing_infections_c.html
*INFECTION For every bone and piece of skin that is cut during declaw surgery, there is a wound site & oppurtunity for infection to set in. The infection can start in one finger and spread throughout the paws and can lead to amputation of the entire toe, paw, or limb.
Read STELLA's Story ^..^ who had both of her rear paws amputated after infection from declaw surgery and TAZZY's Story ^..^ who DIED from infection after laser declaw surgery.
"Post-surgical complications include abscess formation, chronic infection (aggravated by cat litter) and chronic or intermittent lameness." Dr. Michael W. Fox, D.Sc., Ph.D., B.Vet.Med., M.R.C.V.S.
*PAW SWELLING, LIMPING, LAMENESS, or IMPROPER GAIT after surgery from paw pain, paw tingling, numbness, sensitivity, nerve pain, radial nerve damage, scar tissue, or phantom pain (the kind that amputee victims experience).
"I recently had my three kittens declawed. One them... has damage to the radial nerve. I have been told by another vet that the damage may never reverse. My vet never advised me of the posible complications. I have already spent thousnds of dollars, expect to spend alot more...It is sooooo sad to see her drag her leg..." http://www.catler.org/cgi-bin/dcforum/dcboard.cgi?az=read_count&om=208&forum=eda
*PAINPUL REGROWTH OF CLAWS inside the paw (not seen by the visible eye) if the vet didn't sever enough of the claw forming bone off during surgery, like this (the cat walked for 10 years with a claw growing under her skin, a true testiment that cats hide pain:REGROWN CLAWS. Or regrowth of claw that can be seen if it breaks through the paw skin, like this: ABNORMAL REGROWTH. This can happen 7, 8, 10 years after the declaw surgery.
*"ARTHRITIS : Research has shown that, in the immediate post-operative period, newly declawed cats shift their body weight backward onto the large central pads of the feet, and off the sore toes. This effect was significant even when strong pain medication was given, and remained apparent for the duration of the study (up to 40 hours after the surgery). If this altered gait persists over time, it would cause stress on the leg joints and spine, and would lead to damage and arthritic changes in multiple joints."Declawing: A Rational Look, Dr. Jean Hofve, DVM
"De-clawed cats tend to walk abnormally back on their heels rather than on their entire pads because of the chronic pain at the end of their severed fingers and toes. They often develop chronic arthritis and as the front toe pads shrink, chronic bone infections are common....The tendons that control the toe joints retract after surgery. These joints essentially becoming “frozen.” The toes remain fully contracted for the life of the cat. In order to keep weight off the tender amputated toes, cats shift their weight backward, the altered gait stressing the limbs and spine, which could lead to arthritis later in life." Dr. Michael Fox, http://www.twobitdog.com/DrFox/specialreport_Article.aspx?ID=46b4b2c4-93d6-4582-b4ec-7d311782aab8
*INABILITY TO DEFEND THEMSELVES without their primary means of defense against other animals and predators, their claws,
*INABILITY TO GRASP toys or wands without claws, plus frustration from inability to climb, scratch & stretch without obtaining a secure claw-hold,
*FEAR OR INSECURITY of jumping up or jumping down because of pain when landing or inability to get solid grounding. Some declawed cats will still jump but will shake its paws or limp when it lands. *POSTURE DIFFERENCES, Declawed cats sit back on their wrists instead of their whole paw, or older declawed cats develop painful arthritis from walking on incomplete paws for years (x-rays can confirm this) & develop "chronic back and joint pain as shoulder, leg and back muscles weaken." http://maxshouse.com/facts_about_declawing.htm
*ATROPIED and ULCERATED PAW PADS : Cats are DIGITIGRADE animals, they walk on all of their digits including their claws. Paw pads are for cushioning, they should be oval and supple but can harden, & become round or misshaped/shriveled & irritated after declaw surgery. Atrophied paw pads make it painful for cats to use crystal type cat litter. The P2 bones (the middle bone of the three in a finger) may also perforate the skin above the paw pad after the last bone is removed in surgery. *PERSONALITY CHANGE after declaw surgery including increased aggression resulting in biting & using their teeth more since their first line of defense is now gone. Plus insecurity, shyness, nervousness, stress, withdrawn, depression, and/or frustration from the trauma of the surgery and/or living without their main means of security. Because declawed cats cannot exercise in the manner a cat should (claw-hold scratching and stretching) their body may ache from atropied muscles and therefore may bite when handled due to body sensitivity. 1000's of cat guardians have reported DECLAW HORROR STORIES and more DECLAW HORROR STORIES where kitty suffered physical, emotional, and behavioral problems after declaw surgery.
*LITTER BOX PROBLEMS. A declawed cat may only want to use a smooth, soft surface to urinate (like the floor or carpet) if their declawed paws are too tender, sore, injured, uncomfortable, or deformed to rake litter. They may associate the pain they feel with using the litterbox, therefore creating a life-long aversion to litter or litterboxes. These litterbox problems can occur years down the line from phantom paw pain, ingrown claws, infection, nerve pain, arthritis, or atrophied pads. Declawed cats that can't mark with their claws, may even mark by spraying their urine instead. Read GOOD CATS WEAR BLACK by Annie Bruce, author of CAT BE GOOD and retired cat consultant, for more information about declawed paws being the #1 cause of litterbox problems for cats, and consider these statistics about declawing & litterbox problems:
*In a study published in the January, 2001 JAVMA, 33% of 39 (1 in 3) cats that underwent onychectomy developed "at least" one behavior problem
immediately after surgery, with the most common problems being litter box problems and biting.
immediately after surgery, with the most common problems being litter box problems and biting.
*"Dr. Harrison gets 3-12 calls a day about litter box problems in cats and, after ruling out medical problems, 90 percent of the cats with litter box aversion are declawed cats. “Declawing: Behavior Modification or Destructive Surgery”, Animal Issues, 1998
*Published 2/1/03 on CourierPostOnline.com, "Eighty percent (80%) of the cats that are surrendered that are declawed are euthanized because they have a behavioral problem…. Declawed cats frequently become biters and also stop using litter boxes… One or the other…,” said William Lombardi shelter director, Gloucester County, New Jersey.
*"Seventy percent (70%) of cats turned in to pounds and shelters for behavioral problems are declawed." (National Survey from pounds & shelters obtained by Caddo Parrish Forgotten Felines Friends) http://www.sniksnak.com/cathealth/declaw.html
*Published 2/1/03 on CourierPostOnline.com, "Eighty percent (80%) of the cats that are surrendered that are declawed are euthanized because they have a behavioral problem…. Declawed cats frequently become biters and also stop using litter boxes… One or the other…,” said William Lombardi shelter director, Gloucester County, New Jersey.
*"Seventy percent (70%) of cats turned in to pounds and shelters for behavioral problems are declawed." (National Survey from pounds & shelters obtained by Caddo Parrish Forgotten Felines Friends) http://www.sniksnak.com/cathealth/declaw.html
"Among 218 cats relinquished to a shelter, more (52.4%) declawed cats than non-declawed cats (29.1%) were reported by owners to have inappropriate elimination problems." Source: World Small Animal Veterinary Association, 2001http://maxshouse.com/facts_about_declawing.htm
****READ MORE about declawed paws & behavioral problems
****READ MORE about declawed paws & behavioral problems
*“Chronic physical ailments such as cystitis or skin disorders can be manifestations of a declawed cat’s frustration and stress.” "Is Declawing Cruel?" David E. Hartnett, DVM,
*Chronic urinary tract infections (UTI's) whose source of infection comes from infected paws or from "the accumulated stress buildup from lack of scratching may also be a contributing factor, as stress is implicated in half of all urinary tract problems". "Why Cats Need Claws",
*" Asthma and cystitis (inflammation of the bladder) have also been linked to the stress of declaws..." "Declaw Details", Dr. Brenda McClelland, DVM, Cat Fancy Magazine Jan 2006.
* Declawing is a medically unnecessary surgery that has absolutely NO medical benefit to the cat, unlike spaying and neutering that reduces the instances of tumors & infections in the mammary glands, ovaries, uterus, prostrate, and testicles in cats.
* Declawing cats is already illegal or considered grossly inhumane in at least 35 countries because the act of disfiguring a healthy cat paw for convenience is viewed as an form of animal cruelty. And in all of these countries, there are homes with furniture, carpet, antiques, and indoor-only cats, as well as children, elderly, immuno-compromised people, and all of the other excuses to declaw, living there too! As of December 2009, declawing is ILLEGAL (punishable by a $1,000 fine and 6 months in jail) in 8 California cites - - West Hollywood, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, Berkeley, Culver City, and Burbank!
WHAT ABOUT LASER SURGERY?
Laser surgery is being marketed as the "better" or more "humane" way to declaw a cat, but it is not without complications & consequences and the end result is still the same - amputation of healthy cat toes - done by burning, which can result in fourth-degree burns in the bone as seen in this picture.
"Declawing, when performed by laser, is still the amputation of the last toe bone of the cat and carries with it the same long-term risks of lameness and behavioral problems as does declawing with scalpels or clippers. Studies have failed to show that laser declawing is less painful for the cat in the post-operative period." Humane Society Veterinary Medical Assoc Cosmetic & Convenience Surgeries Position Statements
"I had Roscoe and Jaspurr laser declawed about two months ago and it has been nothing but pain and suffering for them. I chose to do it with the laser because the vet said 'it was less bleeding, less painful, and less swelling.' What she did not tell me is about all the complications that go along with the surgery." Lisa Violet's Declaw Horror Stories
"Complications (bleeding, limping, swelling, infection) were generally worse in the laser onychectomy group in the first 2 days after surgery but were equivalent thereafter." My Vet Said Laser Was Better, Dr. Jennifer Conrad, DVM, The Paw Project
"...she jerked her body, meowed at me twice while looking into my eyes and then she died. Laser Surgery was not better...the decision to get her declawed is the worst decision I have never made, it took a life, my Tazzy's life. I will not be able to get past this, what I have done, the torture my baby went through. Cat Dies from Infection After Laser Declaw Surgery
"No matter how the claws are removed, a cat without claws is missing part of his toes and has to go through life without being able to perform one of the most enjoyable and beneficial parts of being a cat: scratching - with claws. The whole basis of scratching; the aspect that provides the refreshing workout and exercise, is pulling against the resistance of dug-in claws". Gary Lowenthal, author of "Why Cats Need Claws" from Is Laser Declaw Better?
IS "CAT SCRATCH FEVER" A REASON TO DECLAW?
Declawing is absolutely NOT a necessary or effective reason or prevention for "cat scratch fever", medically known as B henselae infection. According to this information from a veterinary journal, FLEA CONTROL for the cat and HAND WASHING for the human are the most effective preventions for cat scratch fever, NOT DECLAWING! "Performance of onychectomy (declawing) in cats has also been suggested, but this procedure has a limited value because infection can be transmitted from cat to cat by fleas. Therefore, flea control appears to be one of the major control measures to prevent infection of cats with B henselae, its spread from cat to cat, and potentially the spread from cats to humans. The most effective means of preventing B henselae infection (also know as "cat scratch disease") are commonsense precautions, hygiene, and possibly modification of behavior of the cat owners themselves. For example, it is recommended that cat owners wash their hands after handling pets and clean any cuts, bites, or scratches promptly with soap and water."(Chomel BB, Boulouis HJ, Breitschwerdt EB. Cat scratch disease and other zoonotic Bartonella infections. J Am Vet Med Assoc 2004: 224:1270-1279.)
Also, from the San Francisco SPCA Cat Behavior Department, "....A declawed cat often acts very defensive in new situations, presumably because she has an awareness that her defenses are weakened. When threatened, some resort to biting, which can be more dangerous - more dangerous than getting scratched. In one study (Department of Emergency Medicine, Darnall Army Community Hospital, Fort Hood, 76544-5063; PMID: 1823783) it was found that 15.6% of cat bites wounds became infected, whereas no cat scratches led to infection." "The Paws And The Claws, Training your cat to scratch, how to trim their nails, and the truth about declawing" http://www.sfspca.org/news/060627_catclawclippingclinic.shtml
*Chronic urinary tract infections (UTI's) whose source of infection comes from infected paws or from "the accumulated stress buildup from lack of scratching may also be a contributing factor, as stress is implicated in half of all urinary tract problems". "Why Cats Need Claws",
*" Asthma and cystitis (inflammation of the bladder) have also been linked to the stress of declaws..." "Declaw Details", Dr. Brenda McClelland, DVM, Cat Fancy Magazine Jan 2006.
* Declawing is a medically unnecessary surgery that has absolutely NO medical benefit to the cat, unlike spaying and neutering that reduces the instances of tumors & infections in the mammary glands, ovaries, uterus, prostrate, and testicles in cats.
* Declawing cats is already illegal or considered grossly inhumane in at least 35 countries because the act of disfiguring a healthy cat paw for convenience is viewed as an form of animal cruelty. And in all of these countries, there are homes with furniture, carpet, antiques, and indoor-only cats, as well as children, elderly, immuno-compromised people, and all of the other excuses to declaw, living there too! As of December 2009, declawing is ILLEGAL (punishable by a $1,000 fine and 6 months in jail) in 8 California cites - - West Hollywood, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, Berkeley, Culver City, and Burbank!
WHAT ABOUT LASER SURGERY?
Laser surgery is being marketed as the "better" or more "humane" way to declaw a cat, but it is not without complications & consequences and the end result is still the same - amputation of healthy cat toes - done by burning, which can result in fourth-degree burns in the bone as seen in this picture.
"Declawing, when performed by laser, is still the amputation of the last toe bone of the cat and carries with it the same long-term risks of lameness and behavioral problems as does declawing with scalpels or clippers. Studies have failed to show that laser declawing is less painful for the cat in the post-operative period." Humane Society Veterinary Medical Assoc Cosmetic & Convenience Surgeries Position Statements
"I had Roscoe and Jaspurr laser declawed about two months ago and it has been nothing but pain and suffering for them. I chose to do it with the laser because the vet said 'it was less bleeding, less painful, and less swelling.' What she did not tell me is about all the complications that go along with the surgery." Lisa Violet's Declaw Horror Stories
"Complications (bleeding, limping, swelling, infection) were generally worse in the laser onychectomy group in the first 2 days after surgery but were equivalent thereafter." My Vet Said Laser Was Better, Dr. Jennifer Conrad, DVM, The Paw Project
"...she jerked her body, meowed at me twice while looking into my eyes and then she died. Laser Surgery was not better...the decision to get her declawed is the worst decision I have never made, it took a life, my Tazzy's life. I will not be able to get past this, what I have done, the torture my baby went through. Cat Dies from Infection After Laser Declaw Surgery
"No matter how the claws are removed, a cat without claws is missing part of his toes and has to go through life without being able to perform one of the most enjoyable and beneficial parts of being a cat: scratching - with claws. The whole basis of scratching; the aspect that provides the refreshing workout and exercise, is pulling against the resistance of dug-in claws". Gary Lowenthal, author of "Why Cats Need Claws" from Is Laser Declaw Better?
IS "CAT SCRATCH FEVER" A REASON TO DECLAW?
Declawing is absolutely NOT a necessary or effective reason or prevention for "cat scratch fever", medically known as B henselae infection. According to this information from a veterinary journal, FLEA CONTROL for the cat and HAND WASHING for the human are the most effective preventions for cat scratch fever, NOT DECLAWING! "Performance of onychectomy (declawing) in cats has also been suggested, but this procedure has a limited value because infection can be transmitted from cat to cat by fleas. Therefore, flea control appears to be one of the major control measures to prevent infection of cats with B henselae, its spread from cat to cat, and potentially the spread from cats to humans. The most effective means of preventing B henselae infection (also know as "cat scratch disease") are commonsense precautions, hygiene, and possibly modification of behavior of the cat owners themselves. For example, it is recommended that cat owners wash their hands after handling pets and clean any cuts, bites, or scratches promptly with soap and water."(Chomel BB, Boulouis HJ, Breitschwerdt EB. Cat scratch disease and other zoonotic Bartonella infections. J Am Vet Med Assoc 2004: 224:1270-1279.)
Also, from the San Francisco SPCA Cat Behavior Department, "....A declawed cat often acts very defensive in new situations, presumably because she has an awareness that her defenses are weakened. When threatened, some resort to biting, which can be more dangerous - more dangerous than getting scratched. In one study (Department of Emergency Medicine, Darnall Army Community Hospital, Fort Hood, 76544-5063; PMID: 1823783) it was found that 15.6% of cat bites wounds became infected, whereas no cat scratches led to infection." "The Paws And The Claws, Training your cat to scratch, how to trim their nails, and the truth about declawing" http://www.sfspca.org/news/060627_catclawclippingclinic.shtml
THE ETHICS OF DECLAWING CATS:
From DR. MICHAEL FOX, DSc, PhD, BVetMed
"...the ethics of performing (declawing) as a routine practice to the extent that almost a quarter of the cat population in the United States (14 million) is declawed...surely needs to be examined. This is especially pertinent considering the evidence of the painful nature of this procedure and associated postoperative complications of chronic pain, infection, and suffering. Surely the justifications for performing (declawing) trivialize concern for cats’ welfare and psychologic well-being. Part of being a cat is to have claws. Out of respect for the nature of cats and their basic behavioral requirements in the confined domestic environment, caring and responsible cat owners effectively train their cats to use scratch-posts, scratchboards, and carpeted “condos” rather than resort to routine declawing, which amounts to a mutilation for convenience. As a profession, are (veterinarians) not giving a mixed message to the public in advocating companion animal health and welfare on the one hand and not abandoning such practices that are considered unethical by veterinarians and their clients in many other countries?" Journal of the American Veterinary Association 2/15/2006
First Principle of Veterinary Medical Ethics: “Veterinarians should first consider the needs of the patient: to relieve disease, suffering, or disability while minimizing pain or fear.”
"CONCERNING VETERINARIANS DE-CLAWING CATS
April 2007
Those purportedly caring veterinary experts who find themselves in the position of endorsing the de-clawing of cats must give the ethical reasons for de-clawing and not succumb to alleged emotional blackmail that people will get rid of their cats if they are not de-clawed. They should probably be advised against having cats in the first place. No statistics are needed to prove de-clawing causes suffering and is an unethical, money-making mutilation pandering to owner ignorance and convenience.
Cats in multi-cat homes do fine not de-clawed. Single cats, bored all day, often poorly socialized, with no suitable scratch post, training to use same, and rarely provided appropriate wild-play and social stimulation, develop many behavioral problems. With proper care and understanding---client education---most of these problems could have been prevented. But instead, because of a lack of proper counseling, or clients' refusal to accept what cats do and need, the final solution is either de-clawing or euthanasia. Inappropriate de-clawing that could have been avoided by proper feline behavioral counseling and understanding is all too common. Worse is the routine de-cawing of young cats usually at the same time they are being spayed/castrated. Veterinarians doing this a pandering service argue that de-clawing stops problems from developing later in life. That is absurd, and a false assumption that cats are likely to become a problem if their claws are not removed early in life.
The veterinary sector that condones feline de-clawing---that the Federal government has made illegal for big cats---is that sector that is admitting not defeat before clients' demands, but a profound ignorance of applied feline behavior and psychology, and of veterinary bioethics As I have emphasized in many of my writings, there can be no firm foundation for veterinary bioethics, and thus no clear ethical decision making, when there is not a deep appreciation for the nature of animals that is science-based.
Ethics and ethology go hand in hand, and ethology affirms that part of the nature of being a cat is to have claws. It is therefore unethical to de-claw cats as an owner-convenience because it means the permanently elimination of an essential aspect of a cat's form, function, and ethos/behavior.
In the U.K., where de-clawing is not done, the British Veterinary Association’s Animal Welfare Foundation is promoting what they call ‘the duty of care’ since they equate progress in animal welfare with public recognition of what makes animals happy and contribute to their quality of life. This includes provision for animals’ basic freedom to express normal behaviors. From this perspective, de-clawing is an abdication of this duty of care since the cat’s quality of life is diminished by no longer being able to express those natural behaviors associated with being a normal cat with claws". Michael W. Fox B.Vet.Med., Ph.D., D.Sc., M.R.C.V.S.
"I hold that the more helpless a creature, the more entitled it is to protection by man from the cruelty of man"
M. Gandhi
"...the ethics of performing (declawing) as a routine practice to the extent that almost a quarter of the cat population in the United States (14 million) is declawed...surely needs to be examined. This is especially pertinent considering the evidence of the painful nature of this procedure and associated postoperative complications of chronic pain, infection, and suffering. Surely the justifications for performing (declawing) trivialize concern for cats’ welfare and psychologic well-being. Part of being a cat is to have claws. Out of respect for the nature of cats and their basic behavioral requirements in the confined domestic environment, caring and responsible cat owners effectively train their cats to use scratch-posts, scratchboards, and carpeted “condos” rather than resort to routine declawing, which amounts to a mutilation for convenience. As a profession, are (veterinarians) not giving a mixed message to the public in advocating companion animal health and welfare on the one hand and not abandoning such practices that are considered unethical by veterinarians and their clients in many other countries?" Journal of the American Veterinary Association 2/15/2006
First Principle of Veterinary Medical Ethics: “Veterinarians should first consider the needs of the patient: to relieve disease, suffering, or disability while minimizing pain or fear.”
"CONCERNING VETERINARIANS DE-CLAWING CATS
April 2007
Those purportedly caring veterinary experts who find themselves in the position of endorsing the de-clawing of cats must give the ethical reasons for de-clawing and not succumb to alleged emotional blackmail that people will get rid of their cats if they are not de-clawed. They should probably be advised against having cats in the first place. No statistics are needed to prove de-clawing causes suffering and is an unethical, money-making mutilation pandering to owner ignorance and convenience.
Cats in multi-cat homes do fine not de-clawed. Single cats, bored all day, often poorly socialized, with no suitable scratch post, training to use same, and rarely provided appropriate wild-play and social stimulation, develop many behavioral problems. With proper care and understanding---client education---most of these problems could have been prevented. But instead, because of a lack of proper counseling, or clients' refusal to accept what cats do and need, the final solution is either de-clawing or euthanasia. Inappropriate de-clawing that could have been avoided by proper feline behavioral counseling and understanding is all too common. Worse is the routine de-cawing of young cats usually at the same time they are being spayed/castrated. Veterinarians doing this a pandering service argue that de-clawing stops problems from developing later in life. That is absurd, and a false assumption that cats are likely to become a problem if their claws are not removed early in life.
The veterinary sector that condones feline de-clawing---that the Federal government has made illegal for big cats---is that sector that is admitting not defeat before clients' demands, but a profound ignorance of applied feline behavior and psychology, and of veterinary bioethics As I have emphasized in many of my writings, there can be no firm foundation for veterinary bioethics, and thus no clear ethical decision making, when there is not a deep appreciation for the nature of animals that is science-based.
Ethics and ethology go hand in hand, and ethology affirms that part of the nature of being a cat is to have claws. It is therefore unethical to de-claw cats as an owner-convenience because it means the permanently elimination of an essential aspect of a cat's form, function, and ethos/behavior.
In the U.K., where de-clawing is not done, the British Veterinary Association’s Animal Welfare Foundation is promoting what they call ‘the duty of care’ since they equate progress in animal welfare with public recognition of what makes animals happy and contribute to their quality of life. This includes provision for animals’ basic freedom to express normal behaviors. From this perspective, de-clawing is an abdication of this duty of care since the cat’s quality of life is diminished by no longer being able to express those natural behaviors associated with being a normal cat with claws". Michael W. Fox B.Vet.Med., Ph.D., D.Sc., M.R.C.V.S.
"I hold that the more helpless a creature, the more entitled it is to protection by man from the cruelty of man"
M. Gandhi
ROBBING DIGITS FROM DIGITIGRADES Many uninformed veterinarians and cat parents claim cats don't need the last digit of their fingers and toes for walking - - but this is not true. As digitigrades, cats walk on their "tippy-toes", like ballet dancers, so they need and use ALL of their digits for walking naturally, including the ones that are severed off and thrown in the garbage after declawing. Imagine the pain and damage the entire skeletal and muscular systems suffer from a cat being forced to walk unnaturally without their last digits! Look at the top declawed fingers in this picture - - notice the paw pads underneath are dark, rough, irritated, misshaped & shrunken, unlike the paw pads in the clawed rear fingers which are pink, plump, healthy, and oval - - they way they should be! Paw pads are for cushioning, not walking! This declawed cat suffers from painful arthritis (was relinquished to a shelter due to stress & litterbox issues). He sits back on his wrists because putting his full weight on his declawed hands is uncomfortable (he repositions himself often) and has taught himself to land on his hind legs when jumping off counters to avoid the pain of landing on his front "stubs", fingers that have been robbed forever of their essential distal phalanx. Although he still makes scratching motions, it appears to be more of a way to rub and soothe his severed joints. He licks and bites at them after trying to scratch, to the point of bleeding.
Dr. Jean Hofve, decribes the joint stiffness that declawing causes in her "Declawing: A Rational Look" article as, "...In declawed (and tendonectomized) cats, the tendons that control the toe joints retract after surgery, and these joints become essentially "frozen." The toes remain fully contracted for the life of the cat. In cats who were declawed many years ago, the toe joints are often so arthritic that they cannot be moved, even under deep anesthesia. The fact that most cats continue to make scratching motions after they are declawed is often said to "prove" that they do not "miss" their claws. However, this behavior is equally well--and more realistically--explained as desperate but ineffective efforts to stretch those stiff toes, legs, shoulders and backs." http://www.littlebigcat.com/index.php?action=library&act=show&item=002
DEFINITIONS OF DIGITIGRADE:
" A digitigrade is an animal that stands or walks on its digits, or toes. Digitigrades include walking birds (what many assume to be bird knees are actually ankles), cats, dogs, and most other mammals, but not humans, bears, and a few others (cf. plantigrade, unguligrade). They are generally quicker and move more quietly than other mammals". http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digitigrade
"Digitigrade locomotion is the sort of walking cats, dogs, and most other mammals engage in, excepting humans, bears, and a few others. While humans usually walk with the soles of their feet on the ground (plantigrade locomotion), digitigrade animals walk on the tips of their toes, or, in more precise terms, their distal phalanges and middle phalanges. Digitigrade locomotion is responsible for the distictive hook shape of dog legs, for there are anatomical differences between a plantigrade and digitigrade limb. Digitigrade animals have relatively long carpals and tarsals, and the bones which would correspond to the human ankle are thus set much higher in the limb than in a human. This effectively lengthens the foot, so much so that a digitigrade animal's "hands" and "feet" are often thought to correspond only to what would be the bones of the human toe or finger. Because so little surface area needs to get off the ground, and also because of the added length of the foot, digitigrade locomotion tends to be swift.
Some furries claim that walking on tip-toe, the human version of digitigrade locomotion, feels more natural to them than resting their whole foot on the ground." http://www.statemaster.com/encyclopedia/Digitigrade-locomotion
"Unlike most mammals who walk on the soles of the paws or feet, cats are digitigrade, which means they walk on their toes. Their back, shoulder, paw and leg joints, muscles, tendons, ligaments and nerves are naturally designed to support and distribute the cat's weight across its toes as it walks, runs and climbs." http://maxshouse.com/facts_about_declawing.htm
Dr. Jean Hofve, decribes the joint stiffness that declawing causes in her "Declawing: A Rational Look" article as, "...In declawed (and tendonectomized) cats, the tendons that control the toe joints retract after surgery, and these joints become essentially "frozen." The toes remain fully contracted for the life of the cat. In cats who were declawed many years ago, the toe joints are often so arthritic that they cannot be moved, even under deep anesthesia. The fact that most cats continue to make scratching motions after they are declawed is often said to "prove" that they do not "miss" their claws. However, this behavior is equally well--and more realistically--explained as desperate but ineffective efforts to stretch those stiff toes, legs, shoulders and backs." http://www.littlebigcat.com/index.php?action=library&act=show&item=002
DEFINITIONS OF DIGITIGRADE:
" A digitigrade is an animal that stands or walks on its digits, or toes. Digitigrades include walking birds (what many assume to be bird knees are actually ankles), cats, dogs, and most other mammals, but not humans, bears, and a few others (cf. plantigrade, unguligrade). They are generally quicker and move more quietly than other mammals". http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digitigrade
"Digitigrade locomotion is the sort of walking cats, dogs, and most other mammals engage in, excepting humans, bears, and a few others. While humans usually walk with the soles of their feet on the ground (plantigrade locomotion), digitigrade animals walk on the tips of their toes, or, in more precise terms, their distal phalanges and middle phalanges. Digitigrade locomotion is responsible for the distictive hook shape of dog legs, for there are anatomical differences between a plantigrade and digitigrade limb. Digitigrade animals have relatively long carpals and tarsals, and the bones which would correspond to the human ankle are thus set much higher in the limb than in a human. This effectively lengthens the foot, so much so that a digitigrade animal's "hands" and "feet" are often thought to correspond only to what would be the bones of the human toe or finger. Because so little surface area needs to get off the ground, and also because of the added length of the foot, digitigrade locomotion tends to be swift.
Some furries claim that walking on tip-toe, the human version of digitigrade locomotion, feels more natural to them than resting their whole foot on the ground." http://www.statemaster.com/encyclopedia/Digitigrade-locomotion
"Unlike most mammals who walk on the soles of the paws or feet, cats are digitigrade, which means they walk on their toes. Their back, shoulder, paw and leg joints, muscles, tendons, ligaments and nerves are naturally designed to support and distribute the cat's weight across its toes as it walks, runs and climbs." http://maxshouse.com/facts_about_declawing.htm
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Cat Declawing Myths and Truths
Cat declawing myths are legendary and they are disseminated by our beloved veterinarians who are charged with the responsibility of caring for our cats. Here are some myths that are portrayed as fact by the vets. I also present the truths as presented by cold research.
Please note: regrettably, this page does not have a comments section. This is because the page is too long to be dropped into a visitor's input form, which is the only way to create pages that allow for comments using the software that is available to me. However, you can go to the Declawing Cats page and leave a submission by scrolling down to the input form.
Myth - Declawing is a last resort and it saves lives by stopping the relinquishment of cats
The Truth: A study1 indicated that declawed cats are nearly twice as likely to be relinquished to a shelter than intact cats.
At recent hearings in Californian cities on the banning of declawing, one of the great clichéd phrases declared as being an immutable truth by Dr. Nunez (the spokesperson for the California Veterinary Medical Association) is that declawing saves the lives of cats. If it wasn't for declawing many more cats would be relinquished he repeatedly says. Gosh, the vets are doing a great service aren't they, saving all those lives! They do it with such relish that they ignore their own association's guidelines that state that there is anobligation of veterinarians to provide cat owners with complete education with regard to feline onychectomy.
All attempts should be made to avoid declawing....yet in a survey by Dr. Nunez's own association it was found that 76% of cats2 were declawed at less than 8 months of age. I don't see much in the way of attempts to find alternatives to declawing or much education goingon.
Having read how the AVMA describes that declawing should only be considered after going over all the alternatives and educating their client etc. bla bla bla, it is no surprise to see that up to 40 million cats are declawed in the USA (up to 45% of all domestic cats). The vets are doing a wonderful job educating people aren't they? And in a survey3, it was found that 78% of veterinarians would carry out declawing on request. What can you say? This is not a case of one or two rogue veterinarians but a nearly the whole lot who are in breach of the guidelines. The vets are ignoring their governing body and the governing body knows about it and does nothing. Or a better explanation is that the guidelines are a cynical piece of window dressing to try and pretend that they care!
People most often reliquish cats for so called behavior problems(actually they relinquish cats because they don't like the normal behavior of cats but we shouldn't mention that). If the behavior is not to some people's liking they will abandon their cat. And the classic cat behavior that is disliked is inappropriate elimination (going to the toilet outside the litter).
In a proper scientific survey4 it was found that inappropriate elimination was twice as likely to occur in respect of declawed cats than for intact cats. Accordingly, declawing increases the chances of the relinquishment of a cat. So much for Dr. Nunez's thread bare clichés (correction - bare faced lies).
Myth - declawing does not lead to behavioral problems that are over and above those normally encountered
Another myth peddled by those slippery vets is that....there is no scientific evidence that declawing leads to behavioral abnormalities when the behavior of declawed cats is compared with that of cats in control groups (link to AVMA guidelines). Unfortunately, I think it worth making the point again that the concept of "behavior problems" is very elastic because some people are initiating the problems themselves by creating an unsuitable environment for the cat, and/or they find normal behavior "problem behavior". No doubt vets try to use this to their advantage to muddy the water in an attempt to support their otherwise transparently weak arguments. In fact most biting and scratching of people comes from people provoking the cat because of a lack of education (the vets failing to do their job again) and/or a lack of sensitivity to the cat's innate characteristics5
That said, there have been two long term studies on the effects of declawing on the behavior of cats that debunk the untruths of veterinary associations.
The Truth - In one conclusive study6 over a long five year period (most studies are short), research indicated that one third of declawed cats developed behavior problems (inappropriate elimination and biting) after the operation.
In another study7 more declawed cats (55%) were referred to a veterinary hospital than intact cats (45%).
In further research8 it was established that inappropriate elimination occurred more frequently in declawed cats (52.4%) than intact cats (29.1%).
These studies support the only possible conclusion, namely that declawing increases the chance of abandonment to shelters, which directly contradicts what the veterinarians consistently preach as their reason for declawing. Don't believe them - ever.
Myth - declawing is carried out to protect people with suppressed immune systems and who are old and infirm etc.
Although, below, I quote studies that debunk this, it is frankly obvious that this is nonsense and it is wholly unsupported by evidence. Actually, declawed cats tend to bite more9 than intact cats and bites are more problematic than scratches. That alone turns the vet's argument on its head. I have already mentioned that cats are often provoked by a person. Don't provoke - don't get scratched/bitten - simple. And even on the extremely rare occasions that a vulnerable person is bitten how serious is this? I see no evidence to support the fact that such a bite or scratch is nothing more than a passing inconvenience.
The Truth -- In fact, declawing and/or tendonectomy is almost exclusively done to protect furniture10. Three other studies support this. In one study11the conclusion was that 95% of the time the operation was carried out to prevent "household damage". In more research12 scratching household materials was the main reason.
Myth - cats recover quickly after surgery etc.
The Truth - 35% of 320 vets surveyed13 reported long term problems! Up to 80% of cats had complication(s) post surgery14. 17% of cats suffered cat claw regrowth causing more complications including 19% of cats becoming lame15.
OK that will do for the time being. There is more. I would like to thank Jean Hofve, DVM for researching the material and which can be seen on this page(the source for this article)
From Cat Declawing Myths and Truths to Declawing Cats
notes
1 Patronek, GJ, Glickman LT, Beck AM, et al. Risk factors for relinquishment of cats to an animal shelter. J Am Vet Med Assoc 1996;209:582–588
2 So Cal Vet Med Assoc. Pulse. 2009 Nov:4
3 Landsberg GM. Declawing is controversial but saves pets. A veterinarian survey. Vet Forum 1991;8:66-67.
4 Patronek, GJ, Glickman LT, Beck AM, et al. Risk factors for relinquishment of cats to an animal shelter. J Am Vet Med Assoc 1996;209:582–588
5 American Academy of Family Physicians, FamilyDoctor.org
6 Yeon SC, Flanders JA, Scarlett JM, et al. Attitudes of owners regarding tendonectomy and onychectomy in cats. J Am Vet Med Assoc 2001;218:43-47.
7 Bennett M, Houpt KA, Erb HN. Effects of declawing on feline behavior.Comp Anim Pract 1988;2:7-12.
8 Patronek, GJ, Glickman LT, Beck AM, et al. Risk factors for relinquishment of cats to an animal shelter. J Am Vet Med Assoc 1996;209:582–588
9 Yeon SC, Flanders JA, Scarlett JM, et al. Attitudes of owners regarding tendonectomy and onychectomy in cats. J Am Vet Med Assoc 2001;218:43-47
10 Bennett M, Houpt KA, Erb HN. Effects of declawing on feline behavior.Comp Anim Pract 1988;2:7-12.
11 So Cal Vet Med Assoc. Pulse. 2009 Nov:4
12 Yeon SC, Flanders JA, Scarlett JM, et al. Attitudes of owners regarding tendonectomy and onychectomy in cats. J Am Vet Med Assoc 2001;218:43-47
13 Landsberg GM. Declawing is controversial but saves pets. A veterinarian survey. Vet Forum 1991;8:66-67
14 Vet Surg 1994; 23:274-280
15 Martinez SA, Hauptmann J, Walshaw R. Comparing two techniques for onychectomy in cats and two adhesives for wound closure. Vet Med 1993; 88:516-525
According to veterinarian Kimberly Harrison, "behavioural problems frequently haunt declawed cats. By far, the commonest thing we see is cats not using the litter box. When cats have stress beyond what they can take, it often shows up as a litter box problem and declawing makes them stress intolerant, in general, for the rest of their lives." Harrison receives up to 12 calls a day regarding litter box problems, and has found that 90% of healthy cats that soil around the house have been declawed.
Janet Winikoff, former manager of the Animal Welfare League’s adoption program in Alexandria, Virginia, states: "I have seen firsthand the problems associated with declawing. It was not unusual for the shelter to receive surrendered cats who began exhibiting aggressive behaviour and refused to eliminate in the litter box after being declawed. Sadly, these cats were typically considered unadoptable and euthanized."
