Do you think it is unethical to declaw pets?
Sunday, January 15th, 2012 at
7:00 pm
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Filed under: Cat Furniture
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That’s animal cruelty…..
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. A cat’s claws are used for balance, for exercising, and for stretching the muscles in their legs, back, shoulders, and paws. They stretch these muscles by digging their claws into a surface and pulling back against their own clawhold – similar to isometric exercising for humans. This is the only way a cat can exercise, stretch and tone the muscles of its back and shoulders. The toes help the foot meet the ground at a precise angle to keep the leg, shoulder and back muscles and joints in proper alignment. Removal of the last digits of the toes drastically alters the conformation of their feet and causes the feet to meet the ground at an unnatural angle that can cause back pain similar to that in humans caused by wearing improper shoes.
Understanding Declawing (Onychectomy)
The anatomy of the feline claw must be understood before one can appreciate the severity of declawing. The cat’s claw is not a nail as is a human fingernail, it is part of the last bone (distal phalanx) in the cat’s toe. The cats claw arises from the unguicular crest and unguicular process in the distal phalanx of the paw (see above diagram). Most of the germinal cells that produce the claw are situated in the dorsal aspect of the ungual crest. This region must be removed completely, or regrowth of a vestigial claw and abcessation results. The only way to be sure all of the germinal cells are removed is to amputate the entire distal phalanx at the joint.
Contrary to most people’s understanding, declawing consists of amputating not just the claws, but the whole phalanx (up to the joint), including bones, ligaments, and tendons! To remove the claw, the bone, nerve, joint capsule, collateral ligaments, and the extensor and flexor tendons must all be amputated. Thus declawing is not a simple, single surgery but 10 separate, painful amputations of the third phalanx up to the last joint of each toe. A graphic comparison in human terms would be the cutting off of a person’s finger at the last joint of each finger.
It removes a lot more than a cats nails. I don’t think its right, if one cannot dicipline a cat not to use its claws than the owner needs to find a more laidback cat or one not known to scratch things, or forget about it. If a cat gets outside without claws its practically defenseless.
It should really be a last resort. They can have phantom pains and they are usually more agressive.
That said, we adopted a feral cat and it was the only way that we could have him. He was very agressive before hand and we got seriously injured because of it. After the surgery he was depressed for a few weeks. 99% of the time I would say no, but it was necessary for him.
BTW, we didn’t really adopt him, he adopted us. He showed up in our yard with his mother and siblings. We found homes for the others.
Well, I never knew for sure until I adopted a declawed cat. It’s definitely not something I’d ever have done to a cat. The poor guy can’t climb his cat tree (or any tree for that matter!). He’s a great cat though (not aggressive at all) and I’m glad I was able to adopt him from the Humane Society and give him a second chance at life.
Extremely. They stay with pain constantly and everyone has nails for a reason. Dogs to dig and scratch, cats to scratch and hunt and just for pets to keep a good grip on the floor. I feel for the pets whom have been declawed. I agree with you 100% it’s so wrong!!
its not just their nails being removed, its the whole first joint of their finger, its like a person gettin their finger cut off where the first place it can bend it (sorry, i dont know whats its called)
theres many other ways to train an animal not to scratch other than declawing
theres soft claws, plastic caps that go over the nails that makes them soft and rubbery, thats one thing you can do
Yes i agree it is a horrible thing to do to a cat, why anybody would do that to a cat is beyond me!!
If someone is going to get the cat declawed it is their choice and not any one elses. I have a cat that is declawed and she had no problem with it. She can do everything that a cat can do that has claws. She is an indoor cat and she is very happy and I give her a lot of love.
She can jump up on furniture and jump down from furniture
play with her toys
no behavorial problems
no balance problems
no bitting problems
no cat litter problems
She can do everything.
If I have another cat I would get it done again.
My cat does not go outside and if she did she has her back legs to kick with.
When the surgery is done they are asleep when it is done and they don’t feel any pain.
I’ve always had cats that remained indoors. All of them were declawed because I wanted to protect the children – and me, too – from being scratched. I would never have their back claws removed because if they did get out they would have some defense.
If you’ve ever been clawed by a cat, you’ll know that removing their front claws is wise. I do not think you can compare front claw removal to having your fingernails pulled out.
It all depends, but if you think its wrong then don’t do it…my cat is an indoor/outdoor cat so she has all her claws still where they are suspossed to be.
I grew up in the country and to be truthful most animals find it hard to survive. We shouldn’t do that…they have claws for a reason and if we don’t like what they do in ours houses…then don’t keep it as a pet.
yes i do
its not only the nails its the first knuckle as well…yes I do
I don’t think unethical. But inhumane. Do you realize they actually cut off up to the first knuckle on each toe? Look at your fingers and picture them shorter by one full knuckle.
I have adopted three cats, one was declawed when I got her, the other two aren’t and I don’t intent to change that.
We adopted a cat whom was already declawed. In all honesty, he doesn’t act any different than any other cat I have had in the past. He can easily hunt and climb, and doesn’t even seem to notice that his claws are missing. I don’t think that it is necessary but I’m not against it, either.
I presume you are refering to cats.
If the animal is allowed to go outside, AT All, it is the same as a sentence of death to declaw it. Other than it’s teeth, it has no other means of defending itself. It can’t even climb a tree to escape harm.
If the animal is to be kept in the house, AT ALL Times, it is acceptable and can be done, by a vet, with no ill effect to the kitty.and will sure save your furniture.
Think it over carefully, though. Don’t forget…the procedure is irreversable.
Actually, it would be like a human getting their fingers removed to the first joint. Glutenfreegirl – why dont you come down to the vets with me and have them do a declaw surgery on you. I mean my gosh, you`re just a human.
Here are some pictures of an actual declaw surgery. I absolutely agree with everybody when they say its barbaric.
http://declaw.lisaviolet.com/declawpics.html
It’s horrid and cruel and that’s why it’s illegal in some places. I think it’s England and that there was also some legislation offered up in Hollywood to ban it. Many shelters that you adopt cats from will not give you a cat if you plan to have it declawed.
I didn’t know any better when I had my first cat. We had found him and he was a week old and I had to bottle feed him and all. I always had dogs growing up. So, anyhow, he would jump from the floor onto my shoulders and cause my shoulders to bleed. There were other things. So, not knowing better I took him and had him declawed when I had him neutered. It was so horrid. I felt terrible. I drove all the way home and he had a paw on each of my shoulders and he was rubbing his cheek against my face and his paws were still bleeding a bit as I took him home from the vet.
I made sure that with the cats I have now, that I handled their paws when they were kittens and they are now pretty used to getting brushed and having their nails clipped and I get very little grief from them.
I think getting cats declawed should be illegal everywhere.
i think so because say they run away how would they protect them self from strays that may be violent and also i just dosent seem rite.
I see nothing wrong with it as long as you understand teh cat should mostly be inside and he runs the risk of getting hurt more often. FYI I had one of my cats declawed and he could climb trees, fences, etc. The vet said they use their back claws to fight and climb mostly. (we only declawed the front bc we lived in an apartment at hte time and needed him to stop clawing the furniture.) I’ve had other cats sicne then who I did not declaw bc they were allowed outside.
My gosh they’re just cats.
I don’t think its right. Its like getting your finger amputated up to the first joint The cats needs that for balance when he jumps. In other parts of the world, declawing is seen as animal cruelty (which it is) and its banned.
You wouldn’t take your child in to have their fingers and toes amputated up to the first joint, so why would you take your cat?
I don’t think it’s unethical to declaw; but I do see it as a last resort decision for which all alternatives should be carefully considered, and a decision for which the owner then bears full responsibility for the cat’s safety (must be indoors full time) and comfort. The pain from the surgery is generally short-term and can-and must!-be managed; but the change for the cat is quite puzzling and confusing, and he/she will need to relearn some movement patterns.
A cat is quite intelligent and will usually adapt rather quickly and well.
Abortion procedures are also quite horrible and graphic also, yet how many are calling that unethical? Declawing doesn’t kill anything and can enable a better quality of life for the cat and the owner, in the long run, in some cases.