The truth behind declawing
It’s certainly not an everyday occurrence in the UK, but in America when a cat is taken in to a veterinary practice for neutering, a commonly asked question is if they are getting their cat declawed while under anaesthetic.
The thinking behind this operation is simple; cats damage things in a home with their claws and without them they can’t. A cat without claws can’t scratch, so is less able to harm anyone.
The facts behind the procedure are entirely different.
The soft furnishings of a home may remain in tact in terms of the furniture; the carpets are likely to fare less well. After the declawing procedure, cats toes are extremely sensitive and digging through cat litter is a painful, unpleasant experience.
This means there’s a heightened chance of a declawed cat developing issues in the form of inappropriate toileting. The scooping motion to cover their ablutions is a lot less painful to their tender toe tips when it’s performed on a carpet.
Regarding harming human family members, without a first line of defence when feeling threatened, it’s likely a cat will resort to more extreme measures when feeling unsettled or unhappy. Which means a cat that is trying to express their unhappiness or unease may lash out at people by biting.
After recognising the damaging psychological effects declawing had on cats of any size, veterinarian Jennifer Conrad set up an initiative called The Paw Project. She and her fellow lobbyists are working to raise awareness about how declawing is not a harmless operation that a cat OR owner benefit from, but in effect amounts to a form of animal abuse by negatively impacting on an animals emotional well-being.
To learn more about the Paw Project or to donate, you can visit their site here:
Or follow them on Facebook here:
https://www.facebook.com/pawproject?fref=ts
