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IF YOU LOVE YOUR CAT, DO NOT DECLAW
Much has been said by many, in and out of the Veterinary profession, about
declawing. Pet Pride of New York, Inc. has some firm suggestions for people
who are going to adopt a cat or who are considering declawing a cat they
already own.
The claw grows out of the third phalanx of a cat's toe. A claw is roughly
like a human toenail and the third phalanx is something like the last third
of a human toe. Complete excision of the third phalanx is ideal in order to
assure good results. To declaw properly, the joint capsule and associated
tendons and ligaments must be severed completely at the joint space. If a
piece of bone is left behind, it could be the origin of a claw that regrows.
It is a messy sight to view when a claw juts up from the top of the foot,
and it is a hazard and a discomfort to the cat.
Based on our observation of many cats, and on talks with cat people who have
problems because of declawing, we have discovered these very interesting
facts:
About fifty percent of the cats that are declawed stop using the litter pan
and choose a soft place for a toilet, like the mathematical center of an
oriental rug. Because the cat's defense mechanism has been removed, they
resort to biting. In addition to these two unacceptable habits, declawed
cats become very apprehensive when being moved and dislike changes of any
kind where their security is threatened.
If you take your cat to your veterinarian to be declawed, ask him these
questions:
1. Doctor, can you guarantee declawing will not affect my cat's personality?
2. Can you guarantee that the cat will feel no pain?
3. Can you guarantee that a claw will never grow back?
4. Can you guarantee that the spinal column will not be affected in time
because of the cat being forced to walk on his "heels" instead of his
"toes"?
Before you even get to the veterinarian, ask yourself these questions:
1. Can I guarantee that I can provide lifelong protection for my cat?
2. Can I guarantee that the cat will NEVER have to defend itself against
anything?
3. Can I guarantee that the cat will NEVER escape the house and become lost
having to hunt to survive?
Let us take a look at what the late Dr. Albert Camuti, DVM, has to say in
his excellent book: ALL MY PATIENTS ARE UNDER THE BED:
"People who have cats declawed usually do so for one of two reasons: to
prevent being scratched by an aggressive cat or to preserve their furniture.
Such people are obviously thinking only of themselves, not of the pets they
are supposed to love. For their own selfish reasons they put their cats
through a surgical procedure which is severe, both physically and
emotionally. Emotionally, the trauma may last a long time, and in some
cases, forever. Very often a cat is declawed without any attempt on the part
of the owner to train the animal first to use a scratching post. The cat
never had a chance. In fact, I've known of some cases where a prospective
owner demands a cat be declawed before he'll adopt it. I certainly would
never give a cat to such a person because the request itself is an
indication that the household is not suitable for a cat. Moreover, it also
upsets his balance. Contrary to popular belief, the cat does not have a
perfect sense of balance, any more than it has nine lives. If cats were born
with innate sense of balance, how come so many of them fall out of windows
and off terraces? And if they have nine lives, how come so many of them
don't survive the first fall? "As far as I am concerned, clipping a cat's
nails, providing him with a scratching post and training him to use it are
the answers never declawing."
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