A Story of a declawed Cat
Precious was just a kitten when an acquaintance of mine adopted her. She was a normal kitten by all comparisons. She loved to play, chase string, and like all cats she loved to scratch. Now, there are ways to train a kitten to scratch posts instead of furniture, but it takes patience and understanding.
Unfortunately, the elderly lady listened to uninformed people, and she decided to have Precious declawed. That is when things changed.
After the surgery, Precious came home with bandages wrapped around her paws soaked in blood. She bled for a while, and it took a long time for that aspect to heal(for lack of a better term). The little kitten who didn't have a care in the world was now suffering. She had a hard time going in the litter box due to sensitive paws. As time passed her physical wounds healed, but her paws stayed sensitive to a degree. Her emotional state was compromised as well. She seemed distant, even irritated at times. As the months went on, she adapted but she did not do well with strangers. The lady who had this procedure done was an elderly lady, and I know she couldn't fully appreciate the damage caused to this innocent life. She felt bad, but what could she do now? It wasn't long after when the woman had to move due to income and age related issues, and as a result she had to give the cat up for adoption. However, the negative ramifications of this procedure had destroyed her chances of being adopted. When people are looking for a pet they want one who is outgoing and emotionally stable, and that is understandable. Precious had a hard time with those expectations. It was not her fault, and I think we can all understand why she was having problems. She was deemed not suitable for adoption, and as a result, Precious was humanely euthanized. The poor little cat never had a chance to live, to love, and to experience a real bond between a human and animal. She is now at peace roaming the fields with other animals free of pain, both physically and mentally, on the other side.
I tell this story, as sad as it is to write, to inform people of the dangers of declawing. Some people just do not realize what it does to a cat. So, we will start with what declawing actually is.
Declawing a cat involves amputation of the last bone of each toe. In human terms, it would be as if all your fingertips were cut off at the last knuckle. They use a scalpel or a guillotine clipper. The wound is stitched and wrapped in bandages. Sometime they use laser, but it is still the same procedure with the same negative results.
There is another procedure called a tendonectomy. It cuts the tendon which controls the flexing of the claws. They still keep their claws, but they cannot flex them. As a result, they cannot shed them, so thickening of the claws is a concern. Usually, due to complications, the cat is still declawed down the road meaning more pain and suffering.
Negative effects of declawing can range from sensitive paw pads to behavioral problems. The first few days after surgery, shredded newspaper is used in the litter box instead of litter. So, not only is the cat in pain, he is having to cope with changes in his everyday habits. This often leads to them doing their business outside of the box. They often have pain when they walk, so carpeted areas are preferred. In addition to painful walking, it also causes back pain. The toes are important for walking and balancing, just like people. When declawed the cat cannot walk properly, and as a result it causes back problems. Also, necrosis can occur, and another surgery may be needed to remove the dead tissue. If the surgery was not done properly, nail regrowth can occur due to left over nail pieces. These pieces can grow into the paw pads, causing more surgery, more suffering. Bone spurs are also painful, and can cause infection.
These procedures are an unnecessary, painful infliction on an cat. Most states have already banned the procedure, while in other states many veterinarians refuse to perform it. The only time this should be considered is if the cat's life is in danger, such as cancerous cells or tumors.
If you happen to hear anyone thinking about declawing their cat, please inform them about the problems it carries. The psychological ramifications can be just as bad, and they are long term. It is detrimental to the health and welfare of this precious life. There are ways to train cats to use scratch post. I have two cats, and they have post throughout the house. They use their post 99% of the time. As for the 1% of the time they do not, I raise my voice and they stop. They are cats, not machines. They will slip and claw something, guaranteed. However, if you are not ready to accept that then maybe a cat isn't the animal for you. It would be better to get another animal than to subject a cat to this barbarism.
Like I always say, when you invite a cat into your life, you are sharing your home with them as they are. I accept my girls with all their quirks. I expect them to slip. They would not be cats if they didn't. I worked hard to train them, and it has paid off. As I watch Monkey sleeping so peacefully, I could not put her through something like that just to save my sofa. When you look at it that way, it is easy to say no to declawing.
Unfortunately, the elderly lady listened to uninformed people, and she decided to have Precious declawed. That is when things changed.
After the surgery, Precious came home with bandages wrapped around her paws soaked in blood. She bled for a while, and it took a long time for that aspect to heal(for lack of a better term). The little kitten who didn't have a care in the world was now suffering. She had a hard time going in the litter box due to sensitive paws. As time passed her physical wounds healed, but her paws stayed sensitive to a degree. Her emotional state was compromised as well. She seemed distant, even irritated at times. As the months went on, she adapted but she did not do well with strangers. The lady who had this procedure done was an elderly lady, and I know she couldn't fully appreciate the damage caused to this innocent life. She felt bad, but what could she do now? It wasn't long after when the woman had to move due to income and age related issues, and as a result she had to give the cat up for adoption. However, the negative ramifications of this procedure had destroyed her chances of being adopted. When people are looking for a pet they want one who is outgoing and emotionally stable, and that is understandable. Precious had a hard time with those expectations. It was not her fault, and I think we can all understand why she was having problems. She was deemed not suitable for adoption, and as a result, Precious was humanely euthanized. The poor little cat never had a chance to live, to love, and to experience a real bond between a human and animal. She is now at peace roaming the fields with other animals free of pain, both physically and mentally, on the other side.
I tell this story, as sad as it is to write, to inform people of the dangers of declawing. Some people just do not realize what it does to a cat. So, we will start with what declawing actually is.
Declawing a cat involves amputation of the last bone of each toe. In human terms, it would be as if all your fingertips were cut off at the last knuckle. They use a scalpel or a guillotine clipper. The wound is stitched and wrapped in bandages. Sometime they use laser, but it is still the same procedure with the same negative results.
There is another procedure called a tendonectomy. It cuts the tendon which controls the flexing of the claws. They still keep their claws, but they cannot flex them. As a result, they cannot shed them, so thickening of the claws is a concern. Usually, due to complications, the cat is still declawed down the road meaning more pain and suffering.
Negative effects of declawing can range from sensitive paw pads to behavioral problems. The first few days after surgery, shredded newspaper is used in the litter box instead of litter. So, not only is the cat in pain, he is having to cope with changes in his everyday habits. This often leads to them doing their business outside of the box. They often have pain when they walk, so carpeted areas are preferred. In addition to painful walking, it also causes back pain. The toes are important for walking and balancing, just like people. When declawed the cat cannot walk properly, and as a result it causes back problems. Also, necrosis can occur, and another surgery may be needed to remove the dead tissue. If the surgery was not done properly, nail regrowth can occur due to left over nail pieces. These pieces can grow into the paw pads, causing more surgery, more suffering. Bone spurs are also painful, and can cause infection.
These procedures are an unnecessary, painful infliction on an cat. Most states have already banned the procedure, while in other states many veterinarians refuse to perform it. The only time this should be considered is if the cat's life is in danger, such as cancerous cells or tumors.
If you happen to hear anyone thinking about declawing their cat, please inform them about the problems it carries. The psychological ramifications can be just as bad, and they are long term. It is detrimental to the health and welfare of this precious life. There are ways to train cats to use scratch post. I have two cats, and they have post throughout the house. They use their post 99% of the time. As for the 1% of the time they do not, I raise my voice and they stop. They are cats, not machines. They will slip and claw something, guaranteed. However, if you are not ready to accept that then maybe a cat isn't the animal for you. It would be better to get another animal than to subject a cat to this barbarism.
Like I always say, when you invite a cat into your life, you are sharing your home with them as they are. I accept my girls with all their quirks. I expect them to slip. They would not be cats if they didn't. I worked hard to train them, and it has paid off. As I watch Monkey sleeping so peacefully, I could not put her through something like that just to save my sofa. When you look at it that way, it is easy to say no to declawing.
