Cat Declawing – The Painful Facts Including Which State BANNED the Procedure

Cat declawing can be a touchy subject, the painful facts have caused a state in America to ban the procedure. Also known as onychectomy, declawing doesn’t just remove the claws, it’s so much more invasive. Please educate yourself and others with these painful cat declawing facts.

Related: What Are the Pros and Cons of Declawing Your Cat?

Amputation

The American Veterinary Medical Association, declawing is NOT a simple removal of the claws. It is an amputation and should be regarded as a major surgery. To give you a personal idea of what it’s like, if declawing was performed on a human being, it would be like cutting off each finger at the last knuckle. In addition to the amputation, the AVMA also states that “scientific data indicates that cats that have destructive scratching behavior are more likely to be euthanized, or more readily relinquished, released, or abandoned, thereby contributing to the homeless cat population.“

Pain and Risks

You see, when you have your cat declawed, you are actually having your cat’s first knuckle amputated. In addition to the amputation, there are inherent risks and complications with any surgical procedure including, but not limited to, anesthetic complications, hemorrhage, infection, and severe pain. In fact, there is so much pain, that pain management is necessary – not elective – and required for this procedure.

Banned

Denver’s city council officially banned the practice of declawing cats on November 13, 2017. The ban was unanimously approved a first reading of the ban, 11-0. Will more states follow the ban? It’s a huge possibility. Currently, these countries have banned or have extremely stringent declawing laws that limit it to an extreme medical necessity: England, Scotland, Wales, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Norway, Sweden, Ireland, Denmark, Finland, Slovenia, Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, Serbia, Montenegro, Macedonia, Slovenia, France, Germany, Bosnia, Malta, Netherlands, Northern Ireland, Portugal, Belgium, and Israel.

Related: How to Stop Your Cat from Clawing Furniture and Carpeting

Alternatives

There are ways to train your cat not to scratch at your furniture, but there are also nail caps you can apply to your cats claws. They even come in fun colors if you’re up for a cat manicure! The nail caps stay on for about four to six weeks and fall off with the natural growth of the cat’s nails.

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