Editorial: Declawing your cat is a cruel amputation

By Liz Livingston

October 12, 2005 | Declawing a cat is a procedure performed by veterinarians every day. Most don't realize that declawing is considered an American practice and is illegal in several countries, including Japan, Australia, England and most of continental Europe.

Why, if declawing is so humane, is it outlawed in so many places outside of the United States?

Veterinarian Christianne Schelling created a website dedicated to the education of persons about declawing.

"Your cat's claw is not a toenail. It is actually closely adhered to the bone. So closely adhered that to remove the claw, the last bone of the cat's claw has to be removed. Declawing is actually an amputation of the last joint of your cat's toes," said Schelling.

Many cat owners have responded to Schelling saying they see no signs their cat is suffering pain after the procedure which means declawing must not be inhumane.

Schelling responds by saying, "No cat lover would doubt that cats--whose senses are much keener than ours--suffer pain. They may, however, hide it better. Not only are they proud, they instinctively know that they are at risk when in a weakened position, and by nature will attempt to hide it."

Other than losing their greatest means of defense against predators, declawing causes a cat to lose its balance.

Unlike most mammals who walk on the soles of their paws or feet, cats are digitigrade -- meaning 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. The claws are used for balance, climbing, and stretching the muscles.

When the last bone of the toe and claw are taken away, the paw is forced to meet the ground at an unnatural angle that can cause back pain.

To fully understand declawing, one must understand the anatomy of a cat's paw. The cat's claw is part of the last bone called the distal phalanx. This bone must be replaced or else a regrowth of the claw will occur. To remove the claw, the bone, nerve, joint capsule, collateral ligaments, and the extensor and flexor tendons must all be amputated.

A graphic comparison in human terms would be the cutting off of a person's finger at the last joint of each finger.

The following is an explanation of declawing excerpted from a veterinary surgical textbook (Textbook of Small Animal Surgery 2nd ed):

"The claw is extended by pushing up under the footpad or by grasping it with Allis tissue forceps. A scalpel blade is used to sharply dissect between the second and third phalanx over the top of the ungual crest . The distal interphalangeal joint is disarticulated (disjointed), and the deep digital flexor tendon is incised (severed). The digital footpad is not incised. If a nailtrimmer is used, the ring of the instrument is placed in the groove between the second phalanx and the ungual crest. The blade is positioned just in front of the footpad. The blade is pushed through the soft tissues over the flexor process. With the ring of the nail trimmer in position behind the ungual crest, the blade is released just slightly so that traction applied to the claw causes the flexor process to slip out and above the blade. At this point, the flexor tendon can be incised and disarticulation of the joint (disjointing) completed. Both techniques effectively remove the entire third phalanx."

Despite the description of exactly how a cat is declawing, there are many who will still argue that declawing is not inhumane and not a removal of the last (third) phalanx.

An anonymous website creator decided she had learned enough about declawing to put in her two cents and give advice to those learning about declawing:

"While it is true that the distal phalanx is the equivalent of the last bone in a human's fingers, notice how small it is in cats compared to the nail. It is a vestigial bone that serves no other purpose than to hold the cells that give rise to the growing nail and provide support when the claw is extended."

With no credentials presented, her comment about the vestigial bone serving no other purpose seems rather poorly researched when Schelling states that the bone is used to give the cat balance.

The anonymous contributor goes on to say the cat starts walking again a few hours after surgery and still enjoys petting. Could it be that a cat has no other way to get around other than walking? They have no wheelchair to aid them. And could it be that petting helps soothe them much like a mother soothes a sick child by stroking his hair?

David Hammett, DVM said, "The consequences of declawing are often pathetic. Changes in behavior can occur. A declawed cat frequently resorts to biting when confronted with even minor threats. Biting becomes an overcompensation for the insecurity of having no claws. Bungled surgery can result in the regrowth of deformed claws or in an infection leading to gangrene. Balance is affected by the inability to grasp with their claws. Chronic physical ailments such as cystitis or skin disorders can be manifestations of a declawed cat's frustration and stress."

Declawing a cat is actually 10 amputations of the front paws done solely for the convenience of its owner. It is true there are real life alternatives to declawing your cat such as giving him a place designated for scratching.

Yes, scratching around the house gives a cat the opportunity to show off his territory. However, that territory actually belongs to the cat's owner and it is OK to tell him he can only scratch in one place.

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