CAT SCRATCHING Part 3 The Facts About Declawing

The definition of declawing is to remove not only the claw but also the last connecting bone (distal phalanx) in the cat's toe. In reality, this consists of 10 separate amputations of the each distal phalanx. It is a painful procedure during the surgery, followed by the recovery period with swelling in the toes.

Complications may arise from declawing a cat and include the following:

• Regrowth of a deformed claw.
• Loss of balance and agility due to not having the claws to stabilize it's equilibrium.
• Lameness due to wound infection or footpad laceration.
  
• Hemorrhaging when the bandages are removed.
• Slow and painful healing process due to bone chips that have shattered and were not completely removed during the surgery.
• Chronic back and joint pain due to weakening of the muscles.
  

It is not uncommon for a cat to have a change in it's personality after getting declawed, especially in older cats. Behavioral problems that have resulted from declawing include increased aggressiveness, inappropriate biting and voiding outside the litter box to mark it's territory as it can no longer scratch to leave a mark. In extreme cases, these problem become such a burden that the cat is abandoned. It may die of starvation on the street as it can't catch any prey or end up in an overcrowded shelter and ultimately be euthanized. Claws are a cat's primary defense, without which it is left vulnerable and unable to defend itself. This may present a problem if the cat is an outdoor cat, there is another cat in the home that is not declawed or there are other animals in the home, such as dogs.

In the United States declawing has been popular practice. This may be attributed to most cats in the United States being domesticated and strictly indoor. However there are numerous European countries that consider declawing illegal or extremely inhumane and only to be preformed under extreme circumstances. These include the following countries : England. Scotland, Wales, Italy, France, Germany,Austria, Switzerland, Netherlands, Ireland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Slovenia, Portugal, Belgium, Spain, Brazil, Australia and New Zealand.

Declawing should used as last resort after all other interventions have been tried. Alternatives to declawing include providing the cat with an object to scratch such as a post or using Soft Paws, which are vinyl nail caps that cover the existing claws. A consultation with an animal behaviorist may be an effective way to develop a behavioral plan on how to curb destructive scratching.

One of the many services that California Paws offers is consultation for behavior problems with cats. Please email us at www.californiapaws.biz. If you or some one you know lives in San Francisco, California Paws also offers cat sitting and in-home boarding. When your furry friend comes to stay with us, we have an array of fun toys and a cat tower to scratch to it's hearts content. Please email us at californiapaws@yahoo.com if you have any questions.