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Declawing
Some cat owners
choose to have their cat declawed (onychectomy).
This major surgery removes the tip of each digit
(from the first knuckle out) of the cat's
forepaws. Some people are opposed to declawing,
claiming it is inhumane. Declawing is a not a
simple procedure, serious complications can arise,
such as being prone to infections, or even a life
long discomfort in the cats paw. This operation is
rare outside of North America. In Germany and
Switzerland, declawing cats is explicitly
forbidden by the laws against cruelty to
animals.[14] In many other European countries, it
is also forbidden under the terms of the European
Convention for the Protection of Pet Animals,
unless "a veterinarian considers [such]
non-curative procedures necessary either for
veterinary medical reasons or for the benefit of
any particular animal". [15]
Where it is legal, some cat veterinarians refuse
to do this type of surgery because it deprives the
cat of its main defense ability, although cats
usually learn to donkey kick or rake with their
hind claws in defense. Other experts mention
difficulties with the cat's typical stretching and
exercise habits, which can lead to muscle atrophy.
Declawing surgery requires anesthesia, which
carries with it a small risk of death.
Additionally, some experts believe that declawed
cats are more inclined to bite. If a cat is not
declawed at an early age, it becomes too dangerous
to declaw them when they are older. However, many
American cats are still declawed, often when the
owner finds that it is the only option for keeping
the cat (sometimes it is mandated by landlords).
Some cats that are not declawed and cannot be
retrained are either abandoned or turned in to
animal shelters, where they may be euthanized. In
Britain, where the prevailing style of ownership
is indoor/outdoor, shelters find it difficult to
rehome imported cats that had previously been
declawed. One popular, relatively inexpensive
alternative to declawing is the application of
vinyl nail caps that are affixed to the claws with
nontoxic glue, requiring periodic replacement when
the cat sheds its claw sheaths (usually every four
to six weeks). |
