Scratching is one of the undesirable behaviors that many cat owners find to be bothersome. A solution that many people turn to is getting their cat an onychectomy, better known as declawing. Declawing is performed by removing the third section of the cat’s toe bone up to the joint. The procedure is performed this way because the claw is fused to the bone, unlike human nails (Schelling). It is equivalent to amputating each human finger at the last joint. Although declawing is illegal in different parts of the world (Shojai), declawing is still a very common practice among cat owners across the United States. According to an Associated Press poll from 2011, fifty-five percent of American cat owners approve of declawing cats (Cheung), which is about 17 million cat sheltering households in the United States (American Veterinary Medical Association). Unfortunately, many of these cat owners are unaware of the many complications that may result from declawing a cat. Cat owners should not declaw their cats because it can contribute to unnecessary pain and behavioral issues that lowers the quality of the animal’s life. 

The first disadvantage of getting a cat declawed is the risk of infection, tissue death, nerve damage, and unwanted growths. According to the National Geographic Society, about twenty-five to fifty percent of declawing surgeries result in some form of complication (Andreassi). Following the operation, painful inflammation, growths, and drainage can occur causing great distress to the animal.  It is possible that an infection can become so severe that tissue necrosis, or tissue death, can eventuate, and ultimately this could lead to limb amputation. Nerves may become damaged during the declawing process. Direct damage to the nerves leads to neuropathic pain and not only does the damage of the cat’s nerves cause pain and limited movement, it sometimes results in unwanted nerve regrowth. Other types of growths possibly occurring include abscesses and regrowth of the bone and claws (The Humane Society of the United States)

The second disadvantage is the possible impairment of a cat’s gait and walking. Cats walk on their toes instead of the soles of their feet like humans do. If the toes are deformed, the gait of a cat is affected negatively. Since the claws are fused to the last joint of the toe, they are needed for a cat’s balance while walking. When declawed, cats walk unnaturally on the soles of their feet and their walking becomes unbalanced. If the gait of a cat is altered, a cat's musculoskeletal system is also affected which makes fluid and easy movement much more difficult to execute. Cats especially need this since they are such agile creatures. They require much exercise for their muscles in all of their limbs, especially their frontal limbs. Cats exercise and stretch these muscles by gripping onto a surface with their claws and pulling backwards against their grip on the surface (American Veterinary Medical Association). This is very similar to human isometric exercise (Schelling) which also exercises and stretches the muscles. By keeping their muscles fit, cats can walk properly. 

The third and final disadvantage is the negative behavioral issues involved. Declawing is a painful and stressful procedure, so it is no surprise that a cat may act strangely. Stress can be a major problem when dealing with a recovering cat.  The cat might often bite, kick, swat, hiss, and hide when experiencing stress. It is undesirable for a cat owner to have to experience and deal with these symptoms. Another contributing factor to stress levels is the lack of self-defense. If a cat loses its primary means of self-defense, fear and aggression may arise and cause many problems (Schelling). This would most affect outdoor cats since they more heavily rely on their claws than indoor cats. Self-defense is crucial to an outdoor cat’s well being. Defensiveness as well as climbing, striding, and balance are all important for outdoor cats (Shojai). Insecurity and defenselessness greatly affects the cat’s behavior and leads to even more stress. 

Instead of declawing, cat owners ought to turn to alternatives which also reduces scratching and damage. The Humane Society of the United States suggests four tips to reduce scratching. The first of them is to regularly trim the cat’s claws. The cat still will scratch furniture, but the damage is minimized because of the dulled claw. The second tip is to provide scratching posts and boards. There is a large variety of different styles and materials that can be used for these. A cat may be more inclined to use a scratching post if catnip and toys are being used. The third tip is to use vinyl nail caps for the cat. These nail caps are soft and safe to use, and they work by gluing the caps into the cat’s claws. Cat owners may apply the nail caps themselves or they can have a veterinarian do it for them if the cat is resistant. Nail caps need to be replaced every six weeks because of nail shedding and growth. The fourth and final tip is to apply double-sided tape to furniture to deter scratching. Most cats find sticky surfaces to be unfavorable and irritating which will deter them from scratching furniture. These four tips will provide safe and effective alternatives to declawing. 

In conclusion, the complications following a declawing surgery are not worth the risk. Declawing surgery is meant to benefit humans and does not provide benefit to the cats being declawed. Because of the risk of pain, infection, and behavioral issues, cat owners should refrain from declawing surgery and instead use the provided alternatives that benefit both the feline and the owner. There are still a large number of American cat owners who support declawing and they need to be mindful of the effects that it may cause and the alternatives that ought to be used instead. If countries from other parts of the world have outlawed this inhumane practice, then American cat owners should step up and cease the inhumane practice of declawing to provide a better quality life for their pets.

Works Cited

"Declawing Cats: Far Worse than a manicure." humanesociety.org, The Humane Society of the United States, 2021, www.humanesociety.org/resources/declawing-cats-far-worse-manicure. Accessed 2 Nov. 2021.

"Declawing of Domestic Cats." avma.org, American Veterinary Medical Association, 23 July 2019, www.avma.org/sites/default/files/resources/declawing_bgnd.pdf. Accessed 2 Nov. 2021.

Schelling, Christianne. "The Truth About Declawing." declawing.com, Declawing.com, www.declawing.com/the-truth-about-declawing. Accessed 2 Nov. 2021.

Cheung, Helier. "Cat declawing: Should it be banned, and why does it happen in the US?" bbc.com, BBC, 6 June 2019, www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-48528968. Accessed 3 Nov. 2021.

Shojai, Amy. Cat Facts: The Pet Parent’s A-to-Z Home Care Encyclopedia. First Edition ed., Furry Muse Publications, 2015.

Andreassi, Katia. "New Documentary Condemns Declawing of Cats; Who Is Right?" nationalgeographic.com, National Geographic Society, 14 Sept. 2013, www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/article/130911-declawing-cats-paw-project-vets-pets. Accessed 2 Dec. 2021.

"U.S. pet ownership statistics." avma.org, American Veterinary Medical Association, www.avma.org/resources-tools/reports-statistics/us-pet-ownership-statistics. Accessed 6 Dec. 2021.