Why Cat Declawing Should Be Banned

Why Cat Declawing Should Be Banned A fairly recent poll surprised me in that nearly 60 percent of American pet owners, including 55 percent of cat owners say it is OK to have a cat declawed, but only 8 percent approve of having a dog’s vocal cords removed, according to an Associated Press-Petside.com poll.

Dr Jone's thoughts? Both procedures are unethical. He has never removed a dog’s vocal chords, and he stopped performing declawing in his veterinary practice. Declawing is an amputation of the last joint of your cat’s feet. If you have ever cut the end of your finger, you can have a small sense of how painful this is. Imagine removing the end of all of your fingers, have them bandaged, then be left with mild pain medication that won’t give you 24 hour pain control. Hopefully the surgery heals properly, for complications such as chronic infections are not uncommon, then now imagine typing, tying your shoes, using a comb, or holding a fork. This procedure is extremely painful, whether or not pain medication is used. This changes your cat’s anatomy, affecting how they walk; removing the claws drastically alters the conformation of their feet. Your cat also loses their main way to defend themselves- they can then easily be attacked and killed by predators, being unable to defend themselves. Some clients have reported that their once friendly cat develops a more aggressive personality- they literally have a completed changed behavior. In my opinion this is an unethical procedure that veterinarians should immediately stop performing- this procedure is now illegal throughout Europe. If you have a cat scratching problem, start with some common sense. 1.Keep your cat’s nails short- as in learn how to cut them at home 2.Scratching posts- give them multiple spots where they can scratch. 3.Consider alternatives such as the nail covers, Soft Paws. 4.Give your cat some more stimulation- consider letting them go outside, more stimulating toys 5.Decrease anxiety in your cat. Some options include Feliway ( natural pheromone), Rescue remedy, homeopet anxiety, l-theaninine .. You can read my post on natural anxiety relief here:

http://www.theinternetpetvet.com/natural-sedatives-for-dogs-and-cats/ Cats are wonderful pets that NEVER deserve to have their toes amputated.