Eighteen (Or More) Reasons Not To Ruin Your Cat

I've always liked cats. I couldn't have any when I was growing up, though, because I was allergic -- swollen, itchy eyes and plugged up nose and sinuses. It was similar to hay fever but didn't last as long.

We adopted Kitty S., my mother's favorite client at the veterinary hospital where she worked, as a present for my mother's birthday. Kitty's people, Mr. and Mrs. S., were surrendering her because Mr. S. had developed an allergy to cats. Some years ago, as part of her well-kitten care at that same veterinary hospital, Kitty was spayed...and declawed.

I agreed whole-heartedly with Mr. and Mrs. S. decision to have Kitty spayed. In fact, I think that every pet should be spayed or neutered. But declawed? Kitty didn't like having her paws -- especially her front paws -- touched. She wasn't normally a biter, but she'd nip at anyone who tried to touch her paws. When she walked through the apartment she did so very gingerly, almost like she wasn't sure of her next step. Nor did she cover what she left in the litter boxIt had been a long time since she was declawed, so I didn't think she was in any pain.

Or was she?

I didn't know much bout the declawing procedure it self, only the reasons why people had their cats declawed (and I disagreed with each and every one of them). I did some research. I found out that when a cat is declawed, the veterinarian amputates a digit of each of the cat's fingers. That means severing the nerves, tendons, and muscles that connect the digit that contains the claw, and cutting into the bone to completely remove that digit. When a normal cat is declawed in the front, that's TEN amputations; if the back claws are included, that's EIGHTEEN amputations in all. If the cat is a Hemingway (i.e., polydactyl, having more than the normal eighteen toes), that could be as many as TWENTY-TWO or TWENTY-FOUR amputations. Are you with me so far?

Cats that are declawed have an increased tendency to develop behavior problems. They may stop using their litter box because the texture of the litter hurts the paws on which they were declawed. They may become biters out of frustration, because they have no claws with which to defend themselves. They may develop painful gait problems from the nerves that were severed, and didn't heal properly, while their claws were being surgically removed. They will never be able to climb or have a good cat-like stretch. They will never be able to go outside for fresh air, because heaven forbid they get into a fight with another cat, they will have no front claws with which to defend themselves. They'd have to use their teeth, which could lead to bites, infections, abscesses, a visit to the vet...and subsequent damage to one's bank account or credit card balance.

Okay, but what about the furniture destroyed by the cat with intact claws? Look at it this way -- furniture can be repaired or replaced. When a cat's declawed, its claws are gone forever. They do not grow back. If the declawing surgery isn't done correctly -- and there's no way of knowing if it was done correctly until AFTER the cat wakes up from the general anesthesia with its paws bandaged -- the cat will experience pain, and maybe even be crippled, for the rest of your life. Is your furniture worth ruining your cat?