Keep your cats clawed

It saddens me that so many people think declawing their cats is an appropriate thing to do. This attitude must come from a lack of information about what declawing does to a cat. I'm going to post some info and links to more info in hopes it will encourage you to spread the word on declawing.

Taken from http://www.sniksnak.com/cathealth/declaw.html:

Declawing is the removal of bones, tendons, ligaments and claws to the first knuckle of each toe. Declawing robs the cat of a vital part of his or her anatomy. Simply stated, a declawed cat is a maimed cat.

A 1994 study by the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences at Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine found that of 163 cats who were declawed, 50 percent had one or more complications immediately after surgery, such as pain, hemorrhage, lameness, swelling, and non-weight bearing. Of the 121 cats whose progress was followed after surgery, 20 percent had continued complications, such as infection, regrowth, bone protrusion into the pad of the paw and prolonged intermittent lameness and palmagrade stance (abnormal standing posture).

Taken from http://www.declawing.com/:

In England declawing is termed "inhumane" and "unnecessary mutilation." In many European countries it is illegal.

Some cats are so shocked by declawing that their personalities change. Cats who were lively and friendly have become withdrawn and introverted after being declawed. Others, deprived of their primary means of defense, become nervous, fearful, and/or aggressive, often resorting to their only remaining means of defense, their teeth. In some cases, when declawed cats use the litterbox after surgery, their feet are so tender they associate their new pain with the box...permanently, resulting in a life-long adversion to using the litter box. Other declawed cats that can no longer mark with their claws, they mark with urine instead resulting in inappropriate elimination problems, which in many cases, results in relinquishment of the cats to shelters and ultimately euthanasia. Many of the cats surrendered to shelters are surrendered because of behavioral problems which developed after the cats were declawed.

More information on the harmful effects of declawing and humane ways to deal with claws:
http://declaw.lisaviolet.com/
http://www.sniksnak.com/cathealth/declaw.html
http://www.declawing.com/
http://cats.about.com/cs/declawing/a/nodeclaw.htm


I should point out that the Winona Area Humane Society does not declaw any of their animals, although many come in already declawed. Perhaps someone's nice little kitty wasn't so nice once it got declawed.

Help stop the cruelty. Spread the word. Tell your friends. Tell your family.