Being a child of the 90s and early 2000s, declawing was usually something that was done automatically the moment a cat was spayed or neutered. Our family and everyone I knew with a cat did it. It was rare to find someone with a cat that was NOT declawed (or so it seemed to me). From a human point of view, declawing has many advantages:
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The furniture is not damaged
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Humans/other animals are not harmed
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No nail trimming required
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No need for scratching posts
Over the years, laser declawing was introduced as a more “humane” alternative and many professionals recommended declawing for cats under one year old because it was “easier on them.” I have made these recommendations myself for many years.
In 2017, a study changed everything. He provided statistics on the risks of physical changes such as the discovery of bone fragments at declaw sites, bone regrowth at declaw sites, and arthritic changes at the elbows and shoulders. Because physical and behavioral health are very interconnected, it is not surprising that cats who experienced this pain/discomfort exhibited inappropriate behaviors like urinating/defecating outside of the litter box and an increased likelihood of biting.
For Emily, the study changed the way she helped her cat clients. Whenever she is presented with a declawed cat that is exhibiting problematic behaviors, she always refers the client to their veterinarian to rule out the possibility that declawing could cause pain or discomfort. A particular case stands out:
Mack was a four-legged, neutered and declawed male cat about 11 years old whose family moved and left him outside. A kind neighbor took him in and tried to keep him, but he wouldn’t pee in the litter box at all. He was also rather grumpy. When he arrived at the shelter where Emily worked, he continued to not use the litter box regularly and was not open to animals or affection. He hissed, growled and tried to bite the stick several times.
In most shelters, a cat like Mack would not be a candidate for adoption and would likely be euthanized. He was fortunate to have landed in a progressive shelter that was willing to do whatever it could to help Mack. He went straight to the vet and had blood tests, urine tests and x-rays checked on his paws, elbows and back. What was found explains a lot: Mack had bone fragments in the toes of his front legs and arthritis in his elbows. These physical changes, in addition to being overweight, caused Mack a lot of pain and discomfort. Bone fragments in your toes are the equivalent of walking with rocks in your shoes 24/7! For cats, this can make digging in the litter box especially painful. When a person is experiencing pain or discomfort, they will not be on their best behavior. They are more likely to lash out and have a “shorter fuse”, which is totally in line with Mack’s behavior!
Because the operation to remove bone fragments is painful and time-consuming, the doctor prescribed Mack a daily painkiller and put him on a prescription weight-loss diet to relieve his elbows and toes. Shelter staff noticed a MASSIVE difference in Mack’s behavior! He was affectionate, happy and used the litter box regularly. It was proposed for adoption shortly after the changes were implemented and was quickly adopted. His “father” loved him dearly for the rest of his days.
Stories like Mack stick with us when we work with other cat clients. His pain and discomfort (and perhaps even his abandonment) could have been avoided if he had not been declawed. We are strong advocates of not declawing and instead encourage our customers to provide opportunities for their cats to engage in species-typical behaviors (like scratching) by providing vertical and horizontal scratching options in areas of the home frequented by cats, trimming nails on a consistent schedule and, in some cases, placing rubber caps on nails to prevent damage to people/pets/furniture.
Source: Pain and adverse behaviors in declawed cats – PubMed (nih.gov)