Declawing Kittens:
What Veterinarians Don't Tell You

It is an extreme and inhumane surgery perpetrated on our sweet little kittens to solve a "convenience" issue for humans.

I don't make a habit out of telling people how to raise their cats...Well, maybe I do since I have this website and all...

but I mostly try simply to be resource for objective information.

As an animal lover however, I do have strong emotions about declawing kittens.

I will do my very best to tell you, without bias, why declawing kittens is a very serious surgical procedure with often dire and unanticipated consequences.

Many first-time cat owners don't know what to expect when they bring their new kitten to their home for the first time.

Most of these first-timers have the best intentions, and when they realize that cats scratching furniture is part of kittens' behavior, they just want to fix the problem.

Some of these owners, however, thinking that kittens cannot be trained or not wanting to invest the time to do so will consider declawing their kitten.

What they may not know (since many unethical veterinarians won't go into detail about the declawing process)is while their kitten is under sedation, the vet performs the declaw surgery by cutting off each toe on the forelegs at the first joint with a scalpel.

It is not just the claw that is removed during the declaw procedure, but the bone, tendons, and ligaments as well.

That is like losing your fingertips at the first bend--and then having to walk on your hands. So much for a "simple" cat nail care procedure!

After the declaw procedure, the kitten's arms are bound and wrapped often past the elbow. Sometimes the more caring vets will ask you what color bandage you want!

(Fortunately, not all American veterinarians will practice this inhumane surgery. The Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association (HSVMA) is one of a growing number of animal rights groups seeking to end this common procedure.)As the kitten wakes up from surgery, pain management is critical. Hopefully the vet prescribes enough painkillers for the owner to administer when the kitten is recuperating at home.

The healing process after declawing kittens is a long and painful one, and declaw complications can include infection, hemorrhage, damage to the radial nerve, bone chips that prevent healing, or even painful regrowth of nail tissue inside the pad that goes undetected.

If abscessing results, it can mean declawing during a second surgery to remove even more bone and connective tissue on the affected toe.

And don't forget, the declawed cat still needs to walk and jump on his injury, and he has to use his litter box!

If you are caring for a recently declawed kitten, do NOT use gravel litter that can get embedded into his fresh wounds.

Find a brand like Yesterday's News, a litter made from recycled newspapers re-purposed into pellets.

After the procedure, even if the operation was a "success" and the healing process is over, the declawed cat is not out of the woods yet...

Cats do not walk on the pads of their feet, they are digitigrade, which means they walk on their toes.

Their back, joints, muscles, and ligaments are all balanced and designed for cats and kittens to walk, run, jump and climb.

After declawing kittens, their feet are forced to meet the ground at an unnatural angle, causing back and joint problems throughout their lives.

Kittens' toes and claws are the only way a cat is able to stretch and tone their back and shoulder muscles, since they use their claws as isometric resistance tools to stretch their legs.

Some cats are unable to handle the severe changes that declawing creates, and they change their friendly and confident personality into one that is nervous, fearful, or even aggressive.

Some cats will resort to biting without having their claws for defense. The lack of having their claws for defense puts a declawed cat in a constant state of distress, which makes them more susceptible to disease.

Cats and kittens also use their claws for scent marking, and an owner may notice that after declawing, he starts scent marking with his urine instead.

A declawed cat may also find using the litter box so painful, she will refuse to use one again, ever.

These unacceptable behaviors often lead owners to surrender their cats to shelters, which often will ultimately end in euthanasia.

It is no surprise that most European countries, New Zealand and Australia along with many others ban this procedure except in rare cases of medical necessity.

Now for the good news! There are several very effective alternatives to declawing kittens.

Investing the time to train your kitten not to scratch furniture is the first step.

To do this, you must have several scratching posts available near his favorite scratching spots.

When he goes for the favored sofa, simply pick him up and place him on his post.

Yes, it takes consistency, time, and diligence when dealing with cats scratching furniture, but that is the level of responsibility required to enjoy the company of an intelligent pet.

It is also important to maintain a consistent cat nail care routine. Trimming the tips of each nail on the front paws every two weeks or so will keep them blunted, and will prevent human injuries and painful kitten nail snags as he races across your carpet!

Another declawing alternative that has recently been developed are plastic, non-toxic cat nail caps, which glue (also non-toxic) to each nail and last for weeks with no discomfort caused to the cat. However, these are not recommended for outdoor cats.

I hope that this article has convinced you against declawing your kitten or cat. Some of you still will say "most cats do fine" after this surgery.

But think of it this way: If only one of these declawing consequences affects only one kitten in 100, is it still worth it?

This is not a medical need for the cat--it is a human lifestyle issue.

With all the other alternatives available, it renders the practice of declawing kittens even less acceptable.

If none of these declaw alternatives is suitable for an owner's particular situation, then the best defense of all against declawing cats, I think, is that some people should just get a goldfish.

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