The issue of declawing is being made more obvious to the horrors it can cause to your beloved feline friend. When an onychectomy, otherwise known as a declaw, is performed it is equal to cutting off your finger at the first knuckle. The bone of the third phalanx is removed, it is not just cutting the nail off. Cat's nails retract, by cutting into these muscles and tendons you risk serious long-term physical and emotional impacts. 61 of 163 cats experienced chronic pain for 1-42 days after the surgery ("American Veterinary Medical Association", 2016). Pain is not the only concern in this procedure, other complications can arise that could have otherwise been avoided. This practice is inhumane and unnecessary, but yet is still legal in our country. U.S. Cities such as Berkeley, Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Santa Monica have successfully banned this. I believe that declawing should
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15-42% of feline behavior complaints are from destructive scratching. Owners must be prepared and understand that this behavior is part of owning a cat, we should not be allowed to alter a cat for our convenience. Scratching is a natural behavior for felines and serves many purposes. "It conditions the claws by removing aged cuticle, serves as a visual and scent territorial marker, provides defense from attack, and stretches the muscles of the limbs, thorax, and back", as stated in Literature Review on the Welfare Implications of Declawing of Domestic Cats by the AVMA. After an onychectomy is preformed cats can experience a behavioral change in the way that they become more aggressive. Peta states in their article advising against declawing, that " the lack of claws makes many cats feel so insecure that they tend to bite more often as a means of self-protection." Even after declawing, cats still exhibit the same scratching
15-42% of feline behavior complaints are from destructive scratching. Owners must be prepared and understand that this behavior is part of owning a cat, we should not be allowed to alter a cat for our convenience. Scratching is a natural behavior for felines and serves many purposes. "It conditions the claws by removing aged cuticle, serves as a visual and scent territorial marker, provides defense from attack, and stretches the muscles of the limbs, thorax, and back", as stated in Literature Review on the Welfare Implications of Declawing of Domestic Cats by the AVMA. After an onychectomy is preformed cats can experience a behavioral change in the way that they become more aggressive. Peta states in their article advising against declawing, that " the lack of claws makes many cats feel so insecure that they tend to bite more often as a means of self-protection." Even after declawing, cats still exhibit the same scratching