Stop passing on misinformation about declawing cats!

We have permission to quote this written by a vet tech who we will not of course identify as she is in the precarious position of working for a clinic in which one vet declaws. She hates the procedure but feels she can do more good by ensuring the welfare of her patients by being there on the spot and she can also help educate people as to the cruelty of declawing.
She says:
'Even with our supposedly superior methods of pain control, we still routinely have declawed cats tearing off their bandages and thrashing in pain upon awakening from the operation. It was the sheer amount of pain control medication that we give these cats that first clued me in to how truly odious this procedure is.
Typical pain control protocol for a declaw at the clinic where I work includes both pre- and post-operative injections, nerve-block injections in the paws, oral meloxicam to go home with, and the application of a transdermal fentanyl patch- this last of which is such a strong opiod-based painkiller that, when used in human medicine, I have heard it is typically only prescribed for the terminally ill’

This demonstrates just how much agony cats suffer from declawing and we already know that some vets not only declaw, but give clients the choice of pain medication by paying extra ! The thought of how many cats are suffering from this senseless abuse is heart breaking.

'Both sides' do not attack each other.There aren't any'both sides'and there is no grey area.
The indisputable fact is that declawing is painful needless abuse of cats and is never in a million years justifiable.
Most of us work in animal rescue too offline and online so we are not impressed because you do.
You must realise yourself surely that we can't let misinformation go unchallenged.If we did,how many more cats might now be suffering because people like Jenny not only believe but pass on the lies a vet told her.
Yes it was too late to save her poor cats toes but the true information may have saved others.
As some one else already said,you'd do better to help us get it banned quicker.To condone abuse by doing nothing to stop it is almost as bad as committing the abuse yourself.

Mr/Ms Not PC,you and Jenny should get yourselves some education about the cruelty of declawing.
I had my eyes opened wide on this web site.
I suggest you do the same.
Enough said.

Not PC,I was quite kind to Jenny even though she cancelled out her good deed rescuing that cat by her bad deed of having her declawed.
She had no right to come here accusing us of passing on misinformation.The irony is that she was the one doing just that....on her corrupt vets say so.
Many of us have given much time to the education of ignorant people as to declawing.Do you think we do it for fun?We certainly don't.It tears our hearts out!
Read some other pages on PoC,look at pictures of cats suffering,read up EXACTLY what happens to the cat,in fact why not watch it on a video clip?
We are not ogres,we know vets mislead clients but not a single one of us would ever hand one of our cats over without knowing exactly what for.Even were it'only'the claw it is a dreadful deed to take away a cat's essential parts.
Claws are the essence of the cat.
They come WITH claws because they NEED claws.
Now PC,help us instead of hindering us.Sign our petition and pass it on,as the sooner declawing is banned the better.No more will cats suffer then because of unfeeling money mad vets coining it from the ignorant people we can't reach to be told the truth.

You'll notice we did commend Jenny on rescuing that kitten but we have to make it clear to her and people like her, that we do NOT pass on misinformation and anyone ignorant of the true facts about declawing or looking for a way to justify having their own cat declawed could have read her comment that the vet said 'only' the claws were removed.
As you obviously now know a bit about cats you will know that is impossible ....but many people don't know that unless we tell them!
There is NO grey area, declawing is pre meditated unecccessary abuse.
People like Jenny, with skin diseases, live in our country and 37 others where declawing is banned and they manage well without having their cats toe ends amputated.If she was so worried about herself she could have rehomed that kitten.Just supposing the declawing had gone wrong, as it so often does, or the kitten had started biting or soiling outside the litter tray. Your cat was lucky,many declawed cats are unrehomeable,that kitten would have had no chance of another home once disabled.
I commend you for taking in a declawed cat,I hope you know that even if he has no problems now,they can occur anytime in the cat's lifetime and the chances are very high he will develop painful arthritis eventually. You say your cat 'does not seem' to be in any pain now,but you aren't sure are you? Many declawed cats learn to live with pain,they have no choice ! They had to adapt to living a disabled life.
A lot of people have worked hard for many years to educate people about declawing and don't need someone to come along telling untruths about the operation.It's bad enough at present pro declaw vets pushing lasering as more humane.
NO way of declawing is humane PC. The cat faces the same problems whichever way the toe ends are amputated.
It's not compulsory to have a cat and WHEN declawing is banned those people who only want a cat if it can be adapted will not have a cat !
That day can't come soon enough for those of us who TRULY love cats and care deeply about their welfare.

Ok I have question for those on this site. First, let me say that I agree that you should not get a cat declawed. I will also say that in this situation there is a real choice to be made. Are all of you suggesting she should have allowed the cat to be put down? Before you get on me I have adopted two dogs and two cats (one declawed and one not, both from a kill shelter). The declawed cat was older and declawed when we adopted him. I was told because of his age that he only had a couple of weeks before he would be put down if not adopted. I have to admit, as both of them lay on me, I was not a cat person before these two, my wife was. I had to research and learn. I do think that you should avoid any surgery that is not needed. For many of the reasons given on this site. My declawed cat does not seem to be in any pain now (sure it has been years sense his surgery as I have had him over a year). He runs, jumps, plays, plays with our Irish Wolfhound (ignores the other dogs).

My problem is as animal lover (adopted and fostered several animals) who works with a rescue at present, do we push others away by refusing to understand that the world is grey. Why can't we do as Michael said and respect others opinions. I do not agree with her decision to get her cat declawed. I do think if you care so much about animals to post on this article you should stop and think about the positive she did for this cat. Really how many people will run from any group trying to raise money for animal rescue or help if they read how both sides attack each other on this thread?

I dont know why your vet would tell you that but if she didnt remove the bone the claws would surly have grown back. I worked at a vets. Ive seen this first hand. When your nail is removed it usually grows back, unless the bone is removed at the first joint. I feel bad for you and your cat I however feel there could have been swome sort of alternatives to the declawing. Needless to say Im happy you love your cat and Im sure it loves you evend though you subjected it to such a cruel act.

That vet, Jenny, is the person you should moan to about passing on misinfomation. That vet is the one who sucked you in with their lies about declawing. I ask you ponder on this question; if declawing is a safe procedure, with no negative affects on the cat, then why is in banned in more than 30 countries?

Your cat seems happy now because it's used to the pain and discomfort, also, cats don't often express pain and discomfort. You say the cat would have been put to sleep at 7 weeks had it not been declawed, correct me if I'm wrong, but you had the cat declawed at 5 months, not 7 weeks... Am I missing something here,? Because I'm quite confused.

Your vet can't compare the finger nails of a human to the claws of a cat. They're completely different. But seeming if your vet thinks they're the same, can you ask your vet to teach me how to retract my finger nails? Can your vet tell me how to use my finger nails like hands (as cats do)? And can you ask your vet why bone comes of with the claws if the knuckles etc aren't taken off too? Don't listen to the vet, Jenny. This is an ethical debate which is far from ending, and your vet is the reason as to why this cruelty is continuing.. Don't support them, please.

Hi Jenny. Since you don't believe what this site tells you, maybe you should check what the Humane Society of the United States has to say?
Go to humanesociety dot org, type 'declawing' in the search box and up comes an article titled 'Declawing Cats: Far Worse Than a Manicure', which is the Humane Society's position statement on the issue.

As it says, 'If performed on a human being, declawing would be like cutting off each finger at the last knuckle.'

Hello Jenny,
You can't put right the wrong you have done to your cat. i know you love your cat and thought you were doing the right thing, but your thinking about human de-clawing is all wrong!
It is nothing like a CAT BEING DE-CLAWED.
i have had most of my toe nails permanently removed, and the last two will be removed next month. I suggest you read the detailed article that i sent in that informs in detail the difference between human de-clawing and cats.
The main issue is that my toes are intact and perfectly healthy! Also i don't need toe nails where as cats certainly need their claws!
I feel very sad for your cat, and very sad for you that you were mis-informed!
Please don't preach to others that they are wrong and you are right, because i can defintely tell you Jenny that you are so wrong! what you have done cannot be undone, but i implore you that if you ever get another cat, you will NOT have your cat de-clawed! I promise you that you would have a severely disabled, and very miserable pet, who cannot live a normal "cat" life.
Next time, please consider that perhaps a cat is not the right pet for you if you have a skin condition. In the mean time please think about what I have written. Read the article I wrote, with the help of Ruth and Babz about human versus cat de-clawing...I think you could then be gracious enough to apologise to people you have offended with your comments.
Declawing cats should be abolished and made illegal globally. CATS NEED CLAWS!

Whatever be the half-truths, facts or lies on the topic of "De-CLAWAING CATS",i personally feel that people opting for "De-clawing" are unfit to keep cats as house-hold pets.
Imagine having all dogs vocal chords surgically removed to prevent them from barking, the same hold true for "Cat-Declawing", a surgery against the normal life of the animal.

Sorry Jenny but I don't accept your Psoriasis as a valid excuse for de-clawing your cat.

I have Psoriasis (albeit very mild)and my cat's have claws. My friends daughter has very severe psoriasis which bleeds and their cat has claws.

I work as an estate manager in a complex of apartments that houses over 55's. One of my tenant adores cats and is always fussing the cats that come into the garden. She also loves dogs but if a dog comes into the building she backs away even if it's on a lead. This is because she has very thin skin and she know's that a dogs claws would do much more damage than a cat's. So tell me Jenny; if you had saved a puppy would you have had it de-clawed? No I guess not because that would be unthinkable however its fine for a cat because they are clearly 2nd class citizens and they are money making machines for ruthless butchering, lying vets.

You have been lied to Jenny and I suggest that you confront the vet peddled this rubbish. He clearly has you fooled.

I'm afraid I agree with the comments on here that you needlessly put your innocent little cat though even more pain. How could you do that? It's all beyond me quite frankly.

You have been quite rightly slated on here but I hope you will have the courage to tackle this vet and come back on here and tell us that you accept your cat has had her toe ends removed, not just her claws.

It looks as though everything I wanted to say has been said by the other posters.

My husband has psoriasis and mentioned getting my siamese kitten declawed....uhhhhh no dear, I use soft paws and told him that under no uncertain circumstances would I ever subject my baby to the cruel and unusual punishment of declawing...I told him that I will get my kitten declawed if he agrees to get the tip of each of his fingers amputated.

He admitted that he didn't know that declawing was so cruel and that he just "assumed that if the vets performed the procedure that it must be OK". Unfortunately a great many people think that way.

Jenny, I know they didn't have soft paws when you first got your kitten, but there were alternatives to declawing, and there are also more modern ways to control psoriasis (eg: enbril). Thank you for sharing your story though.

"Declawing is an inhumane, unnecessary procedure that has many alternatives. It is never in the cat's best interest. With declawing, we are interfering with a species' nature because of our own whims, mis-conceptions, misinformation, and sometimes, laziness." Dr. Neil Wolff, D.V.M.

"Declawing fits the dictionary definition of mutilation to a tee. Words such as deform, disfigure, disjoint and dismember all apply to this surgery in veterinary medicine, the clinical procedure serves as a model of severe pain for the testing of analgesic drugs." Dr. Nicolas Dodman, D.V.M.

“The request itself [declawing] is an indication that the household is not suitable for a cat.” Dr. Louis J. Camuti, D.V.M (a practicing veterinarian for fifty-eight years)

"Declawing is actually an amputation of the last joint of your cat's "toes". When you envision that, it becomes clear why declawing is not a humane act. It is a painful surgery, with a painful recovery period. And remember that during the time of recuperation from the surgery your cat would still have to use its feet to walk, jump, and scratch in its litter box regardless of the pain it is experiencing. Wheelchairs and bedpans are not an option for a cat." Dr. Christianne Schelling, D.V.M.

"I strongly advise all prospective cat owners, and those people with cats who are contemplating having the entire first digit---not simply the claw---removed surgically from their cats' paws---never to have this operation performed on their felines." Dr. Michael Fox, D.Sc., Ph.D., B.Vet.Med., M.R.C.V.S.

"Declawing is not a simple or routine surgery. It should never be done as a "preventative," especially in kittens. Despite their reputation for independence, cats can readily be trained to leave the sofa, curtains, or carpet untouched. Using surgery to prevent or correct a behavioral problem is expedient, but it is definitely not the smartest, kindest, most cost-effective, or best solution for you and your cat. Your veterinarian has an obligation to educate you as to the nature of the procedure, the risks of anesthesia and surgery, and the potential for serious physical and behavioral complications, both short- and long-term." Dr. Jean Hofve, D.V.M.

"...not all veterinarians are aware of the pain & lifelong damage that are ramifications of the procedure. Statistically, she said, 50% of cats will come out of the operation with immediate complications for 2 - 3 weeks, and 20% will have complications for the rest of their lives. 1/3 of cats that are declawed will resort to biting or not using the litterbox." Dr. Jennifer Conrad, D.V.M.

ENOUGH SAID!!!

Yes Jenny,stop passing on misinformation.There is plenty of REAL information about declawing right here on this website.
My advice to you is to read it.

Petra has a very good point there.It's taken you a hell of a long time to ask just what DID happen to your cat when you handed her over for more surgery.
Surely you should have asked at the time?I wouldn't hand any of my cats over for surgery without knowing EXACTLY what that surgery entailed.
It looks to me like you've read the truth on this site and your guilty conscience prompted you to phone a vet and ask what declawing actually is.
What a pity you chose one who has misinformed you and that you believe that misinformation so much that you want us to believe it too.
You say had it been true that part of the cat's toe bone was amputated,which of course IS true, that you think it was justifiable for YOUR sake to have this done.
You think your cat is lucky to have YOU making decisions about her health and happiness.
Think again.
If she really has had nor has at this moment any problems from the most cruel and unneccessary operation ever,then get down on your knees and thank God because thousands of cats DO have problems.
Now I suggest you find a NO DECLAW vet and have her paws and joints checked over to ensure she really is NOT in pain.

I'm afraid Jenny that your vet and too many others like them are the ones you should be addressing your comment to. It is those vets who have been misinforming and misleading the American public for decades about declawing. They they don't want the public to know that it's the amputation of the end of the cat's toes otherwise you might start asking awkward questions about how the cat's quality of life would be affected by such a cruel and unecessary amputation.

Ask yourself or your vet this - why do vets in at least 38 countries consider it so cruel that they refuse to perform the procedure? In all the countries that have banned declawing it had nothing to do with animal rights groups - most of the general public have never even heard of it. It is the vets themselves who were responsible for getting it made illegal because they consider it to be a form of mutilation which causes great suffering.

I don't think your original vet sounded very compassionate anyway. Just because he considered the kitten unadoptable doesn't mean that everyone else would agree with him. Lots of genuine cat lovers have taken on such pets. As for the potentially huge medical bills he said she would incur a future owner - has this been the case or was he wrong yet again? I'm willing to bet that he never mentioned to you the common side effects to declawing such as nail bed regrowth, lose bone fragments, arthritis due to excess wear and tear
on joints. These are all costly conditions to treat too, but never mind, he can make extra money treating cats for those problems too.

Whilst you are to be commended for stopping to help the kitten when you found her injured, the declawing was totally unnecessary. I don't think you are a bad person, but I do think that your trust and faith in vets has been sorely abused. They took advantage of your lack of knowledge of feline anatomy to get you to pay for an operation that was not necessary. Any vet who would put an animal through a needless surgery just to make money is beyond redemption. How could you ever trust them if your cat becomes ill? How would you know if they were genuinely offering the best course of treatment or the one which makes them the most money?

There's an excellent article on this web site "Declawing: A Physical Therapist Assistant's Perspective" which I would strongly recommend you read. You'll then understand the sorry truth that your vets have been lying to you and harming your cat in the process.

Jenny, you are so, so wrong! You may think you deserve praise for rescuing and keeping the kitten, and fair do's you did do well by rescuing her, but by declawing her you ruined her paws and sentenced her to a lifetime of disablement. You have the nerve to come on this site and accuse US of passing on misinformation and yet you had to check with your vet to find out what it was you actually requested him/her to do to your cat, you didn't even know/care what physical and emotional pain that cat had endured, as long as it meant your skin was saved and you were spared pain. Hmm, very impressive - not!
Not only that but you swallowed the MISINFORMATION from your vet and passed it on expecting us to do the same. Well we have researched declawing long and hard, unlike you, and we KNOW it is cruel, unnecessary and only requested by selfish owners and performed by unethical veterinarians.
Please don't ever take in another cat, you are not a worthy owner.

So that poor little cat despite surviving all those injuries was crippled for life after all by the operation misnamed declawing.
As if all the pain she endured wasn't enough she had to endure more by having ten seperate amputations on top.
Shame on you,you shouldn't be boasting about what you had done to her for your sake and you shouldn't be telling us we are the ones passing on misinformation.
Get real,get educated and never have another cat in your life if you are so selfish as to want it crippled too.

What do you want from us?A halo for doing what any compassionate person would have done by which I mean having that cat treated and giving her a home?
Sorry but you won't get one here as you cancelled out the good you did in saving the kitten by having a person cripple her for life.
Now you come along and dare to accuse us of misinformation and spout untrue rubbish some vet has told you.
Each claw is firmly embedded into bone,those claws were never meant to be removed,that's why.
Did you not know cats are born with claws because they need them?
Lots of people in countries where declawing is illegal have skin complaints like yours and manage well without taking healthy much needed parts from their cats.
People like you who try to justify their cruelty make me sick.

The sugical procedure used is not in any way similar to the removal of a human's nails as you will know by now if you read the link Ruth posted about a friend to quote you....'only having the nails removed PERIOD'
The vet lied Jenny!That kitten's last toe joints were amputated.Compare your poor old cat's paws now with the paws of a healthy clawed cat and see the difference.
I do hope she isn't suffering right now while you are bragging of how you saved her life and spent money on her.
Another quote from you ....'He said most quality trained vets do this same surgery'
I have news for you, QUALITY vets do NOT declaw cats at all,they educate their clients as to the alternatives to removing cats last toe joints.
Those vets you think so highly of and trust are even now offering,YES OFFERING,packages to neuter and declaw kittens!
I think you should do a lot more research into declawing and not believe what you are told by someone whose bank account is fat with profits from the suffering of many cats and kittens.

Right let's just say that kitten had been a puppy,would you have had her declawed?
No?
Why not?
A kitten feels as much pain and distress as a puppy and a puppy's claws can do as much damage as a kittens.
There is a very good article here on PoC about this way of looking at declawing....
https://pictures-of-cats.org/why-is-there-shock-over-the-declawing-of-dogs-but-not-for-cats.html
Read it Jenny and maybe it will help you understand the unfairness by some people and by the veterinary profession also towards cats.
You can't change the past and I hope your cat really is in good health and has never suffered nor will suffer as many cats do from the removal of their toe ends.
But you shouldn't come here accusing the people who have done much research,some who have seen with their own eyes the evidence of the cats suffering,of passing on misinformation when it is in fact YOU doing that yourself.
You can never make it up to your own poor cat but you can help stop more cats from suffering because of their owners who just like you are ignorant of the truth about declawing.
If you do love cats then spread the word Jenny.

Jenny, your head is in the sand and the veterinary practice that by your own admission hadn't the compassion to help your cat when she was an injured kitten without presenting you with a huge bill has now lied to you about the extent of the damage done to your cats paws. Declawing is a misnomer, it should be called deknuckling bacause as the claw grows from, and is actually part of, the bone there is NO WAY that the claw can be removed and regrowth prevented except by the removal of the last part of the toe bone.

Like Michael and Ruth I commend you for saving the cat when she was in a desperate position, but I disagree that you had no alternative but to keep her and mutilate her. You are not the only cat lover in your area. If you had asked a local newspaper to feature a story about a kitten who had lived against all the odds you would have been inundated with offers of a home for her. People are like that, someone else could have loved and cared for her and not put her through more agony by declawing her. Your reasons for keeping her and your excuses for declawing her are purely selfish, you wanted her because you had saved her, but you didn't think anthing about the cost to the kitten of your ownership. She paid with her precious paws for your satisfaction in saying "I saved this cat, I am her "mommy", see how kind I am?"

Psoriasis exists in countries where declawing is rightly illegal, now how do you suppose people manage with clawed cats in those countries? Well they take care not to put themselves in the position of being scratched in the same way that they take precautions when gardening or doing anything else that could cause them to injure themselves. And if they are not confidant they can take enough care then they don't do those things and they don't have a cat. No-one has an automatic right to own a cat and adapt it to something that fits their life

So, please check your facts, educate yourself(and I don't mean by asking a biased veterinarian who performs this hideous procedure for financial gain)find out what declawing actually is and what you put that poor kitten through so soon after all her other suffering. Do not accuse us of giving wrong information dear, it is you who is wrong.

I'm thankful that (if true) your cat is happy and healthy, but if you'd care to copy and paste this link you will see what declawing means - now do you REALLY think that a kitty manicure would produce a result like this?

Jenny while I too commend you for rescuing this cat I'm sorry to say you ruined her life by having her declawed.
There is NO WAY a cat can be declawed without some bone being amputated too, because to put it simply that bone contains claw cells and the claws would regrow crookedly. Many cats have had botched operations where the vet has left a bit of this bone and the cat has suffered agony from claw regrowth. If you have checked your cats paws regularly and she has no regrowth then the bone WAS removed, no matter what your vet says.
It is a completely different operation to a human having toe nails removed:

https://pictures-of-cats.org/our-friend-is-being-gradually-declawed.html

But then again you don't even seem to think that the ten amputations your cat suffered as a tiny kitten was a high price to pay for the privelege of living with you.If you had to choose between having your cat mutilated or not keeping her, then you should have rehomed her to someone who who wouldn't have put her through the most painful operation a cat can endure.
I say IF you had to choose, but you didn't did you ? As Michael so rightly says you could have just trimmed her claws and provided her with a scratching post.What if you lived in a country where declawing is illegal ?
I'm not impressed by what you spent on that cat,any cat lover would move Heaven and Earth to help a cat.
You say your cat is happy, do you not know that cats hide their pain? At her age she is VERY lucky if she isn't suffering from painful arhritis which affects most declawed cats because they have been unable to exercise properly.Cats need to dig in their claws to stretch their leg,shoulder, stomach and back muscles.You and the vet who broke his/her oath to harm no animal, have deprived your cat of her rightful claws for almost her entire life.
So don't come here telling us to rethink our adamant stance on declawing when it is YOU in the wrong Jenny.
Declawing can NEVER be justified !
Retired Vet nurse

Hi Jenny. Firstly, thanks for visiting and sharing your views. It is always appreciated. I like hearing alternative views but I feel insulted that you have accused me of passing on misinformation.

I give my opinion which I entitled to do. My opinion is that of hundreds of millions of others. I also provide accurate facts about the declaw process. I cannot be accused of passing on misinformation.

If your vet has declawed your cat then the information that you have been given about the operation is misinformation. Yes, your vet is peddling misinformation but not me. And I am afraid to say that when it comes to declawing cats vets have a habit of distorting reality.

Lastly, I praise you for taking on your injured cat. That was exceptionally charitable and compassionate behavior. I am sorry to hear that your have psoriasis.

But I don't think that you needed to declaw your cat. You might have considered trimming the claws on a regular basis. Properly trimmed claws cannot scratch.

There are other things that can be done to avoid scratching. With care there is no need to get into a situation where a cat might scratch. It can be completely avoided.

I get the odd scratch because I play a bit rough sometimes. That is my fault and I fully accept it.

But it can all be avoided. From my standpoint it is a great shame that on the one hand you funded the healing of your cat and yet on the other you have mutilated your cat for a reason (yes, in my opinion) that cannot be supported.

I will continue to fight against declawing as it is plainly wrong and no amount of poor argument will ever justify it.