Washington State Veterinary Medical Association Agree That Declawing Causes Long-term Health Problems in 20% of Cats

The New York Daily News reports that the Washington State Veterinary Medical Association (WSVMA) state that declawing causes “negative experiences” in half the cats operated on, which is hardly surprising since the cats have suffered ten amputations in one go! Let’s get real.

However, what is surprising is that the WSVMA agree that declawing causes long-term health issues in 20% of cats who have undergone the operation. That is one in five of all cats operated on.

This is the first time I have read about such an admission. We know it, but for vets to actually admit it is something else. It is surprising because the vets who do it know that they almost always do it not for therapeutic reasons but at the behest of the cat’s owner to protect furniture. Therefore in declawing cats NY veterinarians have admitted to injuring 20% of cats operated on for no benefit to the cat.

This makes the operation akin to a malicious injury inflicted by a thug. It is akin to any other example of animal cruelty and torture. The cat’s owner is the accomplice and the vet is the criminal.

I can’t find the statistic of 20% referred to above on the WSVMA website so I have to rely on the reporting of Christina Gdisis of the NY Daily News. On the basis that the reporting is accurate, I thank her for her article. NY state might ban declawing soon. We are awaiting the legislature’s decision.

Vets normally defend their desire to declaw cats for non-therapeutic purposes in any way possible all of which are transparently stupid reasons. It is indefensible.

There are around 300 pages concerned with fighting declawing on PoC! I hate it almost more than anything else as it is so obviously wrong. See also complications of declawing.