On the Issue of Declawing

The Las Vegas Valley Humane Society is strongly opposed to declawing and believes it to be a painful mutilation and in most cases is unnecessary. Declawing is not just the removal of claws but also involves removing the end bone of each toe. This is essentially equivalent to removing the tip of a person's finger and we are certain the pain is equivalent. The Las Vegas Valley Humane Society does not pass judgment against people who have already declawed their cats. We know there has been very little published information about declawing. Many declawed cats have recovered from their operation and live happy normal lives. Unfortunately, at the shelters and Humane Societies we most often see the ill effects of declawing. We see the cats that could never psychologically adjust to the change in their bodies; the cats that became "biters"; and those that had litter box problems that resulted in their being tossed outdoors to fend for themselves and couldn't defend themselves from their predators. Seventy percent of cats turned into pounds and shelters for behavioral problems are declawed cats. We feel strongly that we would not be working for the better treatment of all cats if we did not speak out against declawing.

The behavioral problem most responsible for cats becoming declawed is the scratching of furniture and carpeting. With a little diligence and patience most cats can be trained not to scratch where they shouldn't. To be most effective you need to start when the kitten is young or when you first bring the cat or kitten home. First of all have something available for the cat to scratch on such as a scratching post. Scratching is a cat's natural way to remove excess layers of claws as new ones grow underneath. When caught scratching on the furniture or undesirable area several means of action on your part are necessary. Either clap your hands and yell "no" right then or have a spray bottle filled with water handy to squirt the cat. When either of these activities on your part becomes associated with scratching in the wrong place, the scratching will diminish in frequency. Praise when scratching on the scratching post is also helpful.

Clipping the cat's claws with clippers on a regular basis is also recommended to reduce the frequency with which they need to scratch and the damage created when they do. Hold the cat in your lap; hold up one paw and with a little pressure on the paw pad underneath force the cat to extend its claws. With the clippers in your other hand, clip each claw making sure you clip short of the blood vein you can see in each claw. Most cats with a little patience and encouragement on your part will tolerate their claws being clipped.