Declawing - the facts
Sunday, August 3rd, 2008
I did a little man-on-the-street poll at work today and realized that 90% of those I asked didn’t realize what is involved in declawing a cat. Most thought just the claws were removed. If it were only that easy.
First, I want you to do something for me. While barefoot, stand up and take a few steps forward, but keep your toes up off the floor. Notice the unusual pressure points put on your other foot parts. If you continued to walk this way, you’d experience back and joint pains. Now hold up your hand and look at the part of your fingers where the nails grow. Bend your fingers, noticing the joints. Sit for a few minutes until you get an itch. Try to scratch it with your knuckle. Tomorrow, when you wake up and go into the bathroom to get ready, don’t use that comb or brush. Confused? You should be. You’ve just been declawed.
Now, the info:
Declawing is such a misinforming term. True, the claws are removed, but also part of the toe is actually AMPUTATED: “Contrary to most people’s understanding, declawing consists of amputating not just the claws, but the whole phalanx (up to the joint), including bones, ligaments, and tendons! To remove the claw, the bone, nerve, joint capsule, collateral ligaments, and the extensor and flexor tendons must all be amputated. Thus declawing is not a “simple”, single surgery but 10 separate, painful amputations of the third phalanx up to the last joint of each toe. A graphic comparison in human terms would be the cutting off of a person’s finger at the last joint of each finger.” Source
You know how humans get phantom pains after an amputation? How even a simple injury or surgery can turn into arthritis later in life? No one knows if a cat experiences these things. They can’t tell us. But why should they even have to?