Critics have claws out for procedure
Canada is one of the few countries that still allows declawing of cats
Moe Milstein, Vancouver Sun
Published: Monday, March 20, 2006
West Hollywood, California, a trendsetter in the more riotous aspects of contemporary culture, is now also trying to position itself as a leader in the arena of animal rights. In 2003, the city passed legislation banning the practice of declawing cats, calling the procedure inhumane.
The city's ban was short-lived, however. In November 2005, the Los Angeles Superior Court ruled that the ban was illegal. The court found that the city had infringed on veterinarians' state-granted rights to practise within the scope of their licences. The issue was decided on legal, rather than on moral or ethical, grounds. The American Veterinary Medical Association considers the ruling a victory.
Canada and the U.S. are about the only two countries that allow declawing. Under the European Convention for the Protection of Pet Animals, to which European countries voluntarily subscribe, declawing is banned. In the U.K., it is classified as a "mutilation." Australia and New Zealand also prohibit the procedure.
Cats, from pets to their larger feline cousins, frequently use their front claws to rake available objects -- trees when outdoors, sofas and tables when indoors. The behavior is believed to perform certain functions -- scent marking, claw maintenance and a little muscle toning. It is instinctive, and even declawed cats will go through the motions as if their claws were intact.
Declawing, or onychectomy, entails the amputation of the claw and the part of the toe it is attached to. It is commonly performed only on the front feet.
People who choose to have their cats declawed do so to protect themselves or their furniture. Parents of small children will sometimes request declawing, fearing that the family cat may inadvertently lash out and harm a vulnerable toddler.
The problem of aggressive behavior in cats is significant. A German study of 1,177 cats found that scratching was the second most common behavioral complaint expressed by owners. Efforts to control scratching failed 90 per cent of the time. A U.S. study found that one in 20 office visits to veterinarians involved concerns about destructive behavior in the home.
Critics of declawing argue that it is a painful procedure with occasional complications such as infection or gait alteration. They fear that it robs cats of retaliatory defenses and decreases their ability to avoid danger by climbing trees. They also claim that it changes the cat's temperament, making it more likely to become a problem biter.
With the increasing tendency to keep cats indoors, concerns about limiting cats' defences become less relevant. The issue essentially revolves around a cat's behavior in the home.
For people who care about both their cats and their furniture, alternatives to declawing are available and offer varying degrees of success. Scratching posts, homemade or commercially available, can be used. Unfortunately, cats being cats, they may view a scratching post with disdain and may still prefer to shred your Natuzzi leather couch, the edge of your mattress or the legs of your dining-room table.
Other options available include soft plastic claw-shaped sleeves that can be glued over the cat's claws. These have to be replaced every few weeks as the claw grows out.
Unfortunately, the end result of a failed cat-human relationship is usually abandonment. For this reason, the American and Canadian veterinary associations state that "where scratching behavior is an issue as to whether or not a particular cat can remain as an acceptable pet in a particular home, surgical onychectomy may be considered."
Properly done, and with due consideration to pain control in the first few days post-op, many North American veterinarians feel that there are no lasting negative effects for indoor cats.
Nevertheless, it is likely that on the ethical principle that surgery should be done only for the animal's direct benefit, declawing cats will likely fall out of favour in North America as it has in the rest of the world.
As with other trends, California continues to lead the way.
Dr. Moe Milstein runs the Blueridge-Cove Animal Hospital
in North Vancouver.
© The Vancouver Sun 2006