Thoughts on Declawing Cats

Kudos to the Clays Mill Veterinary Clinic in Lexington, Kentucky. This from the clinic's Facebook page, "After careful consideration and much soul-searching, we have decided to stop declawing cats."

The post went on to say that it was once believed declawing helped to save cats by reducing the number that end up in shelters. However, the Clinic noted that this is simply not true. They also made a point of saying that because the procedure would no longer be done at Clays Mill did not mean they were condemning pet owners with declawed cats, that they too have owned declawed cats.

The practice is outlawed in 21 countries around the world -- Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Denmark, England, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Italy, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, Norway, Portugal, Scotland, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, and Wales. However, in the United States, only a few cities have regulations preventing the procedure. Thankfully, more and more veterinarians, like those at Clays Mill are making the decision to stop offering the procedure.

I wholeheartedly believe that declawing cats is very cruel and inhumane. Just as the Clays Mill post pointed out, it's an amputation.

Pause and look at your hands for a moment.

Now, imagine having all your fingers cut off at the first knuckle. That's what it's like for a cat to be declawed.

Declawing is NOT a nail trim. As the Clinic's FB post noted, it is instead a "major and painful surgery . . . And even when performed perfectly, can have lifelong complications."

If you're concerned that a cat will destroy your furniture and you don't have the time or resources to prevent this from happening -- maybe you should reconsider getting a cat.

A cat's nails can be trimmed regularly, which eliminates most destructive clawing. We, at Barbara's Pet Care Services, provide this service to Frankfort pet owners at their request. In addition, Clays Mill Veterinary Clinic offers a list of tips in the FB post on how to "keep your cats from scratching furniture."

I am so happy this veterinary clinic considers the well-being of the animal as a priority over making money. If you are in the Lexington, Kentucky area, please consider doing business with this compassionate staff.

Editor's Note: In October, 2017, news outlets were reporting that the city of Denver, Colorado had passed legislation banning the declawing of cats. This made Denver the first U.S. city outside of California to ban this horrific practice. At that time legislation was pending in New York and the state of New Jersey.