Onychectomy

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Close-up of a declawed paw.

Onychectomy is the act of surgically removing the claws, most often of a household cat, though occasionally of other animals such as circus lions or dancing bears. This process involves amputating the entire distal phalanx, or end bone, of the animal's toes, under anaesthesia, and is popularly known as declawing.

Many veterinarians are critical of the procedure, and some refuse to perform it because of numerous deleterious effects to the cat's welfare: the absence of claws in a cat deprives it of its main defense abilities, both fighting as well as escaping by climbing trees; can impair its stretching and exercise habits, leading to muscle atrophy; compromises its ability to grip and balance on thin surfaces such as railings and fence tops, leading to injury from falls; and can cause insecurity and a subsequent tendency to bite. For these reasons, all authorities recommend that declawed cats never be allowed to roam outdoors freely. This surgery is generally not recommended for an adult animal, and is rare outside of North America, being considered an act of animal cruelty in many Western countries. In Finland, Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland, declawing is forbidden by the laws against cruelty to animals.^[1] In many other European countries, it is forbidden under the terms of the European Convention for the Protection of Pet Animals, unless "a veterinarian considers [such] non-curative procedures necessary either for veterinary medical reasons or for the benefit of (the) animal".^[2] In Britain, animal shelters find it difficult to place imported cats that have been declawed and subsequently most are euthanized^{[citation needed]}. In 2003, West Hollywood, California became the first U.S. jurisdiction to outlaw declawing by veterinarians or animal groomers practicing in city limits, but the law was overturned.[1].

While some people suggest cats not be declawed until 5-6 months of age, many veterinarians who practice this surgery are of the opinion that it is advantageous to declaw the cat as soon as it is old enough to sustain surgery (around 2-3 months of age, depending on size), reasoning that younger cats are more adaptable to the amputation, and that distal phalanges in the cat at this age are still flexible cartilage rather than bone, making the operation less severe.

After a cat has been declawed, it should be allowed to rest, and restrained from jumping (if possible) for a few days. After being declawed, as after any surgery, there may be a period of about a week, sometimes less, when the cat will be uncomfortable being played with or picked up. As with any surgery, there is a slight risk of death, as well as of complications which may leave the cat with an increased risk of infection and/or life-long discomfort in its paws.

1 Legal status
2 Alternatives to declawing
3 See also
4 External links

[edit] Legal status

The incidence of declawing varies widely from country to country, as do the laws governing its practice. Many European countries prohibit or significantly restrict the practice, as do Australia, Brazil, Israel, New Zealand, Japan and Turkey.

[edit] Australia

In Australia, legislation concerning animal welfare is enacted at the state level and is highly inconsistent. There are ongoing efforts to develop a National Animal Welfare Act; in its current state, the bill would prohibit the declawing of cats except for medical reasons. However, some pro-wildlife campaigners advocate declawing (and possibly defanging) to protect native wildlife from pet cats.

[edit] Europe

In many European countries the practice is forbidden under the terms of the European Convention for the Protection of Pet Animals, unless there is a medical indication for the procedure, or a veterinarian considers it beneficial to the animal. Some European countries go further, such as Germany and Switzerland, where declawing cats is always illegal under their laws against cruelty to animals.

[edit] United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom, declawing was outlawed by the Animal Welfare Act 2006, which explicitly prohibited "interference with the sensitive tissues or bone structure of the animal, otherwise than for the purposes of its medical treatment".[2]

Even before the 2006 Act, however, declawing was extremely uncommon, to the extent that most people had never seen a declawed cat. The procedure was considered cruel by almost all British vets, who refused to perform it except on medical grounds. The Guide to Professional Conduct of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons stated that declawing was "only acceptable where, in the opinion of the veterinary surgeon, injury to the animal is likely to occur during normal activity. It is not acceptable if carried out for the convenience of the owner ... the removal of claws, particularly those which are weight-bearing, to preclude damage to furnishings is not acceptable."[3]

[edit] North America

In the United States and Canada, declawing is a widespread practice, although precise figures are hard to come by and there is considerable variation within North America. It is a controversial subject, and often causes heated debate between those who believe it is cruel and that owners who declaw are putting the health of their furniture before that of their cat, and those who argue that declawing is better option in some cases than sending a cat to a shelter where it may be euthanised.

Declawing was outlawed in West Hollywood, California, in 2003 [4], but the law was overturned in 2006 after the California Veterinary Medical Association challenged it in court.[5] The court challenge and ultimate ruling held that West Hollywood had overstepped its municipal authority by enacting an ordinance that infringed on licensed professionals’ state-granted rights. It did not address declawing as an animal welfare issue.

In 2004, California became the first state in the USA to enact of state-wide ban on the declawing of wild and exotic cats.

In 2006, the United States Department of Agriculture enacted a ban on declawing of all wild and exotic animals held by USDA-licensed owners. [6]

[edit] Alternatives to declawing

One popular, relatively inexpensive alternative to declawing is the application of vinyl nail caps (marketed in the US under brand names such as Soft Paws and Soft Claws) that are affixed to the claws with nontoxic glue, requiring periodic replacement when the cat sheds its claw sheaths (usually every four to six weeks, depending on the cat's scratching habits).

Other alternatives to declawing due to scratching also include the use of scratching posts, regular nail trimming, training (for example, deterrence with a water pistol), or a natural pheromone supplement that will deter the animal from scratching where the substance has been sprayed.