I been talking to a lot of ppl w cats lately (I volunteer at an animal shelter) and I didn’t know this needed to be said but
PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD DO NOT DECLAW YOUR CAT.
Declawing sounds very normal to people who aren’t educated on it so let me show you what it actually is.
As you might notice from the diagram, the claw is attached to a small bone at the very end of a cat’s paw. They are fused to this bone, which on a human hand would be where your last knuckle is (the one right before your nail). When someone gets a cat declawed, they aren’t just removing the claw.
The entire last digit of the cat’s paw is removed. (See below)
This severely impedes the cat’s ability to balance itself, is extremely painful for them, and can make the cat extremely aggressive because it no longer has one of its main defense mechanisms! It can also cause many other medical issues down the line including infection, necrosis, and some cats are never able to walk correctly again. Most cats that have this done never fully recover from the procedure and are in constant chronic pain.
It is extremely inhumane and is illegal in only two states at the time I’m writing this!!!! (Maryland and New York) Cats should only have this procedure if it is a life or death situation, never just because someone finds a cat being a cat inconvenient for them. Don’t get a cat if you don’t want to be scratched or have some ruined furniture. If you want more information on this topic, I’d recommend Jackson Galaxy’s YouTube video on it, and to read up on some articles I will link in the comments.
I know I don’t usually post about these types of things, but it’s made me extremely angry to hear people mention getting their cats declawed so flippantly as if it doesn’t ruin the cat’s life, and always for an asinine reason like “they scratched my couch” or “they scratch my kids” THOSE ARE YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES AS A CAT OWNER. Treat your kids and peers to treat animals with respect, or don’t get a cat.
Another thing I feel like I need to mention to cat owners: The need to scratch is instinctual. We have a declawed cat, declawed by previous owner, and she still tries to scratch shit.
As a cat owner, you need to accept the fact that your furniture is gonna get scratched on at some point. That's the experience of having a cat and why scratching posts exist. Please don't consider declawing your cats because they're fucking cats.
On a final note, getting your cat declawed actually means your cat's gonna be biting a LOT more, and biting's a hell of a lot worse than scratching. Even if it's just playing, Snickers tends to use her teeth a lot more than the average cat cause she doesn't have claws anymore. This can be incredibly serious if the cat is in danger because piercing wounds go deep. It's easier to treat a scratch than a bite. If your cat tends to scratch people, it doesn't fall on the cat, that falls on you. Cats love their personal space, so respect it.
Do not declaw your cats for being CATS.
