I was recently told that I am an irresponsible pet owner because I refuse to declaw my cats.
But there are many reasons why I would rather not put my babies, Bonnie and Clyde, through this kind of surgery.
There are several veterinary clinics that will not even offer this kind of surgery, because it is classified as unethical or inhumane.
The surgery is performed at Pioneer Vet Services in Sundre, however, not all of the veterinarians agree to it.
“We do have one vet that absolutely will not, for ethical reasons,” said Tammy Monk, veterinary assistant at the clinic.
She said the surgery is extremely painful.
“So we put the cat under general anaesthetic, then we give them the local anaesthetic to numb that area, because that's how painful it actually is,” she said. “On our hand we have our first knuckle of each finger right, so on a cat it's that same kind of idea, it looks just like a little hand, and what they do is they cut the first knuckle off of each digit on the paw.”
“It's obviously very painful because it's like amputation.”
She said the surgery is not performed as often as it once was, because people are becoming more aware of what the procedure actually involves. She also said some cats aren't quite the same after the procedure.
One of the reasons I do not want to put my cats through this is simply because they enjoy using their claws for different things.
For example, they love dangling their fabric toys on their nails and flinging them three feet in the air. When Bonnie was a little kitten she would climb on me and sit on my shoulder while I got ready in the mornings.
And not to mention, what if they escape to the outdoors and need to use their claws to defend themselves?
There are alternative solutions to the ultimate problem that cats do like to scratch.
For starters, a cat owner should have scratching posts available in numerous areas throughout the house. When cats have an urge to scratch, they will scratch whatever is closest to them.
If a cat continues to scratch on a piece of furniture, there are tape-like strips you can purchase to put on the corners of, say a couch, so when your feline friend goes to scratch that spot, they won't like it because their paws will stick to it.
My boyfriend uses these when he sees Bonnie or Clyde scratch the couch, and they are effective.
And if your cat or cats continue to scratch everything everywhere, there are also plastic caps, known as Soft Paws, which can be glued onto your cat's nails. They are temporary, affordable and have the potential to last up to three months.
Plus, they come in a variety of colours. Glittery pink nails for Bonnie sounds like a great idea!
Or if you see them scratching, discipline them. Spray them with water and then take them over to the nearest scratch post and teach them to scratch that. This works every time for me. Monkey see, monkey do.
Even just trimming your cat's nails will make a difference.
According to Monk, cats scratch their nails because they like to keep them sharp. They also shed their nails as they grow out.
“They do want to keep them sharp for self defence. And their nails are always growing so they like to keep them sharp,” she said.
So, after doing some research, I have come to the conclusion that no, I am not an irresponsible pet owner. I am a responsible pet owner because I am choosing the right option for my babies. I will never declaw my cats.
