08/14/2024
On August 11, 2021 Catillac and his 5 littermates were dumped on our property. Just one-month old kittens, we promised them a better life.
On August 7, 2024, Catillac and his brother Clyde got left behind at the League for a second time.
We're writing this post in the hopes we can ALL do better - for them, and for every cat.
Catillac and Clyde were returned to us for peeing outside the litterbox.
Catillac and Clyde were declawed.
Catillac and Clyde were two of four declawed cats people called about surrendering last week for behavioral issues (peeing and biting) - probably the most frustrating call we get.
As many of you know, declawing is linked to higher incidences of behavioral issues like peeing outside the box (declawed cats are seven times more likely than non-declawed cats to have this issue), and biting (declawed cats are 4 times more likely to start biting).*
The awful part is that they exhibit these behaviors because they experience acute and chronic pain from the declaw. These cats are in pain, and likely will be for the rest of their lives.
There is no medical reason to declaw a cat, and there is NO benefit for the cat. There are lots of terrible drawbacks, including: acute pain post-surgery; chronic pain from the physiological changes of amputating the bone in their foot (cats have to modify their gait without the benefit of that last toe); acute pain years after surgery from bone regrowth and bone spurs; and then, the cherry on top, getting surrendered to a shelter when that pain leads to behavioral issues that your family can't handle.
We always talk to adopters about why declawing is unnecessary and inhumane. And we do not adopt out cats with claws to families who indicate they plan to declaw. And we are heartbroken when this happens anyway. Obviously, we need to modify how we talk about this procedure with potential adopters.
As we were talking about how to do better by cats, one staffer remarked "it's crazy we have to have this conversation at all - we have to say 'please don't cut off your new pet's toes?!?' Shouldn't this be illegal?"
Declawing IS illegal in a lot of places - in most of Europe. In Australia. In most provinces in Canada. In New York and Maryland. In Austin, Denver, and St. Louis.
But not here. Here, we rely on the understanding and compassion of cat owners. We rely on the conscientiousness of our veterinary clinics. And here, we failed Catillac and Clyde.
We're definitely talking about how we can do better for our adopted cats. How can you help?
- Patronize veterinary clinics that do not offer this surgery to clients. More and more, vets are refusing to provide this service to clients - encourage yours to do the same!
- Not everyone understands that this procedure is unnecessary, painful, and can be debilitating. Talk to friends and family who are thinking of getting cats, and discourage them from considering this option.
- Cities and states around the country are banning this procedure - write your city and county council members, and encourage them to do the same! We can provide sample text for you if you need help.
- Please, never consider this procedure. Trimming nails, providing appropriate scratching surfaces, using products to discourage scratching in inappropriate places - these are all humane ways to handle scratching behaviors. And get to know your cat - not all cats (not even most cats!) scratch furniture! Learn if, how, and where your cat likes to scratch, and respond to their specific needs.
- Send some good juju Catillac's and Clyde's way, as we investigate what pain mitigation options we have for these two (who right now are too terrified to even be touched :( ). At only 3 years old, we want nothing more than to give them a pain-free life.
For more information on the 2017 study assessing behavioral issues in declawed cats:
- Nicole K Martell-Moran, Mauricio Solano, Hugh GG Townsend. Pain and adverse behavior in declawed cats. Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, 2017
For more information on declawing in general:
https://pawproject.org/
