Declawing a cat is the equivalent to not just ripping your finger nail out of your skin, but cutting off each of your fingers up to your last knuckle. This is because declawing a cat is NOT trimming its nails. Trimming a cat's nails will cause them to be less sharp and shorten them, but they will grow back, as ours do. When declawing a cat, the person preforming this torture is actually amputating the last bone of each toe. It's often done by amputating with a scalpel or guillotine clipper. From there the painful wounds are closed up either with stitches or surgical glue. The paws are then wrapped. Your cat now has to walk on these pained feet day in and day out as they slowly heal.

Other methods, which aren't as common, could be using an intensely hot laser beam, that heats up and vaporizes the area. It is still cutting off the last bone of each toe. Or they can preform a tendonectomy. This is when the tendon controlling the toes is completely severed. The cat's claws remain but are forced to remain inside of their paws and can only be extended if someone were to press on the top of the paw and the bottom to force them from the area.

But it isn't just the horrific pain you're causing your cat, but you are also taking away a natural defense. , I can not tell you how many people have told me they've lost their "indoor only" cat. Just because you PLAN to keep your cat indoors, and just because you are careful not to let your cat out, doesn't mean it will never happen. If you've got a declawed cat, its chances of survival have been dramatically reduced. Attacked by a dog? Its only weapon against the massive and powerful jaws of the typically much larger and strong dog, is the cat's small teeth - and it's tiny jaw opening. It no longer has its most useful form of defense: its claws. Or if chased, your cat may not be able to climb a tree, fence or wall and escape the attacker. It's also not safe from cruel humans - who unfortunately are probably far more common than you're aware. Something I hadn't even realized until I began my rescue.

There's a large chance of infection, the pain of a very slow and agonizing recovery - in which the cat is forced to use the area in which the so called surgery has been preformed (imagine breaking your leg, being denied pain medication or a cast, and having no choice but to use that leg still every single day), an increased risk of lameness in the paws and legs and back pain, and more.

Some of you may now be asking - but how do I protect myself? My children? My furniture and home from the scratching? SIMPLE. (1) Trim your cat's nails. MAKE SURE YOU ASK A VET HOW TO FIRST. This is because if you cut too far, you could cause bleeding that won't stop without assistance. You should do this once a month. If uncomfortable, ask a groomer or vet to do it. Many groomers charge just $5! (2) Make sure your cat has scratching posts and/or a cat tower/tree. Cats should instinctively know to use these instead of furniture. If you want to be absolutely sure, get some catnip too. This is also a fun treat for your feline friend! Sprinkle a little bit onto the new scratching post or cat tree and do so once or twice a week. HAVE SOME BUT YOUR CAT NO LONGER USES IT OR NEVER HAS? There's a few reasons for this. If your cat seems to have become bored of their scratcher or tree, move it. Research has proven that a cat may avoid a tree or scratching post if it's in a spot they don't like. This may be because it's too dark or too bright, near something that makes noise, or right beside or above a vent that's far too cold. Move it to a new location, sprinkle on some catnip and pick up your cat and show them where it's now at. You should move the scratcher or cat tower/tree every month or so.

IS YOUR CAT SCRATCHING YOU? FURNITURE? CARPET? Use soft plastic caps, easily found at most pet stores - including PetSmart or Pet Co. - or at your vet's office. They slip onto your cat's nails so that they can still use their claws as they want to, without causing any damage or pain. While using these nail caps (which are easily slipped on and off by you), use something that smells of either menthol or citrus in the area they scratch. Find something with that smell that you can spray on the furniture or area of carpet they're scratching. Cats hate the smell of citrus and menthol and should begin to quickly learn to avoid that area. And/Or have a spray bottle handy near that area so if you catch your cat doing it, spray them. Or try clapping your hands once - loudly - and yelling, chasing them off. Or use something that makes a loud scary noise. You can also try putting a strange texture on the area such as foil or double sided tape. Cats don't like strange and unknown textures and can quickly learn to avoid that area. If your cat is scratching people, it may be because it hates being picked up. Not all cats enjoy being picked up because they no longer feel in control and feel very insecure. If your cat is scratching because you/someone else is picking it up, stop making your pet so uncomfortable and fearful. Or maybe your cat scratches after being pet after a certain amount of time. Animals show signs before they're about to attack. It may be subtle or quite noticeable. Cats' nails will twitch side to side or even sometimes in circles when irritated. Their skin may tense up and they will often make some sort of noise - not like the common meow, but more of an irritated high pitch whine. If your cat does any of these things, stop what you're doing and leave them alone until ready for attention once more.

The point is this: there is absolutely NO reason whatsoever you "have to" declaw your cat to be able to keep it while keeping your home or self or others safe and undamaged. There is ALWAYS something else you can do.

Declawing a cat is TORTURE. There is no way to deny that. It is an extremely painful process, followed by an extremely painful and slow recovery. Your cat has no say in this horrific procedure - which can cause forever damage both mentally and physically; whether immediate or in the future.

Please sign this petition so that we can end declawing cats here in Mohave County, Arizona. But Arizona is only the first stop. From here we can fight to end declawing all over the United States and possibly even elsewhere. We as humans must speak up for those who can't speak for themselves. We must protect those who can not protect themselves. So help me help them and save future cats from this barbaric act.

* CAN'T HANDLE THE CLAWS? YOU CAN'T HANDLE A CAT. DON'T OWN A CAT IF YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE CLAWS. IT'S THAT SIMPLE. AND IF YOU WOULDN'T WANT IT DONE TO DO, DON'T DO IT TO YOUR PET. *