Declawing is a surgical procedure which is illegal in many countries, including England, Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, Australia, New Zealand and Israel. It consists of the amputation of bone, cartilege and claw from the animals paws, and is equivalent to removing the first joint of a human's fingers. In most cases the animals, usually cats, end up in pain for the rest of their lives due to arthritis, inflammation, infections etc.

This procedure is done, in up to 95% of cases according to a recent survey, simply to spare someone's furniture from the natural scratching instinct that all felines have. However, what most people don't know is that when you declaw a cat, a multitude of other problems arise. While the animal stops clawing furniture, it is also more likely to bite because it has lost its first line of defense. In many cases the animal also develops behavioral issues and stops using the litter box, leading many people to take them to a shelter. From there they are far more likely to be put to sleep due to behavioral issues that keep them from being adopted.

Bleeding, infection, lameness, nerve damage, gangrene, extensive tissue damage, and death are just a few of the post-surgery complications with declawing. Most veterinarians do not tell their patient's owners about these complications. Many people take their pets to be declawed because they think it is a perfectly normal procedure, and because their vet does not educate them about the procedure, or the complications afterward. After the surgery they are surprised to see that their cat is not as loving as before, bites more frequently, and stops using its litter box (imagine having your fingers cut off and dragging them through gravel).

There are many other humane ways of keeping pets from destroying furniture. Claws can be regularly trimmed, and soft paws are caps that go over your pet's claws to keep them from scratching. They last for up to six weeks and the animal gets used to them usually within a few hours. Putting a scratching post next to the furniture they are scratching is a low cost and effective way to keep pets off of furniture. There are even special double sided tapes you can put on furniture. The animal touches the tape, doesn't like how it feels, and doesn't bother it again.

Declawing is a surgical procedure that is done solely for the benefit of the human, and has no medical value for the animal. Veterinarians take an oath to "do no harm" and by performing this procedure, and in many cases recommending it, they are doing exactly that. They also make money from this unnecessary procedure. We need to start putting the lives of our pets, whom we consider family, above the condition of furniture.

For more information, refer to the following links:

http://www.pawproject.org/​

http://www.softpaws.com/​

http://www.peta.org/living/companion-animals/8-reasons-never-declaw-cats/​

http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/cats/tips/declawing.html​

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/09/130911-declawing-cats-paw-project-vets-pets/

http://www.declawing.com/countries-that-outlaw-declawing