Declawing cats involves not just removing the claws, but also a portion of bone from each front toe, as well as severing the attached tendons and nerves (the equivalent surgery on a person would be amputating each finger at the joint closest to the fingernail). A number of studies have found that declawed cats are more likely to develop behaviour problems and be relinquished to shelters as a result.
Declawed Cats May Develop Litter Box Problems
According to Dr. Michael Fox, many cats that have been declawed find digging in cat litter too painful and develop a phobia of the litter box. This observation is backed up by the following surveys of cat owners:
- Morgan and Houpt (1989) found that 25% of declawed cats urinated or defecated outside the litter box, compared to just 15% of intact cats.
- Yeon et al. (2001) found that 15.4% of cats refused to use their litter boxes after being declawed.
Annie Bruce, author of Cat Be Good: A Commonsense Approach to Training Your Cat, has found that of all the calls about declawed cats she has received, "95% ... related to litter box problems, while only 46% of clawed cats had such problems – and most of those were older cats with physical ailments." She also notes that "it’s mostly declawed cats that have been prescribed pain killers, anti-depressants, tranquilizers, and steroids."
According to veterinarian Kimberly Harrison, "behavioural problems frequently haunt declawed cats. By far, the commonest thing we see is cats not using the litter box. When cats have stress beyond what they can take, it often shows up as a litter box problem and declawing makes them stress intolerant, in general, for the rest of their lives." Harrison receives up to 12 calls a day regarding litter box problems, and has found that 90% of healthy cats that soil around the house have been declawed.
Janet Winikoff, former manager of the Animal Welfare League’s adoption program in Alexandria, Virginia, states: "I have seen firsthand the problems associated with declawing. It was not unusual for the shelter to receive surrendered cats who began exhibiting aggressive behaviour and refused to eliminate in the litter box after being declawed. Sadly, these cats were typically considered unadoptable and euthanized."
Other Behavioural Problems Associated with Declawing
Deprived of their primary means of defense, some declawed cats become nervous and aggressive. Animal Behaviour Consultant Amy Shojai says that she has advised on many cases in which declawed cats have become biters or developed litter box problems as a result of painful paws. The increased risk for biting is particularly problematic, given that cat bites are more dangerous than cat scratches.
Veterinarian Jean Hofve (2001) notes that workers and administrators at various animal shelters have found that declawed cats are more likely to be aggressive. This observation is supported by Yeon et al.'s (2001) study, which found that 17.9% of cats began biting more frequently or harder after they had been declawed.
In addition to the increased risk for litter box problems and aggression, Morgan and Houpt (1989) found that 22% more declawed cats than intact cats were prone to jumping on counters and tables.
Declawed Cats are Often Relinquished to Shelters for Behaviour Problems
Although many veterinarians (who make money from declawing procedures) argue that declawing prevents cats from being surrendered to shelters, the opposite is often true. A study conducted by Patronek et al. (1996) found that of 218 cats that were surrendered to a shelter, 52.4% had been declawed. Given that only about 25% of cats are declawed overall, this indicates that declawed cats have a surrender rate approximately twice as high as that of intact cats.
According to Dr. Fox, "many declawed cats are put up for adoption or are euthanized due to behavioural problems." He says that he has “received a few letters from some cat owners who claim that their cats never developed any problems after being declawed, but ... many more letters to the contrary, so why run the risk?"
Alternatives to Declawing Cats
Scratching is a natural and necessary behaviour for cats. Alternatives to declawing that enable cats to scratch while saving the furniture include:
- Buying or building a scratch post and training the cat to use it
- Trimming the cat’s claws
- Using Soft Paws vinyl nail caps
References:
- Bruce, A., & Dodman, N.H. (n.d.). “FAQs About Litter Box Problems and Declawing.” GoodCatsWearBlack.com.
- Fox, M.W. (n.d.). “Say No! To Declawing Cats.” TwoBitDog.com/DrFox/.
- Hofve, J. (2001). “FAQs on Declawing and Feline Scratching Behavior.” PawProject.com.
- Landsberg, G.M. (1991). “Cat Owners' Attitudes Toward Declawing. Anthrozoos, 4: 192-197.
- Morgan M., & Houpt, K.A. (1989). “Feline Behavior Problems: The Influence of Declawing. Anthrozoos, 3: 50-53.
- Patronek, G.J., et al. (1996). “Risk Factors for Relinquishment of Cats to an Animal Shelter." Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 209: 582-588.
- Perry, T. (1988). “Declawing: Behavior Modification or Destructive Surgery?” Animal Issues, 29(4).
- Yeon, S.C., et al. (2001). “Attitudes of Owners Regarding Tendonectomy and Onychectomy in Cats." Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 218: 43-47.
Jennifer Copley - Jennifer Copley, BFA, BEd, has a diverse base of expertise that includes research, writing, education, pet care, and various other ...
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