Research about the negative effects of declawing cats is becoming more widely known. All cats, even indoor cats, need their claws for balance, mobility, protection, grooming and gripping prey and objects.
Studies show declawed cats often experience pain from remaining bone fragments; nail regrowth, reluctance to move or play, lameness and chronic pain. All of these factors result in the following negative effects:
- Reduced quality of life from chronic pain.
- Significantly higher odds of back pain due to change in gait kinetics.
- Greater likelihood of excessive grooming and fur chewing (barbering).
- Greater likelihood of aggression than non-declawed cats; that aggression is appreciably higher in declawed cats with bone remnants.
Source: Fear Free Happy Homes, January 21, 2019. Link.
Currently, 39 countries have enacted legislation prohibiting medically unnecessary declawing. In the U.S., it is illegal in eight cities in California and in Denver, Colorado. No state has passed legislation banning declawing.
INSIGHTS: Veterinary teams need to review their position on declaws at least semi-annually. Retailers and clinics with grooming services may find a new revenue source from nail services for cats.