*Warning: The following film contains scenes that may be too intense for some viewers and might have scenes that some viewers may find disturbing. Viewer discretion is advised.
Declawing a cat can have many negative effects, including but not limited to the following:
(Lifelong) Pain
(Lifelong) Pain: may often experience pain in their fingers and/or toes for days, weeks, months and even a lifetime after surgery. Even if properly healed, many has been scientifically proven to still experience "phantom limb pain" for life – it changes the way a cat’s paws meet the ground - almost like wearing uncomfortable and unfit shoes for life while standing on your unhealed injuries with your entire body weight
Behavioral Changes + Emotional Trauma
Behavioral Changes + Emotional Trauma: claws are a cat’s primary defense mechanism; therefore many may become more aggressive and bite more as their natural ability for them to defend themselves against predators has been taken and limits their possibility to escape dangerous situations while always being in pain.
Litter Box Avoidance
Litter Box Avoidance: many frequently avoid using the litter box, because of the pain associated while just standing on top of the litter and/or having to bury their waste. Small particles from regular litter can get into the incisions in a cat's toes, causing additional pain, irritation and infection
Infections
Infections: improperly removed claws can easily cause infection and tissue death that can lead to basic infection, cross infection as well as super infection that can lead to other serious and lifelong health complications
Nerve Damages
Nerve Damages: improperly removed claws can cause nerve damage that can also lead to lameness, basic infection, cross infection as well as super infection that can lead to other serious and lifelong health complications
Bone Spurs + Deformed Claws
Bone Spurs + Deformed Claws: improperly removed claws can grow back, which can lead to bone spurs and additional nerve damage
Arthritis
Arthritis: may develop a higher chance of having arthritis in their backs and shoulders as they age compared to cats who were not declawed, because of the way they are forced to stand and walk after getting their digits removed
Other Health Complications
Other Health Complications: include pneumonia, stroke, embolism, cardiac arrest, bleeding, allergic reactions to anesthesia, damages to the throat from being on a breathing tube for the declawing surgery to be performed and even death.
Veterinary Advice
Veterinary Advice: The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and the Canadian Veterinary Association (CVMA) highly discourage declawing both cats and/or dogs as an elective procedure. In many cities in the USA and almost 30 countries worldwide, declawing is banned and/or considered to be inhumane.
*Please remember - Scratching is a natural behavior for cats that serves many needs, including shedding their outer nail sheath and marking their territory with scent glands in their feet.