Declawing is barbaric, like tail docking. They are there because cats need to grip objects to climb, to catch objects as well as gain pleasure from a good scratch on a post. Would your bf remove his appendix "just for fun"? It's not like we need the appendix. Cats need their claws.

Cats can't tell you that they have great aches and pains in their feet... and declawing can lead to forms of arthritis. No real animal lover would do this to their pet.

Any time a cat is put under anesthesia there is a risk of disability or death. Statistics on the rate of complications vary from as high as 29% (post-surgery discomfort/pain as reported by owners, Landsberg, 1991) to as low as 1.4% (as recorded computerized abstracts & medical records from a teaching hospital, Pollari et al., 1996). Potential physical complications include: hemorrhaging immediately following surgery or upon removal of bandages; regrowth of nail (would require additional surgery to correct); sequestrum or shattered nail or bone which causes infection/abscess; lameness or non-weight bearing; infection of incision site, joint stiffness or arthritis; and pain. Pain management is necessary following any major surgery. In addition, there is evidence that some declawed cats develop behavioral issues, such as jumping on tables more often than intact cats, litterbox avoidance, and biting.
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"ARTHRITIS: Research has shown that, in the immediate post-operative period, newly declawed cats shift their body weight backward onto the large central pads of the feet, and off the sore toes. This effect was significant even when strong pain medication was given, and remained apparent for the duration of the study (up to 40 hours after the surgery). If this altered gait persists over time, it would cause stress on the leg joints and spine, and would lead to damage and arthritic changes in multiple joints."Declawing: A Rational Look, Dr. Jean Hofre, DVM http://www.littlebigcat.com/index.ph...=show&item=002

*POSTURE DIFFERENCES, i.e., declawed cats sit back on their wrists instead of their whole paw, or older declawed cats develop painful arthritis from walking on incomplete paws for years (x-rays can confirm this) & develop "chronic back and joint pain as shoulder, leg and back muscles weaken." The Facts About Declawing

*ATROPIED PAW PADS: Paw pads should be oval and supple but can harden, & become round or misshaped/shriveled after declaw surgery. Atrophied paw pads make it painful for cats to use crystal type cat litter. The P2 bones (the middle bone of the three in a finger) may also perforate the skin above the paw pad after the last bone is removed in surgery.

Thinking of declawing? Declaw consequences, laser declaw better?, Cat scratch fever, Declaw pictures, Ethics of declawing cats.


The standard declawing procedure calls for the removal of the claw including the germinal (epithelium) cells responsible for its growth, and part or all of the third phalanx (terminal bone) of the toe. The operation is usually performed on the front feet, and is actually an amputation comparable to the removal of human fingertips at the first knuckle. The cat experiences pain in the recovery and healing process.

Declawing can be done at any age, but younger cats tend to bounce back more quickly than older ones. It is never recommended to take out a cat's back claws. Cats rarely damage anything with their rear claws and their rear claws are their only defence after the front ones are removed.

The procedure is not without risk. The tourniquet, used to reduce blood loss during the surgical procedure, can damage the radial nerve and result in paralysis of the leg. This paralysis is usually temporary but can be permanent. If the incisions come open and expose the remaining bones of the digits, infection can occur and the wounds must be left open to heal, which can take longer than if sutures were holding the wound closed.

If the declawing procedure is not done correctly, misshapen claws can grow back. An incorrectly positioned cut during declawing surgery can remove too much of the toe, taking with it part or all of the toe's pad. In addition, if a bone fragment is left at the surgery site, it may become a source of infection. Both claw regrowth and infection necessitate additional surgery.

Declawing your cat is a decision that should never be taken lightly and certainly never be done for the owner's convenience.

Scratching is a natural behaviour for cats and a way of fulfilling a cat's strong instinctive need to mark its territory. Not only do cats mark objects visibly by scratching them, but the scratching deposits secretions from glands in the feet that can be smelled by other cats. Scratching can also provide valuable stretching and foot exercise for your cat.
Facts behind declawing your cat