4320
C
Ridgecrest Drive SE
Rio Rancho, NM 87124
Telephone:
505-771-0140
Fax:
505-867-0712
For more information,
e-mail us at:
wmranchnm@aol.com
Declawing
is a painful, unnecessary,
and dangerous procedure.
My
name is Jack, and I died during what was supposed to be a "routine"
procedure.
This is my story.
I
was rescued at three days old with my sister. Our brothers and sisters
had died, probably from starvation. Jill and I were bottle fed, hand
raised, and loved back to health. When I was three months old, I was
adopted. Four days later, I died. Why? I wasn't sick. I wasn't in an
accident. I died because I was taken for elective surgery even though
the vet had determined that my heart beat slowly. The surgery was to
remove my claws. One friend told me that I died because the higher powers
didn't want me to wake up without my claws. The truth is I might have
died even if this surgery was for another purpose. But this surgery
was for declawing and I beg you to learn about our claws and to help
us learn how to help us use them appropriately. Declawing is not like
getting your nails trimmed. It hurts. It scars. It affects how we move
and act. In my case, I died.
• To remove the dead outer layer of our claws
• To mark our territory by leaving a visual mark and a scent
• To exercise, stretch our bodies, feet and claws
• To protect ourselves--if we are threatened by a child or dog, for instance, we scratch
What to do:
Give us a manicure
Keep our nails trimmed—yes, you can do this at home. And you can get help from other cat owners, rescuers, your vet or groomer. We might fuss, but the earlier we get used to having our paws handled, the easier nail trimming will be. And, give me some of those colorful 'soft paws' that lots of pet supply places sell.
Give us acceptable substitutes
Since we're born to use our claws, if we're scratching things you don't want us to, please teach us what IS okay. Watch what we're scratching and try to substitute something that has the same texture, shape, height, and location. Rope posts, corrugated cardboard, or a log are good. To help us follow your logic, put these new objects near the ones we're not supposed to keep scratching.
Make your treasures unattractive to us
(using aversives)
We don't like certain textures like double sided sticky tape or aluminum foil. We'll stay away from smells like perfumes or menthol, so you could put reminder scents on the things you want us to stay away from. Over time, you can move the right objects to other locations and gradually remove the aversives.
Use distraction, not punishment
Punishment doesn't teach us where it's okay to scratch and the punishment is usually after the scratching is done, so we don't make the connection. If you do catch us scratching inappropriate objects, use remote punishment like throwing a plastic bag, shaking a pop can filled with pennies or rocks, slapping the wall, or using a water-filled squirt bottle.
Declawing
Declawing is not cosmetic surgery. But it is entirely elective, for YOU. If you are unwilling to spend the time to help train us to scratch appropriately, and you opt for declawing because it's easier, remember that it is a serious surgical procedure. It involves either amputating our digits or cutting the tendons that control our claws. Try to imagine how you would feel if that were done to you.
Kittens have all the potential in the world to learn to scratch appropriately. You should watch us learning how to use our claws starting when we're three weeks old. It's amazing! And if you let us know what you expect, we can learn that too. But, there might be some cats who are jsut never going to learn or change their scratching behavior. It's better that they can stay in a loving home even if it means they have to be declawed rather than being abandoned to a shelter. But please consider declawing very seriously, and if there's not other option, please only declaw the front paws and never let your declawed cat outside.
