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By Emily Mosher Photographer: C O Do you know what happens on that operating table when a cat gets declawed? I sure didn’t until I sat back and thought about it. About how it would feel I were a non-human animal being brought into a cold, bright, and scary room. Then to have big scary humans poking me with needles and ripping my fingernails out. Well I am letting you know that these next couple of paragraphs will not be for the light-hearted. These next paragraphs will be descriptive, and highly grotesque, just like a declawing procedure is for a cat. Declawing cats is wrong and here is why. After the cat has been shoved into a cage against its will, it will land on a cold, sanitized table in the middle of a brightly lit veterinary office. Then, after being pinned down to the stiff freezing counter, it will be poked with a needle that will make the cat feel drowsy. Not only has the cat’s blood pressure spiked an incredible amount by now but, it will also have to struggle to fight the increasing anxiety with the odd feeling of drowsiness creeping in that the anesthesia induces. Anesthesia does help to block pain, but also temporarily paralyzes the non-human animal. The worst part is that these medicines do not as they say put these animals to “sleep”, no, for these animals still have their eyes open and can look around while the surgery is going on. If a cat is not given anesthesia from a needle poke, the feline will be forced to wear a mask that will fumigate gases. The most common gases are known as isoflurane and halothane. These are released either from the uncomfortable mask strapped on or from a tube located through the cat’s trachea. Then, comes the grand finale. Most people think that when a cat is declawed, they are just getting their fingernails ripped out, but this is not exactly true. For if a human were to go through the same process of being declawed just like a cat, his/her finger would be cut off all the way down to the last knuckle. Alternatives to Consider First!!!Photographer: Eric Kilby Before you schedule that appointment, check these suggestions out first as alternatives that could be not only cheaper but less stressful on both you and your cat’s lives!
How Much Pain Goes into Getting Your Fingernails Ripped OutPhotographer: IceEye Now, if you’re still stuck on letting the veterinarian rip your 8-week-old kitten’s claws out, you should know the effects that will come with it. For example, you will see:
What Can Go Wrong On and After the Operating TableAlthough I listed the pain and negative behaviors that occur post operation, here are some of the fancier names of the surgical complications that happen from this procedure.
Road to RecoveryFor those that still do not care to listen and want to go through with the procedure, first watch this video and make sure you’re okay with your cat going through this. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=niMgBGfMgFc Okay, if there is still absolutely NO OTHER road to take for your cat or kitten, I at least want the best care for these critters so look at these options for recovery methods. However, I want you to know, that even though these will help reduce the pain and amount of days your feline friend will be uncomfortable and stressed out, there is NO situation that will eliminate the discomfort completely other than not going through the procedure.
Last WordsIf you’re reading this right now, I just want to thank you for taking the time to learn about the process that your furry friend experiences when forced to go through this terrorizing operation. Of course, I hope if you were doing your research and weighing the pros and cons of this situation, you have learned that the cons drastically outweigh the pros of declawing your cats and you have the resources to believe it. If you were already against this surgery and simply wanted to educate yourself more on the process, I hope you send this to your friends to learn about as well. Education and information are key when it comes to giving the best life to our companion animals. If you do proceed with the surgery, I seriously hope you call your veterinarian and educate yourself about their specific process that they go through to make sure that they have the best outlook for your cat’s life. **You oversee your non-human animals’ life, please make sure you don’t abuse it and put them in any situation that you yourself wouldn’t want to be in! ** Photographer: Aloiswohlfahrt References Aquanta LLC. (n.d.). Nail Caps for Cats and Dogs. Retrieved April 20, 2017, from https://www.softpaws.com/ AVMA. (2016, February 16). Declawing of domestic cats. Retrieved April 10, 2016, from https://www.avma.org/KB/Resources/LiteratureReviews/Documents/declawing_bgnd.pdf. (2016, February 16). Declawing of domestic cats. Retrieved April 10, 2016, from https://www.avma.org/KB/Resources/LiteratureReviews/Documents/declawing_bgnd.pdf AVMA. (2005, June). Your Pet's Health. Retrieved April 20, 2017, from http://www.acentralnorth.com/health_declaw.html Cecil, A. (2017, February 13). Are cat claw caps cruel, safe, or just ridiculous? Retrieved April 20, 2017, from https://www.policygenius.com/blog/cat-claw-cats-cruel-or-safe/ D. (2008, November 23). Retrieved April 20, 2017, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=niMgBGfMgFc Kahlil, D. (2007). Forepaw. Retrieved April 20, 2017, from http://www.onemedicine.tuskegee.edu/CanineOsteology/Thoracic_limb/ForepawCarpalMetacarpalPhal.html Lotz, K. (2015, March 30). 15 Tips That Make Trimming Your Cats Nails Easier. Retrieved April 20, 2017, from https://iheartcats.com/15-tips-that-make-trimming-your-cats-nails-easier/ Meow, M. (2009, October). Declawing cats is not cruel. Retrieved April 20, 2017, from http://www.oocities.org/declawing/ Rivera, M. (2012, October 14). What Is Used to Put Cats to Sleep During Spaying? Retrieved April 20, 2017, from http://pets.thenest.com/used-put-cats-sleep-during-spaying-7434.html Schelling, C. (n.d.). Purrfect Scratchers. Retrieved April 20, 2017, from https://www.purrfectpost.com/purrfect-scratchers/ What is Declawing. (n.d.). Retrieved April 20, 2017, from http://forallanimals.org/declawing/?gclid=Cj0KEQjwt6fHBRDtm9O8xPPHq4gBEiQAdxotvIEVf5vtoOrzUf3GF0YF--ELozMRjG4Th11abQF6UagaAjQg8P8HAQ AUTHOR BIOEmily Mosher has been an avid non-human animal lover since her first breaths from the womb. From dogs, to cats, guinea pigs, turtles, lizards, and many, many fish, she has been surrounded her entire life. But now, she wants to learn. Learn what makes them unique? What makes them different from other species? But her latest question has had the biggest impact, WHAT CAN SHE DO TO HELP?! She is currently in the process of earning her zoology degree with a pursuit of a veterinarian license, and she is on the hunt for the information she needs to make a difference in non-human animals lives every day. More from EmilyComments are closed.
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This is a website about nonhuman animals, written by human animals taking a Society and Animals class at Minnesota State University, Mankato. Archives
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