Is Declawing Same As Removing Fingernails

Is trimming cat’s nails the same as declawing?

Declawing is an amputation of the first joint of every toe. It’s mutilation.Trimming a claw is like trimming a fingernail. Harmless, but if you cut the claw too short you’ll make it bleed. It has a nerve and a blood vessel in it.

How do you feel about docking dog's tails or ears, or declawing a cat?

Because dogs and cats can’t express a desire for cosmetic surgery, I believe that all medical procedures should be done only if the pet’s guardian and their vet believe it will improve their quality of life.So, I don’t think any of those are a good idea unless there’s an actual medical reason. Cosmetics is not a medical reason. Exercising normal behavior is also not a medical reason — if one gets a cat, one should be expected that they need to scratch to feel comfortable in their surroundings (and that claws help with climbing and hunting). My cat at least seems perfectly fine with sticking to the sissal scratching posts and cardboard, and avoiding the couch unless he wants to draw my attention.For instance, one of my childhood cats lived to a ripe old age of nearly 21. He had trouble jumping due to his arthritis, especially jumping up, but liked to sleep on the couch.  His preferred method for getting up was to find a human to boost him up, but he’d settle for using his claws to climb the front of the couch until he could sit on the cushions. Not good for the couch, perhaps, but it meant an old cat could have a comfy sleeping position, often near the humans in the house. And he could do that because he had claws.

Is declawing a cat more like removing its nails or cutting off its fingertips?

UPDATED RESPONSE BELOWAs a young girl I worked as a vet assistant who would declaw cats. When I saw the procedure I was horrified.The cat gets sedated. The doctor presses on the cat’s paw, extending the nail and then takes what looks like cat nail cutters, puts them between the last joint and the claw then cuts it off in one loud crunch. It’s horrendous! It’s truly shocking.These cats would have their entire paw completely bandaged up for Weeks (a few days spent in hospital). The cats would have to use news paper for cat litter for a long time.It is like having your fingers cut off at the last joint! The cats even have to learn to walk due to the missing part of its digits.If you need to declaw your cat, you shouldn’t have a cat to begin with !1–20–18Adding more details from the experience since I have read through all of the comments I felt it was necessary to do so. Warning graphic.Yes, you are all right, the procedure is extremely cruel. I will never forget the friendly orange tabby, (the client’s cat), I brought in for the declaw. Once ready and asleep, (being the first time I was to witness this procedure), I stood there speechless and horrified.I will NEVER forget the sound it made. Breaking bones! The procedure is disgusting and to top it off it was my job to clean the remains of the severed appendages into the trash. The doctor wrapped his paws in padding with tape and into a cage he went to wake up.That cat couldn’t stand for days, and when he did, as he had to use the litter box with news papers, the cat switched paws frequently to use as little pressure as possible. I felt so so sorry for that animal. That was 1999.I volunteer and also a foster for my local animal shelter. We get surrendered declawed cats in sometimes. In our application for adoption if you mention wanting to declaw, you are instantly denied.I know what they went through. I saw. I have witnessed clients bring in their declawed cats that had gotten outside and attacked by a dog or another cat as they can not defend themselves. So these poor cats come in for stitches and drainage tubes with antibiotics just so their owners can have leather couches and god knows what.If you ever get to feel a declawed cat’s paw, you will instantly feel their digits are too short; like something is missing. what’s missing is the tips of their god damn front paws!DECLAW HORROR STORIES-PART TWOConscious Companion

Why do cats need declawing?

They don't and in fact they should never be declawed. It isn't like taking off a nail (which would be painful enough). It's like taking off your finger to the first knuckle. And it affects their behavior. Did you ever see a cat stretch when it gets up? Well, without claws it can't. Nor can it climb, which is very important to cats (they like being high up).Cats are small, solitary, predators and they like having a vantage point to be able to anticipate changes in their surroundings (which include their owners, no matter how much they are used to you or how nice you are to them).Vets still declaw because some cat owners care more about their possessions than their cats; one of these things is alive and the other isn't, one of these things is made in identical copies and the other are unique individuals; well, you get the point.Cats can be trained to scratch on appropriate surfaces but first you need to determine whether they like to scratch vertically or horizontally. Which you do by giving them both and observing them - their behavior will tell you what they prefer.And there is also an product called Feliway that comes in a atomizer (like Glade air fresheners) - it is a synthetic mimic to the calming hormone cats secrete form their cheeks (which is why they rub you, corners, and almost anything else in the house). It says "Mine!" and "Safe!" to them and when they are calm and relaxed they scratch less.So there is never a need to declaw.