Essay Sample Against Declawing Cats
If you are an owner of a pet, you would know the feeling of your pet becoming your best friend. Unfortunately, not all pet owners treat their pet like a best friend, studies conducted resulted in 55% of cat owners in the U.S. allowing declawing. As a cat owner, you could understand how I felt when I found out that other owners of pets are risking their cat’s health. This despicable and horrendous act is known as declawing, which is the surgical act of removing all traces of fingernails and toenails from a cat. With the procedure leaving the cat with permanent health issues being overlooked, the practice of doing this has been rising quickly.
It is important to note that putting your cat through this process is more damaging than helpful. In fact, the pain from the surgery is everlasting for years. Cats undergo a series of paw pain and infections, pain in the back, tissue failure, and other possibly life-threatening conditions. People also put their cats through this just because the result makes the paws look cuter and fluffier. Even regular activities become a difficult task to complete after undergoing declawing, such as walking and using the litter box. The tactic of putting newspapers in the litter box after the procedure puts cats into a state of confusion and makes them reluctant to use something that they need to use. All these side effects are extremely concerning for the cat’s mental and physical development. But all side effects aside, let’s look at the reason why cats are declawed: scratching. You often will hear cat owners complain about their furniture. In fact, studies have shown that 15-42 percent of people exhibit typical feline behavior complaints. The animal uses scratching as a way of stretching and conditioning. It is a very natural behavior for them, and we're taking that away for a nicer sofa?
Whether it is laser or amputation, the act of declawing cats isn’t benefiting anyone. The owners who put their cats through this disastrous process could be at risk of biting. Without their claws, cats are left defenseless, making them resort to their teeth as a way of protection. One lady known as Prof Gunn-Moore knows what it feels like to have her cats declawed, as she had two cats declawed herself. Here is what she had to say: “I undertook the procedure on the grounds of stopping two cats from being euthanized, and the lady from losing her cats, but it sickened me the entire time".
Not only is declawing the wrong option, it’s not the only option. There is so many pain-free yet effective options we should be focusing on. Owners can look into a scratching post for their cats to focus on rather than their furniture surfaces. If you have recently adopted a kitten, behavioral training might be the right thing to do.
After hearing all this, you'd be shocked to hear that only one place in the state of Pennsylvania has passed a law banning the declawing of any animals. If changes aren’t made soon, the population of cats is in danger of possibly decreasing. No piece of furniture is worth the look in the cat’s eyes as they struggle to walk weeks after their surgery. So let’s stand up, and protect cats from receiving the forbidden manicure.
