Daisy is definitely not a happy cat. She is overweight, bites anyone who tries to pick her up and is peeing all over the place.
The staff and volunteers at Daisy鈥檚 new home, the 麻豆传媒映画Orphan Kitten Rescue Association, don鈥檛 blame her. They say Daisy鈥檚 problems all trace back to being declawed.
鈥淚t鈥檚 like you have no fingers at the end,鈥� Maria Soroski, VOKRA鈥檚 cofounder, says about what鈥檚 it鈥檚 like for a cat whose claws have been removed. 鈥淚t鈥檚 hard for [declawed cats] to step into a litter box or anything that鈥檚 rough so they pee around the box.鈥�
Psychologically, it鈥檚 not much better, she says.
鈥淲hen claws are removed it makes them defenceless and they don鈥檛 interact properly. They鈥檙e upset so they鈥檒l often start biting as a defence. It also gives them a lot of anxiety. Often they begin over-eating [as a coping mechanism] and get fat.鈥�
Daisy was first surrendered to the Surrey pound by her owners, who were frustrated by the tabby鈥檚 unwillingness to use the litter and her foul temper. The Surrey pound found her a home but the new owner also couldn鈥檛 cope with Daisy鈥檚 refusal to use the kitty litter and her stress eating.
Soroski says VOKRA is committed to working with Daisy on these issues. They will give her soft, sandy kitty litter and try to rehabilitate her.
But they鈥檇 like to stop future Daisies from having such issues. The association is echoing the the practice in the province.
VOKRA quotes veterinarian Christina Schelling on its website. 鈥淒eclawing is not like a manicure,鈥� the vet says. 鈥淚t is serious surgery. Your cat's claw is not a toenail. It is actually closely adhered to the bone. So closely adhered that to remove the claw, the last bone of your cat's claw has to be removed."
There are alternatives, Soroski says. Claws can be trimmed or owners can also ask a vet to attach 鈥渟oft claws.鈥� They are little caps glued onto the ends of each claw and will last for a few months. Resources are also available to discourage cats from clawing at furniture.
Older people who get their cats declawed because they are worried about getting an infection after being scratched should reconsider having a cat, Soroski said.
Last March, the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association of Veterinarian Medicine sent out a notice to all of its members saying that the practice causes unnecessary suffering.
"The CVMA views this surgery as unacceptable as it offers no advantage to the feline and the lack of scientific evidence leaves us unable to predict the likelihood of long-term behavioural and physical negative side-effects,鈥� said Dr. Troy Bourque, the association's president.
The College of Veterinarians of British Columbia says that it is aware of people鈥檚 concerns but is not yet ready to make a decision on banning the practice. It says it is studying the issue.
