As one of the few laser surgical hospitals in New England, we have been getting an increased number of calls in recent years from people looking to have their new cat or kitten declawed. These potential new clients are usually very frustrated by the time they call as many live several hours away and cannot find anyone willing or trained to have this procedure performed. As such, my staff spends a lot of time counselling them on what is involved in a declaw and why only a small fraction of veterinarians will do them under very specific circumstances.
Most people are under the impression that cat declaws are a simple procedure where the nails are removed to keep them from growing. The reality is that declawing involves cutting into the joint of the toe and removing the entire bone. Try holding your index finger of your opposite hand just below the tip, then wiggle your fingertip. THAT is what is being cut away when you declaw a cat. It is an involved, painful procedure which is fraught with complications since the cats then need to walk on these damaged fingertips (and use the litter box). Before the advent of laser surgery (and better ethical codes of conduct), the methods used to chop off the fingertips were downright brutal.
Despite not being taught in school, declaw procedures can still be learned depending on the situation. In many parts of the country, where furniture is given higher value than cats, it is actually done pretty regularly. However, we have been seeing them outlawed in many cities unless the owner has a medical reason. Around the globe, there are 38 entire countries that have banned the procedure.
The only reason veterinarians, myself included, may consider a declaw is when a human in the household develops an issue with their immune system, such as organ transplants, certain infections, cancers, or genetics diseases. Vets my age that learned declaws often did so as part of volunteer organizations that worked with folks diagnosed with HIV. Since a cat scratch could mean death for these people, they could be forced to give up their companions. This led to many older cats being euthanized in shelters with significant, often suicidal, effects to the owners. Luckily, treatments for HIV have prevented the need for this or declaws.
Alternatives to declaws are pretty numerous. The easiest and most effective is trimming your cat’s nails. It’s pretty easy and most vet techs can teach you. I just use regular human nail clippers on my cats and just keep a bunch around the house where we tend to hang out together. You can also provide cats with better things to scratch than your couch like scratching posts or cardboard scratching ramps. A third option is using rubber claw covers. The most readily available are called Soft Paws®. They are glued over clipped claws like press-on nails and can last 4-6 weeks. Most animal hospitals can also apply these as a technician visit.