Missing cat left defenseless without her claws

I chanced upon a post about a missing female cat from Pipit Road last night. To make matters worse, her owner had declawed the feline. Not only lost in unfamiliar territories, she is incapable of defending herself! An anonymous source informed us about a three year old sterilized female cat missing from Pipit Road. To make matters worse, her owner had declawed her. She is not only lost in an unfamiliar environment, she is also incapable of defending herself without her claw. Can you imagine how much stress she might be experiencing?

Cat owners should be more aware on how declawing impacts a feline. Even if kept strictly indoors, she still depends greatly on them. The procedure involves the amputating the last bone of each toe. Often, people's false perception of declawing is similar to the trimming of our fingernails. In truth, it is equivalent to cutting off our fingers to the last knuckle.

As a result of the pain during the recovery process, it alters the way the cat's foot meets the ground hindering their movement and sense of balance. They might also develop behavior changes like biting and litter box problem.

There are many ways to combat these problems. One could be to trim the cat's nails. Another solution is providing scratching posts around the house. You can also use catnip to make them more appealing. Spraying of vinegar or the applying of sticky tape on furniture also helps.

It takes effort and patience to achieve but you have to remember that scratching is natural to a cat. All this "convenience" is just inhumane. In many countries, declawing is actually banned. So if you can't handle this natural instinct, a cat may not be the pet for you.

Do keep a look out for the missing furkid!

- By Gary Sim