The HSoMC recently posted information on Facebook about a pending Michigan bill related to feline declawing and asked readers to support that bill. The post generated a vigorous discussion among readers as well as at our board level. What we discovered during the discussion is that there are still some misconceptions regarding what was once considered an accepted and recommended procedure and is now banned in multiple states as well as many countries including England, Australia, Germany, Finland and Brazil. In recent years, the HSoMC has seen many cats who were surrendered due to negative behaviors, including aggression and not using their litter box due to pain from prior declawing. Once these surrendered pets received corrective surgery (which is extremely expensive), these cats had a 180-degree personality change. No longer in pain, they are now loving pets in their adoptive homes. This includes Princess, now named Uma, who is featured below in the Getting the Lives They Deserve section. Further adding to the controversy, there are many cat owners who have had their cats declawed without apparent issue. The purpose of this article is to communicate the current thinking regarding declawing and to offer alternatives. Additionally, we are updating our website on this issue, as well as providing information on options for cat owners who have had their cats declawed and are now experiencing issues.

 

As stated above, the Humane Society of Midland County does not support feline declawing. This position is consistent with The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and The American Association of Feline Practitioners, all of which advise against declawing. The AVMA states: “Scratching is a normal behavior of cats. It conditions the claws, serves as a visual and scent territorial marker, allows the cat to defend itself, and provides healthy muscle engagement through stretching.” Many people are not aware but declawing involves surgical removal of the first joint of each toe. The following is an excerpt from the HSUS:

 

“Too often, people think that declawing is a simple surgery that removes a cat's nails –the equivalent of having your fingernails trimmed. Sadly, this is far from the truth. Declawing traditionally involves the amputation of the last bone of each toe. If performed on a human being, it would be like cutting off each finger at the last knuckle. It is an unnecessary surgery that provides no medical benefit to the cat. Educated pet parents can easily train their cats to use their claws in a manner that allows everyone in the household to live together happily. Declawing your cat can cause a number of health and behavioral concerns including not using the litter box, pain and severe arthritis in the feet and aggressive behavior.” For the full article, visit: https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/declawing-cats-far-worse-manicure 

 

Although some believe that using laser surgery is acceptable, it still involves removal of the last bone, and we have seen cats with severe burns as a result. Many veterinarians will no longer perform declawing, and it is important to note that sometimes issues do not appear for many years after the procedure, so owners do not connect their cat’s aggression or litter box issues with the initial declawing. 

 

Fortunately, as we become better educated on this subject, there are multiple options and resources to keep your cat from destroying your home or apartment! If you have a cat that is scratching, please consider the alternatives as recommended by the AVMA below:

Remember, punishment is not an effective deterrent to scratching. Please Google “Alternatives to Declawing” or contact your veterinarian for more information on this very important topic.

 

UPDATE: As this newsletter was going to publication, the HSoMC received a seven-month-old kitten that was found with four infected and mangled paws. Fortunately, a good Samaritan brought her to M20 Animal Hospital and into our care. The claws on all four paws had been removed and were infected. The surgeon removed dead bone fragments and only one toe on her back paw could be saved. Now named “Tootsie,” she will receive proper medical care. However, it will be a long and expensive recovery. If you would like to help us help Tootsie, please donate on our website, in person or directly to M20 Animal Hospital under the HSoMC account.

If you follow the HSoMC, you know that we take dogs from other Michigan shelters, and from as far away as Texas, Lebanon and South Korea. Unfortunately, we have occasionally been criticized for this because of the erroneous belief that it negatively impacts our ability to serve animals locally. We have never turned away a local dog because of overcapacity. In fact, helping other shelters has the following benefits: 

 
Finally, if you read about the HSoMC taking in animals from outside of Midland County, please know and share that it benefits both our local animals in addition to animals at the originating shelters.
 
The dogs pictured below were all adopted within 24 hours of arriving at the HSoMC from Lebanon.

We are very pleased to announce that we have updated our security system with state-of-the-art security cameras and exterior lights. In the past, we have had animals left outside of regular business hours which is both dangerous and illegal. We appreciate the help from Blasy Electric, Inc., who installed the new system and donated a new “Exit” sign with emergency lights as well.