Should I declaw my Maine Coon?

The question in the title is one that is asked on the Internet. People search for an answer using Google. But this question should never be asked, NEVER. In asking the question the person is thinking about whether to de-claw or not. That means the person doesn't really know what declawing is and how barbaric it is. 

Don't even dream about declawing a Maine Coon. Image: MikeB

It means that the person doesn't know that it is the partial amputation of 10 toes. They don't know that 66% of declawing operations are botched leaving shards of bone in the paw pads causing perpetual discomfort at the very least and excruciating pain at the worst.

They don't know about the complications of declawing. They don't know that when veterinarians declaw cats, they are in gross breach of their oath not to harm animals. And they don't know that cats are declawed almost exclusively for non-therapeutic reasons. They are almost never declawed for genuine medical reasons.

And they don't know that the argument that veterinarians give for declawing cats, namely that it saves the lives of cats because if they didn't declaw them, they'd be abandoned, is pure BS. A study has concluded that when people can't declaw cats, they keep their cats, they don't abandon them.

This means that they learn to live with a cat's claws. Everyone does that. Everyone across the planet does it except millions of people in America and to a lesser extent in Canada.

They don't realise that declawing only exists in America and Canada. And they don't realise that it is illegal in at least 38 countries. And that America is an anomaly in this respect. Cat owners outside North America don't even consider declawing as an option. It is not on the radar.

Are Maine Coons dangerous?

Declawing is illegal in at least 38 countries. Image by Ruth aka Kattaddorra.

I could go on. But if you are asking the question in the title you need to read about declawing on my website and you can start by clicking on this link if you wish, and then you will not need to ask this question.

I am pleased to say that Allentown in Pennsylvania is the second city in that state to ban declawing. They are following quite a large number of other cities in America to ban declawing (see below). And there are two states in America which are banned declawing: New York and Maryland.

US cities where declawing is prohibited:

1. Austin, Texas
2. Berkeley, California
3. Beverly Hills, California
4. Burbank, California
5. Denver, Colorado
6. Madison, Wisconsin
7. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
8. Louis, Missouri
9. San Francisco, California
10. Santa Monica, California
11. West Hollywood, California

So, progress is being made but the veterinarians sometimes pushback with these ridiculous claims saying that it is their decision and the decision of their client as to whether they de-claw a cat or not. And that, as mentioned, if they don't declaw cats they are abandoned.

This is, as I said, BS. You can't rely on cat owners and veterinarians to make a decision about declawing because the owners are often ignorant of what declawing is and secondly, veterinarians who know what declawing is still promote it in full recognition of the fact that the complications of the operation are often ghastly and debilitate and that it is entirely unnecessary, and in breach of their oath. Their oath is worthless.

Don't ask this ridiculous question about declawing Maine Coon cats. Just don't even think about declawing. Don't even dream about it. It is completely unacceptable and, as stated, 'barbaric' and that description has been used by Dr. Bruce Fogle DVM, perhaps the world's number one vet and author.