Declawing is the surgical amputation of the first joint of the cat’s toes which includes the nail. It is illegal and considered cruel and inhumane in many European countries unless the declawing surgery has a medical benefit.
The surgery itself is performed using a guillotine-type blade and the cat will be under general anesthesia. Post-operative pain will be severe therefore pain control medication is often prescribed. Another procedure called tendonectomy involves the severing of the ligaments behind each of the cat’s toe, which then prevents the claws from being extended.
Cats were born with claws for a reason and that reason is to defend themselves and to hunt their prey. Depriving the cats of their basic form of defense as well as their tools for exercise and mobility is cruel and inhumane.