I'm a vet - here is why declawing cats is barbaric and shameful

A vet has slammed the practice of 'declawing' cats - which is outlawed in the UK but still permitted in several states across the pond - and branded it as 'barbaric'. Taking to social media, the animal welfare influencer shared his thoughts on the issue, and described what the 'shameful' process entails.

'It is disappointing that despite the knowledge and understanding we have of cat behaviour and welfare, and their ability to experience pain just like us, the practice of declawing cats is permitted in many US states,' Ben the Vet, who has more than 200,000 followers on TikTok, revealed.

'And, it is purely for human convenience, because people don't want cats scratching up their furniture or scratching them.'. The practice involves surgically removing the cat's claw and distal phalanx of every toe - and the last bone in every toe - so that the nail doesn't regrow.

It has been compared to cutting off someone’s toes or fingers, with side effects including loss of balance, back ache and stress. 'It is so hard for me as a vet to understand how this barbaric practice of declawing cats is legal in many parts of the US,' Ben added.

Commenters rushed to offer their thoughts, with many agreeing that the process is inhumane. UK veterinarian Ben the Vet (pictured) has described the practice of declawing cats as 'barbaric'. One wrote: 'I was a vet tech for years in the hospital. I worked at did it and it was horrible. The doctor would use dog nail trimmers.'.

'It’s awful,' another added. 'We have a patient that comes to our practice who was imported from the US and has been declawed. It makes me so sad.'. A third chimed in to say: 'That is awful why would they allow this its heartbreaking if u don't want a cat to claw ur furniture don't get one its part of a cat they love to scratch things just as a dog loves to bite things up.'.

In a similar vein, another wrote: 'It should be illegal, this is clearly abuse.'. Offering a slightly different perspective, one poster shared their thoughts, writing: 'My bf veterinarian tells me it saves a lot of cats from euthanasia because declawed cats are preferred in many US homes.

'He doesn't recommend it, but feels it gives them a chance to be adopted.'. According to Ben, the process of declawing is so cruel, as a vet, he struggles to understand why it is legal across the majority of the US. A number of viewers took to the comments section to share their thoughts on the video - many were horrified about how cruel declawing is.

In July 2019, New York became the first state to ban declawing, with then-Governor Andrew Cuomo signing a bill outlawing the removal of felines' claws for cosmetic reasons with immediate effect. The legislation had been passed by the state assembly in June and will still permit the operation for medical reasons.

Speaking at the time, Cuomo said: 'Declawing is a cruel and painful procedure that can create physical and behavioral problems for helpless animals, and today it stops. 'By banning this archaic practice, we will ensure that animals are no longer subjected to these inhumane and unnecessary procedures.'.