Animal welfare groups are reiterating the potential harm linked to cat declawing after Khloé Kardashian recently said she had the procedure done — and now regrets it.
During an episode of her podcast last week, Khloé said her cats were declawed and explained that she didn’t understand what the surgery involved when she agreed to it.
She admitted: “I was really misadvised about getting my cats declawed. I’ve never owned cats before. I didn’t even know that was a thing.”
Khloé shares two cats, Grey Kitty and Baby Kitty, with her family, and previously said she got them for her daughter, eight-year-old True.
“I feel really, really terrible that I did go in this direction,” Khloé went on. “I feel like that’s why my cats are miserable and it was at my doing.”
In the US, declawing is now banned in six jurisdictions: New York, District of Columbia, Maryland, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Virginia.
Khloé also said her cats remain indoor pets and that she feels anxious about the possibility of them getting out, saying she worries they would be unable to protect themselves after being declawed.
“It makes me sad,” the mom-of-two added.
According to Humane World for Animals, declawing isn’t simply removing a nail. The organization states that the procedure involves amputating the last bone of each toe on a cat or kitten’s paw.
“It would be like cutting off your finger at the last knuckle,” says the nonprofit organization. “The standard method of declawing is amputating with a scalpel or guillotine clipper. The wounds are closed with stitches or surgical glue, and the feet are bandaged.”
Humane World for Animals also warns that the surgery can lead to lasting discomfort and other complications. The group lists possible post-op issues including paw pain, back pain, infection, tissue necrosis (tissue death), and lameness.
“Removing claws changes the way a cat’s feet meet the ground and can cause pain like wearing an uncomfortable pair of shoes. Improperly removed claws can regrow, causing nerve damage and bone spurs,” it adds.
PETA also weighed in after Khloé’s comments, encouraging cat owners to avoid making a similar decision.
“At least Khloé Kardashian knows now that amputating cats’ toes at the joint leaves them with lifelong misery and pain and robs them of their natural ability to stretch, climb, and defend themselves,” PETA Senior Vice President of Cruelty Investigations’ Daphna Nachminovitch said in a statement to the Daily Mail.
“Cats need scratching posts and regular nail trims, not mutilation surgeries done purely for human convenience. PETA urges everyone to avoid Khloé’s mistake and let cats keep the claws they were born with.”