AAFP Position statements

Declawing November 2007

The American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) strongly believes it is the obligation of veterinarians to provide cat owners with complete education about and alternatives to feline onychectomy. Declawing is highly controversial and client education about all options often provides clients with good alternatives.

Scratching is a normal feline behavior. It is a means for cats to mark their territory both visually and with scent, and is used for claw conditioning (‘husk’ removal) and stretching activity. It is important for cat owners to understand that scratching is a normal behavior, and that it can be directed to areas that owners consider appropriate. The following steps should be taken to prevent destructive clawing and are alternatives to declawing:

1. Owners should provide suitable implements for normal scratching behavior. Examples are scratching posts, cardboard boxes, and lumber or logs. Many cats prefer vertical scratching posts, long enough or tall enough to allow full stretching, and firmly anchored to provide necessary resistance to scratching. Scratching materials preferred by most cats are wood, sisal rope, and rough fabric. Since cats often stretch and scratch upon awakening, the posts should be placed next to where the cat sleeps. Kittens and cats can be trained to scratching posts, by enticing the cat to the post with catnip, treats or toys, and rewarding behavior near or on the scratching post. If the cat scratches elsewhere, the cat should be picked up gently and taken to the scratching post, and then rewarded. Cats should be positively reinforced and never punished.

2. Appropriate claw care includes trimming the claws to prevent injury or undesired damage to household items. Proper utensils should be used to prevent splintering of the nails. Frequency of nail trimming varies, but may be as frequent as every 1-2 weeks in kittens. Trim nails in a calm environment, with positive reinforcement for the cat.

3. Temporary synthetic nail caps are available as an alternative to onychectomy to prevent human injury or damage to property. Plastic nail caps are usually applied every 4–6 weeks.

Onychectomy or surgical declawing is a highly controversial procedure. It is not a medically necessary procedure for the cat in most instances. While rare in occurrence, there are inherent risks and complications with any surgical procedure including, but not limited to, anesthetic complications, hemorrhage, infection, pain, and side effects of pain medications.

The surgical alternative of tendonectomy can cause deleterious results due to the overgrowth of nails, the need for more extensive claw care to be provided by the owner, and the development of discomfort in some patients. Consequently, the surgical alternative of tendonectomy is not recommended.

Because property destruction and human injury less commonly occurs from the claws on the rear feet, four-paw declaws are not recommended.

The AAFP reviews scientific data and supports controlled scientific studies that provide insight into all aspects of feline medicine. The AAFP recognizes that feline onychectomy is an ethically controversial procedure; however, there is no scientific evidence that declawing leads to behavioral abnormalities or chronic medical problems. Physically, regardless of the method used, onychectomy causes a higher level of pain than spays and neuters. Patients may experience both adaptive and maladaptive pain; in addition to inflammatory pain, there is the potential to develop long-term neuropathic or central pain if the pain is inadequately managed during the perioperative and healing periods.

Where scratching behavior is an issue determining whether or not a particular cat should remain as an acceptable household pet in a particular home situation, the decision to perform surgical onychectomy should be considered. Declawed cats should be housed indoors, or in properly constructed outdoor enclosures designed to protect the cat.

In households where cats come into contact with immunocompromised individuals, extensive education about zoonotic disease potential should be discussed and documented in the medical record. Surgical onychectomy is an appropriate option in such households.

If surgical onychectomy is performed, appropriate use of safe and effective anesthetic agents and the use of safe and effective peri-operative analgesics for an appropriate length of time are imperative. A multi-modal pain management strategy is recommended. The AAFP believes that such pain management is necessary (not elective) and should be required for this procedure.

Identification of Cats October 2007

The American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) strongly believes that cats should carry both visible and permanent identification so that they may be returned to their owners if they become lost or stolen.

1. Accurate identification of cats is an essential component of cat welfare.

   1. Cats represent the largest owned species group in the United States, and each year many thousands become temporarily or permanently lost. Once cats reach animal shelters, less than 5% are ever reunited with their owners.

   2. Although there are several reasons why cats are less likely than dogs to return home, chief among them is that few cats carry tag or microchip identification. The end result is that more than 75% of cats admitted to animal shelters are euthanazed.

2. There are two types of identification commonly used for cats.

   1. Visual identification methods such as a collar with a tag provide an immediate source of identification which anyone can use to contact the cat owner at any time. As many cats are found within a mile of home, this permits immediate recovery. Attempts to use ear studs or ear tags as collar alternatives have been associated with a high rate of infection and loss and are not recommended.

   2. Permanent microchip identification cannot be lost or altered and is thus a convenient failsafe system should the collar be lost or removed. An effective microchip identification program requires that current owner contact information be available in the pet recovery database maintained by the microchip manufacturer and that the cat is scanned by a veterinarian or shelter with a compatible reader.

   3. The AAFP believes that identifying cats simultaneously with both methods provides the most secure method for reunification of lost cats.

3. Microchip identification procedures are safe.

   1. Microchip implantation is a minimally invasive procedure, but should be performed by trained personnel or a veterinarian.

   2. Pain associated with the process of microchip implantation appears to be minimal, even in very small or young cats.

   3. Inflammatory reactions, neoplastic transformation, microchip dysfunction, and other adverse events related to microchips are rarely reported.

4. All cats should be identified.

   1. All pet cats should be identified, regardless of their lifestyle. Identification represents the most reliable method of reuniting cats separated from their owners following an accident.

   2. Cats rescued in disaster responses should be microchipped if they are not already. This prevents misidentification of cats handled in large numbers and facilitates their management though the recovery process.

   3. Feral cats in managed colonies have unique needs. All sterilized feral cats should be identified by removing the tip of one pinna so that they are recognized as members of a managed colony. Although collars with tags are inappropriate for feral cats, microchips provide a means of tracing feral cats to their caretakers, who may be able to return them to managed colonies if they become lost. Microchips also provide a means for individual identification of feral cats in colonies so that medical records may be kept current. Despite these benefits, microchip identification may not be feasible for all colonies.

5. Assuring identification should be included in routine wellness care of all cats.

   1. The wellness examination is the ideal time to discuss the importance of identification with owners. The benefits of both visual and permanent identification should be explained and compliance with identification should be recorded in the medical record along with other elements of the history.

6. All cats should be scanned for microchips.

   1. All cats should be scanned for microchips by veterinary practices, animal shelters, and rescue groups with a universal scanner capable of reading the 125 kHz (encrypted and unencrypted), 128 kHz and 134.2 kHz microchips, regardless of the reported source of the pet.

   2. Sheltered cats should be scanned at admission, at the time of sterilization surgery, and prior to final disposition. This maximizes the opportunity to detect a microchip during the sheltering process.

   3. Staff must be trained in the proper technique and documentation of scanning.

   4. Scanners must be capable of detecting all types of microchips, must be maintained in good working order, must be used with well-charged batteries, and must be validated with known microchips on a regular basis.

7. Owner contact information must be kept current in available databases.

   1. Veterinarians and adoption agencies should ensure enrollment in databases at the time the microchip is implanted.

   2. The facility implanting the microchip should retain records for the cat as a backup information source to the microchip manufacturer's database.

8. The microchip identification system must achieve international compatibility.

   1. The AAFP recommends adoption of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standard for microchipping of companion animals in the United States.

Confinement of Owned Indoor Cats December 2007

This AVMA (AAFP) policy statement strongly encourages owners of domestic cats in urban and suburban areas to maintain them indoors, or allowed outdoors only if strictly supervised or in a properly constructed and maintained outdoor enclosure.

Veterinarians are encouraged to educate clients and the public concerning the dangers associated with allowing cats free-roam access to the outdoors. Free-roaming cats may be exposed to injury, suffering, and death from vehicles, attacks from other animals, human cruelty, poisons, and traps. Additionally, these cats have an increased potential to be exposed to feline-specific and zoonotic diseases.

Lastly, adherence to this policy also reduces predation of native wildlife populations, a goal and policy of the AVMA and the AAFP.

Veterinarians are also encouraged to educate clients about the importance of an environmentally enriched indoor environment. Enriching the indoor environment or allowing cats to be in a strictly supervised outdoor environment or enclosure helps prevent boredom, stress, and inactivity - common causes of behavior problems, and diseases such as obesity and its associated risks (diabetes mellitus, hepatic lipidosis, osteoarthritis, heart disease), and feline interstitial cystitis.

Many feline behavior problems can be prevented or treated with an enriched environment that includes stimulation and materials to allow cats to perform their normal behaviors. Cats need companionship, and enjoy both interactive toys and hunting games. They too enjoy playing on their own and rotation of toys prevents boredom. Cats need items in the house to allow them to perform their normal behavior – cat scratching posts to scratch in desirable locations; and cat trees, perches, or shelves to allow for climbing and to increase the overall space in the home.

Feral Cats December 2007

The AAFP strongly supports efforts to humanely control the feral cat population. These efforts include reducing the source of feral cats by encouraging owners to keep cats indoors (see statement on owned indoor cats), permanent identification methods so that lost cats can be returned to their owners (see statement on identification of cats) and education on responsible pet ownership. Pre-pubertal spaying and neutering is also encouraged to decrease the numbers of newborn cats.

The AAFP recognizes the need to decrease the current population of feral cats to improve their welfare and to reduce their potential as a source of zoonotic diseases, public nuisance, and negative impacts on wildlife and ecosystems. Although no single control method is suitable for all situations the AAFP supports humane population control methods such as ‘trap-neuter-return’, relocation to managed colonies or appropriate sanctuaries, and where appropriate adoption into homes.