Beyond the Procedure: Study Reveals Declawing Causes Lasting Neurological Damage and Worsens Arthritis Pain in Cats

The controversial practice of feline declawing (onychectomy) has long been opposed on ethical grounds, with bans increasingly common due to concerns about chronic pain and compromised welfare. However, the precise neurological and physiological mechanisms of this pain have remained poorly understood. A groundbreaking new study moves beyond anecdotal evidence to provide concrete, clinical proof that declawing is associated with severe, long-term neurological changes that sensitize cats to pain, significantly worsening the effects of common age-related conditions like osteoarthritis (OA).