Should You Declaw Your Cats? Articles | Cats

If you own cats, the question you’ll probably be faced with is whether to declaw your cats or not. In the end your decision will end up affecting your cat more than it affects you. People tend to take different sides on the issue and each side has its own theories and facts to support their claims. A lot of people don’t understand what is involved in the declawing of a cat and the short and long term effects of their actions on the cat.

It is usually important to first think about what cats use their claws for. Cats usually use claws to mark out their territory. Claws are also a contributory factor in helping the agility characteristics of a cat in jumping, chasing as well as running. Retractable claws also tend to help them establish good footing and balance as well. Cats also use their claws for defensive purposes against predators; most owners tend to see cat’s claws as a nuisance and the reason behind their ruined sofas, carpets or curtains.

When you declaw a cat, it isn’t like cutting off a person’s toenails. Cats’ claws are usually attached to ligaments as well as tendons and bones. Removing the claws of a cat would bear much more similarity to amputation. Declawing a cat cuts off the first bone in each of the cats toes and it can be quite painful for your cat as no pain medication is usually given to the cats later on. Declawing cats also tends to have a psychological effect on cats as they usually become quiet and aloof unlike their former playful selves.

Declawing is usually an operation which requires some form of anesthesia but different complications that result from procedure can come up as well. In some rarer cases other complications may include, infection, excessive bleeding, possible paralysis and death from anesthesia. If declawing is performed improperly, the claws may also grow back in an abnormal manner from the top or bottom of the cat’s paws.

A cat’s entire defense system is completely reliant on its claws. Once a cat is declawed, it should never be allowed outdoors. When a cat is confronted by another animal, a cat usually claws, chases or runs away. When a cat chases or runs, it is reliant on its claws. Without these claws, the cat will not be able to fight. Some people think that if their cats are kept strictly indoors, there will be no need for self-defense and thus choose to declaw these cats. However, even house cats get loose and what would happen if your cat was faced with great danger?

The practice of declawing is banned in a lot of countries; a lot of these countries consider declawing as an inhumane procedure. Declawing nevertheless has its alternatives. If the cat is trained properly, it eliminates the tendency they possess to scratch human beings and furniture. You can easily deal with furniture scratching by buying a scratching post for your cat. The scratching post shouldn’t be made of carpeting but rather a kind of material that is similar to the backing that comes with carpeting. You should also ensure that cat’s claws are trimmed regularly as it is one routine aspect of cat grooming; this also reduces part of the inconveniences associated with cats and their claws.