Declawing Cats: Methods, Effects and Benefits

It is natural for cats to scratch surfaces, as they don’t realize that their behavior may be perceived as destructive to their owners. Cats, in fact, enjoy this behavior and generally are unaware of its destructive effects on their owner. Despite really enjoying the chenille furniture, you may have to worry about who behaves the most problematically with a family member.

Using approved surfaces to stimulate your cat’s pecking is one of our focuses, so that your cat and the apartment could live in harmony. We will explore all possible ways for ensuring your cat’s pecking is contained only to appropriate areas.

Owners may eventually decide to declaw their cat for reasons such as:

  • Medical concerns for humans in the household, which also could prevent giving the cat up for adoption
  • An unchangeable living situation in which the cat’s social behavior is not conducive to the constraints of the household, which also could prevent giving the cat up for adoption

Some reasons that may cause you to decide against declawing your cat include:

  • Declawing a cat goes against its natural behaviors and instincts
  • It is an unpleasant experience for the cat, despite appropriate pain medication. 

What is declawing?

Unfortunately, we are required to change that perspective. Declawing entails the removal of the last bone of each toe, similar to removing one’s fingernails.

It is an ineffective procedure that has no clinical benefit for your cat. Pet parents who are properly educated can easily train their cats to use their claws in a manner that allows them and everyone in their house to be happy.

How is a cat declawed?

Declawing by amputating is the standard method of medical treatment. Wounds are closed with stitches or surgical glue, and feet are bandaged. Laser surgery is another option which uses a laser beam of light to heat and dissolve tissue. But it is still the amputation of the cat’s long-term history and involves the same risk of lameness and behavioral disorders as did declawing with scalpels or clippers. Its physical development would be much the same as if it were done to every human finger.

A third kind of procedure is a tendonectomy, wherein the tendon behind each cat’s toe is severed, leaving him/her with no control over the claws, which can no longer be extended to scratch. This can lead to wilt of the claws. It is a matter of importance to maintain the cat’s nails regularly to prevent scratching people, furniture, carpets, and drapes with their claws, or to prevent them from growing into or near the cat’s paw pad.

Although a tendonectomy is technically not an amputation, a 1998 study reported the risk of bleeding, lameness, and infection was the same in cats with and without an amputation in terms of severity.

Some Negative Effects Of Declawing

Declawing is associated with pain in the paws, infection, tissue necrosis, lameness, and back pain. Removal of the claws changes the way the cat’s foot meets the ground and may cause a lot of pain like that associated with wearing painful shoes. It is also possible that the claws are regrowing, there is nerve damage, and bone spurs develop as a result.

Some cats may revert to using the litter box after the surgery. The shredded newspaper around the declawed feet may lead to unnecessary discomfort. However, cats without their claws may become biters since they no longer have their claws.

Understanding The Procedure For Declawing Cats

The aim of veterinary care professionals is to provide you with accurate and unbiased information pertaining to declawing cats in order to enable you to make an informed and educated decision on behalf of your furry friend.

A cat’s declawing process usually involves removing the claw. Since the claw is permanently attached to a cat’s knuckle, this also requires cutting one or more third bones from a cat’s paw.

Does declawing a cat affect its personality?

Researchers have shown that there has been no correlation between cat declawing and individual personality changes. It is also important to remember that your cat may experience a discomfort when walking on surgery sensitive paws, which could affect personality during the recovery process. Therefore, it is vital that clients are nurtured and supported during the recovery process in order to make a speedy recovery possible.

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.