Pros And Cons Of Declawing Cats

Today, declawing a cat is a hotly debated topic. Some believe that if cat needs to live harmoniously with humans, there is a need for the cat to be declawed. When bringing a new kitten or cat home, most often owners think about declawing the cat to prevent furniture from scratches or to minimize the chances of injury from cat scratching family members. But still there are others who believe that declawing is mutilation, which should be made illegal. It’s a cat’s natural tendency to scratch. This helps it in marking its territory and also claws serve as its first line of defense. Declawing is just not a simple nail trim. It is an amputation called an onychectomy. In simple words, it’s like removing the tops of your fingers to the first knuckle. Moreover, it is an irreversible process. Declawing your cat is a serious decision, which should be made after weighing all pros and cons. Here are some pointers, which help you in deciding whether you should opt for declawing or not.

Cat Declawing Pros And Cons

Reasons For Declawing A Cat

It is cat’s natural tendency to scratch. They do this to mark their territory and it is also an effort to remove bits of old nail fragments. Scratching also sharpens cat’s claws. However, this scratching habit of pet cats becomes a cause of both irritation and agony for cat’s owner. Pet cats love to scratch almost everything from sofa sets, legs of chair and tables, to carpets and seats of the car. This is the cause of trouble for cat owners and it becomes one of the important reasons for thinking about declawing their cat.
The other more important cause of cat owners’ worry is that the cats have the habit of scratching their owners too. While playing or fondling, cat often scratches the person. It is believed that a cat often carries a lot of germs in its claws. So, scratching with claws is not only painful but can also cause infection. This is a cause to worry especially for families with little kids and old people, who are more prone to infection.

Pros Of Having Your Cat Declawed

If you decide to declaw your cat, the cat will not lose its natural instinct to scratch. However, scratching will not harm your furniture and carpets.
A declawed cat will not harm your little ones with its claws. Also, it is believed that declawing will prevent spread of diseases and infection, which is caused by the germs, it carries in its claws. If you wish to declaw your cat then it should be best done when your cat is very small. Grown cats do not adjust well to declawing as little kittens do.

Cons Of Having Your Cat Declawed

Declawing is a very painful procedure. At first, your cat might not display much pain as it might try to appear strong and invulnerable. However, the procedure can be very traumatic for some cats and this can lead your cat to even undergo a behavioral change. They tend to go moody and won’t be as friendly as they were earlier.
Some declawed cats might become fearful, realizing that their one of the most important line of defense is gone. They might choose to bite, as they can no longer scratch. This might prove more dangerous.
Some declawed cats might stop using the litter box, as they can no longer mark their territory by scratching. Instead, they might choose copious spraying. The sand and gravel in the litter box may cause pain to their feet, as they no longer have claws to protect them. If this happens, the cat will associate the litter box with pain and start using different areas of the home as litter box. To solve this problem, you might need to use products like shredded paper in the litter box.
Declawing a cat sometimes changes the way a cat walks. This eventually leads to arthritis.
Once declawed, a cat will never be able grow back it claws. If the vet has removed too much tissue, the cat might remain club footed for the rest of its life. If enough tissue is not removed then it might cause the claw to grow back and your cat may require one more surgery.

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