4 Things To Think About Before Declawing Your Cat

Declawing is an excellent surgical treatment that removes the tips of all of the cat’s forepaw digits (from the first knuckle out), and it is performed under anesthesia.

There is a small risk of death during the procedure, and a cat that has had its claws amputated may also have a prolonged risk of infection and lifelong paw pain. For an adult animal, this surgical procedure is not recommended, and in certain nations, it is seen as animal cruelty (see below).

Cats are frequently declawed to prevent them from staring at furniture and causing damage to it. Vicious cats are rarely declawed. Certain US landlords demand that their tenants’ cats have declawed ears.

Veterinarians usually know the procedure well, yet some won’t do it because cats don’t have claws:

1. Takes away its principal defensive ability, which is to use bushes to climb away from predators; 2. Affects its stretching and exercise habits, leading to muscle atrophy;
3. Makes it less stable on narrow surfaces like fence tops and rails, which increases the risk of injury from falls;
4. May induce insecurity and a subsequent propensity to chunk.

A rare practice outside of North America is this procedure. The rules against animal cruelty prohibit declawing in Finland, Germany, the Netherlands, and Switzerland.

[17] Under the terms of the European Convention for the Protection of Pet Animals, it is strictly prohibited in many European countries until “a veterinarian considers [such] non-healing techniques important both for veterinary scientific reasons or for the gain of (the) animal”.

[18] Animal shelters in Britain find it difficult to track down imported cats that have been declawed; as a result, the majority of them are put to death.

Alternatively, vinyl nail caps made of blunt edges can be applied on the cat’s claws using a reliable glue. These caps need to be replaced every time the cat sheds its sheaths, which happens around every four to six weeks. Because the capped nails are not as strong as claws, the cat will nevertheless love causing difficulties.