The Pros and Cons of Declawing Cats

When bringing home a new cat or kitten, owners often consider declawing the animal for various reasons: to prevent damage to furniture, to avoid the cat’s scratching family members during play, or to minimize injury to other pets and animals from an aggressive cat. While some owners ultimately decide to have their pet declawed, along with their vet’s approval, there is a growing faction of owners and veterinarians who oppose the practice.

It’s a cat’s natural tendency to scratch. They do it to help mark their territory and to remove bits of old nail fragments, in essence “sharpening” their claws. Sometimes kittens even exhibit scratching behavior as part of play.

A cat’s claw grows out of the third phalanx of the toe, much like the last section of a human toe. The claw is similar to a toenail. To ensure good results, vets usually remove the complete joint capsule when declwing a cat, severing attached ligaments and tendons. This is much more than a nail trim. It’s actually an amputation, called an onychectomy.

Pros to having your cat declawed

The advantages of declawing your cat include affordability and safety, when performed by a skilled veterinarian. The cat will not lose its natural instinct to scratch, but the scratching will not harm furniture or carpets. Also, a declawed cat will not injure your children or other pets with an accidental scratch. There’s a theory that declawed cats don’t spread diseases as much as other cats, since viruses and bacteria are not carried on the claws and “injected” into other animals and humans by way of a scratch. If you decide to declaw, the procedure is best done when the animal is between three and five months of age. Grown cats do not adjust as well to declawing as do kittens.

Cons to having your cat declawed

First of all, this is a painful operation. Cats might not display much pain because of their natural instinct to appear strong and invulnerable. The procedure is so traumatic to some cats that they undergo a personality change. They might become more fearful, realizing their first line of defense is gone. They might also begin to bite, since they can no longer scratch.

Some declawed cats will stop using the litter box, and since they can no longer mark their territory by scratching, they might revert to copious spraying. Declawing sometimes changes the way a cat walks, which could eventually lead to arthritis. Owning a declawed cat is a real commitment to always being diligent to keep it indoors, away from dogs, aggressive felines and other predators.

Alternatives to declawing

If you’re undecided about declawing but are concerned about your kitty’s potentially damaging talons, you might want to try a few alternatives first. Provide appropriate places for your pet to scratch, like cat trees and scratching posts. The ones made of sisal are often cited as the best by the experts. If your cat doesn’t take to the posts right away, try sprinkling a little catnip around the approved scratching spots.

Since some cats scratch out of boredom, make sure your kitty gets plenty of exercise and has several toys to play with. Keep your cat’s nails properly trimmed and smooth, which will discourage scratching. There are several commercial chemical products you can spray on your furniture that will give your cat the “keep away” message.

Also, there’s a wonderful product that’s been on the market since 1990 which has recently become very popular with cat owners. It’s called Soft Paws. Soft Paws are vinyl caps that are placed over your cat’s claws and fixed with a special adhesive. Soft Paws are comfortable and safe and prevent your cat from damaging your belongings. They even come in a variety of colors! To learn more about Soft Paws, visit www.softpaws.com .

Declawing is an serious decision. Once it’s done, it’s irreversible. Your pet will be without its natural defense forever. Declawing is already illegal in many countries and is often frowned upon in the U.S. Before resorting to this extreme measure, please exhaust all other available methods in correcting your cat’s scratching misbehavior.