There are many reasons why you should not declaw your cat that you may not have known about. Many countries around the world have even banned the procedure since it is not in the best interest of the cat. If you have a cat and have been considering getting the procedure done, please read these reasons why you should not declaw your cat before making a decision.
1 Pain
One of the biggest reasons why you should not declaw your cat is the amount of pain the cat will go through. This isn’t just temporary pain after the surgery, either. Removing the claws of a cat changes the way the cat’s foot touches the ground and that can cause pain similar to a person who wears shoes that are too tight. The removal of claws can also cause back pain in a cat as well. These are the long-term pain effects of clawing your cat. There is, of course, the excruciating pain the cat will experience immediately following surgery as well.
Frequently asked questions
2 The Procedure
Many people think that getting a cat declawed is just like a human getting their fingernails trimmed. Sadly, this is not the case. Declawing your cat is the human equivalent of cutting off each finger down to the last knuckle. You and I wouldn’t be happy about having that done and your cat isn’t either. It entirely changes how a cat functions. The traditional procedure is done in one of two ways. The first and most common way is by amputating the claw with a scalpel or guillotine clipper. They close up the wounds by either stitching it or using glue. The cat’s feet are then wrapped up for days. The second method is by using a laser to heat up and vaporize the tissue around the claw. While this procedure may sound better, your cat will still suffer all of the drawbacks of having its claws removed.
3 Medical Complications
If you get your cat declawed, your pet runs the risk of suffering further medical complications. Your cat could develop an infection from the surgery that, if left unnoticed and untreated, could result in death. Another possible side effect is tissue necrosis, the death of tissue. Your cat may also experience lameness after the procedure. The cat may begin to limp or not feel like moving at all in order to avoid the pain. These medical complications will result in more visits to the vet, more money spent, and most importantly, an even more miserable experience for your cat.
4 Behavioral Changes
If you choose to get your cat declawed, you can expect vast behavioral changes. A cat who has been declawed is less likely to want to play and tends to walk less to avoid the pain. So if you enjoy playing with your cat, please reconsider your decision to get your cat declawed. Another common behavioral change is biting. Many cats who have been declawed turn to biting as a way to protect themselves. For a few days after the declawing procedure, your vet will have you use shredded newspaper in the litter box because normal litter can irritate the wounds. The litter substitute along with the pain of scratching inside the litter box, may result in your cat using the restroom around your home. Many cats continue with behaviors like this even after they are healed. It’s these behavior changes that make declawed cats more likely to go to the pound than their clawed friends.
5 Unnecessary Procedure
One of the biggest reasons not to declaw your cat is that it’s an unnecessary procedure. There are only a few extreme circumstances that getting your cat declawed would benefit your pet, such as cancerous nail bed tumors. Otherwise, you are making your pet suffer throughout the rest of their life when they don’t have to. There are ways you can encourage your cat to only scratch in approved areas of the home. Make sure you have a scratching post in your house. If your cat doesn’t use it, entice your pet with catnip. You can find special tape to put around your furniture and items you don’t want scratched that deters the cat from scratching. An act as simple as keeping up with trimming your cat’s nails can also minimize the damage to household furniture. If you’ve found these techniques don’t work, you can talk to your vet about getting soft, plastic caps glued to your cat’s nails. These need to be replaced every six weeks, but it’s a more humane alternative to declawing.
6 Cost
While the cost of getting your cat declawed can vary depending on where you live, it can be as high as $100 a paw. That’s $400 of your own money you could put toward a better cause. While some places you can get it done for cheaper than that, it’s still money spent that is unnecessary. Try spending some of that money to purchase some of the things I talked about in the previous paragraph to see if you can encourage your cat to only use his claws in approved areas.
7 Lazy Approach
The last reason to not get your cat declawed is that it’s the lazy approach. Part of the fun of being a pet owner is the time you get to spend bonding with your furry friend. Part of that includes training. Educated pet parents can easily train their cats when to use their claws. This will help you and your cat become better friends. If you aren’t sure how to go about training your cat, there is tons of free information online and plenty of books available on the subject matter. You are responsible for the life of your pet; don’t take the lazy approach when it comes to the well-being of your cat.
I hope these reasons why you should not declaw your cat have made you think twice about getting the procedure done. I can’t stress enough how awful of an experience it is for the cat. If you have been considering getting this procedure done, please try the methods listed above first. If you have already gotten your cat declawed and didn’t know about these reasons, then please be patient with your pet if they are experiencing some of the behavioral changes and remember these reasons the next time you become a cat parent.
