If your cat scratches at furniture, tears up your carpet, or sometimes scratches you or others, then you might have wondered whether you should declaw your cat. After all, many people have declawed their cats in the past, so why shouldn’t you?
Before you elect to get your cat’s claws removed, understand that declawing your cat is cruel and unnecessary. Most problems caused by your cat’s claws can be solved without an invasive and painful surgery.
Read on to learn more about why you should never declaw a cat.
How Does Declawing a Cat Work?
Learning more about how declawing works should help you understand why you should never declaw your cat.
First, your cat has to undergo surgery, meaning anesthesia is required. Next, the surgery begins. Your cat has to have its claws amputated from its paw, meaning the surgeon needs to cut through bone, ligaments, tendons, and nerves to do so. After the surgery, your cat needs plenty of pain medication since the process is incredibly painful.
Declawing doesn’t end at the vet’s office, though. Once you’re home, your cat will continue to experience pain and discomfort from the procedure. This can persist for the rest of your cat’s life.
Aside from the surgery and the long, painful healing process, there are even more reasons to say no to declawing your cat.
Declawing Your Cat: Reasons to Say No to Declawing
Declawing hurts your cat
Your cat’s claws are technically part of their digits, sort of like their fingertips. When you declaw a cat, you essentially cut part of its finger off. This pain lasts for a long time, sometimes the rest of your cat’s life. Consider whether putting your cat through a lifetime of pain and discomfort is worth your convenience.
Declawing can lead to bad behavior
Many cat owners choose to declaw their cats because of scratching and other bad behaviors, but declawing can make things worse. In retaliation, your cat may choose to stop using its litter box, causing stinky messes around your home. Without its claws to defend itself, it may opt to bite more often. Your cat could also become afraid of you, severing any bond you two formed over the years.
Lifelong Discomfort for Your Cat
After healing from the declawing surgery, your cat will have to live the rest of its life missing part of its body. Aside from pain and discomfort, this can cause your cat to have trouble jumping, running, or even walking properly.
Risk of Complications
Not all surgeries go correctly. If a mistake is made during declawing, it could cause permanent damage to your cat. If the vet misses part of the claw and it continues to grow, then your cat could experience an ingrown and impacted claw. This would mean another visit to the vet and even more pain for your cat.
There are Better Alternatives
As mentioned earlier, any reason you have to get rid of your cat’s claws can probably be addressed in another way. If your cat is clawing furniture, then you may want to consider sticky strips. Cats that scratch people need help adjusting to people. Remember that there’s always an alternative to declawing.
Do Cats Hate Being Declawed?
Yes, cats absolutely hate getting declawed! Imagine someone coming and removing part of your fingers and toes — the pain would be immense, and you would never feel the same afterward. Declawing is incredibly painful and should be avoided.
Final Thoughts: Declawing Your Cat
Under no circumstances should you declaw your cat. A cat’s claws are as normal to them as your fingernail and fingertips are to you. Declawing is incredibly painful, and pain and discomfort can persist for years. If you want to declaw your cat because of behavioral issues, note that there are many better ways to fix these issues.
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