Declawing has become a controversial and hotly debated topic among pet owners and veterinary associations. In fact, this procedure has been banned in several European countries and the UK. Most pet owners decide to declaw their cats to prevent the shredding of their furniture, area rugs, doors, and other woodwork. However, this process proves to have more negatives than positives. As such, cat owners should consider the various alternatives to declawing before taking on the procedure.
Procedure of Declawing Your Cat
There are various methods of declawing, and it goes down to the one you feel is best for your fuzzy bestie. While most people may think that this process involves the removal of a cat’s nails, its true procedure will leave you thinking twice about having your cat declawed.
Declawing involves the amputation of each of your cat’s toes to the last bone. It involves the removal of the claws and the piece of bone on which the claws grow. To a human being, this would be similar to cutting the fingers at the last knuckle.
The typical declawing method involves amputating using a guillotine clipper or scalpel. The wounds are then stitched or covered in surgical glue and then bandaged. Another declawing method is laser surgery. Here, an intense light beam is used to cut through the tissue, thereby vaporizing.
Tendonectomy is another declawing procedure that involves severing the tendons that control the claws. This way, the cat gets to keep the claws, but can’t move or extend them.
Reasons Why You Should Not Declaw Your Claw
Clawing is natural and healthy for cats. Cats tend to scratch right from a young age as a way of enjoying themselves, relieving stress, keeping their claws in good condition, and stretching their muscles.
As such, declawing your kitty may seem like doing a great deal of injustice. What’s more, the process may have, not one, but multiple negative effects on your cat. Here are some of those effects:
Infection
This surgical procedure tends to have side effects. Regardless of how well the wounds are cleaned and bandaged, they are still vulnerable to infection. Walking on the floor and litterbox will leave your cat collecting germs, which may infect the wounds.
Behavioural Change
Scratching is a common behaviour among cats and is a way of marking its territory as well. Declawing may, therefore, cause significant behavioural change and may also affect the moods of your four-legged friend. Try serving it the best wet cat food, and you wouldn’t be surprised to see it turn the other way. Declawed cats also tend to become more aggressive and easily bite when agitated.
Lameness
Removal of too much tissue may cause partial or permanent lameness of your cat. This happens especially when the second bone is damaged. The worst part is that nothing can be done to reverse this damage.
Conclusion
Declawing is a procedure of removing the claws and tissue on which the claws grow. Most cat owners turn to this procedure to prevent the shredding of furniture and woodwork by their cats. Given its negative effects, however, cat owners should consider trimming their cats’ nails regularly, setting up scratching posts, and training their cats on what to scratch and what not to scratch.
