Should a Cat be Declawed?

Cat owners often times come up against the decision of whether to declaw a pet. Interestingly, declawing is a choice that has pros and cons for both the owner and the animal. If you want to declaw your cat, you may want to think it over and learn options that will allow you and your animal similiar benefits without declawing.

Declawing a cat is a procedure that entails the amputating of each claw which is an extension of the muscles and bones of a cat. It is best done before the age of two since older cats take longer to heal. The price of declawing a cat is a costly surgery. Many animal activist, medical professionals and pet owners agree that declawing a cat changes the personality of it. Even more, if the cat ever ends up in an animal shelter it is most likely that it will be euthanized. It is just a protocol. The decision sometimes may be based on the request of a landlord for a cat to be declawed. If renting a house or apartment, inform the landlord about the cat and find out if it is mandatory to declaw your pet. You deserve to make an informed medical decision on the life of your cat.   You have to decide whether a few possible scratched furniture pieces is worth the many medical risk and psychological disadvantges you and or you and your cat will go through because of declawing.

Once a cat is declawed, it loses its' natural instinct to mark its' territory. One of the first things to know that the cat is effected is when it begins peeing outside of its' litterbox. Will you be prepared for these clean ups?  Complications of declawing include hemmorage and extreme pain that may need more veternariry visits and medication. There have been cases of cats dieing during and after the procedure as well. Mental effects include becoming irritable and obviously when a pet is ill, owners become affected emotionally. 

There are alternatives to declawing. A scratching post is the most common.  The smell of the it will draw the cat towards it and you will help train the cat to scratch it and not other wood furniture and other household items.  If you must declaw, laser declawing can be an option that is less demanding on the body of a cat. An inexpensive and effective solution or alternative for your cat nails to stay intact can be the use of nail caps. Not only will they cover every nail of the cat, it comes in vibrant colors. Currently, one of the most popular products is softpaws. All in all, you don't have to consider declawing a cat, but if you do, do yourself and the cat justice by informing yourself throughly about what declawing a cat entails for the life of a cat.