Why Is Declawing A Cat Bad?

It has been over 15 years since I last declawed a cat. Anyone who has done the procedure knows why. Declawing involves amputating the end of the digit. If you look at your finger, imagine removing everything past the point of your last knuckle, on all of your fingers. Now imagine how that will affect your life. Now think about having to walk on your hands after having the ends of your fingers amputated. Declawing a cat is a very invasiveveterinary surgery.Immediate complications from the surgery can include infection of the surgical sites, which can cause open wounds. The bones of the toe may become infected, which then requires prolonged treatment or may even cause death from the infection. Draining tracts can sometime develop, and the nail bed can sometimes regrow if not completely removed. The long-term consequences of declawing can include difficulty walking due to changes in the function of the paw, and painful arthritis.

What To Do Instead Of Getting Your Cat Declawed

Ironically, an invasive, expensive and potentially dangerous cat declaw procedure is often not even necessary. In most cases, owners just want their cat to stop scratching their furniture. And, what many people don’t realize is that implementing strategies to curb this behaviour is usually very successful.

Why Do Cats Scratch My Furniture?

Cats are not being evil or spiteful when they scratch your furniture. Cats have a basic instinct to scratch in order to leave a visual and scent marker that they were there. Cat graffiti! Naturally they want this work of art to be seen, so they usually leave their mark on high traffic areas. This is usually why the arm of your couch or speaker ends up being the target.

How To Stop Your Cat From Scratching The Furniture

1. Place scratching posts that are long enough for the cat to stretch up onto and scratch near the areas where he normally scratches. He will usually happily use the new post. Once the cat is scratching regularly on the new post, you can gradually move it to a less intrusive area. The cat will often continue to scratch the post and leave the furniture alone.
2. Keeping the cat’s nails short will also help reduce damage to your stuff. You should be trimming your cat’s nails every 4-6 weeks. If your cat does not allow you to trim his nails, talk to your vet about strategies to get your kitty used to it. Over time, even the squirmiest cats can become well trained to accept a nail trim without too much protest.
3. Acrylic nail caps can be applied to the nail after they have been trimmed. When used correctly, these can often be very helpful in preventing damage to furniture.
4. Calming pheromones can be an effective way to get your cat to stop scratching behaviour, either at home or while travelling. These pheromones send chemical signals to cats that everything is ok, so the cat often becomes less inclined to scratch in order to mark his territory. These pheromones can come in sprays, wipes, diffusers, and collars; however spraying the undesired scratching area is typically the most effective and versatile way to curb this behaviour.

If you have any questions about declawing cats or how to help stop your cat’s scratching behaviour, please contact your veterinarian.

Sincerely,

Dr. Kent Morley