What are the PRO's and CON's of declawing your cat?

Question

What are the PRO's and CON's of declawing your cat?

Answer 1

If you are worried about the kitten clawing furniture or scratching your children, try the nail caps. They sell them online and at pet stores like Petco. They are plastic caps that go over the natual claw of the cat. You can get them in clear or colors like pink, purple, green, etc. It saves from clawing and causes no harm to your kitten.

Answer 2

Some others have answered this question very well. There's no reason to declaw your cat if you are willing to train them to scratch a post.



As a side note: I have NEVER seen a cat defend itself with its back claws properly. Its instinct is not to use its back claws, but rather its front. How exactly is the cat going to get its back paw all the way up to the animal that's attacking it? How is the back paw more precise than the front paws? Cats attack with their FRONT paws, not the back. Show me a video of a cat defending itself with the back paws and I will believe it. Until then, it's foolish to take away the cat's main and first defense. Even biting isn't the first defense. Good Jesus!

Answer 3

there are no cons

Answer 4

NO pros



Only cons



If you declaw, your kitten/cat may not use the litter pan any more. They are more apt to bite and bite harder (cat bites can be dangerous).



I've raised kittens with my son (who was an baby) and none of them ever scratched or bit him.



Trim the kittens nails once a week and when older, use the SoftPaws nails caps.



NO reason in the world to declaw a cat if you have small children or nice furniture.



Read this about declawing.



http://maxshouse.com/Truth%20About%20Declawing.htm

Answer 5

Imaging cutting your fingers to your first knuckle.



That's how it is to a cat...

Answer 6

There really is no pro.



Declawing is really a cruel act to perform on a cat.



Think about it. Your born with fingernails for a reason just like a cat is born with claws. They need them for protection.



In the past I had declawed two of my cats without researching and giving myself the knowledge to know what they do to them. After I did I was horrifed. I vowed to NEVER do it again and I've stuck with it. The two I have now (one adult one kitten) do not use my furniture as a source of relieft to scratch! They've been taught early on that's not an appropriate place. We bought them scratching pads and toys that they love. And if they do go to a spot and scratch we bang something or clap our hands and yell "no!" the other way to prevent it from happening is to get a squirt bottle and squirt him/her if you see it doing something it shouldn't.



As far as the kids go. Remember kittens do not scratch to be mean. They're just being playful. So it's most likely going to occur that the kiten will accidentally scratch one of your children. Just teach both the cat and your kids about nice play. It works trust me!



Lastly, you can buy cheap cat nail clippers at any store and do it yourself. I do my cats once a week and they're great about it bc they've had it done since they were really young. There is also other methods like adhesive things to put on their claws that you can purchase online.





Bottom line is Declawing is not really the best option and I wouldn't suggest it. Just google Cat Declawing and it will show you what takes place. Cats sometimes do not act the same after it's done either and tend to become more aggressive towards people and other animals bc they know they lack a self defense. Hope that helps a bit.



EDIT: I see some say that cats are better off. Well from experience my one cat began to bite and bite me very hard. My two cats now have never once tried to bite me. Secondly my cat who I declawed ended up growing a fungus on her paws where her nails should of been. I had to go to the vet many times to have them treat it. Thirdly alot of vets wont' do the procedure. If that's the case then you know it's not a good sign if a vet is willin to sacrifice money over the painful declawing of a cat.

Trust me. Cats are not out to ruin furniture. All you have to do is provide it with things to scratch and it will go there if you train them and since it's a kitten it's truly not that hard. It's like a puppy just takes time. I have a brand new couch and the cats have never touched it once.

Answer 7

There are no pros to having a cat declawed. It isn't just the simple removal of claws, it's the amputation of the last joint of their toes, which effectively handicaps them for life.



http://www.theanimalspirit.com/declaw.html



There will always be people who say they've had it done to their cat with no apparent problems. However, it is already banned in at least 25 countries and the Humane Society refuse to declaw cats because not only do they consider it cruel, but they are the ones who have first hand experience of dealing with the literally thousands of declawed cats who are relinquished to shelters every year. Litterbox avoidance and biting are just two of the problems associated with cats who've been declawed. With two small children, these are definitely problems you do not want to create.



It's much kinder to the cat and healthier for your children that they are taught to respect animals and learn how to behave appropriately with them. This article has lots of helpful advice on raising kittens with children



http://www.petco.com/Content/ArticleList/Article/32/2/2042/Raising-Children-and-Cats-Together.aspx

Answer 8

It is a painful and bloody and sometimes dangerous surgery for the cat. It is taking away its natural defense. If gets outside cannot protect itself. You can train it while it is young to not scratch the furniture or the kids. Get it many toys and scratching post. Or get it used to using the soft paw nail covers for cats while it is young.

Answer 9

The only PRO is that they will not scratch people/furniture



The CONS are numerous and factual

Declawed cats suffer from chronic pain which leads to litter box aversions.

Declawed cats may become biters which can cause serious illness in humans.

Due to sensitivity that remains in the paw cats may develop surface preference problems that result in inappropriate elimination.

Many declawed cats are relinquinshed and wind up in shelters due to the high incidence of litter box aversions.

Declawed cats should never be allowed outdoors as they have lost much of their defense...Cats will not use their hind feet to stop a predator as a previous poster mentioned .

A declawed cat must have their pain managed for life. Supplementation with cosequin,synoviG3 or arthroplex and omega fatty acids will decrease inflammation and discomfort.



Declawing a cat is a lifetime commitment to that cat.

Once you do the surgery you can never give up on the cat as you were the one who decided surgery was best.

Whether they inappropriately eliminate or bite you must care for that cat for the rest of its existence as it had no hoice in the matter.



To declaw a cat properly it is expensive.

A laser should be used to remove the digits and a nerve block must be done on each paw.

Pain management should be intensive and the cat should be sent home with bupernex for 5 to 7 days post op.

No pain medicine post op results in catastrophy.

All unwanted behaviors will develop without managing the cats pain.

Start supplementation immediately to get ahead of chronic pain.



I recommend if scratching is an issue to trim nails bi weekly and use soft paws if necessary.

Declawing should be the last option as it can compromise the cats qualiy of life...which is a fact.

Answer 10

Please take a moment to fully educate yourself on what declawing is and how it will ultimately affect the health of your cat, then rethink your decision.



Did you know declawing of the front paws is TEN SEPARATE, PAINFUL AMPUTATIONS OF THE LAST DIGIT OF A CATS FINGER including bone (third phalanx), dorsal ligaments, flexor tendons, connective tissue, blood vessels, nerves, claw, and fur? Why not just the claw? In order to prevent its regrowth (which sometimes results from incomplete removal), the entire first joint of each of the cat's "toes" is amputated. This procedure is often likened to amputation of all a human's fingers to the first knuckle. You can imagine the subsequent pain. The comparison ends there, however. Cats walk on their "fingers and toes"--we do not (but imagine the pain if you had to, after amputation).



Here are pictures and diagrams from the Textbook of Small Animal Surgery that show exactly what it is:

http://www.pawsneedclaws.com/Declaw_Information.php

http://declaw.lisaviolet.com/declawpics.html



Declawing is barbaric and thankfully illegal (officially recognized as animal abuse) in 14 countries. The inhumanity of the procedure is clearly demonstrated by the nature of cats' recovery from anesthesia following the surgery. Unlike routine recoveries, including recovery from neutering surgeries, which are fairly peaceful, declawing surgery results in cats bouncing off the walls of the recovery cage because of EXCRUCIATING PAIN.



A cat's claws are vital to his physiology, providing protection, balance, and mobility. Declawing is a procedure that is one of owner convenience only. What’s worse, declawing causes complications for the cat which result in very high vet bills. Domestic cats are digitigrade, meaning they walk on their toes. Walking with an altered gait because of the lack of the first digit of the toes can affect all the joints of the leg, resulting later in arthritis of the hip and other joints.

Then there is the issue of biting. Declawed cats bite. When cats lose their ability to give a quick warning scratch, they will often resort to their second line of defense: a good, hard bite. The cat's owner may sometimes find himself the victim, just when he thinks his cat is enjoying a petting session.



Declawed cats often associate the pain when digging in litter after the surgery with the litter box itself, and will avoid it, choosing softer carpeting instead. Or, you may be trading a problem of kitty scratching furniture for kitty going potty on furniture!



I urge you to try Soft Paws instead. It’s a wonderful product that was invented by one of the many vets against declawing. It is humane, cost effective and best of all, it works! http://www.softpaws.com

Answer 11

I have an 8 month old kitten and got her declawed a few months back. Yes, they are in pain for about a week or two, they get over it. I'm getting another kitten and am not going to thnk twice about declawing her. It adds years onto your furniture and since you have small children, it'll keep them protected too. Someone said the cat might not trust you as much? My kitten has shown no sign of not trusting me! She only has her front claws done, so if she needs to be able to defend herself, she does have her back ones. If your cat is an indoor one, there is no reason to not have her declawed! Don't try the caps over the claws like someone else said, they don't work. She'll get over the fact that she doesn't have claws in no time at all!

Answer 12

I inherited a declawed kitty many years back. The advantages are obvious--you can handle them easier because the only defense they have is their teeth. Your carpet, furniture and drapery are safe from shredding.



The negatives are that it's very dangerous for them if they get out among other cats--because they are at a distinct disadvantage if they get into a fight or need to flee (can't climb trees). My cat has been housebound all its life and he's very interested in the outdoors. I now have a relatively safe patio for him to occasionally go out for supervised adventures. His previous owner also said that he was very traumatized by the procedure itself. He was beyond the optimal age for declawing (older than 6 months) and he had trouble adjusting to it.



He is now a sweetheart with no obvious trauma left. He kneads and scratches as though he still had claws and he's very well adjusted.



If you're going to do it, do it sooner, rather than later. If I actually had to make the decision, I'm not sure I could do it, but I have to admit, I'm glad my cat can't destroy my furniture.

Answer 13

I have 2 cats, both declawed on front paws only, They immediately became much better pets. They also spend most of the time outdoors in our short summers, catch rodents, butterflys, bugs, etc.



I have found no cons to having them partially declawed.

Answer 14

Pros

they wont claw your kids

they wont tear up the furniture



Cons

if your cat gets out it wont be able to defend itself

cant catch mice or other rodents

cat might not trust you as much