Declawing your cat is a controversial medical procedure. Many believe that declawing your cat is cruel, inhumane, and an abusive procedure. Declawing is illegal in many countries around the world. Even in the United States, many of the animal organizations are against and strongly recommend not declawing your cat. It s not something that should be done without forethought and without trying behavioral modifications.

Declawing or onychectomy is performed under a general anesthesia. Declawing not only involves the nail but is actually the amputation of the last toe joint and nail. The cat’s feet will need to be bandaged after the surgery and the cat will possibly need to stay at the veterinarian’s for a short period of time (2-3 days). Declawing your cat should be performed after a kitten is 4 months old. The younger the cat is when declawed, the quicker the recovery and less stressful. Once home, cats will need to be prevented from jumping for about 5 days. Bleeding can occur requiring the cat to be confined to a carrier until the bleeding stops. As with any surgical procedure, infection is a possible occurrence. If the declawing is not performed correctly, the cat could have regrowth of the nail and even become lame.

A declawed cat must always be kept indoors. Without the front claws, cats will be unable to climb trees to avoid dogs and will not longer be able to protect themselves if a fight does occur. A declawed cat that is left to fend for itself outdoors will also not be able to hunt effectively. A cat’s clean coat can also suffer since they no longer have front claws to assist with the grooming process. A cat might have some difficulty with balance or other movements for awhile after being declawed. A cat will need to adjust to missing the last portion of the digit and having the claw to grip the window sill, etc.

Using the front claws for scratching is a normal cat behavior. Unwanted cat scratching indoors can be avoided if you take the time to train your cat to use a sturdy starching post instead of your couch. Taking time to exercise your cat can release the pent-up energies that sometimes find their way expressed in unwanted behaviors. Provide stimulating toys such as a mouse on the end of a long string to chase. Some owners use blunt tips placed over the claws of indoor cats to help eliminate damage from cat scratching. These tips do need to be replaced periodically but is not a permanent modification.

Using simple and inexpensive alternatives in a cat’s environment and behavior can eliminate the need for surgical declawing. Declawing your cat should be the last option for a cat owner.