Declawing your cat is a personal decision that you as a pet owner have to take; opinions are divided among pet owners and vets as well regarding the potential merits and demerits of declawing a cat.
Declawing is a major decision because it’s not just simple clipping of your cat’s nails. It involves much more than that. Declawing is complete removal of the claw which is attached to bone. Declawing is a surgical procedure in which the bone on which the claw is attached is cut so as to prevent the claw from regrowing. Try and imagine a surgical procedure to ensure that your nails do not ever grow again; this is in fact worse because a cat’s claws are attached to bone.
The recovery period from declawing is painful and stressful for the cat. The animal needs to be put on pain medication. It is best to get your cat declawed when you take it to the vet for neutering. This way the animal has to face anesthesia only once.
The best thing for the cat and of course the gentler and kinder course would be if the animal is not declawed. It is possible that if you spend some time training your kitten you can get it to learn to scratch wooden posts and rough pads that you provide it with. If the young cats learn your carpets and sofa covers will be spared and so will their claws. It’s a bit tricky actually because on one hand its advisable to get the kittens declawed as it causes them less pain as compared to adult cats; on the other hand you could be making a decision in a hurry without actually giving your kitten a chance to first prove that it’s a nice kitty and won’t damage furniture in your house.
Personally, I think there are more cons than pros to getting your cat declawed. The only pro is that your furniture stays safe but it comes at a big cost to the cat. Not every cat is a furniture destroyer. Cats need their claws for defending themselves, catching prey, and also because of their inherent instinct to bury feces after doing their job. Besides there is a risk with any surgery; anesthesia may not agree with your cat. Infection has to be kept at bay during the post-operative period. Cats may tend to bite more as they have lost their claws as a means of defense. Climbing and walking may become laborious for the poor animal.
You should have declawing as the last option; you can place nail covers on the cat’s claws. These come off as the claws grow. You can even trim the cat’s claws at home.
In conclusion it can be said that there are more cons than pros to declawing. In fact, the practice is banned in countries like England and Germany.
