Declawing is a procedure that removes the claws and part of the paw from cats. There are many misconceptions about declawing cats; I will clear them up for you in this article! As a cat owner, you may want to declaw your cats to avoid cat scratching, but this may lead to a question: Is declawing cats bad?
Declawing is not good for cats, as declawing can cause many health problems, including arthritis, personality disorder, and waking problems. In addition, if declawing surgery goes wrong, it may hurt cats forever.
In many countries, declawing cats is unethical and illegal, with punishments including fines and jail. However, declawing a cat in the United States can lead to legal problems in a few states, so before declawing cats, make sure it’s legal in your state.
Does Declawing Cat Change Their Personality?
Declawing cats can not use their paws correctly while walking, and this problem could change the cat’s personality and lead to aggression, personality disorder, and depression.
Declawing cats may also affect their health forever, as declawed cats are more likely to develop arthritis, seizure, or waking disorders in the future. Do not declaw your cat before thinking about these consequences.
The declaw surgery is painful for many reasons, including recovery time which can take up to two months. Moreover, declawing will make your cat weaker and unable to climb trees or scratch at things.
As a result, your cat may suffer from long depression, which could result in serious consequences.
In addition, there are risks associated with declawing, such as infection, nerve damage, and bone chips that could eventually lead to an amputation.
Is It Cruel To Declaw A Cat?
Many people think declawing cat is cruel because it involves cutting off their cats’ claws which is back passageogous to humans losing their fingernails; this is true for some cats but most of the time, owners who have had their carpets scratched or furniture ruined find having them done more humane than constantly dealing with these problems!
The word “declawing” can give people the wrong idea. In fact, it’s more like getting their nails trimmed! A common misconception is that this process is as bad as removing claws entirely from an animal (with all the risks associated with doing so) and may lead to increased aggression in pets.
But with careful instruction on how to properly execute this simple procedure, you’ll find your cat will be just fine even if she has her paws done every month or two for quick maintenance!
Pros And Cons of declawing a cat:
Pros
- The declawed cat will not scratch people or other animals in the home.
- Declawed cats can’t scratch and damage expensive furniture.
Cons
- Cats that are declawed generally don’t feel the same sensation as cats with all of their claws.
- There can be behavioral issues related to declawing, such as biting and aggression
- Declawing is expensive and most cat owners cannot afford it.
Why People Declaw Cats?
It is often done to protect furniture and other household items from excessive scratching, but it can also be used as a form of behavioral training for some people who don’t have time to train their cats not to scratch things they shouldn’t.
Many animals are kept indoors exclusively in today’s world, meaning they don’t have opportunities to wear down their nails by running on rough surfaces outside.
It can lead to overgrown claws and painful conditions called “lamellar dysplasia” where bones inside the cat’s paw eventually enlarge, which causes pain with every step taken.
Declawed cats may also be at higher risk for problems like long-term bone malformation due to a lack of weight-bearing exercise during adulthood.
How Common Is Declawing Cats?
The truth is declawing cats is a common practice in the United States. But outside the USA, declawing cats is not a common practice among cat owners. Declawing cats is also considered illegal in some countries, including Australia and New Zealand.
It can be hard to find reliable information about how common cat declawing is in the USA, so I did some research myself!
Every year, the Association of Shelter Veterinarians (ASV) publishes a report on how many cats come in to be declawed.
In 2016, there were 189,647 total cats that came into shelters nationwide. This is an increase from 2015’s 185,225 and 2014’s 177,500.
The number of declawed cats is increasing every year, which states that declawing becomes more common in the USA.
We estimate these numbers based on how often shelter veterinarians say they see declawed animals coming through their doors every day.
How Much Does Declawing Cat Cost?
Declawing a cat can be costly, but declawing a kitten is even more expensive. There are many factors that contribute to the declawing cost for cats.
Some veterinarians offer discounts on declaw surgery if you bundle it with another procedure, such as spaying or neutering an animal.
Declawing kittens is also pricier than declawing adult cats because they require less general anesthesia and have quicker recovery times.
5 factors that affect declawed cat costs:
- Price of Surgery: The price range for declaws starts around $50-$150 with some vets charging up to $400+. There are often package deals in which declawing is paired with spaying or neutering, but declawed cats cost more because of the additional procedures.
- Location: Declaws are usually cheaper in rural areas where there’s a lower volume of clients and declaws are a lot less common than in urban settings- so if you’re looking for declaw surgery on your pet, it might be best to consult someone who does them often.
- Cat Type: Kittens (less than six months old) have different anesthesia requirements from adults, which will affect declawed cat prices. Older animals also need their nails clipped before they can be declawed, and this procedure costs an extra $25-$150 per nail for large breeds like Maine’s that require longer claws to help them climb.
- Recovery: declaw surgery will usually take a few days to heal, and your cat may need pain medication (usually $15-$20 per day) or antibiotics ($18 for the first round of treatment).
- Lifetime Cost: declawed cats cost an average of $4000 over their lifetime- but that’s not counting those who end up having complications from declaws as adults and go on to have more expensive procedures done later. You’ll also be paying extra in veterinary care costs if you declaw a kitten rather than an adult since they require anesthesia rather than just sedation.
Kittens less than two months old should not declaw, as this is when they need their claws the most to learn how to walk and climb. Declaws is usually done in two stages- first, a portion of each nail is removed before the whole claw comes off later.
Second, most vets recommend declawing both front paws so that your cat can still have some protection if one paw gets injured or diseased; but it’s up to you!
Is There A Law Against Declawing Cats?
It is not illegal to declaw a cat in the USA except few states. It has been argued that it would be better to ban or regulate this procedure, but there are no laws against it.
Currently, the following states have banned declawing cats:
- California,
- Colorado,
- Connecticut,
- Delaware,
- Florida,
- Illinois (Chicago)
- Maine.
- Maryland
- West Virginia.
A law against declawing cats is not as common in Europe, but Holland has called for a ban on catclaw removal surgery due to ethical concerns, which they deem more important than preserving furniture or preventing scratches on people’s skin.
In addition, some countries such as Norway are considering outlawing this process entirely, while other places like Germany require that all procedures be carried out by veterinarians who use anesthesia to ensure animals don’t feel any pain during the procedure.
Why Declawing is Opposed so Much?
One reason many animal welfare groups oppose declawing is that the process involves major surgery with the risk of infection, blood loss, and complications like nerve damage where the skin was cut off from its natural nail bed
which increases infection rates over time because humans cannot lick themselves clean as effectively after they’ve been neutered and spayed.
Declawing Cats Alternative
There are many ways to train your cat not to scratch furniture, children, or people’s skin–many of which involve training the owner as well as the cat!
Teaching your cat about boundaries will help them understand what they can do with their claws and what actions are inappropriate for everyone involved, so you don’t need to worry about harming any animals during this process.
Additional alternatives include purchasing scratching posts that promote good behavior while protecting carpets from damage or trimming nails instead of removing them entirely.
Make sure all methods have clear instructions included on how best to implement them, so pet owners know exactly what they should be doing.
You can also talk to pet stores about other methods such as trimming nails rather than removing them entirely (which has risks, too!).
So make sure all options have clear instructions on how to address the problem before deciding which one works best for your particular furry friend’s needs!
- You May Also Like To Read
- Where Can I Declaw My Cat For Free?
- 5 Best Scratching Posts for Kittens
Did I Answer Everything You Want To Know About Is Declawing Cats Bad?
Cats are intelligent animals with complex needs. Unfortunately, declawing a cat can change their personality and is often considered inhumane by many people, including veterinarians.
We hope this post helped you learn more about declawing cats so that you can make an informed decision for your feline friend.