Declawing procedures for cats have long been controversial, but plenty of frustrated cat owners still resort to this action. If you’re feeling fed up with Kitty’s scratching and you’re looking for answers, read this before having her declawed.
Declawing can carry numerous negative effects, such as:
- It can lead to chronic pain for the cat.
- It has been linked to behavior problems such as increased aggression and inappropriate urination.
- It disrupts their normal instinctual behaviors.
- It can increase the risk of injury to cats who get outside but then can’t climb trees to escape dogs or other predators.
- It carries no medical benefit for the cat.
Declawing is already banned in many places. For example, many countries in Europe no longer allow this procedure to be performed.
There are many other ways to address obnoxious scratching behaviors!
- Remember to trim your cat’s nails every one to two weeks, to reduce their need to scratch in the first place.
- Then, be sure to provide plenty of appropriate scratching materials in Kitty’s favorite locations. Use consistent redirection to show your cat where it is appropriate to scratch.
- Try synthetic feline hormones to discourage territorial marking behaviors.
- Try soft silicone claw caps; they don’t hurt your cat, but she will look like she’s had her nails done!
- Make an appointment with us to discuss your cat’s behavior and other methods that could work for your situation. Occasionally, excessive clawing is a sign of a medical or behavioral problem that we can address.
If you’re considering adopting a cat, and you just can’t picture yourself risking your beloved sectional sofa, remember that there are plenty of already-declawed cats in need of loving homes. It might be wise to adopt a cat that fits your needs, rather than altering a cat.
If you need more information on how to address feline behavioral problems, give us a call and we’ll be happy to help.