What are the behavioral and quality of life risks of declawing a cat?

Related Answers from Veterinarians

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  Answered By Lauren Barry, BVSc, MRCVS, DVM

  Veterinarian

  Published on May 29th, 2017

  Hi there, de-clawing is becoming less and less common as vet's are now realizing the permanent damage that is done to cats paws. The surgery is done under general anesthesia and using either a laser or a scalpel, the last bone of each toe is amputated as this is attached to the nail bed. The skin is closed with skin glue or sutures and bandages are applied. The cat is left with very painful feet for weeks to months afterwards, and it changes how she walks on her pads. The big corporate vet group Banfield has now stopped performing this surgery. It is also illegal in the UK, and banned in some cities like Los Angeles. Instead, you can teach your cats to allow frequent nail trims at home, or you can apply soft paws, which are little caps glued over the sharp nail.

  

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  Answered By Jessica Desrosiers

  Veterinary Technician

  Published on August 8th, 2019

  Declawing is usually not recommended except as a last-resort option, or if there is an issue with the nailbed or paw itself. Declawing involves ampuatation of the toe to the first joint, rather than just removal of the nail. Declawing also often times leads to increased behavioral issues, especially around the litterbox as using clay litter can be painful to declawed cats. It can also sometimes be painful for a declawed cat to get up and down from objects. Options outside of declawing include regular trimming of the nails, use of objects such as scratching posts to redirect behavior, training of behaviors such as scratching or biting, or using nail caps that fit over the nail and keep them blunt so they can't scratch or destroy furniture. Unless the cat is at risk of being otherwise euthanized, declawing is not recommended.

  

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  Answered By Linda G, MS, DVM

  Veterinarian

  Published on March 18th, 2019

  Hello. To most people, declawing is very inhumane. You are removing the end of the last part of each toe. Look at your own fingers & imagine amputating the end of all of your fingers just below the fingernail, & then trying to walk on this the next day. Even though we use a lot of pain medication in these kitties, I always try to find an alternative way to address this. You can always have the nails trimmed on a regular basis & you can also use the glue on nail caps that work great to protect you & the furniture. Declawed cats should be kept indoors because they will not be able to defend themselves or climb trees well ( although I have seen front declawed cats climb trees pretty well ). Despite this, we always have some people opt to have their cats declawed. I dislike doing this, & some vets just refuse to do so, so if you decide to go through with this, you will need to find a vet who still performs this procedure & you will find this surgery expensive. I hope you can find a way to live with your kitties claws. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

  

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