Should I declaw my 3-month-old kitten to prevent furniture damage?

Question

I have a 3 month old kitten, I was thinking about having her front claws declawed. I've been reading and hearing different views on it from people? Pet's info: Cat | Ragdoll | Female | spayed | 3 months and 1 day old

Kevin Sanada, DVM · Accepted Answer

This is a highly debated topic even amongst veterinarians and the truth is that there is no right or wrong answer here. The biggest concern veterinarians have about declawing is that it is very painful for cats and may cause life-long pain or other complications. However, vets who have been doing this for a long time note that most kittens/cats do just fine. Often, people want their cat declawed to prevent them from destroying furniture/curtains. It is well known amongst shelters, that this is a big reason for people giving up their cats. Since shelters are limited with how many cats they can take, many of these cats may be euthanized, because of this. So, many vets agree that the chances of complications and pain are not as big of a concern as possible surrender, abandonment and/or euthanasia of the cat. I say that if you think you can manage to keep her with her claws on, then it's best not to get her declawed. If you think that she is just too destructive and you can't keep her with her claws, then it may be worth discussing with your vet about declawing or other options. I hope that helps.

Should I declaw my 3-month-old kitten to prevent furniture damage?

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