Should I declaw my 1-year-old cat? Is it too painful for them?

Question

I have two cats that will both be a yr old within a week. I am thinking about having them declawed. Most of what I read says it is very painful for a grown cat. I don't want to do anything to these cats if I shouldn't. That is why I am asking. Pet's info: Cat | American Shorthair | Male | neutered | 11 months and 26 days old | 12 lbs

Daniel Fonza, DVM · Accepted Answer

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your question. It is true that older cats have a harder time post op with declaws in my experience. It's not that you shouldn't do the declaw procedure, it is just more uncomfortable for them. There are alternative options to declawing such as Soft Paws, in which caps are glued onto the nails to prevent scratching. These are easy to put on and last about 2 weeks. I would also provide plenty of scratch posts and toys to see if this helps. If you end up resorting to declawing, the post op recovery period tends to be longer in older cats. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Should I declaw my 1-year-old cat? Is it too painful for them?

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