Is Cat Declawing Right

The medical procedure for declawing your cat is called onychectomy. It is a very painful and difficult procedure that is done to remove the claws of your kitten. Medical veterinary personal states that it is equivalent to chopping off a finger on a human because it is essentially cutting off the kittens bone one each of his or her claws. It is a procedure that cannot be reversed, and the kitten suffers unbearably when he or she comes out of the anesthetic. Another aspect that many do not consider is that if the vet is inexperienced or makes a mistake during the procedure, it can lead to serious complications even death.

Cat declawing frequently affects the cat's behaviors. A lot of cats find that they it difficult to grasp with their claws and they can lose secure foothold with their claws removed. In some cats their entire personalities change due to the trauma of cat declawing. Without their claws cats feel defenceless and they end up being very timid and afraid of real life and imagined predators. If the cat declawing operation gone wrong the claws could be deformed claws or infection such as haemorrhaging or gangrene and even in some cases leading to death.

Studies have shown that a cat who is declawed will spray more often than one who is not. this is because a cat uses it claws to mark its territory. When the claws are gone, they will turn to whatever means that they can to make their mark. This is usually done with urine. The same studies have indicated that cats that are declawed will be less likely to use their litter box because of the pain that is caused by scratching the litter.

Those people who are supporters of cat declawing reckon that most cats continue to scratch after declawing proves that nothing has changed in their cats' behavior. They believe that declawing is a safe and inexpensive alternative to curb the destructive behavior of their felines indoors. The cats do not appear to suffer any adverse psychological effects. Their pets continue with their normal scratching patterns and the cats seem to be healthy and active as before declawing. The big difference is that the cats' scratching now causes no destruction on their furniture.

Cat owners must accept the fact that scratching is a cat's natural instinct. Cat declawing put a restrain to the cat's daily activities such as chasing, climbing, scratching, exercising, and marking territory. The most accepted option to cat declawing is a scratching post. A scratching post could provide a scratching surface for your cat and also a place for it to sharpen its claws to keep the nails healthy.

To help your cat from damaging your furniture provide your pet scratching surfaces to modify and correct its scratching behavior to an appropriate location. You could get a chunky piece of log for your pet to scratch on. Another alternative is to trim the claws and nails of your pet regularly and then there is no need to resort to cat declawing.

These days there is available a very welcoming alternative to cat declawing which is safe and without pain. This is the glued on vinyl nail caps developed by a veterinarian. These caps are glued on to your cat's nails so they become blunt and harmless and will not cause any destruction to any surfaces. Other options such as repulsive smell or soap, booby traps or motion-activated alarms have been used to deter your cat.

Cat declawing is an inhumane, cruel and old fashioned practice. Cat owners must be aware of the physical and psychological effects of declawing to their pets. Scratching is in the gene of a cat and the claws are used for scratching, marking territory and grasping. Cat declawing is purely done to fulfil the selfish purpose of some cat owners. Cats are our valued companions, how can we cause so much pain and sufferings to our best friends?

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About the Author: Paulina Jenkins has information on Alternatives of Cat Declawing. See more about Cat Declawing at Cat Declawing

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