Should i declaw my cat

And you may have strong feelings about it. Cats are born with claws; scratching is a natural use of them. Cats scratch to condition or manage their claws, to mark a location visually and with scent , and to use and stretch their muscles.

Conditioned claws help cats defend themselves and navigate outdoor environments. Problems ensue when cats start using your furniture and home goods as scratching posts, or start scratching you too often, making their natural instinct a destructive behavior.

One way to help cats scratch less and do less damage when they do , is to help them condition their claws. We can trim nails at our office, or read these home nail care tips from the ASPCA to cut cat nails at home. This unfamiliar litter substitute, accompanied by pain when scratching in the box, may lead cats to stop using the litter box. Some cats may become biters because they no longer have their claws for defense.

If you are worried about your cat damaging your home, or want to avoid unwanted scratching, start with these tips:. Sticky Paws on Amazon. Nail Caps on Amazon. Declawing and tendonectomies should be reserved only for those rare cases in which a cat has a medical problem that would warrant such surgery, such as the need to remove cancerous nail bed tumors. Scratching Posts on Amazon. Declawing cats: Far worse than a manicure.

Instead of declawing your cat, try our effective, humane methods for resolving scratching issues. Top 10 tips. Get Your Copy. How is a cat declawed? Some negative effects of declawing Medical drawbacks to declawing include pain in the paw, infection, tissue necrosis tissue death , lameness, and back pain.

Many cats go nuts for catnip, so use that to your advantage! Another great option is Feliscratch , a synthetic derivative of the pheromone that cats release naturally from between their toes when they scratch. It can be applied to surfaces you want your cat to scratch and has been scientifically shown to increase the chances of them doing so.

Provide appropriate training through positive reinforcement. Give your cat praise, pets, and treats when you see them scratching their posts and pads.

Cats and dogs learn best from positive reinforcement. Instead, calmly move them from the undesirable location and put them by or on the surface you want them scratching. Once they start scratching there, praise and reward them. Regular nail trims or nail caps. Indoor cats, kittens, and older cats will need more regular nail trims, whereas outdoor cats may naturally wear down their nails requiring less frequent trimming. If possible, start trimming as kittens so they become comfortable with the process early on.

If you or your cat are new to nail trims, start slow and offer breaks. Trim nails in a calm environment and provide positive reinforcement. You should use trimmers specifically made for felines to prevent splintering the claws. The nail caps can be applied by you, your veterinarian, or a cat groomer, just place adhesive inside the nail cap and slide it on.

Contact Us: info arnoldpetstation. Should I Declaw My Cat? Consider Other Claw Management Options First Before electing to have this procedure, I urge clients to exhaust all other options to prevent destructive or aggressive behavior. Provide Scratching Alternatives Cats should have multiple and varied surfaces to scratch. The Consequences of Declawing However, the drawback to declawing while it is young is that it might be unknown if a pet is going to be destructive or not as it grows up.

Deciding Whether to Declaw Owners considering whether to declaw their cat should make an informed decision, and benefit from a basic understanding of what the procedure entails. Laser Surgery Reduces Declawing Complications, But the Procedure Still Hurts When the surgical laser is used for this procedure, a skin incision is made around the base of the nail and then the ligaments attaching P3 to P2 are cut and the nail surgically removed along with P3.

Complications can include bleeding, infection, lameness, nerve damage, gangrene, extensive tissue damage, and death Cats Need Special Care After Being Declawed Cats undergoing declaw surgery are given medications for pain and inflammation before and after surgery.

Declawing is Always Risky In general, a feline declaw has more potential for postoperative complications than other elective procedures. Lindsay Laird. View Comments Likes: 8 Shares: 2 Comments: 0.

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