There is significant controversy over whether or not declawing a cat is humane. While many cat owners may accept declawing as part of cat ownership, there are many more humane alternatives to cat declawing.
Cat declawing is a major surgery which involves the surgical removal of the last digit of the cat toes. Instead of the surgical removal of the last portion of the toe, the veterinarian may deal what is called a tendonectomy and cut the tendon to the claw.
Cat owners may believe that cat declawing is necessary to stop or prevent destructive cat scratching. If a cat has a habit of scratching during play, the cat owner may feel that declawing is necessary. However, when robbed of its defenses, the cat may resort to biting.
Cat declawing can cause dangerous complications and behavior problems such as infection and the decline in litter box usage. Cat declawing can cause a cat to walk differently than its natural gait which can cause long-term skeletal and joint problems. If a declawed cat becomes a stray the cat is defenseless to protect itself.
Declawing has been associated with litter box problems. After cat has been declawed, the cat often experiences a great deal of pain. A cat that is experiencing pain from declawing may have increased pain while digging in the litter box which can make the cat want to avoid the litter box.
Many organizations that promote the humane treatment of animals are opposed to cat declawing. Instead, there are a number of humane options available for cat owners. Trimming the cat’s claws and providing scratching posts are a couple of the alternatives to cat declawing.
The cat owner can expose the claws by gently pressing on the cat’s paw. Using a regular fingernail clippers, the cat owner can put off the tips of the nail being careful to avoid the pink area of the nail which is the quick. The quick will cause the nail to believe if the quick is cut.
Scratching post can be an effective alternative to cat declawing. If a cat refuses to use his scratching posts, the cat owner may encourage use by rubbing the scratching post with catnip and placing it near where any destructive scratching has occurred.
One of the alternatives to cat declawing is to use vinyl claw covers. These vinyl nail caps glue onto a cat’s claws and stay in place for approximately five weeks. Vinyl claw covers come in a variety of colors.
