Is #Declawing A #Good #Idea?

Hey Everyone! :-)

Today, I'm continuing my series on pet advice I've come up with over the years.  One of the most common questions I'm asked about cats is whether they should be declawed.  Now, as I've said before, I'm not a veterinarian.  However, I have lived with cats for over thirty years, and in that time I've observed a few things.  This advice is based on those observations.

To Declaw Or Not To Declaw:

The short answer?  No, it's not a good idea.  Nor is it a kind thing to do to your pet.  There are several reasons for this, but the one that impacts cat owners the most is the fact that it can cause litter box issues.

Inappropriate elimination, both #1 and #2, is quite common in cats who have been declawed. There are a variety of physical and psychological reasons that this occurs. Declawed cats are prone to health problems because of the mutilation that has been committed on their feet.

The declawing process, itself, is painful.  Most often it is done by amputating the first knuckle on the toes. There are two alternative methods, but they are just as painful.  One involves severing the tendons that allows the claws to be extend, and the other involves disecting the nailbeds so that the claws cannot grow.  But neither of these methods is as common as the amputation method.

No matter which method is used, your kitty will be in pain after the surgery.  This means that, when the kitty goes to use the litter box, it hurts them -- a lot.  Like most living creatures, your kitty will want to avoid pain.  And once they start associating the litter box with pain, they may start avoiding it.  They may start going to the bathroom outside the box immediately, or they may try to "hold it," in which case they will most likely develop a urinary tract infection.

Declawing also often causes joint problems over time. Cats, unlike humans, naturally walk on only their toes. When you remove part of their toes, it causes them to change the way they walk and stand. This often leads to knee and hip problems, which can cause them to have difficulty climbing in and out of the litter box.

There are also a variety of psychological consequences to declawing a cat, which may cause them to stop using the litter box or to eliminate outside the litter box as well as inside it.  You may be able to redirect this behavior if you work hard at it and have a lot of patience, then again you may not. Kitties who have been declawed have been deprived of one of their primary defenses, so it's not uncommon for them to feel insecure and vulnerable.  One way animals avoid fights is by marking their territory clearly, so that other animals are deterred from entering it.  Declawing your kitty may make them more likely to try to avoid other animals by warning them away.

If you are trying to protect your furniture, you can put aluminum foil and/or duct tape over the areas where they are scratching. Every time you see them scratching, pick them up and take them over to their scratching post. Rub their feet on the scratching post. Try putting the scratching post in the area where they are scratching something that you don’t want them to scratch.  You can tempt them to their scratching post by putting some catnip on it.  There is also a product called "Softpaws" which is acrylic tips that can be glued over your kitty's claws.  The tips are too dull to cause damage if your kitty claws at things.

One thing you should keep in mind, if you declaw your kitty, they cannot ever be made an outside kitty.  It wouldn't be safe for them to be outside with no claws.  So if they begin having litter box problems, your choices will be to keep the kitty indoors or take them to a shelter.  It's highly unlikely anyone else will want to adopt a kitty who won't use a litter box.  So if you don't keep your kitty yourself, there is a high likelihood they will be euthanized.  Is that a choice you want to be faced with?  If not, please consider carefully before deciding to declaw.