The only part I hate about cats are their claws. I can't stand being scratched by a cat. It's almost as bad as a paper cut for me. I've had a few cats, and I love them as pets, but those claws have got to go. I know that this is an issue with a lot of cat parents, but I was wondering how people on this forum feel about de-clawing cats and why?
Declawing is a horrid practice. The surgery involves more than simply removing the claws, but the entire nail bed and a portion of the digit. A cat's claw is not like a fingernail or toenail; rather, it is a movable digit attached to muscle by tendons and ligaments, allowing the cat to extend and retract its claws.
Only cats can do this, and without them, a cat can't grasp, hold, or even establish proper footing.
It is also very painful for the cat. Think about a surgery that involved removing your entire fingernails and toenails, as well as a portion of the finger or toe. Declawing a cat is even worse. Removal via laser surgery is less painful but but it doesn't change what the procedure actually does.
After the surgery, a declawed cat will hobble around painfully, use its litter box, and learn to adjust to life without one of the most effective tools that God gave a cat. Not every cat is able to make the adjustment.
Plus, there is the fact that if it should ever escape to the outdoors, it will be almost entirely defenseless, and even unable to retreat to a tree.
My suggestion is that anyone who believes they need to have their cats declawed would be better off thinking of another type of pet.
I'm not a fan of declawing. It is just plain cruel. The only defense mechanism a cat has is it's claws. If something ever happened, they are being set up for failure due to not being able to defend themselves. It's just not fair to them.
As Kfander said above, cat's claws are not anything like our fingernails and toenails. Even if they were, can you imagine how painful that would be? It wouldn't be a fun experience. There's no avoiding the paint hat comes afterward and the constant confusion.
I wouldn't recommend someone to declaw a cat just like your nails should not be removed. It should be done in close consultation with a vet since its an amputation. It is a major surgery and should be made only after attempts to prevent the cat from using its claws destructively and when its clawing presents an above normal risk to the owner. It has inherent risks and complications including anaesthetic complications, haemorrhage and pain as well as infections. Pain management is not an elective in this delicate procedure. Declawing (onechectomy) denies cats a means to mark their territory and scratching themselves. Pet owners should provide a scratching post for the animals in this regard. A more humane approach is to use temporary synthetic nail caps to prevent injury or damage to property. Declawed cats should be housed indoors and allowed outside only under direct supervision.
While I'm sure that a lot of people aren't going to like getting scratched by a cat, having them declawed shouldn't be an option that people even think about in my opinion. I think the practice is cruel and barbaric and people that do go looking to get a cat declawed, shouldn't own a cat, or any other animal for that matter.
You wouldn't remove all of a dog's teeth to stop it biting, or a voicebox to stop it barking, so why would you remove a cats claws to stop it scratching? Instead of looking at doing something as extreme as that, I'd concentrate more on training and buying scratching posts for various rooms around the house, that way they'll at least have something that they can scratch as scratching is only natural and they don't think they're doing anything wrong. Encouraging them to scratch, but only in certain areas is better than declawing, that's for sure!
My mom said that very same thing about cat claws once, a long time ago. She had one of her cats de-clawed in front, leaving the back paws completely intact. The problem was, once the kitten came home from the veterinarian, his front paws were so tender that he could barely walk. Plus, the surgery left permanently disfiguring scars on all of his toes, since they had to cut into the pads in order to fully remove the claws. Once he had healed enough to walk properly again, he soon figured out that he could still scratch people if he really wanted to, only he'd have to use his hind feet to do it. De-clawed cats will still go through the motions of scratching at furniture, only they can't do the damage, which is perhaps the only good thing that comes out of the surgery. The paws still remain a bit sensitive to touch however, and handling them becomes a real good way to get yourself bitten. I really don't recommend this process for pets as it is a huge stress on the animal. There are alternatives that you can use for your house cats, such as rubber claw covers, though I personally have never used them. I find it easier to just present the animal with a scratching post and teach him to use it by applying catnip to the post. Most cats are intelligent enough to figure out what a scratching post is for all on their own however.
The human equivalent to declawing the cat would be for someone to cut of your fingers. You are purposely crippling an animal because you dislike the animal defending itself. Cats need to have their nails to climb trees to escape from predators as well as hunting for prey. You should buy the scratching post for your cats so they can get rid of the urge to extend their claws. If you really hate it and your cat or cats still scratch a little, you can either cut their nails down or put rubber nails on them.
I've only had one cat that would allow me to put on rubber nails and it worked well for a time. If you do it for a year, they get used to not having their nails that you can stop doing it and they won't scratch you unless you surprise them. I personally don't have the nimbleness in my hands to put them on constantly and had to have them put on by a veterinarian during checkups but they are a kinder solution than crippling your cat. You can also shop for cat slippers on Amazon or Ebay to cover their feet. If you have wood floors, make sure that they have a grip on the bottom or they will injure themselves.
