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.
What is cat declawing? When a cat is declawed, the end portions of the cat's toes are removed. Another method of declawing, called a tendonectomy, involves cutting the tendon to the nails. This leaves the cat without the ability to extend its claws.
The main reason that cat owners elect to get their cat's declawed is to stop or prevent destructive cat scratching. Some cat owners believe that they must have their cat's declawed to save their furniture and even themselves from getting scratched. A cat owner who gets the cat declawing to stop cat scratching during play may be disappointed when the declawed cat bites since they can no longer use its claws to defend itself.
Cat declawing can lead to complications such as changes in the cat walk which can lead to abnormal wear of the joints and skeletal problems. Declawing leaves the cat defenseless if the cat becomes a stray. Infection of the paw is another possible complication of cat declawing.
Decline can cause litter box problems. When a cat experiences pain from declawing, the pain may be worse when the cat digs in litter box. The cat may associate pain with the litter box and 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.
Trimming the cat's claws can be done with regular fingernail clippers. By gently pressing on the cat paw, the claws are extended and the cat owner can see the pink area of the quick which should be avoided. The cat owner and needs only to clip off the pointed tips of the nails.
Providing scratching posts for the cat can reduce the likelihood that the cat will engage in distractive scratching of furniture or walls. Some cats are not immediately drawn to scratching posts. Cat owners can rub the scratching post with catnip and place the scratching post near areas where the cat has done any destructive scratching.
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.
What is cat declawing? When a cat is declawed, the end portions of the cat's toes are removed. Another method of declawing, called a tendonectomy, involves cutting the tendon to the nails. This leaves the cat without the ability to extend its claws.
The main reason that cat owners elect to get their cat's declawed is to stop or prevent destructive cat scratching. Some cat owners believe that they must have their cat's declawed to save their furniture and even themselves from getting scratched. A cat owner who gets the cat declawing to stop cat scratching during play may be disappointed when the declawed cat bites since they can no longer use its claws to defend itself.
Cat declawing can lead to complications such as changes in the cat walk which can lead to abnormal wear of the joints and skeletal problems. Declawing leaves the cat defenseless if the cat becomes a stray. Infection of the paw is another possible complication of cat declawing.
Decline can cause litter box problems. When a cat experiences pain from declawing, the pain may be worse when the cat digs in litter box. The cat may associate pain with the litter box and 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.
Trimming the cat's claws can be done with regular fingernail clippers. By gently pressing on the cat paw, the claws are extended and the cat owner can see the pink area of the quick which should be avoided. The cat owner and needs only to clip off the pointed tips of the nails.
Providing scratching posts for the cat can reduce the likelihood that the cat will engage in distractive scratching of furniture or walls. Some cats are not immediately drawn to scratching posts. Cat owners can rub the scratching post with catnip and place the scratching post near areas where the cat has done any destructive scratching.
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.
About the Author:
Moses Wright is a big lover of cats. He set up this site to help fellow cat lovers with their cat health questions and provide more info on common cat diseases symptoms.
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