Is it OK to declaw a cat?

Declawing also can cause lasting physical problems for your cat. Many countries have banned declawing. The Humane Society of the United States opposes declawing except for the rare cases when it is necessary for medical purposes, such as the removal of cancerous nail bed tumors.

Is it considered cruel to declaw a cat?

They say declawing is uniformly cruel, citing pain, disfigurement, altered behavior, and the possibility of surgical complications up to and including the possibility of death.

What are alternatives to declawing a cat?

Nail caps or claw covers, such as Soft Paws, can be a great and immediate way to protect your surfaces while you're working with your cat to redirect any undesirable scratching behavior. 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.

How do you train a cat not to scratch furniture?

Put plastic, double-sided sticky tape, sandpaper or upside-down vinyl carpet runner (knobby parts up) on furniture or on the floor where your cat would stand to scratch your furniture. Place scratching posts next to these objects, as “legal” alternatives. Clip your cat's nails regularly.

How do you stop cats from scratching without declawing?

Should I declaw my cat? - Ask A Vet

What are three pros to declawing a cat?

What are the benefits of declawing a cat?

Pros of Declawing

One is property damage prevention, since the cat can no longer scratch and shred belongings. It can protect friends and family members who are vulnerable to infection from scratches or are on anticoagulant blood thinners. Declawing also protects young children who may want to play with your cat.

What states is it legal to declaw a cat?

While several cities around the U.S. have a declaw ban in place, Maryland is only the second state to ban the procedure. New York became the first in 2019. The law prohibits any veterinary practitioners from performing declawing procedures on a cat unless the procedure is “necessary for a therapeutic purpose.”

Can my apartment make me declaw my cat?

Jerry Brown signed SB 1229 into law. It prohibits landlords from requiring tenants to declaw their cats as conditions of occupancy.

What is AAHA's stance on declawing?

The American Animal Hospital Association strongly opposes the elective declawing of domestic cats and believes it is veterinarians' obligation to provide educational tools and guidance for effective alternative training programs for owners.

Do cats get depressed after being declawed?

Depression is indeed a possibility for felines after declawing. The bone-amputation surgery in some cases may drastically change a cat's life. When a cat all of a sudden lacks her primary tools for defense and protection -- her claws -- she may quickly become more anxious, nervous, agitated and antisocial than before.

Will my cats personality change after declawing?

Does declawing a cat affect its personality? Numerous studies that have researched a potential correlation between cat declawing and personality changes strongly indicate that none exists.

Are declawed cats always in pain?

Right after being declawed, the cat will be in pain. Vets will prescribe medicine to help manage the immediate pain. There may also be bleeding, swelling and infection. One study found that 42% of declawed cats had ongoing long-term pain and about a quarter of declawed cats limped.

What age should cats be declawed?

Declawing is best done when the cat is under 6 months of age. Young, immature cats declawed at less than 6 months of age heal fastest, experience the least pain, and have the lowest risk of complications.

Do nail caps hurt cats?

Myth #2 – They Cause Damage To The Nail And Nail Bed

The Soft Paws brand was created by a veterinarian to be soft and non-toxic to both cats and dogs. When the nail caps are applied correctly, there should never be able damage or discomfort to the cat's paws or nail beds.

When should you get a kitten declawed?

Declawing kittens when they are young leads to smoother and quicker recoveries. We feel the best age for declawing is 10-12 weeks of age, but can be done up to 6 months of age. Your kitten will receive pain medication with their anesthesia as well as local anesthetic to each paw.

What are the negative effects of declawing a cat?

Some negative effects of declawing

Medical drawbacks to declawing include pain in the paw, infection, tissue necrosis (tissue death), lameness, and back pain. Removing claws changes the way a cat's foot meets the ground and can cause pain similar to wearing an uncomfortable pair of shoes.

How long do declawed cats live?

I declaw most of my own cats but have also adopted older cats that I have not declawed because those cats had other health issues. I have had declawed cats live 18-21 years without issues related to the surgery. Other vets disagree with my practices and others declaw their own cats.

Do cats bite more after being declawed?

Declawed cats tend to bite more, in part because their first line of defense, their claws, has been removed. A possible infection from a cat bite is much more dangerous than an occasional scratch from a claw. Without claws to hold and manipulate things, declawed cats tend to become more oral, mouthing and chewing more.

What percentage of domestic cats are declawed?

Some studies suggest that between 20% and 25% of pet cats in the US have been declawed. By contrast, "declawing was always rare" in the UK, even before it was outlawed in 2006, says Prof Danielle Gunn-Moore, a vet and chair of feline medicine at the University of Edinburgh.

How long is a cat in pain after declawing?

Your pet may be reluctant to walk around, jump up on things or act sore. Some degree of discomfort is expected. In younger cats, pain experienced after the declaw procedure should lessen within 10 days and lameness (limping) should improve within one week. In older cats, this time frame may be longer.

Do vets recommend declawing?

Safeguarding the welfare of domestic cats. AVMA discourages declawing as an elective procedure and supports non-surgical alternatives. Declawing is a major surgery involving amputation and is not medically necessary for the cat in most cases.

Do vets approve of declawing?

The AVMA discourages declawing of domestic cats as an elective procedure. The Association encourages the use of alternatives but says professional judgment is key when making a decision as to whether to declaw a cat.

Do vets still declaw cats front paws?

Typically, only the front feet are declawed, although you may occasionally find a cat with all four paws declawed. When you consider that a cat has five toes on each front paw (at least normally), declawing is similar to performing 10 separate amputations.

How much will it cost to declaw my cat?

The cost of declawing a cat ranges from $200 to $800 (or more) and is dependent on your cat's age, your local veterinarian's prices, take-home medications, and pre-anesthetic health assessments, and any other potential complications that may come with the surgery.