Declawing
A declaw procedure for cats is just that -- a procedure to take the claws off of your cat. Declawing a cat is an elective surgery that is preformed to prevent your kitty from scratching people, other animals, furniture, and carpet. There are many more cases of cat declawing than of dog declawings, as dogs normally wear down their claws outside or can be clipped a lot easier. In a standard declawing case, the claws and cells responsible for growth are removed, and the "third phalanx", which is a bone, of the paw.
Declawing your cats is a very controversial subject. Declawing is seen by many to be inhumane and mutilation to the paws of your cat. In most cases, declawing is considered to be the equivalent of amputating a person's fingers at the first knuckle. Declawing your cats has been proven to be very painful for your cat. Declawing isn't easy during or after the surgery. Feline laser declawing is recommended as early 8 weeks. The age to declaw a cat should be taken into consideration because the longer you wait in declawing a cat, the more painful the recovery is.
Some side affects to declawing are as follows. Paralysis of the legs can occur during the declawing procedure, and infections can occur during the recovery period. Keep in mind those downfalls before you put your furry little family member through an unnecessary surgery! Also, declawing of the back paws is not recommended by most veterinarians, as cats rarely scratch anything with their back paws. An alternative to laser declawing is buying your cat or cats a scratch posts. Scratch posts are relatively cheap and cost a lot less than laser cat declaw. The cats you have with use the post to wear down their long fingernails. Many cats find that flexing their claws on the special post material is a lot better than scratching them on your furniture or shoes. Look into scratch posts online or in your pet store!
For more information on laser declawing and declawing procedures for your cat or kitten, ask your veterinarian. He or she will be able to give you more information, suggestions, and tips concerning declawing and maybe some more safe alternatives to the surgery. Cat declawing is not for everybody, so be sure you know all of the facts before you put your cat through something that will possibly harm them long term!
