Have you been thinking about getting your kitty declawed? While it is certainly frustrating to deal with a cat that scratches furniture or other items that you don't want to be destroyed, there are several things you should take into consideration before you take your feline friend to the vet's office and have its claws removed.
Understand the Procedure Before you decide to get your cat declawed, it is important for you to gain a better understanding of the actual procedure.
Many people mistakenly believe that the procedure only involves removing the nail from the paw, but this is untrue.
In reality, declawing your cat also involves removing the nail bed as well.
In many cases, part or all of one of the digits also needs to be removed.
This means actually removing the finger bone in addition to the nail.
Be certain to discuss the procedure fully with your veterinarian and to understand how the procedure will be performed on your cat before you decide if the procedure is right for you and your cat.
Dealing with the Pain Many people believe that the declawing procedure is relatively painless for the cat, but this is untrue.
The procedure is actually quite painful.
Your cat will begin experiencing pain from the surgery as soon as it wakes up from the procedure.
In many cases, this pain subsides after about 24 to 36 hours, but it can last much longer and can result in numerous complications.
In fact, some cats continue to walk gingerly or hobble around for many years following the procedure.
Although many cats have been declawed with no long-term adverse side effects and have enjoyed a full recovery, you have to decide whether or not the potential risk to your cat's health is worth undergoing the procedure.
Experiencing Behavioral Changes After undergoing the declawing procedure, your cat may experience some undesirable behavior changes.
Cats that were already on the aggressive side may become even more aggressive following the procedure.
Whereas your kitty used to only swat to show its aggression, it may begin to bite instead after being declawed.
Your cat may also undergo undesirable behavior changes related to the litterbox.
Immediately following the procedure, it may be difficult for your cat to use the litterbox properly because its paws are tender.
As a result, your cat may develop a general aversion to using the litterbox and may begin to leave its waste in inappropriate areas.
Since there are so many potential negative side effects to declawing your feline friend, you might want to consider taking other steps to end the scratching before you have your cat undergo the procedure.
For example, trimming your cat's claws or using nail covers may help reduce or even stop the scratching behavior.
The nail covers can be glued to your cat's claws and create a sort of guard that prevents damage from occurring to your furniture.
Although the covers will need to be replaced periodically, it is a method worthy of consideration and is a way of putting an end to the scratching problem.