Is it healthy to get a cat declawed?

Answer 1

Declawing is banned in 25 countries around the world: England, Scotland, Wales, Italy, France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Norway, Sweden, Netherlands, Northern Ireland, Ireland, Denmark, Finland, Slovenia, Portugal, Belgium, Spain, Brazil, Israel, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and Yugoslavia.

The sole reason this procedure is banned in so many countries as it is deemed as unnecessarily and inhumane. In addition, several US states have now also banned declawing.

Answer 2

NO you shouldn't declaw your kitten or cat, it is very painful both at the time of the operation and possibly for the rest of the cat's life. Declawing is actually the amputation of the final joint of the cat's toe from which the claw grows. The claw is part of the bone, and once amputated there are ten stumps, with ten wounds and ten possible infection sites. Cats have lost their limbs and their lives through infections after declawing. A declawed cat is a disabled cat.

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Answer 3

Answer:

It depends if it is a inside or outside cat. If it's an outside cat then definetly don't. Their claws help them in fights. If it's inside completely, then it's fine if you get it declawed. Just remember not to let it out!

Answer:

Declawing is a very controversial topic, with many strong opinions. However, there is a growing concern about this procedure and the permanent damage it can do to cats. 25 countries and some states in the US have already banned declawing as it is perceived as animal cruelty: Its is inhumane and unnecessary.

Before one considers of declawing their pet, it is advisable to familiarize themselves on the facts of declawing and its possible side-effects:

Declawing is not a removal of the nails of a cat. Declawing surgery is actually the amputation of the first digit of each of the cat's toes. In human terms, it would be the equivalent of chopping off each finger tip at the first knuckle.

Claws are essential to the well-being of cats. A cat's claws, and the toes they are attached to, are important for cats for many reasons. Cats are digitigrades which means that they use their multi-functional claws everyday in many ways. They walk on their toes and use them for balance, exercising, climbing, and stretching the muscles in their legs, back, shoulders, and paws. Amputation of the last digits of the toes drastically alters the conformation of their feet and causes the feet to meet the ground at an unnatural angle that can cause back and muscle pain and Arthritis. They also use them for grasping toys, digging litter, communicating, grooming, and self-defense.

A de-clawed cat can go through profound psychological changes as well. They tend to

become either withdrawn and timid (because they feel they can no longer defend themselves), or overly aggressive biters as they no longer have their first line of defence.

Declawing leads to behavioral issues such as biting and eliminating outside of the litter box, because digging litter is much too painful and a cat will associate that pain with the litter box. Sadly, these behavior problems, once developed, are often permanent.

Some cats never fully recover from being declawed and can be in pain many years afterwards. Some cats will walk and sit in an unnatural manner to minimize the pain. A cat without claws also cannot scratch and properly stretch its back, shoulder and leg muscles. This, in time, can cause stiffness, pain and eventually arthritis in their legs, hips, and spine.

There are safer alternatives: Train the cat or kitten to use a scratching post. Many cats will take to scratching posts naturally. Make it a regular habit of clipping the cat's claws using a pet nail clipper. The other alternative is to purchase something called "soft paws". These are little plastic "gloves" that fit onto each claw to stop it from scratching furniture.

Answer 4

No. It's only done to stop cats from scratching up furniture, rugs and wall paper. It is solely for the benefit of the owner.

For the cat it's a pointless surgical procedure, with the associated risks of pain and infection.

Answer 5

Declawing is banned in at least 25 countries around the world: England, Scotland, Wales, Italy, France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Norway, Sweden, Netherlands, Northern Ireland, Ireland, Denmark, Finland, Slovenia, Portugal, Belgium, Spain, Brazil, Israel, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and Yugoslavia.

The sole reason this procedure is banned in so many countries as it is deemed as unnecessarily and inhumane. In addition, several US states have now also banned declawing.

Answer 6

Dear God, no. Cats can easily be trained to scratch scratching posts rather than furniture, so there's no good reason to declaw your cat. Even if your kitten scratches you a lot, it's better to just wait until they get older and have a better idea of how to retract their claws and when. They will learn, given time. If for no other reason, declawing your cat greatly reduces their survivability if they get outside.

Answer 7

In some countries it is not. There are moral issues with de-clawing a cat in any of its paws. It robs the cat of one of their two primary defense tools, they cannot climb, they cannot perform certain movements, and it also has emotional effects upon them. De-clawing may cause cats to bite more, because this is their only defense left to them, and they may also feel more insecure. Ask your vet for more details about whether it is legal or not.

Answer 8

When declawing the front paws of a cat the vet cuts off the first joint of every finger, they do not remove only the claws. Same with declawing the back paws, they cut off the first joint of every toe.

This partly cripples the cat so it cannot hunt or defend itself except with its teeth.

Today many vets will not declaw a cat and of those who still do, almost none will declaw the back paws. You can find pictures of this controversial surgery by doing a web search for: declawing cats images.

Warning: the photos are gruesome.

Answer 9

Not really because it's very painful on the cat. All they do is rip out the claws so you could do it at home but it's better to go to your vet OR get claw caps.