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Your cat needs her claws for just
about everything she does. When she plays, her claws
grip the top while she punches it with her hind
feet. Her claws provide proper balance and secure
footing when she climbs and are her main means of
defense should she be attacked.
Your cat also uses her claws for scratching. This
allows her to mark her territory. It also exercises
her muscles. You've also probably seen her kneading
her paws in contentment - this harkens back to her
kitten days, when such action stimulated the flow
of milk when
she was nursing.
Declawing a Cat Can Be Painful and Expensive
If these tiny tools are so important to a cat,
why do some owners have their animal companion's
claws removed? Declawing is expensive, painful surgery.
Think of it as having the first joint of all your
fingers removed. And because their first line of
defense has been taken away, declawed cats may resort
to biting more often than their intact counterparts.
Complications Resulting from Declawing a Cat
Most humane associations and a large portion of
the veterinary community are against the surgery
of declawing. This surgery, while done under general
anesthesia, leaves the cat with considerable pain
for several weeks and is not without complications.
For example, bone spur re-growth often occurs at
the surgery site causing permanent draining wounds
and infections requiring further surgery.
Another problem that may develop is smaller, less
functional toes that leave cats unable to run and
play as well as before. Less commonly, neuromas
can form which cause limping or lameness, or even
death from routine anesthesia. For these reasons
surgery is often much less desirable than the more
humane and safer options available such as nail
capping and behavioral modification.
Alternatives to Declawing a Cat
For nail caps, which can be purchased at many veterinary
clinics, groomers and pet shops or online at softpaws.com,
the owner simply applies a small vinyl cap over
the claws at home. These comfortable caps are held
in place with a drop of nontoxic adhesive and lasts
4 to 6 weeks. The owner reapplies these claw-shaped
soft caps as they come off, and happily they come
in a number of fun colors. Cats wearing nail caps
can still extend and retract their claws, and still
enjoy all the benefits of having their nails for
jumping and playing but are limited from scratching
furniture or people. Many kittens will wear nail
caps when young and then not need them when they
have outgrown some of their more frisky behaviors,
which is much better than a permanent surgery that
could leave your cat with lifelong consequences.
Futhermore, nail caps can be discontinued at anytime
if your cat begins to spend more time outside, while
declawed cats are left defenseless outside.
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