For a long time, many cat owners had their kitties declawed as a matter of course. Over the years, however, experts have come to a consensus about the procedure, deeming it not only inhumane and harmful but unnecessary as well.
Our top priority at Shiloh Veterinary Hospital is pet health and happiness. Declawing does not promote either. In fact, it decreases cat quality of life by depriving them of the opportunity to engage in completely normal, pleasurable, and instinctual behavior. For cats, scratching is both natural and beneficial. According to the American Animal Hospital Association, cats need to scratch in order to stretch and exercise their forelegs. Scratching also allows them to condition their claws while scent-marking objects.
Declawing effectively strips cats of their feline identity and leaves them without a means of defending themselves. It is also major surgery, and that means cats are put at risk of experiencing serious complications for no compelling reason.
So rather than declawing your cats, we suggest you consider these alternatives:
- Invest in some scratching posts and/or carpet-covered cat furniture
- Place said posts and furniture near couches and chairs as a way to redirect your cat’s scratching away from cherished objects in your house
- Use positive reinforcement to train your cat to engage in healthy scratching behavior
- Have your cat’s nails trimmed every two weeks
If you have any questions about declawing, please don’t hesitate to call us at (717) 767-0180 or check out the links below for more information.
