This is one of the most controversial and hotly debated questions in the veterinary profession. A decade ago, declawing was a standard, widely-accepted practice. Cat owners didn’t bat an eye over removing their cat’s nails in order to protect their furniture and prevent personal injury. Nowadays, not everyone is so sure that declawing is humane.
Why declaw your cat?
There are two primary reasons for removing a cat’s claws:
- Owners don’t want to be scratched while interacting with their cat.
- Cats like to scratch objects, and owners don’t want damage to their furniture.
Does your cat need his claws?
Now we’re getting into some “grey” subject matter. What cat’s need can be interpreted subjectively, and this is not a question that’s simple to answer. There is no doubt, though, that having claws is greatly beneficial to cats for a couple reasons:
- Without claws, your cat may be unable to defend his/herself. For cats who remain solely indoors, this isn’t quite as applicable of a concern. Nevertheless, even indoor-only cats have been known to escape to the outdoor world. Cats who frequently spend time outdoors should never be declawed, because they need to be able to protect themselves if they were ever to be attacked by another cat or other outdoor animal. If your cat is declawed already, be vigilant about keeping your cat safely protected in the home to prevent her from encountering a dangerous situation in which she’s unable to defend herself.
- Most importantly, cats use their claws to scratch, and scratching is a natural and healthy behavior. Scratching is used to mark a cat’s territory, as well as to condition the claws. This behavior is entirely instinctual and is often a healthy and stimulating practice that promotes mental health.
- Recent views on declawing adopted by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and veterinarians around the country argue that removing a cat’s claws may negatively impact his/her mental health. For more information about the AVMA’s stance on declawing, visit their website here.
What alternatives do cat owners have to declaw surgery?
There are so many options for cat owners that mitigate the need for a declaw surgery! Many of these options are low-maintenance and affordable. Click each option for more information.
This is the single most important responsibility for cat parents. Having at least one, if not a few, scratching posts around the home gives household cats an acceptable scratching alternative to furniture. The location of scratching posts is important, and one good place to try is near the front door. When an owner comes home, cats can get excited, and having a scratching post near the entryway will give those cats an outlet to express their enthusiasm. If someone who your cat doesn’t know very well is entering, your cat may want to mark their territory, and a scratching post allows them to do this.
Feliway makes a pheromonal product called Feliscratch that attracts cats to a scratching post placed nearby, so that they are more likely to use the post than a less acceptable object like the curtains. If your cat isn’t showing a lot of interest in the scratching posts you’ve put out, Feliscratch may be a useful product to try. You can also try placing treats or catnip around and on the post.
If you don’t want to do this yourself, your veterinary practice or a pet groomer should be able to keep your cat’s nails trimmed to a proper length. There are even groomers (and mobile veterinarians like us!) that will travel to your home, so that you don’t have to put your kitty in a carrier every 6-8 weeks. If you’d rather save the time and expense and trim your cat’s nails yourself, invest in a good nail trimmer. This should run you no more than $20. Your vet can teach you the best technique for nail trimming so that you can continue to maintain your cat’s nails at home. It’s important to start when your cat is young, so that this regular upkeep becomes a normal routine for your cat.
This is a less common but very effective way of preventing your cat’s nails from hurting you or damaging your furniture. Acrylic nail caps are glued onto a cat’s claws, allowing a cat to maintain the use of its claws while preventing damage to any people, animals or furniture. The nail caps typically last two to four weeks before they wear off and need to be replaced.
If you’re interested in learning more about cat scratching and protecting your household items, check out this article.
