The Pros and Cons of De-Clawing Your Kitten

Whether or not you should de-claw your cat has become quite a controversial topic in the pet care world. Some people agree with the practice while others do not. Some people see nothing wrong with it, while others view it as inhumane. No matter what your standpoint on the issue, there are both some pros and cons of having your kitten de-clawed. Here's what they are.

Pros

The main reason why many pet owners choose to de-claw their kitten is so that their cat cannot scratch their furniture and curtains and tear them up or ruin them. So that is one obvious advantage to having your cat de-clawed. You won't have to worry about your kitten clawing at your furniture when you're not home, asleep, or not looking. Plus, if your cat is de-clawed, you don't have to go through the hassle of coaxing your cat to allow you to trim his or hers nails every few weeks, nor do you have to pay the recurring cost of purchasing nail caps for your growing kitten's nails. Once your cat is de-clawed, that's it. No scratching, no hassle. You don't have to deal with it anymore.

Cons

Some doctors warn that having a cat partially de-clawed (just have the front claws removed) or fully de-clawed may interfere with the cat's balance, ability to walk, and may alter his or her attitude. Some cats aren't as friendly or affectionate after de-clawing and can be quite moody, whereas others are fine. Personally, I've had friends who've had de-clawed kittens, and some of the kittens were sour-pusses afterwards, whereas some of them still maintained their sweet, friendly dispositions. It all depends on the cat. One important thing to remember, though, if you do choose to de-claw your cat is that the changes of extended pain or temper-altering side effects increases with the age of your cat. Young kittens tend to pull through a de-clawing surgery much more quickly than do grown cats. They are just like humans in that they adapt better younger. The next con is that like I said before once you cat is de-clawed, that's it. Your kitty better be a house kitty for the rest of its life because if per chance it happens to escape to the outside world, it will have no way to fend for itself catching food or battling other animals. That is another important factor to remember. And de-clawing is a serious and expensive surgery.

Those are the major pros and cons of having your kitten de-clawed. Whether de-clawing your cat is right for you or not all depends upon your personal preference. The above factors are just the things that you should consider before deciding whether to de-claw your kitten or not.