Why to Avoid Cat Declawing

Many people who have cats find that getting them declawed is a very attractive alternative to getting the furniture, or perhaps even flesh, shredded. However, declawing is becoming viewed more and more predominately as an inhumane procedure for your feline friend. If you are considering getting your cat declawed I hope that you will read this article with an open mind so that you may be swayed.

The first reason why to avoid getting your cat declawed is probably the most apparent. It is simply an unnecessary and very invasive procedure. Would you opt to have a surgery, as a human, that you did not really need? There are always risks such as infection and sedation overdoses. Why take the chance for something so small? Not to mention it is a quite painful procedure that will leave your cat suffering for quite some time to come. Although it may seem like the easy route to save that nice leather couch the pros simply do not outweigh the cons on this one.

Next up is how it will affect your cat's natural and instinctive behaviors. Your cat will no longer be able to engage in the day to day activities that are bred into him or her. This includes hunting, many types of play and other activities such as climbing trees. Eliminating your cat's ability to engage in instinctive behaviors can lead to a depression which can cause symptoms far worse than a little scratching; these include but are not limited to peeing on furniture and excessive meowing.

The final reason to avoid declawing your cat is that there are other simple options, sure they may require a little bit of work but this is part of your responsibility as a pet owner. Buy a cheap scratching post for your cat. Chances are that he or she will prefer to scratch this over your couch anyways! If not then encourage it through praise when your cat does use the scratching post and a little spray from a bottle of water accompanied by a 'hiss' noise when your cat is scratching the furniture. You will be surprised how quickly you can correct this undesired behavior when you put some effort into it.

Hopefully now you can see why getting your cat declawed is not the way to go. Take what you have learned here and use it to persuade you to avoid getting your cat declawed. Do the humane thing!