Pros & Cons of Declawing a Cat

Declawing or onychechtomy is an operation where the claws of a cat are surgically removed from its paws. To remove all of the claws, part of the toes called the third digital phalanx is amputated. Cat owners order the procedure done on the front paws or on all four paws. Declawing for anything other than medical purposes is not allowed in many countries, with the United States being a notable exception.

  1. Pros

    • A declawed cat will not longer be able to scratch furniture, carpets or other possessions. Declawed cats also cannot scratch children, other pets or people. Some landlords, especially in America, require their tenants to declaw all pet cats or be evicted. In these cases, declawing may be the owner's only option in order to keep both cat and home. California tried to pass bill AB2743 requiring landlords to accept cats with claws, but it was vetoed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2010. Declawed cats in shelters may be considered more desirable to adopt than those with claws.

    Cons

    • Declawed cats lose the ability to defend themselves. A popular misconception is that declawed cats will bite, but declawed cats still instinctively try to use claws in self-defense, according to the Mar Vista Animal Medical Center. The declawing operation has a painful recovery period and infection can occur. If the operation has not been done properly, part of a claw can grow and this may result in more surgery.

    Medical Reasons

    • Medical reasons why cats may need one or more claws in an individual toe removed include ingrown nails, gangrene, benign or cancerous tumors and being injured beyond repair. Another reason is an infection of trichphyton mentagrophytes, or microscopic mites. This type of declawing is not considered as controversial as declawing for behavioral reasons or to protect the furniture.

    Alternatives

    • Many alternatives exist for owners of cats that constantly scratch the furniture. The first is behavior modification by offering many other items to scratch, such as a scratching post rubbed with catnip. This is combined with frequent nail trimming. Another option is to glue acrylic caps on the cat's claws, but this method is discouraged by Mar Vista Animal Medical Center as that even capped claws can still damage furniture. Another surgical option is a tendondectomy, which removes a cat's ability to extend its claws.