When I was a little kid, I vaguely remember a kitten we had. After my mother caught it climbing her sheer curtains leaving them full of pulls, kitty became an outdoor cat.
Declawing housecats is an option that many vets offer to pet owners who want to avoid their curtains and furniture being ripped to shreads. Cats have a need to scratch. Even if you provide a scratching post for your cat, some will still prefer the side of your couch. Even the greatest cat lover is going to get annoyed when their kitty destroys expensive furniture.
The reason why people declaw cats is because they are uninformed. If you listen to the radical cat welfare advocates, the only thing they scream about is how inhumane it is. They do not tell you why. Many vets perform this procedure but do not warn the pet owner about what can happen to the cat after declawing.
The term “declawing” is deceptive. The cat is not actually “declawed”. Look at the human hand. Your finger has three sections to it. Imagine your fingertip altered by the removal of the tip, leaving just the two sections. This is what is done to cats. Nerve damage is common with many cats experiencing pain that lingers. There are many other side effects to this surgical procedure but the only one vets warn about is side effects of anesthesia.
For many cats, feeling is gone in their front paws. Because of this, they are unable to properly use a litter box. Because of this, the cat will feel free to relieve themselves wherever. Wet carpeting is what is common after your cat is declawed.
The other issue that happens is that the cat’s personality drastically changes. 95% of cats who are declawed show signs of personality change which most often shows itself as a refusal to use the litterbox. Many cats become biters because without their claws for defense, they need to protect themselves when they feel stressed.
25% of cats who are left in shelters are declawed. Often they are left because of these personality changes. When a good cat goes bad due to the owner’s ignorance about declawing, often it means the cat will be put to sleep or adopted but then abused due to their litterbox issues.
What is the solution to this problem? Firstly, you cannot make a formerly indoor cat an outdoor cat, especially now without claws. What a cat owner can do is learn how to adapt to their cat’s unique problems. Your cat is now maimed. It is reacting to the loss of its claws and maybe lifelong pain because they were scratching out of control.
Re-training your cat to use a wee-wee pad like a dog is one option. Another option is to get a good harness and leash and teach your cat how to do its business outside. Stock up on cleaners to remove the smell from when your cat does use your carpeting as a toilet. Mostly, do not punish your cat! It isn’t his fault.
It is going to take a lot of patience to deal with your declawed cat. If you love your cat, you will recognize that even a cat’s life is not disposable. Your choice to have your cat declawed was yours, not your cat’s. In many households, people live to regret the choice they made when they had their cat declawed. You can make it up to your cat by giving it the best life that you can and by spreading the word that declawing a cat is a mistake.
If you have more questions about declawing- the following link will answer all your questions.
http://www.pawproject.com/html/faqs.asp
