If you are considering having your cat declawed, I have only one word to say- DON’T! Many people are under the impression that the process of declawing involves only the removal of the cat’s claw, and is little more serious than having their claws trimmed. Some vets can actually give people this impression.

In truth, declawing is a serious surgical procedure. Cat’s claws are not like human nails; they are actually attached to the bone by tendons. This means that in order to remove them, the last bone in the foot must be removed and the tendons severed. Imagine having each of your fingers amputated from the last joint!

Your cat would need a long and painful recovery period after declawing, and would be in pain whenever she tried to walk, leap, or use her litter tray- cats cannot be told to rest following an operation, and she will still try to undertake her daily routines.

Complications as the result of the surgery are common; the radial nerve could be permanently damaged, and there is the risk of haemorrhaging and ulceration. The wound may never actually heal properly, and a deformed claw might try to grow within the paw which would cause problems later on. A cat’s natural instinct is to scratch- they would not understand that they now have no claws so would still try to do this, which would cause them considerable pain and discomfort. Some declawed cats are no longer able to use the litter tray because of the pain scratching to cover their waste (another natural instinct) causes them.

Removing a cat’s claws would alter the way they walk and their whole conformation. This can put additional stress on joints and backs, and could cause long term problems in these areas. If your cat developed complications, she could struggle to walk at all!
In addition, if your cat accesses the outdoors, having no claws would render her defenceless against predators and other cats.

We feel that declawing should never, ever be considered as a solution to your cat’s problem scratching behaviors. It is quite rightly illegal in many countries, including the UK. Try using the advice given here and on other sites to try to cause problems associated with scratching.

If all else fails, there is a humane alternative to declawing, especially if you have an indoor cat; many cat owners use Soft Paws- these are vinyl caps that are simply glued onto the cat’s front claws and stop your furniture from being shredded when your cat goes to scratch. They last approximately 4- 6 weeks before they need to be replaced, and even come in a variety of colors. You can find out more about Soft Paws here, plus where to buy them from.