Why You Should Never Declaw Your Cats?
Declawing cats may sound like an easy procedure, and is mostly compared to getting a pet manicure. But declawing a cat so that they stop scratching your furniture or your children is bot benign. In fact, the process involves removing the bones at the tip of the cat’s toes, something that can result in long-term problems for your feline buddy.
Did you know that cats who have been declawed could more likely have difficulties in walking? Well, with the ends of their toes removed, they will be forced to walk on the soft cartilage that was previously a part of their joints. Cats could also chew at their paws, which could result in chronic suffering. This, in turn, could make them more aggressive, too.
A group of researchers have also conducted a survey to gauge the long-term effect of declawing on cats, and found out that declawed cats were seven times more likely to pee in the wrong places, four times more likely to bite people, three times more likely to be aggressive, and three times more likely to overgroom themselves. Not just that, declawed cats were also three times more likely to be diagnosed with back pain or even chronic pain in their paws.
Here are more reasons why you shouldn’t declaw cats.
-Declawed cats are more likely to urinate on soft surfaces like your favourite clothing, couch or even carpets because it's less painful than all that gravel in their litterbox.
-A declawed cat has no other way to defend itself, so they may resort to biting when in pain. Bite wounds from a cat is more likely than scratches to cause infection, and in some cases, even hospitalization.
What should you try instead?
Did you know that declawing is outlawed in many developed countries? So, before you resort to declawing as a last resort, try and see the effects of training on your cat. Yes, cats can be trained too! Here are some tips:
-Get a scratching post and make sure it’s tall enough so that your cat can stretch to use it.
-Position this scratching post near your cat’s favourite haunt. It could be their sleeping bed, or even the garden where they like to laze around the most.
-Make sure the post looks more attractive to them than the bed or sofa. Try covering it in catnip.
-Every time they use the post, reward them with a treat.
So, the next time you think about declawing your cats to tame their scratching behaviour think of all the harm it could cause in the future, and divert your attention towards training them instead.