For this reason, most veterinarians recommend that a cat be declawed at the same time as their spay or neuter – or between 5 and 6 months of age. However, the most ideal period to declaw a cat can be between 3 and 6 months of age since kittens can recover quickly and the trauma experienced may not be as severe.
The ASPCA is strongly opposed to declawing cats for the convenience of their owners or to prevent damage to household property.
The Humane Society of the United States opposes declawing and tendonectomies except for rare cases when it's necessary for medical purposes, such as the removal of cancerous nail bed tumors.
Many groups, including the ASPCA and American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), discourage declawing and suggests non-surgical alternatives. This major surgery has the potential to result in chronic, lifelong pain, and a change in the animal's gait.
It makes them happy. “Declawing takes away all of this as well as their integral means of movement, balance and defense,” the vet explains. A lot of declawed cats do eventually adjust, more or less. But others go through a personality change as a result of the trauma, becoming withdrawn or aggressive, as Jason did.
Declawing increases the risk of long-term or persistent pain, manifesting as unwanted behaviors such as inappropriate elimination (soiling/urinating outside of the litter box) and aggression/biting, new research concludes.
That's what a cat feels after being declawed. “Sensory and motor nerves in the cat's paw are cut, damaged, and destroyed. Recovery from the surgery is a slow and a painful process. The pain from declawing is life-long and normal cat behaviors are forever gone.
Many people report that they are happier with their cats after declawing, because it makes the cats "better pets." Unfortunately, many people have also discovered -- too late -- that declawing frequently causes far worse problems than it solves.
The recovery time is much quicker when cats are young. There also are fewer potential complications. We do not recommend declawing older cats.
Declawing of cats is illegal in Australia and is not ethical. Cats are naturally territorial and during scratching they leave both visual messages (the scratch mark) and invisible messages (pheromones from their paws).
As an owner, the biggest benefit of declawing a cat is that you won't have to worry about painful scratches anymore. Declawing a cat also prevents damage to household items like a rug or a piece of clothing. Some pet owners report better behavior from their cats after declawing.
Declawing increases the risk of long-term or persistent pain, manifesting as unwanted behaviors such as inappropriate elimination (soiling/urinating outside of the litter box) and aggression/biting.
Your pet may be reluctant to walk around, jump up on things or act sore. Some degree of discomfort is expected. In younger cats, pain experienced after the declaw procedure should lessen within 10 days and lameness (limping) should improve within one week. In older cats, this time frame may be longer.
It seems that 25%–43% of all cats in American homes are declawed. The reason for this high number is that many veterinarians actively market and recommend the procedure without disclosing the details of the procedure to their clients with cats. Others perform declawing unquestioningly.
The cost to declaw a cat varies depending on the type of declawing procedure as well as the location of your veterinary clinic, but the average price ranges between $600 and $1,800.
Reasons for declawing
Human Benefits—Many owners choose to have their cats declawed to protect their furniture or other household possessions. Scratching is a normal behavior of cats, but destructive scratching represents approximately 15 to 42% of feline behavior complaints.
The recovery time varies with each cat. Most cats will be healed in 2-6 weeks. If you cat is limping more than 5 days after surgery please call. Larger older cats may take longer to heal.
Dr. Bahr recommends finding the softest cat litter available to help a declawed cat use a litter box comfortably. She explains, “Declawed cats ... toes hurt from being amputated and owners should avoid any litter that is coarse or feels like small pebbles or shards of glass.”
Young, immature cats declawed at less than 6 months of age heal fastest, experience the least pain, and have the lowest risk of complications. The older they get, the more painful the procedure is, the slower the recovery, and the more likely complications become. One year old is not ideal. 2 years old is less ideal.
Keeping your cat's claws trimmed is good grooming and will reduce the damage done by sharp nails. If possible, get the cat used to having their claws trimmed while they are still young. Never encourage a cat to play roughly with hands or feet. Instead, give them a toy to kick and claw.
Another pro is that declawing cats may mean fewer cats end up in shelters. However, the cons of declawing far outweigh the benefits in most cases. Declawing cats removes their natural ability to climb, jump, fight, and ultimately, protect themselves.
Now it is commonplace for a veterinarian to refuse to do the procedure. The same is true for ear cropping and tail docking. When I began practicing, back in the dark ages, declaw appointments were made routinely like spay, neuter or dental appointments. No questions asked.
Finally, declawed cats often stop using their litter boxes. They may associate the pain they feel in their paws when trying to cover their waste with the litter box itself. They seek a less painful place for elimination, such as the carpet or bathtub or even the bed or piles of laundry.
Nails can grow back inside the paw, causing extreme pain that you can't see. Without claws, even house-trained cats might start “doing their business” outside the litterbox in an attempt to mark their territory. Our toes are crucial to our balance, and it's no different for cats!