Is declawing my kitten dangerous or painful? What does it involve?

Declawing is an unnecessary procedure where the end bone of every finger is amputated. It often makes for phantom pain and can cause cats to bite as they have no other way to defend themselves. Here are more good reasons for not declawing cats. Please do not have your cat's fingers amputated. https://www.alleycat.org/resources/just-the-facts-declawing/?gclid=CjwKCAiAyfvhBRBsEiwAe2t_i782wZkB3Np4NK2gA0XrQfhfvIVGsTz-8nxXUxaF8KyyyLlXKtPpChoCBboQAvD_BwE

Yes absolutely! Declawing causing severe pain to your cat and possibly can result in aggression following the procedure. This is seen often. You are essentially removing the entire bone and flesh from your pets lower paw, which is like a mini-amputation. We don't recommend this unless absolutely necessary, which is often in cases where the cat is causing serious harm/injury to a debilitated/senior/sick owner and there is no other alternative for the cat. It is best to keep Oliver intact if possible. You can also try out soft paws for cats, which are soft nail covers that can stay on for an extended period of time, protecting kitty from scratching you or your furniture. https://www.softpaws.com/ I hope that this helps and best wishes with your fur baby Oliver moving forward. Take care.

This is a highly debated topic even amongst veterinarians and the truth is that there is no right or wrong answer here. The biggest concern veterinarians have about declawing is that it is very painful for cats and may cause life-long pain or other complications. However, vets who have been doing this for a long time note that most kittens/cats do just fine. Often, people want their cat declawed to prevent them from destroying furniture/curtains. It is well known amongst shelters, that this is a big reason for people giving up their cats. Since shelters are limited with how many cats they can take, many of these cats may be euthanized, because of this. So, many vets agree that the chances of complications and pain are not as big of a concern as possible surrender, abandonment and/or euthanasia of the cat. I say that if you think you can manage to keep her with her claws on, then it's best not to get her declawed. If you think that she is just too destructive and you can't keep her with her claws, then it may be worth discussing with your vet about declawing or other options. I hope that helps.

Absolutely. Declawing a cat is traumatic surgery to begin with, but in an older cat it can be even more so. When you declaw a cat, you are removing the last digit of the toe. Think of your finger, and think of removing the last knuckle on each of your fingers. This is what they do when they perform this surgery. They are not just trimming the claws off. There are many complications that can happen, from lifelong pain, regrowth of the bone tissue which can cause deformation and lifelong behavioral issues. Many cats who are declawed become biters and stop using their litter boxes due to the pain in their feet. There are many other options other than declawing your cat such as soft paws, or using scratching devices or training options. I would highly suggest watching the movie The Paw Project before you consider this procedure for your cat. I've been a Tech for over 14 years now. I have cats who have been declawed and I've seen the terrible effects it can have. Check the statistics of cats in shelters. Most cats who are surrendered to shelters are declawed because of the behavior issues they developed after they were declawed. There are always other options.

Hello. Are you talking about declawing Pepper? Please reconsider this as you are permanently disfiguring your pet. Declawing involves not just removing the nail, but the entire end of the toe. Look at your own fingers & imagine someone amputating your fingers to remove your nails. I hope you might reconsider & use glue on nail caps, & various types of scratching posts & materials plus some consistent training to address her scratching & clawing. If you still want to declaw her, there are veterinarians that will do this, but not here. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I always recommend trying alternative methods first such as Soft Paws, scratch posts or keeping the nails trimmed back with frequent nail trims. If all else fails, then declawing is something that is safe but can be very painful for them. If you do end up declawing Binx, I recommend prophylactic antibiotics afterwards to prevent a post op infection. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns.

The dewclaws in the back may have been loosely attached which the operating veterinarian thought it would be best to have them removed. You would have to speak with the veterinarian to know for sure. The pain from declawing a kitten can last for several weeks to months and the older they are at the time of the procedure, the more painful and the longer the recovery it becomes. I hope this helps! Keep Zoey rested for another 10-14 days and ask the vet for pain medications / an anti-inflammatory to see if that helps at all. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.