what are the effects of declawing?

Question

Will the cat get lazy? Will they be more likely to bite?

Answer 1

1. "declawing" is a misnomer. the surgery actually involves the removal of the entire tip of the toe - not just the nail. recovery is extremely painful, there is a high risk of infection, and especially in the case of cats declawed as adults, the animal needs to learn to walk again.

other complications include removal of too much toe, leading to flaps of skin instead of actual toes, and removal of too little toe, leading to painful regrowth of the nail within the skin.


2. since cats often scratch to mark territory, declawed cats often have to resort to other, even less appropriate, methods. any animal shelter employee or rescuer that deals extensively with cats can certainly tell you that declawed cats, especially those declawed after 6 months of age, are statistically much more likely to be surrendered due to housesoiling.

in other instances the housesoiling seems to arise from stressful situations. any cat can soil when stressed, but declawed cats seem much more shy and sensitive and likely to indulge in this behavior.


3. declawed cats are also more likely to bite, as they lack a cat's preferred system of defense. anyone who has been bitten by a cat can certainly tell you that it is much better to be scratched.


4. scratching is a natural behavior for cats. much like chewing in dogs, scratching provides an outlet for stress and an important means of exercise.


5. if a declawed cat ever escapes from the safe confines of his/her home, the animal is completely defenseless. not only can the cat not use claws as defense, but also cannot climb trees or scramble over fences as easily.


i'd also like to add: why is it acceptable to declaw a cat when it would be considered barbaric to remove a dog's teeth?

i often suggest to new cat and kitten owners that it is quite acceptable to confine a cat to a "safe" room (scratching post, litter box, and water provided) such as a bathroom when unsupervised, until the animal learns to scratch appropriately. this also helps to enforce appropriate litter box habits and to keep the cat from climbing on counters or participating in other inappropriate behaviors. this is very similar to crate training a puppy.

if a new cat owner insists that they want a declawed cat, it is really quite simple - adopt one that is already declawed. we have gotten in cats as young as 7-8 months of age that are already declawed. why put another cat through the agony? the same applies if your landlord requires a pet to have claws removed.

one more viable alternative is softpaws claw caps, although in my experience, frequent nail trims are just as effective.

and a few final notes:

an adult cat, and preferably any cat over 6 months of age, should NEVER be declawed. it is too dangerous and painful for the cat and housesoiling is far too likely. if a cat must be declawed, it should be done in conjunction with pediatric spay/neuter as early in the cat's life as possible.

a declawed cat should NEVER be allowed outside unless under the direct control of the owner, i.e. on a harness or in a roofed, cat-proof encolsure. (this is the preferable circumstance for any cat, especially if the home is urban or suburban, or otherwise close to a road.)

if a cat refuses to use a scratching post , try a different post. most cats prefer posts wrapped in sisal or other rope, or the disposable cardboard kind. they generally do not like the ones wrapped in carpet. and a post really should be about 3 feet in height to fully satisfy a cat's urge to stretch and scratch. finally, make sure to replace posts when they become worn, or the cat will resort to using furniture.

This is from my sister's website: www.ucarerescue.com
She is highly involved with animal rescue.

Answer 2

o.. the declawing will NOT make a cat go lazy or more likely to bite.. Declawing has nothing to do with that.. The bad affects of declawing is that if the cat every got out of your House and met up with another cat or dog or other animal, it could not protect itself because its claws are gone.///////the good effects are that your furniture on the inside of the house will not be destroyed.

Answer 3

I wouldn't do it. Say your cat got out, it would have no defense and it couldn't climb a tree to get away from something trying to hurt it. A friend of mine declawed his cat, and it got out one day accidentally and got killed because it couldn't defend itself properly. I'm not saying your cat will get killed or even hurt if you declaw it... but there's nail covers you can buy in assorted colors... they don't look bad and they won't hurt your furniture or you if it scratches you. For your question though, yes it will be more likely to bite when it realizes it can't hurt you with scratching you, and no it won't get lazy. It is a painful thing for the cat, the nails can grow back, and it can bleed a lot. It's not worth it.

Answer 4

No,my cat is declawed. Dont get the back nails declawed because then they will not have any way to defend themselves. It would be wise to just do the front paws. They dont really use their back ones anyway unless they are outside.Oh yeah, dont declaw an outside cat. They would have no way to defend themselves.They dont get lazy,what would make you think that?and yes,they will be more likely to bite,what else would they do??

Answer 5

Honestly I don't know, but I want to get my cat declawed too. I don't think that it'll bite you unless it's mean to you already. I know that you will have to take extra precautions so its paws don't get infected. I know people think that its creul but I don't think it is. The reason I want to get mine declawed is so it won't tear up my furniture, also its strictly a inside cat.& it never even tries to go outside.

I prefer a more relaxed cat anyways, if it does get lazy. I don't think they get lazy cause the same thing is said about getting them fixed & my cat is & its not lazy at all.

Answer 6

no, they wont get lazy, but they can become more prone to biting. only declaw a housecat, as the claws are their only form of defense. the cat can also develope an infection in the paws if it is declawed.

besides, how would you feel if someone took off your fingernails?

Answer 7

The cat will be in horrible pain for quite a while. It will be more reluctant to interact with you as it did before. Yes, it will bite more, just because now that it doesn't have it's claws for defense, it will need to bite to protect itself. Overall, it isn't worth putting your kitty through all that trouble and pain just so your couch can look nicer.

Answer 8

To understand the immediate effects I suggest you give your friend a hammer and have them smash it down on all the fingers of one hand. Then do the other hand. If you aren't in agony for the next week I would be surprised.

Declawed cats frequently become biters because they feel vulnerable without their claws.

They need to be keep indoors all their lives and also tend to have litterbox problems.

Answer 9

Neither. The cat has to be kept strictly indoors, of course, because it can't defend itself. It will still try to use its claws but to no avail. Some consider it cruel to remove cat's claws. Its done under anesthesia, but the aftermath must be painful ( imagine getting your nails removed!) It is done only to kittens, though not to tiny ones.

Answer 10

the bad thing about declawing is that if it ever gets outside and has to defend it's self, it can't......plus YOU CAN"T declaw the back

Answer 11

Its insanely inhumane in my opinion, but one thing you can use to persuade you not to do it is that the cat might stop using the litter box, digging in the litter after the surgery will be painful for them, and they can forever associate the litter box with pain and not use it...