Our clinic advises against declawing cats as it can lead to chronic pain throughout a cat's life. The procedure requires amputating the last bone of each toe to permanently remove the claw. This is equivalent to amputating the fingertip of a human, and walking on it immediately after. There is also research to show that declawed cats have more behavioral problems, such as urinating/defecating outside the litter box or acting aggressively. Regular trimming of a cat's nails, using scratching posts, implementing Soft Paws, behavioral supplements and environmental enrichment are all ways to deter a cat from clawing or being destructive. Please consider these alternatives before scheduling your declaw appointment.
