Declawing

Is it okay to declaw a cat? How does declawing a cat affect his personality? What is the best age to declaw a cat? What are the declaw procedures for cats? Can you declaw dogs? These questions are often asked of veterinarians and they are all very important questions. The answers to these queries will help you make an important choice about the life of your cat or kitten.

This article will begin by addressing cat declawing procedures. There are two different ways declawing is done. Feline laser declawing is done with a laser and is generally faster, less painful, and has a faster healing time. A conventional declaw is more invasive and often healing takes a little longer. A laser cat declaw is less painful because the laser seals the nerve endings as it severs them. Laser declawing also seals the blood vessels surrounding the claw so there is much less bleeding than with conventional declawing. Because of these two very important factors, a laser declaw produces less pain and less healing time for your cat.

A conventional cat declaw is done with regular surgical instruments. The blood vessels and nerve endings are cut with a scalpel. This is a little more invasive but the incision is generally closed with surgical glue. This helps to prevent bleeding. However, the raw nerve endings do cause more pain than with laser declaw. A cat who has conventional declaw is likely to have a longer healing time.

The best age for declawing cats is when they are kittens. Sometimes, a vet will do a declaw at the same time as a spay or neuter is performed. It is safer to do it this way as putting a kitten under anesthesia is hard on the kitten and it is better to just do it once.

There are many arguments regarding declawing cats. Some people feel that declawing negatively affects a cat’s personality, making him more susceptible to marking his territory by urinating, or he might become more aggressive. Proponents for declawing feel that the benefits are more for other animals and people in the household, as a cat with front claws can injure another animal or person with his claws. Front declawing is really the only way declawing is done; back declawing is not considered humane by many vets.

All in all, declawing is a personal choice. It is up to you to decide whether or not you should have you cat declawed.