Your cat has claws, and it’s natural. That’s how cats are supposed to be. But, if it’s your first time having a cat as a pet, you might have been sick of all the scratches you get on your skin, even though it doesn’t necessarily mean that your cat hates you, it’s the cat’s way of interacting with you, and this way can get a little scratchy and painful.
Many first-time cat owners want a quick fix to this problem and for that, they declaw their cat, and if you are thinking whether declawing your cat is a good or a bad idea, it is a horrible idea.
Why Not to Declaw A Cat?
Many people are unaware of what declawing is and how can it be very dangerous for your cat. Cat Declawing is not just a surgery in which you can get your cat’s nails removed. It’s a lot worse. Throw declawing your cat, you’re not trimming down its nails, you are cutting off the last bone of each toe of your cat. It’s like cutting off your fingers at the last knuckle to get rid of your nails. This is an unnecessary medical surgery that doesn’t benefit the cat and through this procedure, you are taking away the body part that cats use to defend themselves.
Here are some reasons to not declaw a cat:
Declawing your cats can make them more aggressive
What’s worse than being scratched by your cat? Being bit by your cat, and cats have sharp canines that can hurt you. When you declaw your cat, it will use its mouth as its only defense option. This will make your cat dangerous for your family, especially if you have babies and your children in your house. The lack of claws will make your cat insecure and instead of being friendly, it will act aggressively towards everyone, will have a very cranky behavior, and will attack you or your children unexpectedly.
Your cat will be in a lot of pain even after the surgery
How will you feel if your fingers get cut off from your knuckles? Even if your fingers are cut off through surgery, you will be in a lot of pain after the surgery. Imagine how bad it would be for your cat, as by declawing it, you are cutting the last one of its toes. When cats wake up after the surgery, they are in a lot of pain, and that pain continues to disturb cats many days after the surgery. Also, when nails start growing back inside your cat’s paw, you can’t see and imagine the amount of pain your cat is suffering from.
Your cat will litter outside the box
Cats like to mark their territory on certain things and people. However, if you take their claws from them, they will have to think of other ways to mark their territory. One way that cats might use to mark their territory is litter outside the box. This can be a very stressful routine to clean your cat’s litter from different parts of your house. Your house will start smelling terrible and it can get really hard for you to make your cat litter inside the box again.
Your cat will have trouble walking and will have to learn to walk again
Cat majorly relies on its claws while walking, and if you take their claws away, your cats won’t be able to walk, and it can be really difficult to teach them how to walk again. Your cat’s toes are extremely important for them as they help your cat balance their body weight while walking, and if you cut them off, they simply can’t walk. Cats will have to relearn how to walk, just like humans when their limb gets severely injured and they are unable to walk properly for multiple months. This is the biggest side effect of declawing a cat.
Declawing is banned in many countries
Many countries have a very strict stance on animal rights, which is a great thing. Over 12 countries – including Australia, Japan, and England have banned the declawing of cats. Declawing surgeries are strongly discouraged and restricted in these countries. Also, in the United States, while declawing of cats is not banned, it’s strongly discouraged by vets around the country and many will even refuse to conduct declawing surgery on your cat unless there is a valid reason behind it.
How to Avoid Getting Scratched by Your Cat?
Trim your cat’s nails regularly
Instead of getting your cat’s claws removed through surgery, it is better to do something much simpler for your cat and you. You can just trim your cat’s nails daily. All you have to do is that whenever your cat is relaxed, gently press on its toes until your cat extends its claws. Then, use a pair of small nail clippers and carefully cut the tip of your cat’s nail. Be gentle and don’t rush as you might accidentally damage the vein, causing your cat a lot of pain and scaring it in the process.
Buy multiple scratching posts
Cats love to scratch, and if you don’t want to be the target of your cat’s weird habit, you can keep two or more scratching pads in your house. You have to make sure that the scratching pads are sturdy and at least 3 feet tall so that your cat can stretch properly. Don’t go for soft carpeted posts as your cats need something sturdy and rough to scratch at.
Teach your cat where to scratch and where not to scratch.
If you want to stay away from your cat’s scratches, remember that you cannot force them to not scratch you, as it will make them aggressive. Also, you want your cat to scratch the scratching pad you just bought, not your expensive furniture. So, encourage your cats to use the scratching post instead.
If you want to stop your cat from scratching your furniture, use loud noises or use a squirt gun, filled with lukewarm water and direct it at your cat’s back whenever you find it scratching your furniture.
Animals should be free, and disarming them is the worst thing you can do to them. Maintain your cats in a way that doesn’t hurt them.
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