Reasons Not to Declaw Your Cat
Cats and dogs are both different in their traits, to keep as pets. While dogs appear more buff and tough as compared to cats, with the exception of some breeds, cats, however, are more tender than tough. Their peculiar traits are characterized by spontaneous bursts of energy and most of the times they are tender and loving creatures.
If you own a cat and are considering to buff your cat’s paws, do not do it. There are reasons why you shouldn’t declaw your cat’s paws and some of them are serious enough to convince you.
Before you go do something as permanent as declawing your cat, consider these cons:
You Are Robbing the Cat of its Defensive Abilities
Cats have the natural predatory instinct linked to their claws. Build like a lion but with a comparatively toned down and less fatal tendency; declawed cats are like lions without claws. The lion will no longer remain the king of the jungle, being deprived of his predatory weaponry. Cats are inquisitive beings who are always on the go for discovering and probing new things, without claws, however, they cannot climb or fulfill their scratching urges.
Becomes More Aggressive or Fearful
Cat owners are aware of the fact that their feline pets are introverted creatures who take a lot of time opening up to their owners and new people. They have shy instincts which would mean they would remain hidden for long hours of the day without making a public appearance, except for food and water. You might also notice that the cat which had been ignoring you for days comes up out of the blue to lie on your lap. All these traits prove that cats require their time and space to warm up to places, people, and situations.
Now imagine you declaw your cat, this would take your relationship with your cat back to square one. Also, there will be an increasingly aggressive attitude radiating from your cat. It is a sign that your cat no longer trusts you.
Surgery is Always Painful
The pain of the surgery might be prevented through anesthetic inducement but what comes days after it wears off is the pain. After the surgery has been done and the cat tests its paws for the first time, to find out the difference, it will most likely feel the pain as well as sadness. Moreover, after surgery their nails grow into their paws, causing them extra pain.
And on that note, also do not clip your cat’s whiskers as they are equally important to them. The whiskers help them to judge and analyze if they can fit into certain places- and all cat owners know that these feline creatures have a thing for small and closed spaces.
If it’s really that much of a nuisance for you, consider trimming your cat’s nails, teach them where to scratch and where not to and get scratching posts installed around the house instead of going for something as permanent as declawing them entirely.
