In the past, it was thought that cats could be saved from rehoming by something called declawing. This is the surgical amputation of all or part of a cat’s third phalanges (toe bones) and the attached claws. The idea was that no claws mean no damage; unfortunately, it wasn’t that simple.
Over time, some unwanted side effects started to appear, including aggression, pain, problems with litter box use, reduced ability to catch themselves when they slip from high up, complications after the surgery, excessive biting, and the reduced ability to defend when in danger.
4 Comments on “Declawing cats – Side Effects & Alternatives”
There are currently a reported 41 nations and a growing number of domestic municipalities that outlaw onychectomy (declawing) as the cruel, mutilating and unjustifiable procedure it is. I oppose declawing unconditionally and advocate against it on social media.
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WE had our Sammie Cat declawed, and she started limping abit shortly therafter, but yet at times she runs around like a wild woman. She does not wine and cry because of the declawing just limps more than we like to see.
After declawing, is it possible that the nail would start to grow back, or have what us humans call an in-grown toe nail??
Your response is greatly appreciated..!!
Can a declawed cat survive outside?
Hi Brenda, Unfourtently we don’t have behaviorists available to answer the questions on their posts, but I’ve heard that it’s a very bad idea to let a declawed cat go outside because it won’t have a way to defend itself or climb trees to get away from preditors. I think it would be very difficult to survive in the wild.