Onychectomy: Declawing Cats
Information and Overview:
Declawing is the permanent surgical removal of an animalīs front toenails. Although many animal welfare
organizations strongly discourage declawing, some pet owners have their cats declawed in order to avoid
having to give up their pets. Owners often opt for this procedure in order to curtail a catīs persistent
scratching of furniture or people, climbing up window treatments, or other damage caused by a catīs natural
instinct to mark its territory. Declawing is also used in less common cases requiring the surgical removal of
one or more digits, such as infection or trauma. Declawing should only be performed on those pets that will be
kept strictly indoors. Cats that have a chance of getting outside should not be declawed, since their ability to
climb out of harmīs way or defend themselves in a battle will be compromised. Younger, smaller animals tolerate
declawing better than those that have matured into adulthood. Animals that have adapted to using their claws will
be more likely to have behavioral changes associated with missing them, though this is not common.
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