A cat's claw is an important part of his or her anatomy and well-being, and declawing cat nails physical, behavioral and medical issues for your cat. Declawing a cat causes much worse problems for the cat and the owner than cat scratch problems that motivate some owners to remove their cat's claw. Cat nail caps provide a safe alternative to preventing damage in the home and to people from a cat scratch.
The Hazards of The Surgery Itself
Despite the less painful cat declaw laser technique for removing a cat's claw, the process of declawing cat nails is a major surgery with major risks during the surgery itself and during recuperation. The procedure is in essence an amputation of a major part of the cat anatomy. The claw is tightly attached to the bone so some of the cat's paw and bone has to be removed. Many things can go wrong in any major surgery from respiratory problems to excessive blood loss.
Physical Problems After Surgery
Cats can have immediate and lifelong problems after declawing. Even with the cat declaw laser technique, a cat's paws are injured after surgery. A cat cannot sit still during the entire recuperation time so they are forced to walk around on 4 injured paws which causes pain and can cause re-injury. The procedure can cause problems in the tendons which makes walking difficult. Without pain free activity, a cat may gain weight or suffer more physical problems as a result of lack of movement. With some joints missing from their paws after surgery, cats shift their weight to their back legs which can lead to balance issues and can cause the front leg muscles to atrophy. The lack of balance is extremely upsetting for a cat, which relies on balance in everything it does. Some cats also suffer nerve damage or even permanent paralysis as a result of the procedure.
Psychological And Behavioral Problems After Surgery
Using the litter box and grooming will be especially painful during recuperation. The whole process can lead to psychological trauma and behavioral problems such as avoiding the litter box and excess fear and stress around anything the cat associates with the surgery. Cats who associate pain with the litter box and are also excessively anxious will choose other places in the house to urinate and defecate. Cats experience a build-up of stress and a primary way they relieve their stress is through scratching. De-clawed cats will not scratch and thus will become anxious and restless. This often leads to more serious behavioral problems such as aggressive behavior, i.e. biting.
Removing a cat's claw makes it absolutely defenseless should it escape to the outdoors which cats often do. There are soft nail caps that are harmless and non-toxic and prevent the cat from causing to the home and to people and other animals.