There are many factors to consider when choosing whether or not to declaw your beloved cat or kitten. Many cat owners and veterinarians have strong opinions about declawing, but it is up to you to learn the facts about the procedure and make the right decision for your circumstances. Dr Luis Cruz from American Vet Hospital in Simi Valley has put together the following information about cat declawing to help you make the right choice for your cat. Dr. Cruz has been your Simi Valley vet since 2006 and has years of experience treating cats in Simi Valley. Dr Cruz has a special interest in small animal and exotic pet internal medicine and surgery as well as emergency medicine and critical care. At his Simi Valley Animal Hospital, Dr Cruz offers laser surgery as a less painful alternative to traditional cat declaw surgery.

Declawing Your Cat Is a Controversial Topic

Among cat lovers, there are few topics that are more controversial than cat declaw surgery. Some veterinarians will actually refuse to perform any declawing procedures while others feel the trauma is minimal and see declawing as a way to prevent your pet from being exiled outdoors or worse due to uncontrollable clawing. Many veterinarians do not see declawing as a problem and will actually declaw a cat’s front paws while the cat is being spayed or neutered at the owner’s request.  Before you make a decision one way or the other, it’s important to understand the facts about the procedure as well as some information about why cats start scratching in the first place.

Why Do Your Cats Claw Your Furniture?

It is completely normal for cats to want to claw and scratch at objects and kittens will spontaneously start scratching soon after they are born. Scratching is a way for the cat to exercise the toe muscles as well as “sharpen” their claws. What most people do not realize is that when a cat is sharpening their claws, they are actually removing the whole outer layer of claw to expose a new healthy claw underneath.  A cat will also leave claw marks as a visual way to show others that this territory belongs to him.  When a cat spends time outdoors, they tend to claw trees and other types of woods. When kept indoors, a cat can choose to scratch almost any surface to scratch. Without anything else to scratch in your household, a cat will often turn to your furniture or other household items to fulfill their natural instinct to scratch.

Is Declawing Right For My Cat?

Declawing your cat is major surgery and should not be taken lightly, though many owners find it beneficial to declaw their cats. When a cat is declawed, the entire last joint of the toe is amputated to prevent claws from growing back.  Traditional declaw procedures can be painful and risky but any surgery can now be done with laser. Therefore, at American Veterinary Hospital, we offer laser declaw procedures which minimize healing time in the vast majority of patients.  There are many advantages to using laser surgery for your cat declaw, including little or no bleeding (during or after surgery), less post-operative pain, and in many instances, no bandages.

Despite what opponents may say, several studies have shown that declawed cats are not more likely to bite or develop litter box problems than cats which have not been declawed. However, cats which are declawed must be kept indoors because they will be less able to defend themselves without their front claws.

If you do choose to declaw your cat, it is best to have the procedure done during the cats first year of life. When a cat is young, they are less likely to have complications and will recover quickly from being declawed.

If you think that declawing might be right for your cat, or if you have any questions about the procedure, please contact American Veterinary Hospital today at 805-581-9111 or Contact Us today!