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Should You Declaw Your Cat or Not?
from:Did you know that when a cat is declawed the operation is an amputation of the first joint of each front toe? This is required because the nail bed covers almost the entire joint, and leaving a portion of the claw can result in some really nasty infections and complications.
If you are considering declawing, then understand that this is a painful proposition for your cat that will require several weeks of recovery time. Typically, declawing is only done on the front claws, leaving the back feet intact. If your goal is to eliminate clawing, then leaving the back claws may not be the answer because a cat can do a lot of damage with back claws alone once it clamps onto you with its teeth.
Make sure you carefully consider other options before deciding on declawing. Do not declaw your cat unless you have a real need to do so because it can be a traumatic experience that some cats never recover from. Here are five typical reasons people declaw their cats, some good, and some not so good.
"He claws up my furniture."
Cats claw things not just because of their instinctive nature, but it's physically necessary for them to keep their claws at a manageable length. There are many ways you can protect your furniture without resorting to declawing. The most obvious is to purchase a scratching post and to train your cat to use it. You can also get claw sheaths that fit over each claw and then make sure you clip the cat's claws regularly.
"He will scratch the baby."
This is a much more valid reason than the cat clawing the furniture. If you have a very aggressive cat, it could be a genuine concern. Not only does a cat scratch hurt, but it also can carry some nasty diseases. It's wise to remember that cats use their claws to bury their feces the next time your kids want to let the cat on the dinner table.
"I'm pregnant and afraid of getting toxoplasmosis."
Obstetricians routinely warn pregnant women not to change the litter box or handle cats that could scratch them because of the risk of toxoplasmosis (a single-celled parasite). However, the reality is that most toxoplasmosis is contracted by gardening or handling raw meat infected with the bacterium. If you have a history of problem pregnancies and a cat that will scratch, this might be a valid reason to have your cat declawed.
"I'm an immunocompromised person, and though I love my cat, I can't afford for him to scratch me."
This is probably the very best reason to get your cat declawed. For immunocompromised people (an immune system that has been impaired by disease or treatment), whether the issue is organ transplant or HIV, a simple cat scratch can cause a raging infection that their body may not be able to fight off. If you do have a problem like this, you should get your cat declawed, but you should also be aware that you cannot let your cat outside afterwards as it will be at a disadvantage against dogs and other cats that don't have this disability.
"I'm afraid of cat scratch fever."
This is also a valid reason, but it's usually not a huge problem. Cat scratch fever is spread by bacteria called Bartonella henselea. It's generally found to infect humans in the cold fall and winter months, possibly because your outdoor cats spend more time indoors. About 5% of the U.S. population have been exposed but have not developed this disease. Symptoms are often mistaken for the flu and include fever, chills, and a lethargy and malaise. A more serious form involves swollen lymph nodes that may have to be drained, however, this form is usually found in people with weak immune systems, and it can kill.
The odd thing is, adult cats rarely transmit the disease. If it's transmitted it most commonly comes from kittens. The bacterium lives in the cat's mouth and migrates to the claws, but only the claws appear to be able to spread the disease. Declawing kittens at an early age, if they're in a household with an immunocompromised person, is the only reliable way of preventing the disease. Unfortunately, though kittens with the disease can be screened and treated with antibiotics, the bacteria generally comes back. There is also no record of a person having the disease more than once.
The one good reason to NOT have your cat declawed: any cat that goes outdoors is exposed to terrible danger if it's declawed. Therefore, if you get your cat declawed, make sure it's for a good and valid reason and then be prepared to keep your cat permanently indoors or, at least, to never go outdoors unsupervised or unleashed.
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Glenn Cutforth is a writer, eBook publisher and graphic designer.
Visit his websites at: The Complete Cat.com and How To Classics.com
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