Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Declawing Your Cats



Declawing - is a surgical procedure that involves removing the nails from their attachment to the toes. It’s done to stop the cat wrecking the furniture by scratching it. The surgery is performed under general anesthesia and requires a couple of day’s hospitalization. The stitches are usually removed before the cat goes home. Declawing is a service to the owner, not to the cat. However, despite the many horror stories you may have heard about declawing (none of them are true), declawed cats live a normal life, jump as high as they used to, run, and hide from danger, just as they did when they had claws. Nor do they become biters to compensate for no linger having claws.

If you get a cat as a kitten you may (as mentioned earlier) be able to avoid having him declawed by training him early to sharpen his claws on a scratching post instead of on your own antique tapestry loveseat. Despite all efforts, however, some cats spurn a scratching post and continue to make that cat a welcome pet; you may decide to have him declawed. Most veterinarians recommend declawing only the front two paws; the back ones seldom inflict damage to you or the furniture. If you are I doubt, discuss the procedure with your veterinarian. After the cat is declawed the cat’s feet will be tender for up to a week. The veterinarian may also advice you to use shredded newspaper instead of litter in thebox for a few days to lessen the chances of irritation and infection.

0 comments: