Should I De-Claw My Cat?

If you heard about de-clawing in the past, you probably already know that it’s a type of procedure designed to painlessly remove the claws of an animal, so that it won’t hurt its masters and the children who play with it. In the case of cats, there are a few strong positive points associated to going through with this procedure:

  • Cats sometimes don’t know their own strength, or the sharpness of their claws when they play. With their claws intact, they might hurt you or your children during a more intense scratching/playing session. De-clawing can effectively eliminate that problem.
  • Although there are other methods of preventing cats from inflicting any damage on you or your family members, alternatives such as plastic nail tips, scratching posts or nail clipping don’t always work. Also, cats are sometimes very difficult to train to let go of a habit, so in certain cases, de-clawing may be your only viable option.
  • Younger kittens actually recover more quickly after surgery, and there are rarely any problems involved. This is good news, since young cats usually have a way of using their claws on unsuspecting humans more frequently. As a result, it may actually be best to try de-clawing as quickly as possible.

Finding a reliable and knowledgeable Baltimore animal clinic like the Village Vet is your first necessary step on the path to de-clawing your cat. That way, you can find out all you need to know about the procedure, get ongoing support to prevent any complications, and make sure the procedure is as quick and painless as possible.