What are the potential dangers and negative consequences of declawing your cat?

Medical drawbacks to declawing include pain in the paw, infection, tissue necrosis (tissue death), lameness, and back pain. Removing claws changes the way a cat’s foot meets the ground and can cause pain similar to wearing an uncomfortable pair of shoes.

What is wrong with declawing?

Declawing May Lead to Litter Box Problems Cats naturally are inclined to use their claws to bury their waste, which is why most take to using a litter box relatively quickly. Digging in litter or any other substance is painful for a declawed cat, and they’ll likely associate the pain with the litter box itself.

What do veterinarians think about declawing?

Opinions among vets are sharply divided on declawing: Nearly 40 percent of those who don’t perform the surgery consider it to be a form of mutilation while nearly 50 percent agreed with the sentiment that was an “unfortunate consequence of lifestyle issues.”

What does declawing a cat do to their personality?

Cats that have been declawed often suffer from prolonged, long-term anxiety, stress, depression, are more fear, have no ability to protect themselves, and sometimes are more prone to biting if scared, as their first line of defense–their claws–have been removed.

Are cats in pain after being declawed?

Right after being declawed, the cat will be in pain. Vets will prescribe medicine to help manage the immediate pain. There may also be bleeding, swelling and infection. One study found that 42\% of declawed cats had ongoing long-term pain and about a quarter of declawed cats limped.

Does declawing hurt cats?

Lameness, or abnormal gait, can be temporary or permanent following declawing. It can be another side effect of those overzealous surgeons who remove too much tissue. “If you damage that second bone, it’s permanently damaged,” Englar says. “It could become a long-term issue.

Is declawing cruel?

After the surgery, the nails can grow back inside the paw, causing extreme pain unbeknownst to the cat’s guardian. Many compassionate veterinarians refuse to declaw cats, even in areas where the procedure is legal, because declawing is cruel and of no benefit to cats—and it violates veterinarians’ oath to “do no harm.”

Is declawing banned?

In the United States, declawing is outlawed in Austin, Denver, the City of St. Louis and St. Louis County, Pittsburgh, and Madison. It is also outlawed eight California cities: West Hollywood, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Berkeley, Beverly Hills, Culver City, Santa Monica, and Burbank.

Why are declawed cats aggressive?

Experts say that it is not uncommon for declawed cats to be aggressive, and even to bite. This is likely due not only to pain, but also because their primary defense (claws) is gone. A dozen studies over the years have documented an increase in both aggression and litter box avoidance in declawed cats.