Imagine your parents taking you to a routine doctor’s appointment as a child. You assume it’s just for a regular checkup, a good old tap on the knee with a reflex hammer, and a blood pressure check. Maybe you’d get some shots and of course a sticker or a lollipop at the end of your appointment.

Now imagine the doctor comes in and says your parents have decided to get your fingernails surgically removed. It’s a graphic image, I know. This is what it is like when you take your cat to get declawed. It’s not glamorous nor is it healthy. If you do this, chances are little Felix here is going to be traumatized for life.

Declawing cats is inhumane and extremely selfish because it is only done for the benefit of humans – NOT cats. If you want to declaw your cat, you should just not even think about getting a cat in the first place. It is normal and natural for cats to want to scratch things. It is part of their catty nature. It feels good for them to scratch and in a way, it’s like they are filing their nails. Cats often scratch because they are expressing their emotions when they are excited or letting some energy out. Another reason why they scratch is that they are marking their territory.

When I come home from work, the first thing my chonky cat Chloe does after she acknowledges me is; she runs straight over to the cat tree and scratches it like no tomorrow. I learned early on that this was her equivalent of me jumping up and down because I am excited about something. When you greet a friend that you have not seen for a long time you may let out an excited squeal or run to them and squeeze them because you are just that excited to see them. Cats do the exact same thing but in cat form.

Cats cannot talk, but they can scratch. Scratching is natural for them and I cannot stress that enough. There is a reason why cat scratching posts and other cat scratching toys exist. If you have the right toys for your cat, you should never really have any major issues with them tearing up your furniture.

As a pet owner, it is your sole responsibility to care for your pet properly. Declawing your cat can lead to some very serious and negative side effects that include physical and behavioral health problems. According to the Humane Society, some of the harsh side effects of declawing are infection, back pain, tissue necrosis (dead tissue forming around the infected area), and lameness. I’ve read many horror stories about cats also developing aggressive behaviors after being declawed. I don’t blame the poor cats. They were inhumanely physically violated so it’s no wonder they are pissed off and become more hostile.

Another big problem that can arise is the litter box issue. Cats who have been declawed also experience problems with going to the bathroom properly. Once the cat is declawed, it will find the litter box extremely unpleasant due to the sensation of pain caused by the feeling of the litter against its paws. They will then start to associate their litter box with pain, and will not use the litter box properly. This will cause problems for the entire household and your furry friend.

If you think the problems end there, unfortunately, you’re wrong. Mobility impairment for your kitty may also be possible and painful once they are declawed. Since our furry babies walk on all fours, declawing directly affects their paws and how they can walk. Declawing is also known to cause joint problems in cats and make their legs weak overall. If these reasons are not enough for you to not declaw your fur-baby, then I’m not sure what will be. If you know anyone who is thinking about declawing their cat, please inform them of the huge health risks that are involved in declawing.