Declawing a Cat – Do You Need to Declaw Your Siberian Kitten?
When considering declawing a cat, you must realize that Siberian cats and Siberian kittens are easily trained not to scratch furniture when provided with scratch posts and pads. “No” must be established as a defined boundary but reinforced with “here,” which is simply a portable scratch pad made of cardboard and laced with catnip. It is difficult to stop natural behavior, but easy to redirect it with positive reinforcement so you do not have to declaw your cat.
Clawing is a natural behavior. Cats claw to exercise, maintain the effectiveness of their nails, and develop muscle tone for orthopedic support and health.
What Does Declawing a Cat Mean?
Declawing a cat is not like a manicure. It’s a serious surgery that involves amputations, not just of the cats’ nails, but of the last digit of each toe as well. This causes permanent crippling both physically and psychologically.
How Does the Declawing Surgery Affect a Cat?
Cats often experience extreme pain when they awaken from the surgery and often have difficulty walking. The ability to climb safely is lost forever. Declawing a cat results in a gradual weakening of the leg, shoulder, and back muscles. Because of impaired balance caused by the procedure, declawed cats have to relearn how to walk, much as a person would after losing his or her toes. After the surgery, the nails can grow back inside the paw, causing extreme pain unknown to the cat’s guardian.
Without claws, Cats are not only permanently crippled but also lose their coordination and confidence. Litter-trained cats might start to urinate and defecate outside the litter box in an attempt to mark their territory. When you declaw a cat, the cat might become fearful of humans, withdrawn, irritable, aggressive, and unpredictable. Declawing a cat is not a solution to your cat’s behavior problems but will, instead, cause them.
Most developed countries—including Germany, England, Australia, and Japan—have prohibited or severely restricted veterinarians from performing the painful, permanently crippling, and mutilating procedure.
Many compassionate and ethical Veterinarians refuse to declaw cats, even in areas where the procedure is legal, because declawing a cat is cruel and of no benefit to cats—and it violates veterinarians’ oath to “do no harm.”
Do I Need to Declaw My Siberian Cat?
No, with a little patience and effort, it’s easy and rewarding to train your Siberian cat where to conduct their natural behaviors.