Onychectomy - Declawing Your Cat
Many people enjoy the companionship of furry feline.
Cats are fun to play with, easy to take care of, and an overall joy to own.
However, if you keep your kitty indoors, you may notice that your carpet is starting to get torn up, your table legs have strange marks, and your sofa is getting a little rough around the edges.
Playful cats can sometimes result in claw damage on your furniture, which is why some pet owners turn to declawing their cats.
Cats scratch their claws against hard or resistant surfaces because they must remove the worn parts and dead outside layers.
Also, clawing goes back to the kitty's instinct to mark its territory.
Interestingly, the markings are more than just a visual sign-felines actually have scent glands on their claws that rub off when they scratch against things.
Lastly, scratching can just be a good stretch.
A cat typically raises up on its hind legs while scrunching down in the front, which promotes flexibility for the pet.
Because of these beneficial reasons, cats do not hesitate to etch your drapes or wooden furniture with their marks.
They do not realize the damage that they are causing.
Some pet owners decide to punish their cats when they scratch, such as squirting them with a spray bottle full of water whenever they catch the pets clawing.
However, you cannot keep a pet from doing its own personal version of a manicure unless you provide alternative scratching locations.
Some cats like rubbing their claws against the ground, while others prefer posts.
It is a good idea to look at your cat's marks around the house to see what he likes.
Giving your kitty another place to claw does not always save your furniture.
Therefore, some pet owners have turned to claw removal surgery.
Declawing cats is a mainly American practice.
There are two pretty definite camps in regards to declawing: some people decry it as terribly inhumane, while others say that indoor cats don't really need their claws anyway.
In actuality, declawing your cat is a major surgery that you should read into before you decide to have the vet perform the procedure on your pet.
The declawing surgery, technically named onychectomy, may be more serious than you realize.
Feline talons are not like human fingernails.
In actuality, they are attached to the bones that make up a cat's toe.
When veterinarians perform an onychectomy, they must remove the last joint of the kitty's paw to completely remove its nails.
Your pet may have to stay in the animal hospital for a few days following the surgery, and its feet must be bandaged to protect the sore paws.
Due to the extremity of the surgery, many cat owners say that declawing is cruel.
They try alternative methods such as putting caps on the cat's claws, as well as trimming them with human nail clippers or specialized cat claw cutters.
At any rate, claw removal surgery is serious and should not be taken lightly.
You should consider what is best for both you and your cat before you decide to submit your furry companion to an onychectomy.
Cats are fun to play with, easy to take care of, and an overall joy to own.
However, if you keep your kitty indoors, you may notice that your carpet is starting to get torn up, your table legs have strange marks, and your sofa is getting a little rough around the edges.
Playful cats can sometimes result in claw damage on your furniture, which is why some pet owners turn to declawing their cats.
Cats scratch their claws against hard or resistant surfaces because they must remove the worn parts and dead outside layers.
Also, clawing goes back to the kitty's instinct to mark its territory.
Interestingly, the markings are more than just a visual sign-felines actually have scent glands on their claws that rub off when they scratch against things.
Lastly, scratching can just be a good stretch.
A cat typically raises up on its hind legs while scrunching down in the front, which promotes flexibility for the pet.
Because of these beneficial reasons, cats do not hesitate to etch your drapes or wooden furniture with their marks.
They do not realize the damage that they are causing.
Some pet owners decide to punish their cats when they scratch, such as squirting them with a spray bottle full of water whenever they catch the pets clawing.
However, you cannot keep a pet from doing its own personal version of a manicure unless you provide alternative scratching locations.
Some cats like rubbing their claws against the ground, while others prefer posts.
It is a good idea to look at your cat's marks around the house to see what he likes.
Giving your kitty another place to claw does not always save your furniture.
Therefore, some pet owners have turned to claw removal surgery.
Declawing cats is a mainly American practice.
There are two pretty definite camps in regards to declawing: some people decry it as terribly inhumane, while others say that indoor cats don't really need their claws anyway.
In actuality, declawing your cat is a major surgery that you should read into before you decide to have the vet perform the procedure on your pet.
The declawing surgery, technically named onychectomy, may be more serious than you realize.
Feline talons are not like human fingernails.
In actuality, they are attached to the bones that make up a cat's toe.
When veterinarians perform an onychectomy, they must remove the last joint of the kitty's paw to completely remove its nails.
Your pet may have to stay in the animal hospital for a few days following the surgery, and its feet must be bandaged to protect the sore paws.
Due to the extremity of the surgery, many cat owners say that declawing is cruel.
They try alternative methods such as putting caps on the cat's claws, as well as trimming them with human nail clippers or specialized cat claw cutters.
At any rate, claw removal surgery is serious and should not be taken lightly.
You should consider what is best for both you and your cat before you decide to submit your furry companion to an onychectomy.
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