Soft paws surgery is familiar to every animal lover, especially cat lovers, as cats are the most frequently undergone this procedure. Soft paws is a surgical procedure that removes the claws, removing the growth plate along with the claw.
Cat lovers are divided on this procedure: some are in favor of it, while others are against it, even calling it cruelty and animal abuse. Let's take a closer look at this procedure.
Soft paws declawing surgery
Claws should be removed in two cases:
- To protect upholstered furniture, rugs, carpets and other property from damage by cat claws, to protect yourself and your loved ones from scratches.
- According to the doctor's instructions, that is, if the cat has epilepsy, the claws grow deformed and interfere with the cat, or the claw tissue is structurally altered and also causes discomfort or even pain to the cat.
The second case is clear, as in these cases, this operation is a necessity. As for the first case, this decision must be carefully considered! There are many options for this. reviews, both positive and negativeOwners should consider that a declawed cat becomes defenseless. Specifically, it won't be able to survive outdoors, meaning it won't be able to escape from a dog attack, climb a tree, fight back, or even catch a mouse or bird for food. Therefore, declawed cats are not allowed to go outside; they can only live indoors, in an apartment. Before making a decision, weigh the pros and cons.
The surgical process in cats
If the owner decides to perform this operation on his pet, then It is worth knowing that:
Claws are removed only on the front paws, since this is what cats use to damage carpets and furniture.- The cat is given general anesthesia.
- The duration of the claw removal operation is 30-40 minutes.
- The postoperative period takes 2-3 days.
- During the postoperative period, bandages should be applied to the paws and a collar must be worn.
- During the postoperative period, it is necessary to keep your pet in a cage and use paper instead of litter.
- For several weeks after removal, the cat will require close attention, as it will be adapting to new living conditions and during this period the animal may be injured.
Claws are removed only on the front paws, since this is what cats use to damage carpets and furniture.This procedure only seems simple at first glance, which is why not all veterinarians and not all veterinary hospitals perform declawing. To perform this procedure a veterinarian must undergo special trainingSome simply began performing these surgeries themselves, without any training, leading to claims that phalanges and claws are removed, that cats become disabled, and much more. And all of this is simply due to the surgery being performed incorrectly by an untrained person.
Owner reviews of cat declawing
For me, a cat is not just a pet, for me she is a good and loyal friend, so I treat her very tenderly.
When we received our kitten, we named her Oktyusha, she was only four months old. She showed herself to be an active and cheerful kitten, but within a week, the wallpaper throughout the apartment was literally falling apart, and the sofa was completely ruined by scratches.
At the family council, a decision was made to fight this.
We decided to trim the claws first., but this had no effect, as the claws grew back quickly. The cat didn't like this procedure, so one person had to hold her while the other trimmed her, though Oktyusha was very resistant.
We bought nail caps, but she took them off very easily.
The only thing left to do is remove the claws. Once and for all.
We brought her to the clinic. They decided to declaw all four paws. They gave her an injection right in front of us. They said we could pick her up in three hours.
When they came for her, she was already recovering from the anesthesia. It was obvious that it was hard for her.Her paws were bandaged, and she kept trying to rip them off. On the first night, she tried to get up, but they weren't allowed to do that for 1-2 days, so we had to hold her down.
She spent the entire second day in the closet. She refused to eat. We had to take her to the clinic for a vitamin injection.
Overall, our kitty recovered quite quickly and didn't experience any pain. By the fourth day, she was jumping, running, and playing. Her appetite returned immediately.
A week later, the stitches were removed. The cat really didn't like this procedure; she scratched all over the vet's hands.
Overall, everything is fine. The cat is feeling great now. No complications, like "her gait has gotten worse," "she's limping," "she's become sad," I didn't notice. She remained the same mischievous girl.
I don’t consider this procedure to be animal abuse.
If we take sterilization or castration, it is much more painful and many more complications can arise for the pet.
The cats tolerate the operation well., you just need to pay more attention and care in the postoperative period and then no bad consequences will arise.
This isn't "mutilating the poor animal." If you love your cat, why not make her life with you more comfortable?
I have a very strong-willed cat, and not an easy one at that. As he got older, his personality got much worse. But after we got a new pet, a dog, they started having frequent conflicts, with the cat starting them. One day, it got to the point where he miraculously didn't scratch the dog's eye outThe veterinarian suggested two options: 1) change the scratch guards (they attach to the cat's claws) every two months, 2) perform declawing. I'm still debating and reading reviews.
My Lyuska constantly runs amok in the hallway, rips up the wallpaper, and ruins the leather sofa—an expensive one, by the way. She's become an unbearable troublemaker, but the main reason I finally decided to declaw our beloved cat was because, over time, she started scratching people's faces. So, I had to go to a veterinary surgeon.
An excellent solution and don’t believe those who say that the claw is cut off along with the phalanx.
