So your new cat has decided to dissect the side of your favorite chair or maybe the pricy living room rug has become his area of choice. This can be a real nuisance, especially if you’re someone who cares about the condition of your décor. If you are familiar with this situation then you may have thought of declawing, otherwise known as a feline onchyectomy, as a possible alternative. If so, then it’s best to understand the procedure and how it will affect your cat physically and psychologically. Numerous and more humane alternatives are available and are viable techniques when used properly. Feline onchyectamy does exist though and needs to be understood. Here are the facts:

It is a surgery

Your cat is not merely having his toenails removed. Unlike our own nails which are merely embedded within the flesh, a cat’s nails are rigidly attached to the first joint in the toe. Thus, the procedure requires the ten separate amputations of this first joint or distal phalanx. If you feel the three sections of bone in your own fingers and imagine that our nails were attached to the first section. This first section is what would need to be removed. The procedure is a drastic and causes severe pain and many lasting effects, not to mention the possible complications that can occur due to the procedure. Nerve damage, hemorrhaging and severe infection are some of the discomforting possibilities. Also, the section of bone is sometimes incompletely removed. Hidden under the healed tissue a deformed claw can begin to emerge, called an abscess, causing your cat great pain and discomfort.