Any human amputee would tell you that losing a limb or digit is quite an
excruciating experience. Moreover, cats are referred to as digitigrades,
which means they walk on their toes. This obviously causes problems for a pet
who has just had ten toes amputated and can’t use a wheelchair. Unless you are
going to be with your cat every minute of every day during the healing process
then they are going to need to transport themselves from one place to another
by their only means possible. Even a food dish inches away still requires
getting up and positioning themselves above it. So unless you and your pet
agree to a hand-feeding for every meal he must still find a way to eat. The
litter box poses a whole other set of complications and can usually cause your
pet to become averse to using it at all, causing him to find other areas in
which to go. This isn’t a behavior change well received by most and requires
more work for the pet owner in the end. If my cat is afraid of using the
litter box, what should I do? There isn’t an appropriate answer to this
question and though a pet owner might think to start putting him outside as a
solution to the problem, this is the last place a cat with no claws should be.
The psychological effects may overshadow the benefits
Your cat’s claws are an important part of its existence and well-being.
Think about all of your cat’s activities that require the use of its claws.
From relieving stress on the scratching post to protecting himself from falling
or from a rival, there are endless needs for their claws. There are dozens of
documented cases on the behavioral effects of declawing. Their claws are what
allow them to be cats and once they realize they have lost many of their
abilities they are bound to change psychologically. Many cats become reclusive
and withdrawn from their surroundings, others can become fearful and
aggressive, while still others can become extremely needy and helpless seeming.
He can no longer jump, climb and play with confidence as he no longer has a
means of support or defense. There are a multitude of different outcomes that
can occur which can permanently alter his once loving personality.