Declawing a cat can lead to much bigger problems than scratched furniture.
Can i get my cat declawed at any age.
Alternatives to declawing cats.
Cats declawed at our practice and at this young age typically breeze through recovery have an extremely low incidence of infection or other complications and continue on through life.
There are several alternatives to declawing cats although effectiveness may vary depending on a cat s age and temperament.
My answer is always the same never.
The age to declaw a cat.
The american academy of feline practitioners aafp goes even further by saying it strongly opposes the practice which is considered a major surgery.
Declaw surgery is ideally done between 4 and 6 months of age and can be done at the same time as spay or neuter since both procedures are relatively short.
I have on occasion received emails asking me what the ideal age is to declaw a cat.
If your kitten is already spayed or neutered we may perform the declaw surgery earlier.
The family member can t afford to get scratched.
Declawing cats isn t ok at any age.
For many cats that s around 5 or 6 months of age.
Yes it is true that young kittens seem to recover faster than older cats but it s not because they feel any less pain or have suffered any less trauma.
Declawing cats is an emotionally charged and hotly debated topic both the american veterinary medical association and the academy of feline medicine stress that owners should be educated about both the procedure and its alternatives.
What age should i declaw my cat.
Typically our veterinarians suggest you declaw your cat at spay or neuter time.