Declawing is the permanent surgical removal of an animal's front toenails. Although many animal welfare organizations strongly discourage declawing, some pet owners have their cats declawed in order to avoid having to give up their pets. Owners often opt for this procedure in order to curtail a cat's persistent scratching of furniture or people, climbing up window treatments, or other damage caused by a cat's natural instinct to mark its territory. Declawing is also used in less common cases requiring the surgical removal of one or more digits, such as infection or trauma.
Declawing should only be performed on those pets that will be kept strictly indoors. Cats that have a chance of getting outside should not be declawed, since their ability to climb out of harm's way or defend themselves in a battle will be compromised. Younger, smaller animals tolerate declawing better than those that have matured into adulthood.
