Has your cat been clawing you lately? Or your furniture?
And do you find it annoying or does it hurt you?
If so, the question becomes should you declaw your cat? Well, we’re going to look at this question and how much does it cost to declaw a cat below.
How Will Declawing Affect Your Cat?
The first thing we will talk about is should you declaw your cat and how will it affect them.
As many of us know, it is a natural behavior of a cat to scratch. Why, you ask?
Well, there are a couple of reasons why. These include removing a dead husk, stretching their muscles, and even claiming territories.
Though many people think of declawing a cat as simple as nail trimming, that is not the case. By declawing a cat, you are actually cutting off the last bone of each of its toes.
Rather than being comparable to nail trimming, it is more like amputating a human finger. Many people disapprove of this procedure and even some countries have banned it.
It is considered an unnecessary surgery that will do more harm to a cat than good to us humans. There are other alternatives to make our cats stop scratching us and we will get to that later.
Why Declaw a Cat?
First, we must discuss when it is necessary to declaw a cat. Declawing a cat may only seem necessary if it will benefit its health and treat a medical condition. Cat declawing is a medically necessary option if your cat has a tumor or has other issues in the area of their claws. So let’s say that your cat really needs declawing due to a medical condition; how much will the operation cost?
How Much Does It Cost To Declaw a Cat?
Cat declawing can be quite expensive and can range from $100 to $800. Many factors will weigh in on the exact cost of the operation. Some of the common ones are the type of procedure, your cat’s age, tests and vet visits, anesthesia, and so on.
So let’s break down the process of declawing a cat and how much it costs.
The Declawing Procedure
The first step is the first visit to the vet. Here your cat will undergo several tests. These tests will depend on the cat’s age. Younger cats will require a CBC and blood test which may cost from $80 to $120. As for older cats, they will require more tests which include urinalysis, CBC, and a chemistry panel. The cost for these range between $175 to $250. Then before the procedure, the cat will be administered injectable anesthesia which may cost $25 to $75.
Now onto the procedure. There are three methods of declawing a cat, and the cost will vary depending on the method.
The first one is Onychectomy. This is also known as the Resco Clipper method. During this procedure, your cat’s entire first toe joint including the nail bed will be removed using nail trimmers. This means that the tips of each bone in the first toe joint will be cut. The cuts will then be stitched or glued. This procedure usually costs around $100.
The second procedure is Disarticulation. During this procedure, the vet will remove the entire bone wherein the claws grow using a scalpel. This is a more complicated and costly procedure that can cost $250.
The last method is Laser Surgery. It is similar to Disarticulation, however, this is the safest and least painful procedure for your cat as it will not bleed as bad as the first two procedures. However, this procedure is also the most expensive out of the three ranging from $200 to $450.
After the surgery for any of the three methods, your cat will require tissue glue and bandages which may cost $20-$50.
So, as you can see, there are a number of things that go into answering the question “how much does it cost to declaw a cat?” Hopefully this information gives you some clarity on the answer.
Ways To Keep Cats From Scratching
If you want to declaw your cat only to stop it from scratching, just try any of these alternatives instead:
- Nail trimming
- Buy a scratching board
- Use Sticky Paws or any paw tape
