Why does the clinic reserve the right to decline declaws weighing over 8lbs?
Cats that weigh over 8lbs are most typically full grown adult cats. A declaw actually involves removing the last joint on a cats toe. After a cat is grown, this procedure becomes considerably more painful since the joint has had time to become a more solid structure. Cats that weigh over 8lbs also tend to be more painful since such a large amount of weight must be placed upon the feet. Larger cats also tend to have more problems with bleeding after surgery since the vessels in the toes are much larger than a small young cat. Other considerations for large cats that are destructive with their nails are to trim the nails regularly, train your cat to use a scratching post, and some have had success with a product that places an artificial dull nail over the existing sharp one.
