What About Declawing Your Cat? - by Jean B. Townsend
Everyone knows that if your cat is clawing the furniture, you have him declawed, right? WRONG! There are safer, kinder, easier, and less expensive ways to deal with clawing.
Why not declaw a cat?
- A declawed cat has no means of defending himself or escaping from dogs should he accidentally get outdoors. The total responsibility for his safety is now yours.
- Declawed cats, realizing they are defenseless, may resort to biting whenever they feel threatened. Owners of nervous cats mistakenly believe declawing will make them safer to be around, but this surgery only tends to aggravate a cat's insecurity.
- Declawing is painful, unnecessary surgery. The vet removes the last joint of each toe while the cat is under anesthesia. As with any surgery, there can be complications. After surgery, the cat may be plagued with other problems such as abscesses and nails growing back.
- Since the last joint of each toe is removed, the cat's balance will be affected. Can you imagine suddenly living without the last joint of each finder and toe? Can you imaging walking that way?
What are the alternatives to declawing?
- Try to get a cat or kitten from someone who has raised them with a scratching post. Early training in this area is vitally important.
- For the price of operation, you can get a pair of nail trimmers and several scratching posts. Because cats claw sometimes just their nails are too long, you need to trim the nails regularly. Once a week, simply clip off the dip of each nail just ahead of the darker pink quick.
- Buy or make a sturdy carpeted or bark-covered scratching post tall enough for grown cat to stretch out full strength (30-36") and/or a corrugated paper post which lies on the floor. Because cats sometimes claw to mark their territory, two or three posts will attract them better than one.
- Train the cat to use his posts by rewarding him with a pat when he uses them and by yelling at him (NO!) when he uses the furniture. If your cat continues to scratch where he shouldn't, cover the spots he's using with clear contact paper or drape the furniture with sheets. Also fill a clean squirt gun or bottle with plain water and squirt him whenever he claws where he shouldn't. Then put him on his post.
A little work and training on your part will eliminate the need to declaw your cat and will make him a happier, more comfortable pet.