Considering Declawing Your Cat? PLEASE READ!
CONSIDERING DECLAWING YOUR CAT?
PERHAPS YOU FEEL OUT OF OPTIONS AND OVERWHELMED?
PLEASE READ THIS FIRST
Things You Should Know
Most people believe that declawing their cat is parallel to a human getting its nails trimmed or a bird getting its wings clipped. This couldn’t be farther from the case. First of all, nails and wing tips grow back, but declawing is an irreversible process.
A PERFECT REPRESENTATION OF WHAT DECLAWING A CAT REALLY IS. Go to PawProject.org for more.
It is a serious surgical procedure, consisting of ten separate surgical incisions to cut off and remove the feline’s third phalanx.
If you want to know what the third phalanx is, look down at your hand. The part of your finger that contains the fingernail…that’s it.
So instead of getting your nails trimmed, a doctor would be removing the ends of your fingers, leaving you with two thirds of each finger left.
You’re at the salon for a manicure, and they give you a permanent solution “Just get rid of the part of your finger that the fingernail is on—voila, no more nail troubles!” Problem Solved! Might I add—Genius!!
The picture above is a perfect representation.
Many people do not know or understand what declawing a cat really is or entails.
It is often considered inhumane, and it is even ILLEGAL in several countries and parts of the USA!
Seeking The Alternatives
What you are going through is understandable. That is precisely why so much research and development of helpful products has gone toward this legitimate issue of cats and their pesky (at times, horrible) claws.
A feline’s claws are one of the most important and distinct parts of their anatomy. They are uniquely retractable and are used for hunting, self-protection, and getting around their environment—climbing, gripping, balance, etc. This evolutionary design doesn’t quite jive inside of an apartment, or your bedroom, and it wasn’t meant to.
it hurts just to look at! (cat ripping up arm of the couch)
We love our furry friends, and living in harmony is always the goal. This harmony is quite hard to find or feel when one comes home to shredded couches, ruined curtains, torn up oriental rugs; this is an emotional and financial burden.
And let me guess. Of course, the cat doesn’t like the nice scratching poles you’ve provided, nor will it use the emery boards, even if it is infused with catnip! They only want their nice couch that they have always loved to dig their claws into. What’s a cat mama or papa to do? (we’ll see soon)
In other instances, it is the cat or kitten that doesn’t harm the household, but harms the people! It plays too rough. It can be somewhat over-enthusiastic, to full on aggressive! This can be a liability to you when you have guests over! Sometimes its the cat’s environment causing it to act out. Sometimes it’s just the cat’s personality, and the owner does not know how to respond to this. This is not the sweet scenario we hoped for, but the surgery known as onychectomy is rarely a justified solution. This procedure was once thought to be benign and was performed as routinely as a dog getting its ears or tail docked. (this is all cosmetic surgery on animals, and is certainly up for ethical debate, but the one with the cat…is a little more severe than cosmetic.)
Now there are a plethora of alternatives that are easier and cheaper than this crude surgical procedure
First off, a few things need to be considered.
Is your cat under stress, causing its unruly behavior? A lot of those “brat” cats people have disdain for are like that for a very human influenced reason.
An illness could even be the cause of your cat’s distress. A check-up at the vet is always a good idea.
If there is an underlying cause, treat that first.
The destructive habits of a cat often turns out to be the result of its immediate environment
the cat’s environment is too active and loud (cats hate excess stimuli)
or it’s too quiet and under-stimulating (cats loathe boredom)
They’ve really earned their reputations 😼
Good news; this can be an easy fix and is often an eye-opener to the newly grateful kitty cat parents
If the cat’s health checks out, and there are no deeper underlying issues; we can proceed to those alternatives mentioned so long ago…
If you have a young kitten, then you are in luck! Begin handling its paws now. It will be easier to trim its nails or put on claw covers later. Also, you have the benefit of training your kitten to stay away from furniture at an early age; something that many people wait until adulthood to attempt, resulting in lower chances of success.
Above are the highly regarded Softpaws® claw coverings that are becoming the “humane version” or replacement of declawing a cat.
Best Piece of Advice? Dont Give Up!
Try These Options:
Purchase new or improved scratching posts/cat towers. Try to have 2 or more per cat, spread throughout the house, periodically refreshing them with catnip (or catnip spray) to keep the cat’s interest.
Use spray bottles or a small squirt gun with water when your cat does claw the wrong areas, or jumps on a counter it isn’t allowed on. (Yep! Spray the Cat!)
its been discussed amongst the animal care community and this is not seen as cruel. in fact, it is seen as effective.
personal example—my cats now stop the bad behavior at the sight of the water bottle in my hand!
of course don’t spray the cat just for a laugh—that’ll send him/her into stress and the destructive cycle may never break
Another option is pheromone treatment. this treatment is available at pet stores. Feliway® has great reviews (inside the animal health community!)
Trim your cat/kitten’s nails. This can be difficult to impossible. Your veterinary clinic or grooming center will be happy to help, and do this part for ya😸!
Apply claw covers on your pet. Instructions come with the product. You can get help with this from a clinic or groomer as well. You can use Kitty Caps Claw Covers.
I personally found the highest rate of success with SmartyKat Scratch Not Tape. It is double sided tape that comes in sheets. It doesn’t harm your furniture at all and FREAKS your poor babies out😸(just at first) but my cats lost total interest in ripping up the back and arms of the couch. and it claims to work with dogs and doors too!
I Strongly Suggest This. It is Really Cheap. If it doesn’t work & you cannot return for some reason, it is hardly a loss. Very Worth It!
I don’t want to cause/create false hope or disappointment. Each case is unique.
For example, I tried the Feliway®, THE product that gets such high marks (this was when it was new, and expensive) and i did not get success:
probably because i have a multi-cat household and therefore couldn’t afford the amount of plug-ins i would need nor the time it would take for them to start working.
⭐But i would strongly suggest Feliway to a one to two cat home living in a small home or apartment⭐
clipping a cat’s claws is an AMAZING way to combat the destruction they create.
Clipping a cats claws is an AMAZING way to combat the destruction they create. The only downside is—
no one ever remembers this is an option and
if you don’t trim them yourself, you will be going to a vet or groomer for this (money, time, etc).
But! It all pales in comparison to your cat coming home with only SOME of its paws!
!! My mom’s cat was declawed, and her cat fully changed: it has poor balance, it no longer uses any type of litter box, and only goes on the tile floor—this is not uncommon—things feel weird to them now, many cats turn out like this. Her cat became insecure and thus aggressive; and it knows its claws are gone, so now it goes for the bite!! i mean talk about pros and cons! a mean cat that pees and poops only on the floor and bites everyone!? and worse, was a cool cat before the surgery!? YIKES
Research your options! This could be fun! This could be a fun type of challenge. there are a LOT of alternatives out there.
Of Course Always Feel Free to Email Me if you have any further questions!
Put “Declaw Cat” in the Subject
and one last thing:
I understand. Sometimes declawing a cat is a necessary evil, but i hope it can be considered a last resort. Please weigh the pros and cons very seriously before making this decision.
And i’m here for the toe-less kitties and their parents too; if you ever have any questions, always feel free to send me a line!
Good Luck! Stay Strong!
Love ASH
Further Resources:
Cat Aggression
Feline Paw Anatomy
Declawing a Cat
