The Case Against Declawing Cats
Positive Ways to Keep Felines from Scratching Furniture
Aug 19, 2009
This painful process actually amputates the last joint of the cat’s toes. But there are alternatives that can protect both cats, their owners and the furniture, too.
Why Do People Choose to Declaw Their Cats?
It used to be a fairly regular practice to declaw pet cats to protect furniture and family members from being scratched. Today, most people don't take this drastic step unless the cat's clawing behavior becomes a problem. Little do they know that when they remove their cat’s claws, they are not just clipping fingernails. Declawing is comparable to amputating the human finger at the knuckle closest to the fingernail.
The Declawing Procedure
The cat is anesthetized and the paws are cleaned, disinfected and trimmed of hair. The toes are amputated at the last joint. The incision is either left open, sutured or glued closed, and bandages are applied from toe to mid-foreleg. The cat experiences pain during the recovery and healing process.
In addition to the pain, there are risks associated with the surgery, including infection and post-surgical blood loss.
Why Do Cats Need Claws?
Declawing a pet cat removes her best defense mechanism should she ever get out of the house or should an aggressive dog or another cat get in. The animal is also disfigured for life, when a little behavioral work could probably get rid of the problem of scratching.
Scratching helps to sharpen a cat's claws and remove the frayed outer parts. It stretches their muscles and is a pleasurable form of play, especially in kittens. In addition, cats produce secretions from glands in their feet that can be smelled by other cats. When they scratch, they are marking their territory — a strong instinctual drive that’s important to the quality of life of even an indoor cat.
Give Kitty Something to Scratch
There are many ways to avoid the painful and dangerous procedure of declawing a cat. The best way is to simply work with the cat to modify her behavior. Owners can gently discourage their pets from scratching people or furniture and encourage them to scratch appropriate items, such as scratching posts. Giving a cat plenty of opportunities to scratch helps teach her to leave that expensive couch and family members’ ankles alone.
Place at least one scratching post or other tempting, “scratchable” item near the furniture that the cat is attracted to. Scratching posts of all sizes, shape and colors can be found at pet stores, discount stores like Target or Wal-Mart, online at pet supply websites or even many local grocery stores. Pet parents can even make their own scratching surface by wrapping a piece of carpet or sisal rope around a board and securing it firmly. Some cats respond even faster if the scratching surface is sprinkled with catnip, also easily found at the stores mentioned above.
How to Protect Furniture — and People
Cats are creatures of habit, and they will identify favorite scratching locations to which they return frequently. To keep Dad’s favorite armchair from becoming that favorite spot, make it and other potentially appealing objects temporarily unappealing to a new kitten while providing plenty of acceptable items to scratch.
Ways to discourage scratching include:
- Covering arms and backs of furniture with plastic or aluminum foil.
- Scenting furniture, rugs or drapes with deodorizing sprays — especially with strong floral or citrus odors that cats dislike.
- Temporarily applying clear adhesive plastic strips to the edges of the furniture. These strips, sometimes sold under the brand name Sticky Paws, are usually available in specialty pet catalogs or online.
- Gently squirting water from a spray bottle on the cat when she misbehaves.
- Making a loud noise when the cat scratches inappropriately. One trick is to put a handful of pennies in an empty soda can and shake it to create a loud rattle.
At the same time, encourage good behavior by petting and praising the animal and feeding her treats when she uses her scratching post. Correct her gently but firmly when she tries to scratch the furniture. Then carry her over and show her the scratching post. Remember: never hit a cat, as it may cause the animal to become overly timid or overly aggressive.
If scratching humans or other cats is the problem, these methods should still work — providing alternative scratching areas, correcting misbehavior and praising correct behavior. One more tip is to keep the cat's claws blunt, trimming them every few weeks with an infant size nail clipper or one made especially for cats.
In the end, caring pet owners are encouraged to try some of these methods before taking the drastic step of declawing. A little time and patience could spare furniture and spare cats’ pain, too.
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