• Sometimes declawing causes secondary contracture of the tendons, which makes it difficult for the cat to walk.

• Cats inherit a balancing ability which allows them to climb trees or leap to the top of the table. Disturbing a cat’s balance may cause your cat to act out in several ways. When a cat becomes distressed, as he will when he is out of balance, he may urinate on your carpet or furniture, spray your furniture, become hostile and bite you or others. Removing its claws will also prevent the cat from climbing, an act that is second nature to cats.

• Declawed cats are more likely to develop painful arthritis in their paws. This can cause the animal to limp.

• Cats use their claws as grooming aids, spending a great deal of time scratching. This scratching helps maintain the condition of their fur, removing dead hair and tangles, and getting rid of skin irritations. No amount of brushing or combing by a human can replace the natural scratching that a cat does to care for itself.

• Sometimes scratching in a litter box is painful for a cat after it is declawed, forcing kitty to find a more comfortable place to do her business, such as a laundry basket or your carpet.

1Schelling, Dr. Christianne, (Veterinarian). Above All, Don’t Declaw, p.1. Article retrieved from http://www.catscratching.com.

• Your pet may no longer trust you. In fact, you may find your pet hiding from visitors and not wanting to be touched.

It should be noted that in many countries, declawing is illegal or considered inhumane. These countries include, but are not limited to, England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Portugal, France, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Italy, Switzerland, Norway, Sweden, Netherlands, Denmark, Finland, Serbia, Macedonia, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and Brazil. However, here in the United States, where we have the SPCA and numerous laws protecting animals, declawing is an accepted and even popular method to stop a cat from scratching.

As a caring pet owner, you can take other measures to avoid declawing your cat. Recognize that scratching is a natural instinct and train your cat to use a scratching post. If you don’t want to take the time to train the pet, perhaps you should reconsider your desire to own a pet.

Soft Paws are lightweight vinyl caps that you apply over your cat’s own claws. They have rounded edges, so your furniture can’t be damaged when your cat scratches. If your vet doesn’t carry them, call 1-800-989-2542 for information.

When a cat scratches, he is also marking his territory because there are glands in his paws that leave his scent. Therefore, your best solution is to train your pet to scratch only its scratching post. This gives him a territory and an outlet for his scratching. Invest in a good scratching post that is taller than your cat’s length. A cat will stretch its full body length with front and back legs extended when scratching. The post should be weighted on the bottom so it doesn’t tip when the cat tries to scratch.

When your cat tries to scratch the furniture, GENTLY remove him to his post. Enhance the post with catnip to make it more attractive. When your cat scratches his post, give him treats to reinforce the desirability of using the post.

If possible, block off the area your cat has chosen to scratch. When you are not home, keep the area closed off and the scratching post available. Our cat wanted to scratch one corner of the carpet, so we used a box of books to block it when we weren’t home. When we were home, we sprayed a light mist of water at Spook when he tried to scratch the corner. I’m not sure if a vet would recommend this approach today, but it worked for us.

Avoid hitting your cat. This will only make him avoid you. It really won’t teach him not to scratch. Keep your pet’s nails clipped. If necessary, have your vet clip them on a regular basis.