Don't Declaw

Declawing is an irreversible surgical procedure that involves amputating the last joint of the cat's "toes." It is a very painful procedure with strong potential to secondary complications. (Imagine having the last joint of your own fingers amputated. Not a pleasant idea.)

On rare occasions declawing may lead to secondary contracture of the tendons. This makes it uccomfortable for the cat to walk. Since the last joints of their front paws are missing, they compensate by placing more of their weight to the hind quarters, causing them to be out of balance. This shift of weight to the hind quarters may lead to atrophy of the muscles of their front quarters.

Being out of balance is extremely distressing to a cat, whose very life is about balance. You've observed cats climbing trees, teetering perilously on a single branch, leaping incredible heights to land on a pre-selected spot, or threading in and out of complex arrangements of knickknacks without disturbing a single ornament. (Unless, of course, they choose to do so.) These are acts of balance and part of a cat's basic heritage.

In addition to being an intrinsic part of a cat's normal conformation, its front claws are a cat's primary defense. Once declawed, there is no replacement or regrowth of the claws. You may think, "My cat never goes outside." But what if your cat accidentally gets outside and you can't find her? She is now defenseless in a potentially hostile environment.

Deprived of its front claws a cat may become insecure and distressed. I can assure you that if Kitty becomes emotionally distressed, you will too. Kitty's display of distress tends to take such forms as urinating on your favorite rug or spraying your antique armoir. Feeling defenseless without her claws, Kitty may become hostile to people (including you), and to other cats and become more apt to bite.

Some cats develop an aversion to their litter box because of the pain associated with scratching in the litter after a declawing procedure. If Kitty doesn't go in the box, she will find a more comfortable place to do her business. Often times, these habits are hard to break.

One more compelling reason not to declaw. Some European countries have ruled declawing illegal! It is considered inhumane.

Reasons not to declaw:

• Declawing means cutting off the toes at the first knuckle. To the nimble feline, who is a creature of grace and agility, taking off portions of her toes can reduce her precious sense of balance.

• Declawing, like any surgical procedure, puts a cat at risk for medical complications during and/or after the surgery.

• A cat without claws lacks his most effective means of self-defense. Front claws are used to scratch an attacker, and back claws are used to escape attack by climbing a tree or fence. If a declawed cat becomes extremely anxious about his vulnerability, he could resort to biting to compensate.

• A cat without claws can never be let outside, given that she has no way to defend herself against a predator or unkind human. Even if you have the best of intentions to keep your declawed cat indoors for the rest of her life, there is always the chance that she could find her way outside through some accident or unexpected turn of events.

Scratching is a natural behavior for cats.

This isn't exactly a revelation, since you probably have the evidence everywhere--in the tattered corners of your sofa, the shredded drapes, your frayed nerves. Though Kitty's natural propensity for scratching may not be big news, it is a fact that you'll need to take into account if you're to make any headway in winning the battle to keep her from scratching in places you consider undesirable.

What you can do is stop her from scratching those items you value and want to keep in their relatively pristine state.

Bear in mind Mark Twain's advice, which applies universally: Never try to teach a pig to sing; it frustrates you and annoys the pig. Translate this bit of wisdom to your dealings with cats and you'll avoid a good deal of futility and frustration.

You can't make a cat do anything she doesn't want to do. Get clear on that. And getting her to stop something she enjoys is just about as difficult. Therefore you have to think smart and re-channel her desires

Eventually you will break the trust and security that is the basis for your cat's relationship with you, and you will find it very difficult to catch her for any reason at all. Cats have excellent memories and hold serious grudges.

Provide your cat with an appropriate scratching post.

Since your cat brings you so much joy, you decide to buy her the softest, prettiest and most luxurius scratching post you can find. You take it home and your feline friend gives you a blank stare and walks away. This activates your parental guidance mechanism and you decide to show her how to use the post by taking her front paws and making scratching motions at the post. She of course struggles till she gets free of you and then treats you with utter disdain for the rest of the day. Never make the mistake of trying to "show her how" to scratch anything. You'll only offend her. She knows pefectly well how to do it. She just reserves the right to scratch when and where it suits her.