One of inconveniences that comes with owning a mini clawed predator in the house are the scratches some are prone to leaving on household objects. While this behaviour is by no means common to all cats, it does occur in some of the more rambunctious felines. However, this is a small price to pay for the affection, companionship and amusement cats can offer as pets. Here we aim to make resolve your furniture qualms with a comparison of the pros and cons of declawing your cat and offer some minimalistic efforts on your part that can save your cat the damage of such a procedure.
The obvious reasons for why people decide to declaw their cat is usually for preventing damage to objects around the house. The idea is that without front claws a cat won’t be able to do that thing where they stretch by shredding your furniture to bits. Another reason people chose to declaw their cats is for safety concerns for other animals, babies and other members of the household.
However, while declawing may seem like it will end these problems, this is not the case and in fact it can even create new ones. Although they may no longer have their front claws they will still have their teeth and hind claws, which can still cause damage when they run along on jump on furniture just the same. If the cat is prone to violent behaviour it will still be able to bite if it is scared and angry. The solution to changing violent behaviour is understanding the underlying causes for it and trying to fix the issue. A cat may be uncomfortable in their environment, can be experiencing hostility or there may be a physical, health related issue that is altering their disposition. It is always best to first consult with a veterinarian before undertaking drastic measures. If a cat has behavioural issues, taking away its claws may be a traumatic experience. It rids of them of their defence and leaves them feeling stressed and more vulnerable, and can exasperate the issue even further. In some cats, declawing may lead them to stop using their litter box properly as they feel pain from their front paws and cannot dig in the sand. This habit may persist afterwards even if their paw heal and stop hurting. The procedure of declawing involves removing the first digits on the cat’s toes which is the equivalent of removing an entire joint of a finger on a human hand. This can be a painful and traumatic experience for some cats.
As an alternative, consider buying a pair of nail clippers specifically for cats. They are not expensive and trimming their nails to a safe length (that will make them blunt and unable to scratch, but not so much that it damages their nerve inside the nail), will preserve both your furniture and your cat’s paws! Plastic caps which can be placed over the nail are another great idea that required even less maintenance. Disciplining your cat from kittenhood is also necessary as is the case with any young being. This means training your kitten to scratch in appropriate places like a scratching post or a tree instead of furniture, in this way allowing them to act in their natural feline behaviours without sacrifices on your part. Methods of gentle yet effective discipline are easily available for research online. These alternative offer simple ways to deter your cat from bad behaviour without causing them harm. Make sure to test the alternatives and do the necessary research before going through with such a serious and irreversible procedure, and you and your cat will be both be happier in the end!
