A variety of alternatives exist to manage natural scratching behavior and to prevent injury from cat scratches. Owners should also be familiar with cat behavior and proper handling techniques to avoid being scratched.
Because declawing has not been proven an effective method for improving other behavioral issues, including aggression towards people or other cats, it should never be used as a behavioral remedy or as a preventative measure. Behavior concerns should be discussed with trained behavioral experts, who can recommend techniques that are effective in managing feline behavior issues. We do not consider the potential for exposure to zoonotic diseases from cat scratches including in households with immune compromised people a valid justification for declawing a resident cat.
Notably, in providing recommendations for reducing the zoonotic risk associated with pet bites and other exposure to pet saliva, urine and feces, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.
Public Health Service suggest simple measures such as sanitation, hygiene, careful selection of pets and changes in animal contact. These recommendations do not include declawing. These litter box problems may follow a cat throughout his life, causing him to be at risk for abandonment or worse. Cats are digitigrade walkers. This means that cats walk on and balance with their toes rather than the bottoms of their feet, like plantigrade walkers such as humans.
When a cat is declawed, his balance is disrupted , and this can cause him to be more prone to falling injuries. Declawing cats removes a big mechanism of defense.
If a declawed cat goes outside or ever escapes to the outside, he will be much less able to survive if he is attacked by another animal. Declawed cats also have a higher tendency to bite humans because they feel insecure knowing they are unable to defend themselves with their claws.
So if declawing is inhumane, how can you protect your belongings from cat claw damage? Luckily, there are several things you can do to ensure that your cat's claws can exist in harmony with your furniture and other household items.
These include:. Providing enough cat scratching surfaces that have the qualities that are important to cats is one of the most important and effective ways for you to minimize cat scratching damage to your home. A cat that has access to scratching posts that meet their needs for marking territory, stretching muscles, and relieving stress will almost always choose to use them rather than the less attractive options of furniture and carpet.
Training your cat to use a scratching post involves making the post as attractive as possible for scratching while simultaneously rendering undesirable any unacceptable surfaces that he may be using.
Declawing is a painful, risk-filled procedure that is done only for the convenience of humans. There are only extremely rare instances, when claws are affected by a medical condition, that declawing cats can be considered anything but inhumane. Fortunately, there are alternative methods for dissuading cat scratching damage to your home. This leads to chronic issues like arthritis as they get older.
Cats use their claws to defend themselves against predators. Taking away their claws leaves them without any method to protect themselves. Imagine if your kitten got outdoors and couldn't defend herself! It can also lead to bullying from other household pets who are bigger than them. Cats who are declawed have also been known to use biting as a way to ward off threats which can lead to both strangers, owners and the cats getting injured.
The back claws, if they remain, are an ineffective form of defense because they require the cats to lie on their back, leaving themselves vulnerable. Our fingernails can get annoyingly long, but we trim them instead of having them cut off. The same should go for your cat. You can clip or file the claws down to an appropriate length or find a trainer who specializes in behavior modification.
They can help you teach your cat to scratch a provided post or pad rather than your furniture. This way, you save money on buying a new couch and your cat gets to keep the claws nature intended her to have. Organization like the ASPCA , the Best Friends Animal Society and The Paw Project oppose the inhumane practice of declawing cats, both large and small, due to the crippling effects it has on them and the loss of their ability to defend themselves.
It can lead to permanent damage and pain for cats who are forced to undergo the procedure. Please, before declawing your cat, consider other options that will allow your friend to stay intact and safe.
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