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Is declawing your cat really necessary? Here are some alternatives!
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If you've ever thought about getting a kitten or cat, the thought of what their claws can do (and what you can do about it) has certainly entered your mind.
One way you can avoid having to deal with this situation, while still being able to give a cat a new and loving home, is to pick up a shelter cat who's already been de-clawed. Due to concerns about possible behavioral problems, and the fact that a lot of folks are of the same mind as I am (namely, that de-clawing your cat isn't a good idea), de-clawed cats are more likely to be left at shelters and euthanized. There's no reason to punish a cat for the choices a previous owner has made, however, so if you want to bring one of these animals into your life, please do so. Often, shelters will let you play with the cat and get to know it before you choose to take it home with you. In this way, you can assess whether the cat's behavior may be a problem, and you'll be doing a wonderful thing to help an animal in need.
If you're set on getting a kitten, or you find yourself the owner of a cat with claws, you will likely face the issue of what you can do to prevent scratching.
While there are products designed to cover a cat's claws (Soft Paws is one that comes to mind), I don't think I'm alone in the opinion that they look like more trouble than they're worth. Let's be honest - if your cat is anything like the hundreds of cats I've personally met in my life, they're not going to sit still for a claw-clipping, let alone a session of super-gluing plastic tips on their claws! There aren't enough towels in the world to hold them still long enough for that, and catnip's not potent enough for them to forget what's happening.
I currently have two cats: Dammit (yes, really) and Sophie. Dammit still has all of his claws, but Sophie came to me completely de-clawed on all four of her paws. I have to admit, her disposition isn't very sunny, and there's little doubt in my mind as to why her previous owners decided to have her de-clawed. Still, it's not a choice I would have made for her.
If I de-claw Dammit, he might use those fangs on me. *shudder*
There are different reasons cited for choosing de-claw surgery for a cat. The top two reasons are: 1) preventing owner injury and 2) saving furniture.
While preventing injury to yourself or your children is an honorable notion (in fact, if you're not concerned for your safety and the safety of your children, I would seriously wonder about you), having a cat de-clawed, either pre-emptively or after the fact, isn't necessarily the best option.
A cat's claws are used for self-defense in all of its forms - this includes running away or climbing objects (such as trees, furniture, your legs...). If a cat uses its claws, it's because it feels cornered. If this is a common occurrence, ask yourself if there's something in the environment or the way you're acting around the cat which might cause that reaction. In Sophie's former owners, the de-clawing took place because of a toddler. Sophie's nervous around children, and children have a tendency to be a bit clumsy around animals, so in order to prevent scratches, Sophie was de-clawed. Unfortunately, that led to biting, a house cat's second line of defense. Because the situation in which Sophie lived didn't change, her behavior wasn't changed by having her de-clawed; it just caused her to find alternate ways of expressing her fear.
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Sophie doesn't need claws. She can kill you with her mind.
So if you're concerned about a cat's behavior, either around you or your children, think first about whether you can change the situation. If you can, teach your children to be gentle with the cat, and to leave it alone when it runs away. Cats are very good at hiding when they want to be left alone, but children are very good at finding things, and cats can quickly lose patience when they're being pursued. If your child is too young to be taught simple rules such as these, and your cat is aggressive, consider having a friend temporarily keep the animal for you if you can't bear to give it away permanently. Offer to pay for food, litter, and vet bills - I'm sure it will be appreciated, and you'll be able to retain ownership once you've successfully given "the talk" to your child.
If there's no way for you to change the environment for your cat, and you don't have a friend who can temporarily keep it, you'll likely want to give the cat to someone else. Check Craig's List for potential new owners, ask your friends, and talk to your vet about no-kill shelters (in Memphis, House of Mews is a wonderful resource).
If you're primarily concerned about your furniture, I'll let you in on a little secret: cats WILL scratch things, especially if those things have a rough surface. They don't care that your couch cost $1000 and isn't paid off yet. All they know is that the outer layer of their claws is shedding, and that it's uncomfortable. They pull the old claw off by hooking it into something that's rough and pulling their paw away. Cat claws grow and replace themselves at a fast enough rate that it may seem like all they're doing is scratching the furniture - and they may go all-out just to remove one claw.
How can you prevent this without resorting to de-claw surgery? Simple: provide a scratching surface, and make it attractive to your cat.
Scratching posts are excellent, because they last a long time, and are made of materials that cats love, usually sisal and carpet. However, if you have lots of rugs, you might not want to give the cat the idea that anything made of the same material as the scratch post is fair game. That's where cardboard scratch pads come in handy. They may not last as long as carpet posts, but they're inexpensive, and you can turn them over to use the other side once the first side has been obliterated by kitty claws. For the cardboard scratchers, try sprinkling catnip into the crevices to drive your cat crazy and encourage them to scratch. For upright scratchers and posts, catnip spray is convenient, and it's effective. It's made with real catnip oil, too, so you won't lose the amusement factor!
In order to discourage scratching on the corners of furniture, you can apply double-sided tape. Cats hate having anything stick to their paws, and will quickly learn to avoid doing anything that involves the tape. While you're discouraging them from scratching your furniture, however, you need to provide them another outlet, or else you'll force them to find somewhere else to scratch, and you won't like that any more than you enjoy having your favorite chair annihilated.
If you don't yet own a cat, don't want to get a de-clawed shelter cat, and you know that you would have a problem with your cat occasionally scratching the furniture (hey, it happens), then don't get a cat. There's no sense getting angry at them for doing what only comes naturally to them, and you'll save yourself a lot of frustration.
Why am I not a fan of de-claw surgery? Well, aside from it providing absolutely no health benefits to the cat, it's also such a horribly rudimentary and painful surgery that anesthetic research is actually done on cats receiving the surgery!
Warning: The following link contains graphic photos of de-claw surgery. These photos may not be suitable for children or those with weaker dispositions.
When you choose to adopt an animal, you're choosing to adopt every part of it, not just the cute parts. There are ugly parts to pet ownership, and there is some work involved. If you take all parts of pet ownership into consideration before adopting an animal, you'll avoid being irritated, and your household will be a lot happier for it.
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