The issue of whether or not to declaw the family cat is a debate that often arises after dad’s favorite chair has an arm missing.  While this decision should not be taken lightly, and of course, should be discussed with your Veterinarian, we can take a look at the options available to avoid such destruction in the first place.

One of the first options should be to help your cat understand what behavior is acceptable.  Keep a water spray bottle handy.  It should be set on stream rather than mist.  When your cat goes to scratch anything, a quick squirt of the bottle should be enough to deter her from continuing.  A loud noise, such as hand clapping or banging on the table might also suffice.  Once the cat has been distracted, make sure you show her an alternate behavior.  This can be done by providing a cat scratch board.  Some cats really love the cardboard ones, while others prefer carpet.  The appropriate scratching area can be as simple as tacking an old piece of carpet onto a wall or as elaborate as a floor to ceiling scratch post to match the living room decor.  Show your cat what to do by moving her front legs in a scratching motion in the correct area.  To entice her to the area, rubbing in some good quality catnip should do the job.

If you share your home with a feline friend who waits for your departure before attacking the furniture, you might consider keeping her in one room of the house.  This room should not be full of furniture, but should have a scratch area provided.  This will encourage her to use it while she is alone, until it becomes a habit.

If you don’t want to declaw (and many people don’t), then you can also explore the idea of keeping her nails trimmed.  This task may seem more daunting than it actually is.  Cats nails are clear and there is a definite hook.  Use a good pair of quality pet nail clippers and start by trimming just one nail, and giving her a tasty treat.  Over a few weeks, get her accustomed to having her nails all trimmed.  She will start to associate this procedure with her treat, and come to look forward to it.  Make sure that you do not cut into the quick, the small vein that runs through the nail.  It is quite easy to see.  You can just clip off the hook a bit at a time, not too short to begin with.  If you are uncomfortable with doing this yourself, book a regular appt with your Veterinarian to have it done.

Keeping her nails dull will certainly help keep your furniture safe.

One thing is for certain, if you declaw your cat, she should be kept indoors.  Cats protect themselves with their claws, so would be too vulnerable outside alone without them.  You can let her exercise outdoors on a cat harness, while being supervised by you.

The decision to declaw your cat is a personal one, but you may find it is not necessary after teaching her to scratch in appropriate places.