Why you should never declaw your cat

If your cat has gotten into the habit of restlessly scratching up your belongings, it is vital that you look into understanding why your cat does this. Your first and last option should never be to declaw your cat. While this process might be legal, it is incredibly inhumane and causes more damage than it fixes.

Many people mistaken “declawing” for a quick fix to all of their problems. Declawing, however, is a process in which the distal phalanges (the end bones of the cats toes) are amputated. The human equivalent would be to have the tips of your fingers amputated.

Cat’s need their claws in order to stretch. Your feline friend does not intend to damage your furniture and doesn’t do this as a behavioral issues. Instead, it is simply in your cats nature to scratch. In fact, kittens will start scratching as early as 8 weeks old, which is the perfect time to introduce them to a scratching post.

Cats scratch for a variety of reasons:

To mark their territory.

To stretch.

To maintain health.

It feels great for them!

In addition to being inhumane, declawing a cat can cause an entire set of behavioral problems. Declawing can lead to aggression, long-term pain and discomfort, misuse of the litter box and biting. Because of this, many veterinarians have stopped offering the service all together. In fact, as many as 30 countries have banned the practice, making it illegal; and Montreal is trying to join those ranks.

On Tuesday, April 2, 2019, the SPCA started an online petition to appeal to the Quebec Order of Veterinarians to ban the practice. As of now, the petition has collected more than 29,000 signatures, nearly reaching its goal of 35,000 signatures in the span of two days.

Click here to sign your name! Online Petition

Now in all seriousness, if you are having issues with your cat scratching, it is important for you to find methods of helping your cat. The ideal solution is one that benefits both of you. It is also important to understand that your cat is not going to stop scratching. This is part of their nature and one of the many details that accompanies having a cat in your home.

However, there are human actions that you can take to benefit both of you and to save your furniture.

Invest in a scratching post.

Purchase more interactive toys for your cat with material that is suitable for scratching.

Make your furniture very uncomfortable for your cat to scratch for 7 days. You can use double sided tape, citrus spray, or plastic wrap to discourage your cat from scratching your furniture and using the scratching post instead.

Use catnip to make your cat more interested in the scratching post. A light spray will draw your cat towards the scratching post rather than your couch very effectively!

Remember, there are always ways to work with your cat. Declawing should never be an option. There are so many other ways to promote a healthy, happy lifestyle for your feline companion without compromising their precious claws.

Keep them safe, keep them happy, and keep those cats purring!