Declawing: Before You Take Away Their Claws

Cats are born with the claws nature intended them to have:

• • They scratch to tell other cats about their territory with scent instead of using aggression or marking.
  • Cats need claws to stretch and strengthen their whole bodies, to climb to safety and to balance.
  • Cats use their claws to knead, to comfort themselves when stressed.
  • Cats also knead on other cats and humans they love, as it reminds them of kneading on their mothers as kittens.

Facts about declawing:

• • • Declawing is amputating the last bone in each toe, along with severing tendons, nerves and muscles that enable normal feline movement.
    • During the surgery–even when anesthetized–cats often moan aloud as there is no anesthetic strong enough to remove the deep bone pain that declawing causes.
    • Declawing makes using the litter box painful for cats, which can cause them to not want to use the box.
    • Declawing takes away an important form of communication, leaving them no other option than to bite.
    • Declawing can make cats more shy or aggressive, knowing they can’t defend themselves.
    • Declawing leads to premature arthritis in their backs and lameness as they age.
    • Cats with claws are no more likely to injure a declawed cat than another declawed cat is; it’s all about matching the right cats with each other.
    • Declawing is used by drug companies to test new pain medications, as there is no more painful procedure known.

Declawing is mutilation that sets up a cat for a lifetime of pain that often leads to behavior that lands them in shelters. We know; we’ve seen it. Happy Cats Haven is proud to work with veterinarians who only perform these amputations as a very last resort.

Cats can be trained to scratch on acceptable surfaces:

• Cats have individual preferences for scratching, including textures and surface alignments.
• Scratchers come in all shapes and textures to help you find ones they like, as well as ones you can live with.
• Kittens can easily be taught to use a scratcher by rewarding them with treats when they use it instead of your furniture.
• You can make scratching a fun habit for adults by finding out what scratchers they like and using the same technique to reward.

There are ways to solve scratching issues; we can help you find alternatives to declawing. Please call us at 719-362-4600 or email us directly!