I used to think that declawing a cat
was okay. I mean, it’s not cool when your kitty ruins your
couch, right? Claws are such an inconvenience…
When you declaw a cat, it isn’t just removing the claw. It
is cutting off the entire first knuckle of the cats ‘fingers’.
Look at your middle finger; see where your nail is? See the
first knuckle below the nail? Say you didn’t want your nails
to grow back…you would have to cut the tip of your finger
off to the first knuckle. This is what declawing is.
Now imagine walking on this. Imagine using this to scoop rough
litter. Declawing is a major reason for litter box issues.
A little effort from you can keep your cat’s claws and keep
your furniture intact. Since you have to bathe and love on
your kitty, you might as well take a few minutes to reinforce
correct scratching behaviour. My kittens have been taught
to scratch on a post, buy or make one for your house. If your
kitten scratches somewhere inappropriate, a firm “NO!” will
do. Place your kitten by the scratching post, rub his or her
front feet on it, and give lots of love. There ya go.
