There are a couple of things about living with cats that can be annoying. Some people find these things so annoying they take strong measures. An inside cat, who sheds, claws furniture, chews on or digs in house plants, or misses the litter box, for example, might be banned from the house, given away, or taken to a shelter. Some cat owners try to use punishment as a detriment—usually to no avail. And some take more drastic measures such as shaving the cat or declawing it. And you’ve probably heard some of the horror stories occurring from the practice of removing a cat’s claws. They range from serious complications and infection and horrific pain for the cat to a dramatic change in the cat’s personality. Sure, some declawing operations seem to be successful. But many people still believe it’s a barbaric practice.
New Jersey may be the first state in the US to ban the declawing of a cat. They’re on verge of doing so as we speak. Here’s an article as to why this law may go on the books in New Jersey. http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2017/01/ban_declawing_of_cats_nj_lawmakers_will_cast_their.html
It seems that there are similar bans in a few California cities including Berkeley, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Santa Monica, Malibu, Culver City, and Burbank. And declawing is outlawed in 27 countries, including Germany, France, Australia, Brazil, England, Italy, Scotland, and Israel.
To read more about the pros and cons of declawing a cat here: http://www.declawing.com/
The main reason why people declaw their cats is because of the damage the cat does to
Baby Lily and Friend
furniture. Some cats are more “destructive” than others. Another reason is to protect small children from a cat’s scratch. What can you do as an alternative? I know people who use claw covers on their cats. Always, always have plenty of cat furniture for the cat to scratch on and make sure it’s sturdy, and covered in an appropriate type of material. This might be wood or sisal.
The best gift you can give your cat is to understand what his claws mean to him and help him take care of them properly, which may mean that you’ll need to clip them regularly or have a vet do it. Lily and some of our former cats have a couple of nails that grow large and grotesque, so they need careful monitoring. We’ve had a cat’s claw grow into the pad. Yes, those claws can cause trouble for the cat and it’s up to us to keep a close eye on them.
Here’s a must-read link about cats’ claws and how to help your cat keep them healthy. https://www.thespruce.com/how-to-manage-your-cats-claws-552007
