Declawing Cats

Declawing or onychectomy is a surgical procedure involving removal of claws and should not be confused with a pedicure. Declawing puts the pet in great pain not only during the surgery but also after it. Although it is widely practiced in many countries, it is still considered as an unnecessary mutilation and is illegal in some countries. Another drawback is that this surgical procedure is not reversible.

Before having this surgery performed on your cat, you should understand as many aspects of it as you can learn. The claw is very different from a toenail as it is attached to the toe bone. The last toe bone and the joint are removed along with the claw, during declawing. Nature designed the cat’s body in such a way that everything is used to balance its movement, agility and grace. The main purpose of claws is to defend against an enemy and to get proper grip while walking. By amputating the joint, the whole walk is altered. Besides walking, other behaviours like eating, hunting, gripping, etc. also get changed. Cats that have had their claws removed can no longer enjoy climbing trees and tall objects which also means that they cannot jump from heights. Declawing changes the life of a cat. Some people who have had this procedure performed on their cat even claim that the whole personality of the animal is changed after the procedure. Although medical science hasn’t reported any side effects, many owners have reported physical and emotional complications in their cat after having this procedure done. The recovery is also full of pain and the pet can aggravate the situation by walking too soon after the operation and by scratching in the litter box.

Unlike other animals that walk on their paws, cats step on their toes. And when the last bone and joint are amputated, the animal frequently slips and loses its balance. The shift of weight can also affect the front quarter muscles. The imbalance can be very disturbing for the cat. Some cats even develop secondary contracture of the tendons. Claws are the primary defence for cats. When they loose their claws, they should not go outside, because they are unable to defend themselves. They may also develop a case of insecurity and lose their desire to do a lot of things that they enjoyed before they were declawed. Some cats even develop a tendency to bite, not only strangers but also familiar people and even their owners.

As a natural instinct, cats have a tendency to scratch after they urinate or have a bowel movement. When the claws are missing, some cats develop an uneasy feeling and they start wetting and soiling on rugs, carpets and soft furniture which fills the house with odour. Another thing which actually contributes to this habit is the fact that the cat experiences pain when it scratches the litter in the litter box, so it will choose to do its bodily elimination on a softer surface.

There are many options to declawing. First of all, you should understand that scratching is a natural instinct for cats. The act of scratching is exercise for the animal. It exercises the front quarter muscles and cats also gain pleasure out of the whole act. Nail caps are available to cover the claws. To use them, you will have to fill each cap with adhesive and slip one on each claw. The structure of these nail caps is very soft and the cat can scarcely feel the foreign object. The use of nail caps will save home furniture from further cat scratches. The claws can also be trimmed, but it should be done very carefully. Only the tips should be clipped and not the whole claw, especially the opaque part as that part of the nail contains blood vessels and tissue. As a result of cutting the nail too short, the cat can suffer a lot of pain and there will be a lot of blood loss. If while cutting your cat’s nails you accidentally cut them back too far and bleeding starts, dip the bleeding nail into a container of sulphur. The sulphur will stop the bleeding and act as an antiseptic to prevent infection. Note, if the sulphur does not stop the bleeding, get your cat to a veterinarian as quickly as possible, because too much blood loss could be fatal. When buying a nail clipper for your cat, make sure that you buy one designed for cats. A nail clipper designed for a dog will crush a cat’s claw instead of cutting it cleanly. Before trimming the claws, the cat must be made comfortable by massaging its paws so that it will get used to having its toes and feet held. If you are uneasy about clipping your cat’s nails you can file the ends down, or take your cat to a veterinarian or to a pet groomer to get its nails cut. If you use nail trimming as a method of reducing pet damage, make sure that you have them trimmed frequently as cat’s nails grow quite quickly.

Also, you should provide your cat with a scratching post. If it does not want to use this post to scratch on, put a little cat nip on the scratching post and this should encourage the cat to use it. There are many other options available at your local pet store. You should also train your cat, from an early age, that scratching anything but its scratching post is not acceptable. When you see your cat starting to scratch furniture, carpets, drapes, etc. immediately say “No” firmly and move the cat to the scratching post. Until the cat is trained not to scratch household goods, put the cat into a cat enclosure when you are not home.

In conclusion, declawing a cat should not be considered when there are many other ways to stop your cat from scratching things you do not want damaged. As mentioned above, it is irreversible, painful and will change the personality of your cat, usually not for the better. There are many other options that can solve the problem and none of them lead to disfigurement of your cat. You can even consult an animal behaviour modification specialist. Very few of the people who had their cats declawed that mom and dad talked to were satisfied with the results. Of the many mom and dad talked to, only two said that they would do it again. The rest stated they would find other options.

Until next time,

Teia

Teaching Your Cat Proper Manners

Establishing the relationship between you and your cat can either fall into place smoothly or take patience and time.

This article is not about how to train your kitten to roll over, jump through a hoop or sit. It's about setting boundaries for him. You do not want him jumping on the table during mealtime or swinging on the curtains. Nor do you want him using your speakers or that beautiful sofa you have as a scratching post. It's about getting him to use the litter box, instead of your closet, your best cozy comforter or Grandma Lil's beautiful hand made bedspread covering your bed!

Your job as an owner is to make the cat understand what you will and won't accept. With setting boundaries, you are showing him that you rank #1 when it comes to hierarchy.

So how are you going to do that? It is common sense really. Make all experiences rewarding for your cat when he does something you want him to do. When he is doing something he should not do, tell him no and stop him from doing the offending habit. Do not strike your cat or you will make him afraid of you. If your cat is afraid of you, it will be very difficult to establish a loving relationship with him. Even when you catch him in the act of doing something wrong, he will not associate the punishment with his actions. Reward based training works far better than punishment-based training.

Here are some basic troubleshooting tips:

LITTER BOX TRAINING

When the majority of people see a wet spot on the floor, carpet or wherever it may be, their initial reaction is to go and get their cat, take him to the litter box and hold him down. Some people even rub the cat's nose in it! This is not acceptable and most likely will have a bad impact on the cat's psyche. If punished like this, he will associate the punishment with his litter box and avoid using it altogether. He also could get angry or anxious and lash out in some erratic behaviour.

The best way to deal with litter box training is containing him in an area of the house or apartment that does not have carpet on the floor. Set up his litter box a little away from his bed and food. Frequently place him into the litter box and stir the litter a bit with his front paws. Do this gently so you do not hurt him or frighten him. Continue doing this until he gets the idea that this is where he needs to do his business! It is best to put him in his litter box about 10 - 20 minutes after he eats. Again, you may want to stir the litter to give him something to mimic. Although this usually comes naturally to most cats, there are the occasional few that need a bit of help.

If he simply jumps out of the box, that's OK. It's just a reminder to let him know it's there. When you see him using the litter box, praise him by petting him a lot, talking to him and giving him a little piece of his favourite treat. After a number of times of getting this kind of treatment when he uses the litter box he should get the idea. However, if he has an accident on your carpet, don't yell at him, just ignore him. Clean it up thoroughly to remove any remnants of urine or feces odour so that he won’t be attracted to do it there again. With patience and use of the reward system it won't take him long to master the concept of using his litter box. Cats are fastidious creatures and the learn to use the litter box fairly quickly. One note of caution though, cats, like most people, do not like smelly litter boxes, so make sure that you clean the litter box daily or the cat could stop using it.

SCRATCHING FURNITURE

For cats, scratching is a natural thing to do and necessary too. It not only feels good on their claws, but it helps to keep their claws filed down and marks the territory with their scent. You should always provide your cat with an outlet for scratching. Most pet stores sell scratching posts and many have a place to put a bit of catnip to make the post even more appealing.

Sometimes your cat will favour an object such as your couch, speakers or a favourite rug. Usually, it's just one or two objects that he will pick to get his claws into. It's up to you then to make this an unacceptable scratching object and less appealing to him.

All cats are different. Some do not like the feel of two-sided sticky tape and a citrus or menthol scent repels others. You could also try covering his selected scratching spot with some sort of netting or loosely knitted fabric. Although this may not be the most attractive decor in your house, remember that it's only temporary. Cats do not like to get their nails snagged on anything and this could deter him.

If you are trying to get your cat to use that scratching post you bought him, make it attractive for him. Place it in a location where he feels comfortable. Then either rub it down with some catnip, or buy a catnip spray to make it more appealing.

AGGRESSION

It may be cute when you and your new kitten are playing and at eight weeks old he's biting and scratching your hand and tearing up anything he can get his little claws on. As time goes by though and your cute little kitten turns into a 10-pound cat, things could seem a whole lot different! So, it is important to deter any bad behaviour as early as possible.

When it comes to cat aggression, there is most definitely a difference between normal behaviour and behaviour that you want to curb. For example, it is perfectly normal and acceptable that a cat will bite and scratch out of self-defence, when attacked or forced to do something he fears.

However, when you're walking through the comfort of your own home and all of a sudden your cat leaps out from behind a door and scratches or bites your ankles hard, this is not acceptable. This kind of attack can have a number of reasons. The cat could be playing out his predatory hunting instincts, or he could be frustrated and angry because of something as simple as having no food in his dish. He may simply be feeling bored or left out and this is his way to ask for your attention. Never allow your cat to play with you in an aggressive way!

While pouncing and biting softly are normal actions when a cat is playing, vicious attacks are not. They are the kind of attack that could send somebody to an emergency room. In some cases, vicious outbursts can be seen in cats that weren't socialized properly when they were kittens. Your cat could also have a painful condition you may be unaware of, or an undetected neurological problem, so if your cat suddenly starts to exhibit an unexplained outburst of aggression, it is important that you have him examined by a veterinarian to make sure there's actually nothing physically or mentally wrong with him.

In the majority of healthy cats, biting is an action that is developed by miscommunication, or a learned habit. With a little persistence and patience though, this habit can easily be broken over time.

Cats are intelligent animals and can learn fast. Remember, they learn by praise and reward. Stick to this method of dealing with your cat and the two of you will have many years of happiness together.

Until next time,

Teia