Alternatives to Declawing Your Cat

Cats can be finicky about their claws. Some hate having their tiny toes touched so it can be very hard to maintain their nails. Cats use their claws for many things, such as defending themselves when necessary, killing prey, digging holes, climbing trees and other high places to get away from predators. They can also use them for unwanted things in the home, such as clawing up furniture, carpet, curtains and other things. You may be wondering what a good alternative to declawing cats may be and what could make maintaining their claws easier for you and them.

Should I Declaw?

The declawing of cats can be a highly debated subject. Many people believe declawing is inhumane and cruel, while others believe it is necessary to keep cats inside. Many landlords do not allow a cat inside an apartment unit if they are not declawed and may even ask for proof.

There are health risks to declawing your cat. They could get an infection from going into the litter box after surgery. Their claws might possibly grow back if the surgery is not preformed properly. They may move or walk differently than before and could be in constant pain.

What is Declawing?

When you take your kitty to get declawed the doctors will remove the first knuckle in their fingers. This is equivalent to cutting off your fingertips at the first finger joint. This will prevent the nail from growing back in most cases.

Alternatives to Declawing

Instead of declawing your cat you can look for alternatives such as nail caps. These can come in many different colors and can be a fun alternative to declawing. Another alternative is clipping their nails frequently. This may be difficult for some cat parents since many cats do not like to have their nails touched.

Ways to Make Nail Care Easier

• Take brakes as needed. This can be between paws or between claws.
• Give lots of treats while trimming.
• Wrap the kitty in a towel or blanket. Make sure it's not too tight and only have one paw out at a time.
• Consider a calming supplement or CBD with your cat first.
• Make sure it is quiet and your cat is calm when trimming.
• Get them used to you touching their paws. You can do this by rewarding them with treats the more they let you touch them.
• Get them used to the feeling when they are young. If you have a kitten make sure to start cutting their nails young so it's something they are accustomed to.
• Play with your cat to tire them out a bit.
• Always make sure to look out for the quick of the nail when trimming. This is the soft pink nail bed inside their nail.
• If you are not comfortable cutting your cats nails, you can always take them to a groomer.

All in all, it is very important that your kitty is comfortable and not scared. If your cat is always scared when it comes trimming time, they will continue to associate trimming with fear. Give lots of pets and treats when trimming to make sure they are happy.